Turning Air Down

[HummerBeachBuggy1982]

I have a regency R14 (2400) insert and was wondering at what temperature should I turn the air down. I usually do it at 300 turn it 50% down and then wait a bit and turn it 75% down but I am always worried about killing the fire that way. Any information would be great. I have had the unit running 450 degrees at the highest because I am new to this and cut it back due to fear. I know that is optimal temperature but I look through the glass and see the intense show and I get nervous. Thanks a bunch.


Rick

 

[mellow]

On most stoves cutting the air at 300 will snuff out the fire, I run mine to about 450-500 then start to turn down slowly, of course this does depend on how you are measuring your temps. I measure mine from the top plate.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

If you are talking turning the stove draft down from full open, 300 isn't bad but we turn ours down much sooner. Actually we turn it down as soon as the wood is a bit charred. With a cold stove, the stove top may only be to 100 degrees when we turn it down. With full draft, you are just heating the chimney but by dialing down a bit, the stove will heat sooner and you'll still get good enough heat in your chimney.

 

[logger]

I get a cold stove cranking between 450-500 before I begin shutting her down. Like you, I do it in 1/4 intervals every 10-15 minutes. For my secondaries to kick in when I turn the air down, the fire must first be very hot. Then I coast with the intake 3/4 shut for a couple hours.

 

[firefighterjake]

I have a regency R14 (2400) insert and was wondering at what temperature should I turn the air down. I usually do it at 300 turn it 50% down and then wait a bit and turn it 75% down but I am always worried about killing the fire that way. Any information would be great. I have had the unit running 450 degrees at the highest because I am new to this and cut it back due to fear. I know that is optimal temperature but I look through the glass and see the intense show and I get nervous. Thanks a bunch.


Rick

Each stove and set up can be quite different . . . I know my stove is barely doing anything at 300 degrees F and turning it down at that point would kill the fire and result in very little heat . . . my stove really seems to like things between 400-600 degrees F . . . but as I said . . . different stoves and different set ups.

I suspect if your fire is still burning well . . . if you're getting secondaries when you cut back on the air (and this in itself may make one nervous as it looks like a portal to hell has just opened up in your woodstove) . . . if your glass is nice and clean . . . then it would be fine to cut back the air in this manner.

What I do generally is run my stove up to temp . . . and then start shutting down the air incrementally . . . pretty much as you described . . . but be aware . . . doing so will often lead to the secondary action which can be pretty darn intense . . . but this is OK . . . it will also produce more heat and is working as the stove is designed.

No need to fear the fire . . . not at those temps . . . when you start to approach 700-800 degrees I might get a bit antsy though.

 

[HummerBeachBuggy1982]

Thank you for all the replies, I have my thermostat on the face of the insert, should I put it on top of the cook top instead???