Stove too Hot? Question to Cat Burnerrs. No.. not the meow kind.

[bobforsaken]

Last night I woke about an hour after I went to bed... It was quite warm in the house, which wasn't a surprise since we loaded the stove for an overnight burn and it wasn't particularly cold outside. Mid 30's. I happened to look at the stove and the stove top temp was off the thermometer... point to about 5-o clock when its top number is at 3 o clock.. The thermometer goes to about 900 degrees and it was far past that.


Upon looking closer to find out why.. I could find nothing particulary out of place... The cat was flipped.. nothing special about the wood... I choked down the air all the way (it was halfway closed) and the temp started to go down....

It was a bit unnerving. I usually have the air choked down to about 1/3 when I do an extended burn.... but I routinely run it at half open during the day and never experienced heat like this. I'm trying to find out why.

Luckily.. the stove wasn't red.. nor was the stove pipe. The wood used was Ash... and it was even a bit wet from melting snow.

I'm puzzled.

 

[raybonz]

Last night I woke about an hour after I went to bed... It was quite warm in the house, which wasn't a surprise since we loaded the stove for an overnight burn and it wasn't particularly cold outside. Mid 30's. I happened to look at the stove and the stove top temp was off the thermometer... point to about 5-o clock when its top number is at 3 o clock.. The thermometer goes to about 900 degrees and it was far past that.


Upon looking closer to find out why.. I could find nothing particulary out of place... The cat was flipped.. nothing special about the wood... I choked down the air all the way (it was halfway closed) and the temp started to go down....

It was a bit unnerving. I usually have the air choked down to about 1/3 when I do an extended burn.... but I routinely run it at half open during the day and never experienced heat like this. I'm trying to find out why.

Luckily.. the stove wasn't red.. nor was the stove pipe. The wood used was Ash... and it was even a bit wet from melting snow.

I'm puzzled.

Here it has been windy and that can create too much draft and really crank the fire.. Burning lots of smaller wood can also do this..

Ray

 

[Todd]

Sounds like a lot of air for a cat stove? If I ran mine at half open I'd have a short lived blazing fire with most of the heat going up the chimney, but different stove, different chimney.

Did you reload on top of a larger coal bed than normal? Could just be one of those rare moments where everything worked too good. If it continues you may have a leak somewhere.

 

[bobforsaken]

It was windy here last night too.. I'm sure that had something to do with it. The wood wasn't really that small... although I didn't have at least one big monster like I usually do. Perhaps that is why.. thanks

 

[raybonz]

It was windy here last night too.. I'm sure that had something to do with it. The wood wasn't really that small... although I didn't have at least one big monster like I usually do. Perhaps that is why.. thanks

Wind can and does wreak havoc on a woodstove fire.. If it is windy I choke my air way down as it's easy to overfire in those conditions.. I wonder how many people have used a barometric damper with a woodstove? I would think they could lead to more creosote and be a bad thing if there was a chimney fire..

Ray

 

[bobforsaken]

Sounds like a lot of air for a cat stove? If I ran mine at half open I'd have a short lived blazing fire with most of the heat going up the chimney, but different stove, different chimney.

Did you reload on top of a larger coal bed than normal? Could just be one of those rare moments where everything worked too good. If it continues you may have a leak somewhere.

It was reloaded kinda hot, but not a big coal bed as we had burned it down during the day... As mentioned my wood has been kinda damp so it has been a struggle to get the cat to light off typically. When the wood is dry its not uncommon to get stove top temps of 700 or 800 degrees.. (when my wife manages it.. I'm too impatient I guess.. so I usually only get about 600 degrees) Perhaps the wood was dry and the air was half open (which is atypical for full stove load) and it was excessive draft due to the wind. Live and learn I guess...


Thanks,

 

[bobforsaken]

How hot is too hot.. or is that largely a per stove question... I was kinda surprised how it was.. makes me question the termometer.. I might try switch the thermometer with my flue thermometer.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Bob, it is or can be different for different stoves. For sure I would question the thermometer and it is good to have another one to cross check. It really is not that expensive either to have a laser ir thermometer to cross check it.

As Todd states, at least with our stove, having the draft that far open we'd be rocking with this rock for sure. On the other hand, sometimes you can also have the draft set too low and then simply giving it more air will cool the stove a bit.

I do hope you take this lesson and also you no doubt have read here on this forum many, many times about having good fuel. If your wood is not as dry as it should be, then you can not expect the stove to do its best. So take the lesson and get yourself a good wood supply; I call that being 2-3 years ahead on your wood so that the least amount of time your wood has had to dry is 2 years. That will solve most problems with wood burning.

 

[bobforsaken]

an inconsistent wood supply has definitely made for some inconsistent behavior and made learning how to use my stove much more difficult. I'm in my first year burning so my wood supply is what it is. I'm buying "seasoned" wood now for next year and plan to build a wood shed. the "seasoned" wood i've been burning has been wet from snow and Ice despite being covered which has made it more difficult since the same wood can burn completely differently depending on how long its been in the house off the wood pile and how much snow/ice was on it to begin with.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Bob, most first year burners have this same problem. Good for you for buying next year's wood now. You no doubt have learned what wood sellers call seasoned, is not.

On the wood shed, that is a great idea. Most folks will season their wood out side, in the wind first. Then next fall or early winter move it into the shed. Then you won't have the snow to contend with. Also, if you put the wood in the shed immediately, it will not season further. To dry, wood needs air circulation and that is best provided by Mother Nature with her wind. Sun is nice on the wood pile too but wind is most important. No doubt you will do much better next year.

 

[bobforsaken]

Yes.. the stuff I've bought so far that is "seasoned" has been down a year... I don't doubt that based on the sun fading of some pieces.. but its been in piles, not stacks, and has been exposed to the elements... So even each load varies from piece to piece depending on where it was in the pile. Looking forward more predictable burning next year.