Overfire Temperatures

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fayman

New Member
Dec 7, 2006
46
So, I just walked into our front room, and realized that my new Avalon Ranier insert was teetering at 800 degrees. My magnetic thermometer is centered on the front plate on top of the stove. I've never had it this hot, and it got me wondering, "When do I know that I've hit the limit and overfired the stove?"

I know different stoves can handle different temps, depending on their construction, I'm just wondering what I should look out for with mine.
 
Yeah, I wasn't THAT worried. Glowing metal and I'd be calling the fire department. 800 is just far and away beyond what my little Lopi Answer could do last year.

I also have read about runaway fires in a stove that's too hot. I cut the air intake, put the blowers on high, and waited for the secondary burn cycle to finish up, and the temp came right back down into it's "cruising" range.

Maybe I'm paranoid.....maybe it's because I'm scared to death of a house fire....
 
Those stoves can take it - I've floored mine (925+), with no problems ever. A steel stove like that with bends in the top plate and a track record of virtually no problems should be fine. If any parts are going to need replacement eventually, they will be the internal baffle angles and associated parts, and they are relatively inexpensive and should last for years.
 
My Regency runs at *700 to *800 most of the time and if I leave the draft open a little too long it'll creep for *950+.Some would call it foolish....I call it keeping a drafty house warm.No evident damage from"overfiring" and my secondary tubes don't even glow a bit until they hit the *900 plateau. :gulp:
 
Awesome, thanks guys. In "real life" I'm still quite a newbie, but I have come to learn and love these Travis stoves. The Answer was a little workhorse, but was quite small and burned pretty cool. The Rainer has been great, and I've learned what it's cruising ranges are, but tonight it's gotten pretty cold, and the wife had it at 725 when I got home and then I proceeded to stuff it full and it hopped to 800 in no time! Just wanted to know when I should start to worry!
 
I tell my "hen" to try keep it below *700,for my own peace of mind........she just doesn't monitor the stove as closely as I.
 
Titan said:
I tell my "hen" to try keep it below *700,for my own peace of mind........she just doesn't monitor the stove as closely as I.

It's like you can read my mind, brother......

Ha-ha!
 
The funny part is that "we"started off with a ceiling temp.of*500........now that she's more comfortable with the stove she upgraded to *700.Now if I could only convince her to drag some wood in to the house!
 
My summit stove runs at around 900 to 1000 f flue temps for the first few hours then backs down to 700 or so.

Lots of times on start up, flue temp runs to 1300 damper down and back to a 1000 or so.

No damage to the stove what so ever, the wood i have is all softwood so it burns hotter.
 
Titan said:
The funny part is that "we"started off with a ceiling temp.of*500........now that she's more comfortable with the stove she upgraded to *700.Now if I could only convince her to drag some wood in to the house!

I let that ship sail a LOOOOOOONG time ago! Hell, it took her 3 weeks just to get the nerve to light this new stove. I guess it just looked so much bigger and badder than that cute little thing we had last year!! LOL
 
700 is more than enough for the steel suckers. 600 is a nice place for them to hang out. Longevity is an issue because they ain't built from the 3/8" boiler plate that the 70's stoves were.
 
I've noticed the stove cruisin a bit warmer this year, regularly around 650-700. The stove seems to be taking it well and likes all that maple we split over the summer, but I hear what you're saying BB, not alot of meat in 'em anymore.................
 
I'm jealous, we used to run our stove hot and long.

Over the last year, I installed new windows and removed all the exterior siding, re-insulated and then re-sided the house.

Now if I get the stove hot enough for the secondary burn to start, the house just gets too damn hot.

I miss those days of staring into the firebox full of flames with a glass of wine.

I am hoping for a cold winter!

WR
 
Rolled steel can take only so many overfires before thay start to break down. You may not notice it but when they start to lose the carbon content and discolor dramatically then you will wonder how many degrees is too much. :question:
 
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