Stove Pipe Temp Question

[leeave96]

What is your max external stove pipe stack temperature that you are comfortable with?

When crusing, what is your stove stack pipe temp?

Just courious.

Thanks!
Bill

 

[oldspark]

What is your max external stove pipe stack temperature that you are comfortable with?

When crusing, what is your stove stack pipe temp?

Just courious.

Thanks!
Bill

I like to run it in the "safe" zone on the thermometer (surface mount) 250 to 500 after fire has settled in, I dont worry too much on the over shoots on reload and start up (650 or so), and when the fire is dying the temps get lower that the 250 but that in not a problem either.

 

[Todd]

My Keystone has a external mag thermometer only about 10" off the flue collar since I don't have much pipe but while in bypass I try and keep it under 500, after engaging with the air set at #1 she will drop down and cruise at 350-400. What kind of temps are you seeing with your Keystone?

 

[leeave96]

Todd,

I was crusing at about 350 on the stove pipe today. Most of the time it's about 200.

I am seeing a trend and that is my flue temp, with mag thermeter at 16ish inches above the stove top, is just about half the stove top when cat is engaged. Generally, I am crusing at 400 to 450 degrees stove top and 200-225 flue pipe temp. Right now, with a hot bed of coals, from an earlier HOT burn, the damper is at 1-1/8, the stove top is crusing at 450 and stove pipe temp is 240ish degrees and a couple of splits with a nice cat glow.

Thanks,
Bill

 

[Todd]

Sounds pretty typical for a cat stove. Right now I have a 400 stove top with a 250 stove pipe with a couple good chunks of wood left from earlier this morning. Oh, and crystal clear glass by the way! :coolgrin:

 

[madison]

bill,

magnetic on the stack? Dbl wall or single wall? --> makes a big difference. sorta like guessing the outdoor temperature with an indoor thermometer.... Though some would (will) argue with that. FYI I can hold my hand for hrs on my class a pipe while the stove top is 800.

 

[HotCoals]

My BK cursing on a long run will be about 350 stove top with a 200 or less flue 8 inches up..single wall...usually around 175.

 

[leeave96]

bill,

magnetic on the stack? Dbl wall or single wall? --> makes a big difference. sorta like guessing the outdoor temperature with an indoor thermometer.... Though some would (will) argue with that. FYI I can hold my hand for hrs on my class a pipe while the stove top is 800.

Single wall stove pipe.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Our flue runs horizontal to an outside chimney. The thermometer sits about a foot from the rear of the stove. When lighting or reloading we take it up to 500 and sometimes a bit past. Once the fire is established and the cat engaged the flue generally runs in the 300-350 range with 325 being quite typical.

 

[Battenkiller]

I'm comfortable with 650º... as long as I'm standing nearby. Beyond that things can suddenly runaway if there is enough fuel in the box. I've watched on several occasions as the flue temp suddenly skyrocketed from 650º to pinned on the gauge, and the dang thermometer sliding down the pipe because it lost its magnetism. That happens somewhere around 900º. It happened so many times last year there's a trail rubbed down the front of the pipe, but I've got a better handle on it this year. I'm never comfortable with flue temps pushing 900º. That's freaky hot, and my PBF (Panic Button Finger) starts to twitch all of a sudden.

Thankfully with my stove and install, things always quite down shortly after I close the bypass damper. I've never had a true runaway fire because, with the bypass closed, the flame path switches from a short vertical path through the stack of wood to a 55" serpentine horizontal path that starts at the bottom and winds its way upward. That restrictive flame path just kills a runaway draft.

 

[HotCoals]

I'm comfortable with 650º... as long as I'm standing nearby. Beyond that things can suddenly runaway if there is enough fuel in the box. I've watched on several occasions as the flue temp suddenly skyrocketed from 650º to pinned on the gauge, and the dang thermometer sliding down the pipe because it lost its magnetism. That happens somewhere around 900º. It happened so many times last year there's a trail rubbed down the front of the pipe, but I've got a better handle on it this year. I'm never comfortable with flue temps pushing 900º. That's freaky hot, and my PBF (Panic Button Finger) starts to twitch all of a sudden.

Thankfully with my stove and install, things always quite down shortly after I close the bypass damper. I've never had a true runaway fire because, with the bypass closed, the flame path switches from a short vertical path through the stack of wood to a 55" serpentine horizontal path that starts at the bottom and winds its way upward. That restrictive flame path just kills a runaway draft.

Why don't you engage the cat sooner before the flue temps get way high like that..900 °

 

[Todd]

Holy Crap!! If I saw 900 external pipe temps I'd poop my pants!

 

[Battenkiller]

Why don't you engage the cat sooner before the flue temps get way high like that..900 °

Well... maybe because I don't have a cat in my stove?

The bypass damper on my stove just changes the mode of combustion from updraft to downdraft. With the bypass open, the stove will usually stabilize with flue temps 600-650º when the air is open all the way. Sometimes the wood is too dry, and in those cases temps can rise very quickly and dramatically. That's why I said I'm only comfortable when I'm standing nearby and watching things. I now can tell if it's going to spike super high by the speed that it gets to 650º. If the rate of temperature increase begins to slow down and then stops at about 650º and drops back to about 600º and stays there for a few minutes, I'll let it run that hot for up to an hour to get the flue warmed up so condensation is decreased high up in the stack. This may not be necessary with an insulated SS liner, but with a tile-lined chimney I feel it is essential to do this at least once a day.

Todd, no poop so far, but in the beginning with this stove I've got to admit there were a few sphincter spasms when this would happen. Ordinarily, I'm not the panicking type. I always try to keep a cool head, even while the feet are trying to run for the door.

 

[leeave96]

How are your stove pipe temps while burning maxed out in this cold weather blast?

Ours is holding around 300 with a stove top temp at 500 degrees.

Vertical stove pipe via top vent (vs rear vent) and single wall pipe.

Thanks!
Bill