The Dreaded Phone Call at Work

[FireWalker]

Wife called me at work this morning at 9:15 and told me the magnetic thermometer on the pipe (single wall) was pegged, what should I do? I asked her what is the fire doing to which she told me the wood at the bottom of the stove is not flaming but there are a lot of blue flames floating above the fire. She also said the house smells like it does when we have our first fire of the season.

Back up the clock to 6:30 this morning when I filled the box full NS with my best wood. It was cold and I wanted to shut up the oil burner with a good hot fire. I thought to myself when I was loading the stove that the last time I loaded it like this it got hot enough so that I was nervous and I had no options on how to slow it down. The stove seems to work as it should, but temps were higher than I would like (just above 600). Since then I never again loaded it that much until this morning when I put in 10 medium to small splits.

Well I debated heading home when she called but I didn't and I think I made the right decision staying put because at 10:30 all was well and the house was nice and warm.

I think I sparked some creosote off in the connector.

I called the hearthstone dealer and presented the question how hot is too hot for the equinox. He actually got the guy's at hearthstone boys on the phone and they basically read the section of the manual on burn rate back to me but added the missing tempratures. Point is like the mansfield, 600 is hot. Strange part is I easily got those temps on low damper setting. Tomorrow I pick up my new flue damper. I've put this off for the last time, tomorrow is the day. My dealer thinks my draft is too high and a damper will help. Done the testing, no leaks.

I'll have to formally apologise to her when I get home, hate to see her worry. Sorry honey!

 

[Fsappo]

Better bring home flowers. Glad things didnt get out of hand. Id be curious to know how the damper idea works for you.

 

[FireWalker]

Better bring home flowers. Glad things didnt get out of hand. Id be curious to know how the damper idea works for you.

Yup, red ones!

My dealer could not stress this fact enough, "every installation is different" what seems to be a normal everyday setup works great for some and not so good for others. I wish I knew someone with a draft meter but it's not really important as a pipe damper will not do anything unless I close it and if I had one I would have used it this morning. He runs a mansfield and uses a damper on his all the time. For $10 I'll be finding out soon enough.

 

[Fsappo]

Yup, 26 years of the wood stove business and I still find myself tellin folks "well, lets try this and see what happens" Lucky for my customers I dont charge them for tryin stuff as long as the end result is that they are happy.

 

[johnstra]

Sounds like it's burning perfectly to me. My Mansfield runs right at 600 on a full load of oak with the primary air cut all the way back.
-john

 

[Jutt77]

Strange part is I easily got those temps on low damper setting.

That should be normal. Closing off the damper prevents more of the heat from escaping up the flue and helps facilitate secondary combustion which burns at a higher temperature than the primary fire. I believe.

My stove does the same thing. Glad everything was okay for y'all!

 

[burnham]

Sounds like it's burning perfectly to me. My Mansfield runs right at 600 on a full load of oak with the primary air cut all the way back.
-john

Really? mine will get to 500, maybe 550 if I work at it, but never much more. How much chimney do you have on it? I have about 15' on mine, half in the house, the other half is class a outside.

 

[Battenkiller]

Sounds like it's burning perfectly to me. My Mansfield runs right at 600 on a full load of oak with the primary air cut all the way back.
-john

Pegged flue pipe thermometer doesn't sound right to me. Sounds like the draft is running away a bit on him. Stove top temp of 600º wouldn't phase me at all, though.

I'm curious to see if the damper gets things under control (bet it will).

 

[FireWalker]

Sounds like it's burning perfectly to me. My Mansfield runs right at 600 on a full load of oak with the primary air cut all the way back.
-john

Last time this happened I was there and I put the pipe thermometer on the stove top and it went up to 675. I wasn't so much worried about the stavetop, I was worried about the pegged meter on the pipe.

 

[branchburner]

I put in 10 medium to small splits.

Bigger splits = fewer apologies?

 

[Battenkiller]

I put in 10 medium to small splits.

Bigger splits = fewer apologies?

+1

But keep bringing her the flowers. You won't need the stove or the oil burner. ;-)

 

[shawneyboy]

I put in 10 medium to small splits.

Bigger splits = fewer apologies?

+2

Bigger splits better burn. Put in to many small ones in my Mansfield I will get higher temps.

600 stove top not a big issue, IMHO

 

[BrotherBart]

I have never look in a EQ but I know that other stoves with ceramic board baffles will develop massive pipe temps if the baffle board isn't seated all the way back.

 

[johnstra]

My bad... I missed the comment about the flue thermo being pegged. That does sound wrong.

burnham - I have 20' of class A on top of only a couple of feet of DVL. I haven't seen mine go over 600 yet, but it pushes the needle right up to it.

 

[FireWalker]

I have never look in a EQ but I know that other stoves with ceramic board baffles will develop massive pipe temps if the baffle board isn't seated all the way back.

I'll check that.

 

[NH_Wood]

Sounds like it's burning perfectly to me. My Mansfield runs right at 600 on a full load of oak with the primary air cut all the way back.
-john

+ 1 - 600* the normal temp I reach on full loads of ash, oak, i.e. high BTU wood. Cheers!

 

[Renovation]

She also said the house smells like it does when we have our first fire of the season.

Strange part is I easily got those temps on low damper setting. Tomorrow I pick up my new flue damper. I've put this off for the last time, tomorrow is the day. My dealer thinks my draft is too high and a damper will help. Done the testing, no leaks.

Amen, and wise move!

I've seen this post regarding Hearthstones a number of times. Folks with Hearthstones and a strong draft should consider a stovepipe damper, for more control and perhaps longer burn times. It would be a shame to damage one of those beautiful stoves.

I'm glad your lesson turned out well, and only cost you and your wife some stress!

HTH, and happy burning.

 

[FireWalker]

O.K., I've installed a pipe damper.....I placed the 8" damper about 8" above the stove top. After one day and night of testing, I have concluded that the primary air damper now functions as described in the manual (I now have a low, medium and high instead of medium and blast furnace) with my new damper closed. Note that the damper I bought (a nice iron one for $23) has two air openings in it so closed is a relative term, I'd guess it still allows 20% of air to pass.

While before I would typically get a good fire going on high and then set to low for the remainder of the burn, now if I want, I can set the stove air to high, open the pipe damper to get things ripping then close the pipe damper and get much more control using the stove air control. Last night at 10, 3 big pieces of oak on a great big coal bed kept the furnace at bay with both dampers closed.....low/low. Plenty of coals this morning at 6:30 as before but I'm thinking more heat is getting at the stones before it gets sucked up the pipe. Now I can definitely slow down a big secondary fire that before I would have had to just wait out.

Less wood use? Who knows.......maybe. Hotter stove top/better btu output? maybe. Less outdoor air getting sucked in through all the crack to feed my fire? Could be.

Only problem so far is I have to remember to open the pipe damper before opening the door.

My buddy just installed an O.A.K. on his new Defiant and has reported all good things, maybe I'll do that next in an effort to control infiltration.

This wood heat thing is a science!