Keystone high temp question answered by Woodstock - thoughts? - They are as always most helpful

[kayakkeith]

So awhile back I had some post about Keystone high temps - basically get some stove top temps of 700 to 750(red zone on thermometer) from time to time. Nothing for a long time but still had some concerns. Response from fellow board members seemed to indicate not a real big deal and some ways to bring temps down. I really appreciated all of the responses but figured I would call Woodstock just to make sure.

Once again they were great in the info they provided and asked me enough questions that I knew they had the whole set up and situation clear.

They asked what type of wood ? - told them oak and locust 15 to20% moisture level - they said nice and dry , burns hot and may want to mix the locust with other stuff as it burns hot -

They asked about chimney? Brand new SS and about 30 ft high - they then asked damper levels - basically btwn 0 and 1 - they said good draw and maybe a pipe damper would help out to slow that down

Told me nothing major to worry about but to watch it if it tends to burn that high for long periods of time -

So all in all I feel okay about the set up and realize that this thing is doing everything perfect and giving me the heat I need,etc.

I may think about the damper but figured I would see what others think - I search some post already on the topic

Mike at Woodstock was great on the phone and being a technical guy for what I do for work I knew he was asking the right questions and it was great customer service.

I asked him about getting a bigger stove but I think I would have very warm house them - maybe good for those couple weeks when we are below zero all of the time but I probably couldnt sit in living room with a bigger stove

So now its 29 outside - 73 inside and stove top 600 - I think I am okay

 

[leeave96]

I think you are fine. The solution to your stove top temps is probably not a pipe damper, but opening up the stove damper a bit more to get some flames. If your cat is chewing on smoke only, then you've got a hot stove top.

I burned my Keystone last night with the damper down to about 3/4 and had a 625ish stove top. I didn't damper down further because I knew the stove top would go up higher. All I was looking for was a lower temp burn and an overnight burn such that I'd have coals in the morning to restart. I got both.

Keep playing around with your stove - I think you are on the right track.

Bill

 

[Todd]

If you can still snuff out the flames before you hit 0 I think you should be fine without the damper. These Woodstocks have a lot of control.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

And many times just opening the damper some will cool the stove. Damper too low gives hot stove top temps.

 

[Stump_Branch]

Ive had a harderish time learning that turning down to a point gets hotter stove tops, where as opening up for a fire show, gets heat lower in the stove body. Running this cat is certainly more entertainingly easy to control the fire.

 

[jackofalltrades]

This is a good topic for me to ask a question or two about also. I do have the Fireview and about 25 feet of insulated SS pipe. My stack goes straight out the wall behind the stove then a 90 and straight up the outside wall. I know that aint the best system for getting heat, but it does work for me in Northeast MS.
I am buring dry hickory, black walnut, and oak. Dry meaning around 18-22% and less in most cases. I seldom see my stove top at 600 degrees. Infact, I have never seen it at that temp. I can get to 550 or so, but that is as high as its been. I run my damper around 3/4 usually or 1 and a lot of the time the fire goes out but the wood itself will be glowing with some flickers of fire. I think I should be able to get my stove hotter than that with the wood I have. Give me some ideas or ask some more questions so I can get this worked out.

 

[Todd]

This is a good topic for me to ask a question or two about also. I do have the Fireview and about 25 feet of insulated SS pipe. My stack goes straight out the wall behind the stove then a 90 and straight up the outside wall. I know that aint the best system for getting heat, but it does work for me in Northeast MS.
I am buring dry hickory, black walnut, and oak. Dry meaning around 18-22% and less in most cases. I seldom see my stove top at 600 degrees. Infact, I have never seen it at that temp. I can get to 550 or so, but that is as high as its been. I run my damper around 3/4 usually or 1 and a lot of the time the fire goes out but the wood itself will be glowing with some flickers of fire. I think I should be able to get my stove hotter than that with the wood I have. Give me some ideas or ask some more questions so I can get this worked out.

I'll give it a shot. How many splits are you fitting in your fire box? Sometimes too large of splits will keep the temps down but give longer burns, I use to stuff in at least 6 if I wanted a good hot fire.

What setting do you engage at? I like about 1.25 to let her get going good for 15-30 minutes before turning it down to a desired output. Sounds like you need to give it more air at the beginning and enjoy the flame show before turning it down. I recommend engaging at 1.25-1.5 and just let it go and watch what happens with the temps after an hour or so, it may surprise you.

 

[jackofalltrades]

I am a lazy woodburner. I should have said that to begin with. I open up all the way and reload usually nomore than five splits will fit in my stove. I keep a good bit of coal bed and ash in it and my splits run a little larger than normal, closer to 6 or 7 inches on the wide side. I burn for about 10 minutes and get everything burning then I will knock her back to 1 and engage if my stovetop is over 200. In the mornings it might not be quiet at 200 so I have to get it back up to that temp or a little higher if I have time to stay with it longer. I know that is not getting all I can get out of the stove, but I don't have time to sit and tend the stove. I load 3 times a day. Once in the morning about 6:15, leave for work, reload about 3:30 or before 4:00 in the afternoons. Then I reload between 9:00 and 9:30 before bed.

 

[HotCoals]

Just for giggles..put some smaller splits in.
Run the first layer n/s..then the next layer e-w...leave a lot of gaps.
Do this when you can stay with the stove.
You will hit 600 then I bet..prolly higher.

Though it does sound like you might have a lazy draft.

 

[Todd]

I am a lazy woodburner. I should have said that to begin with. I open up all the way and reload usually nomore than five splits will fit in my stove. I keep a good bit of coal bed and ash in it and my splits run a little larger than normal, closer to 6 or 7 inches on the wide side. I burn for about 10 minutes and get everything burning then I will knock her back to 1 and engage if my stovetop is over 200. In the mornings it might not be quiet at 200 so I have to get it back up to that temp or a little higher if I have time to stay with it longer. I know that is not getting all I can get out of the stove, but I don't have time to sit and tend the stove. I load 3 times a day. Once in the morning about 6:15, leave for work, reload about 3:30 or before 4:00 in the afternoons. Then I reload between 9:00 and 9:30 before bed.

I think your splits are too large. I like to have a few big ones like that for the lower back of the fire box but fill in 2-4" for the rest. It seems to take off quicker, burns hotter and you still get a good long burn with that big one in the back.

 

[jackofalltrades]

I would expect a lazy draft in an outside chimney in the South anyway. I do not have any backpuffing at all though. I have never had any kindof smoke smell at all in the house so I know it is drawing good as far as that goes. I am not going to go to the effort of cutting little bitty short pieces of wood to turn them N/S though. They would only be about 8 or 10'' long like that.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

This is a good topic for me to ask a question or two about also. I do have the Fireview and about 25 feet of insulated SS pipe. My stack goes straight out the wall behind the stove then a 90 and straight up the outside wall. I know that aint the best system for getting heat, but it does work for me in Northeast MS.
I am buring dry hickory, black walnut, and oak. Dry meaning around 18-22% and less in most cases. I seldom see my stove top at 600 degrees. Infact, I have never seen it at that temp. I can get to 550 or so, but that is as high as its been. I run my damper around 3/4 usually or 1 and a lot of the time the fire goes out but the wood itself will be glowing with some flickers of fire. I think I should be able to get my stove hotter than that with the wood I have. Give me some ideas or ask some more questions so I can get this worked out.

Works for me in Michigan too. Our chimney is too short and is not enclosed in a chase. Many say it doesn't work but we seem to stay warm okay with no problems from the stove or chimney.

You don't like to sit with a fire? That's okay as many don't and you don't have to do that with a Fireview either. Most times within 10 minutes we have the stove all set and can go about our business. Like Todd, I think perhaps you might be trying to burn too large of splits. I like a large one in the bottom rear for overnight or any long burns but other than that just small or medium splits. They are even easier to fit into the stove.

 

[jackofalltrades]

Some of you are saying use smaller splits, but I am worried about getting the burn times I need with small sticks and splits. Do you think I will be able to get the kindof burn times I talked about with those little splits?

 

[Todd]

Some of you are saying use smaller splits, but I am worried about getting the burn times I need with small sticks and splits. Do you think I will be able to get the kindof burn times I talked about with those little splits?

Yes, it's a cat stove, you will still get the long burn times, just place one of those large ones in the lower back and fill in from there.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

I fully agree with Todd. It works.

 

[jackofalltrades]

I will be able to play with my stove more over the Christmas season since we are off work til the 5th now. I will try the smaller splits and watch that and also I can play around with my damper control a lot more since I will be there with the stove basically all the time. It heats the house alright as it is but I know I am suppose to be able to get more heat out of the stove so I want it. The only time I have a problem is when its real cold and I get up in the mornings and it will be down around 65 in the house. I would like for it to be more like 68, but that might be more of an insulation issue I don't know. My thinking is if I get the house warmer at bedtime it should maintain more warmth through the night into the morning.

 

[Todd]

Have a good vacation and Merry Christmas. I'm sure you will get her figured out, just need to play a bit.

 

[Wood Duck]

Also keep in mind that your stovetop thermometer might not be accurate. There was a thread here about how wildly inaccurate the cheap stovetop thermometers we all use can be.