900 Degrees too HOT

[glassmanjpf]

Helllo all
Well it was a stupid and good thing nothing happened. I'm just curious if anyone else had this happen and if there could've been any damage to the flue pipe (what do I look for). It seems the wife left the start up air control throttle open all day long. She was keeping the fire going during the day. She only had 2 or 3 splits in at a time. However at night around 9:00 I loaded it up and it was going normal. I too did not realize that the start up air was open. (Usually I'm very aware of checking these things) we'll upstairs we went. Laying there watching TV around 12:00 it was getting pretty hot upstairs and I started smelling the hottness. Came down to the fire box going crazy and I noticed the thermometer on the pipe ( see photo) at 900F. The location of the thermometer in the photo is always 100-200 degrees hotter then the stove top. I was burning all maple which as you know burns hot and fast. Closed everything down and it calmed down pretty quickly.

Do you think I could've done some damage? Everything in the stove looks ok. Stoves been burning fine since. The thermometer in the photo usually is around 500-600F if burning full.

 

[Jimbob]

Nice stove. Isn't that wood sitting a bit close though?
I don't think you hurt anything. Flue pipe can take the odd "glowing session"......

 

[savageactor7]

On occasion we've left the start up air open too during middle of the night feedings...an one of us falls asleep in a chair. I think the stove is OK...but what do I know, we've never had a cast stove and that looks like a cast to me.

My advice is to keep operating but be keen to observe&note;any differences on how the stove runs from your past experience. At night when it dark secure all the house lights and carefully look around the stove for any cracks. Sometime in the future when it warms up stick a bright light in the stove and repeat the above.

A lot a folks have a hard time believing this...but stoves CAN have cracks/holes in them and still run OK. Many think smoke would pour out and alert them but NO, smoke goes right up the stack just like God intended.

I've had holey stoves before and have to say they burn OK just hotter. However a spark can exit in the middle of the night and lead to catastrophic consequences...so I'd just put a screw in the hole, DONE!

That's a beautiful stove you have there btw.

 

[Defiant]

Nice stove, cast will start deforming during prolonged periods of 750+ temperatures, looks like you caught it in time. If that is single wall pipe it looks like it is less than 18 " from the side wall but might just be me.

 

[begreen]

This is a steel, jacketed stove. Castiron is the outer jacket, like the Alderlea's. It's hard to see what is happening with the steel underneath, but I suspect it's ok. If your wife is like mine, she rarely puts in a full load of wood. However, I'll bet your flue got a good cleaning. Is the chimney lined or does this connect to exterior class A pipe?

 

[stoveguy13]

not to worry it should be fine 900 degs or so is over firing for most steel and cast stoves but you would need to do it alot for along time in most cases to wreck stuff.

 

[LeonMSPT]

Looks okay from here...

Seriously, should be fine. The fact that is went to normal when you closed it up is all that's really important. When it's cool, look it over for bent and warped stuff, but if everything is working nothing seems to be too wrong with it.

 

[glassmanjpf]

Thanks for the info. This site always provides fast replies and great information. Yes, the wood to the left is a bit close I had just fired up the stove and then moved it further to the side after the photo. I'll admitt we do usually keep the wood bucket a little close to keep the dog from runing laps around the stove. Why he does it? I'll never know. Stove clearance are all as required.

The flue is a class A double wall stainless steel rising 2 stories on the outside with a tee section.

 

[RonB]

Nice looking stove glassman. However, it appears that you have the adjustable elbow on reversed. The crimped end of the elbow and straight flue pipe should point toward the stove (keeps creosote from dripping out and possibly starting a fire). With a 900 degree stack temp I bet your stack is clean.

 

[Henz]

what stove is that?

 

[begreen]

Quadrafire Cumberland Gap.

 

[glassmanjpf]

Ron B. ...The straight piece of pipe and the elbow are both double wall. The installation was originally done by the "Woodbox" people. Are you saying the conncection at the elbow and straight piece are wrong? What needs to be done, flip the elbow around?

 

[BrotherBart]

The elbow is correct. The crimped end is going into the flue collar on the stove.

 

[Jimbob]

Elbow looks backwards to me too.

 

[oconnor]

It's double wall, so it will "look" backwards on the outside, but on the inside, all is well, with the inner "wall" going inside the next piece towards the stove.

 

[RonB]

Disregard my "backward elbow" comment. I did not realize it was double wall pipe and have not had any experience with it.