Reload and stack temp question

[lillyrat]

New stove PE Summit and am learning the ropes. When I reload the stove with 3 splits of 2 year old sycamore, full air, the splits take off and my stack temp starts going up fast, from say 250 to 400 in about 2 or 3 minutes and I have to start backing it down or the stack will go above 500 in no time. This stove with full air acts like my old stove with an open ash pan. I do not have the ash pan on this stove. The stove does respond well to air control adjustment, I have had no problems controlling it. It just seems to get really hot, really quick. With the 3 good sized splits I have only been able to get the Stove up to 500 degrees, I thought it would get hotter with the way it burns. So I guess my questions are:

1. Is it normal for the stove to take off so fast on reload? If I had a leak somewhere, I wouldn't think I would be able to control it so well.

2. Can I reload with air control at half setting instead of full?

3. Is the 500 degree stove top what it should be with 3 splits in it. I have not been brave enough to put more than that in there because I am afraid of how hot the stack may get on the initial reload. I plan on loading 4 splits tomorrow morning and see how it goes.

Been cruising at 500 degrees for about an hour and a half with the air set just below the L but not shut all the way down. I assume I have secodaries burning since there are flames in the top of the box but no flames out of the air injection holes themselves.

Thanks for any suggestions.

 

[soupy1957]

1. Is it normal for the stove to take off so fast on reload? Yes......it's hot in there! If I had a leak somewhere, I wouldn’t think I would be able to control it so well. As I discovered recently, NO stove is air tight

2. Can I reload with air control at half setting instead of full? sure you can, but remember "oxygen is your friend"

3. Is the 500 degree stove top what it should be with 3 splits in it. 500º is not only normal but it also is rather modest, frankly. I get my stove box up to 650º without even trying hard I have not been brave enough to put more than that in there be brave, young grasshopper; it's amazing what a stove can take! because I am afraid of how hot the stack may get on the initial reload. I plan on loading 4 splits tomorrow morning and see how it goes.

Been cruising at 500 degrees for about an hour and a half with the air set just below the L but not shut all the way down. I assume I have secodaries burning since there are flames in the top of the box but no flames out of the air injection holes themselves. Safe assumption

If you haven't done so already, I'd personally recommend a flue thermometer. I watch THAT more than my stove thermometer!

-Soupy1957

 

[lillyrat]

Thanks for the reply. I do currently use a magnetic flue thermometer. I use it as the gauge on when to back down the air and the stovetop for heat output. I was thinking I should be getting hotter stovetop than 500 so was wondering if I needed to be doing something different to get a little more heat out of it.

 

[woodsmaster]

Open the air more if you want it hotter.

 

[lillyrat]

If I open the air more my stack temp will go up and will be losing more heat up the chimney. I guess my question would be to others is: What is your flue temp while your stove top is 650?
I like to keep the flue below 400 so maybe it has to be hotter to get the stovetop hotter. Sounds like a give and take deal.......which do you want....... steady 500 degree burn and <400 degree flue or 650 stovetop while loosing some heat up the stack. I would obviously like the stove to cruise at 650 with a <400 degree flue.
I may try some Oak today and see how it performs compared to the sycamore and poplar. I was wanting to save it for the colder months but I can spare a little to see how the stove will run with it.

 

[oldspark]

With the stove warmed up you should see the lower flue temps vs the stove top after the stove has "settled" and the primary air is turned down, bigger loads of wood and more dense wood should get you there with the temps you are looking for. Takes a while to figure it all out and I am still working on it. These EPA stoves run easily with a working set up it just takes a while to run it efficiently.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

lillyrat, if the flue temp is going to 500 right away, then it is good to back down on the draft. As far as what others have for flue temperatures, it can vary a lot. For example, on our stove a 300-350 flue temperature is very common with a full load. Many times though we run it at below 300. I would not worry about 400 flue and 650 stove top. Remember that the flue temperature needs to be somewhat high as that is what creates the draft and takes out the bad stuff.

Burning only 3 splits I would not worry if the stove top did not go over 500. Besides, do you really need that much heat right now? Save your wood for when you really need it and don't be like some folks who get so wrapped up with their new stove they burn a lot of wood when they don't need to and then by mid or late winter have ran out of good wood.

As for burning the oak, if it were me, I'd save that oak for mid-winter burning during the night as it will hold a fire much longer. And yes, it will definitely outperform sycamore and poplar....by a lot. That is why you should save it for when it is really needed.

 

[lillyrat]

Yeah I don't really need the heat right now, was 22 degrees this morning though. I threw in 4 splits this morning, sycamore, oak, locust and a hickory. I started backing it down with the flue at about 375 and this let me keep it just below 500 at it hottest. I turned it down over about 30 minutes and it cruised at 500 for a couple of hours. That was 5 hours ago and there are good coals left now and the stovetop is at 250 degrees with the fan on. I don't need the fan right now but I am just expirementing to see if I can spread the heat around. I was really pleased with the way it burned, I just thought I would get higher stovetop temps with the low air. I will maybe not turn it down so low next time. Secondary burn seem to last a long time but not real violent. I think that turning it down before it hits 400 will keep things from getting too crazy in the firebox and letting the flue get over 500. Will have to wait till later today since the house is at 75 and the outside temp is around 44. Is supposed to get down to 27 tonight.

 

[firefighterjake]

Open the air more if you want it hotter.

This would work for a pre-EPA stove . . . not for an EPA stove. With the EPA stoves if you open up the air control more of the heat will go out the flue and up the chimney generally resulting in a hotter flue, but cooler stove.

 

[begreen]

New stove PE Summit and am learning the ropes. When I reload the stove with 3 splits of 2 year old sycamore, full air, the splits take off and my stack temp starts going up fast, from say 250 to 400 in about 2 or 3 minutes and I have to start backing it down or the stack will go above 500 in no time. This stove with full air acts like my old stove with an open ash pan. I do not have the ash pan on this stove. The stove does respond well to air control adjustment, I have had no problems controlling it. It just seems to get really hot, really quick. With the 3 good sized splits I have only been able to get the Stove up to 500 degrees, I thought it would get hotter with the way it burns. So I guess my questions are:

1. Is it normal for the stove to take off so fast on reload? If I had a leak somewhere, I wouldn't think I would be able to control it so well.

2. Can I reload with air control at half setting instead of full?

3. Is the 500 degree stove top what it should be with 3 splits in it. I have not been brave enough to put more than that in there because I am afraid of how hot the stack may get on the initial reload. I plan on loading 4 splits tomorrow morning and see how it goes.

Been cruising at 500 degrees for about an hour and a half with the air set just below the L but not shut all the way down. I assume I have secodaries burning since there are flames in the top of the box but no flames out of the air injection holes themselves.

Thanks for any suggestions.

1 - It is, if the coal bed is very hot. Try letting it burn down a bit longer before reloading. Also, try larger splits on reload.

2 - Out of routine, I always open the air control to full before opening the door, wait maybe 10-20 sec, then open. I got into this habit with the Castine because it helped eliminate any smoke spilling in milder weather. I like to leave the air control open for at least a minute or two until the splits ignite (we burn large 8-10" splits), then close it down halfway, then all the way. But in the middle of winter, when draft is strong and the stove is hot, you can often skip the wide open air control step.

3 - Sounds normal. Don't be afraid of the stove, it's pretty tough. You will see it cruise at about 600-650 with larger loads.