Preventing creasalt in flue

[nmaho]

what is the best temp to run at wit good seasoned wood?

 

[TedyOH]

I was told from around 500 - 700 degrees

 

[BrotherBart]

Never seen a stove crap up a flue leveled out at 500 stove top temp or over. Look at the chimney. If you see smoke, turn it up and fix that. With that insert it will be hard to know what the stove top temp is though. So keep some flame going and look for the clean burn, no smoke.

 

[Rebelduckman]

If you can get that sucker to cruise in the 500 range you'll be in good shape. I'd say 400-600 is acceptable though

 

[Bad LP]

The one bad thing about an insert is not being able to place a simple thermometer on the pipe and nobody makes a remote bulb one that I've found.

 

[TedyOH]

This works for me, the line scratched on the right is 500 deg, line on left 700, its sitting on top of my insert a few inches in front of the pipe. Or an IR thermometer would work as well.

 

[jtaves85mcss]

I see the lines, but do not understand exactly what we are looking at. Is there some type of bi-metal temp device in operation? More info please.

 

[TedyOH]

Condar stovetop thermometer.

 

[jtaves85mcss]

Thanks, I do see the indicator on top now. Good idea there.

 

[teekal]

If you see smoke, turn it up and fix that. With that insert it will be hard to know what the stove top temp is though. So keep some flame going and look for the clean burn, no smoke.

This is a bit of a rookie question, but does smoke ALWAYS mean creosote? I can have my stove-top thermometer well into the "sweet spot" for temperature yet there will be smoke occasionally.

 

[BrotherBart]

Smoke can happen. But if it is white it is steam that often gets mistaken for smoke.

 

[Oldman47]

This is a bit of a rookie question, but does smoke ALWAYS mean creosote? I can have my stove-top thermometer well into the "sweet spot" for temperature yet there will be smoke occasionally.

Visible smoke, not steam, is always unburned hydrocarbons. If you let it happen much you will get a creosote build up.