A couple of questions..

[mwatt65]

Hello guys!

I just have a couple of questions, I would like to know how often most off you empty the ash out of you're insert or stove?
I have seen a couple of post with people on about a runaway fire, how do you know you have one? I have had my Enviro Cabello 1200 up to over 650f on the front glass where should I be looking for the temperature from?

This insert is a little small so I'm busy experimenting with times to reload, how cold should I let it get before reloading?

The chimney breast runs up the center of the house, is it normal for it to read over 94f on the chimney breast in the room above the fire? ( bedroom has never been this warm) the liner was not insulated!

Thank you

Michael

 

[Grisu]

I just have a couple of questions, I would like to know how often most off you empty the ash out of you're insert or stove?

Maybe once a week on average but that can differ a lot with the wood species burned and how much we actually lit the stove as we are not 24/7 burners. It can be as high as to almost spilling out of the stove (although that is more due to my laziness) and then I will take out as much as possible after carefully sifting out coals. It is usually said to leave an inch of ash in the bottom of the firebox but IMHO a few fires will quickly provide a sufficient deep ash bed (and again, I am lazy.)

I have seen a couple of post with people on about a runaway fire, how do you know you have one?

Crazy secondaries and stove top temps keep climbing above 800 F. When it glows you definitively have an overfire.

I have had my Enviro Cabello 1200 up to over 650f on the front glass where should I be looking for the temperature from?

I assume that is an IR thermometer? Don't point an IR thermometer on shiny surfaces, that will throw off its readings. Don't be too far away; it takes a measurement of a certain diameter of one surface. About 5 to 10 inches is ok. Since you have an insert: What I suggest is pulling off the surround and the upper air jacket for a few days. Without the blower running try to search on the stove top for the hottest spot, usually close to the flue collar. Write that down at different times of the burn and measure at the same time the hottest spot on the front of the insert usually around the door. Do that for a few days. Once you know how the temp of the top compares to the one at the front you can put the surround back again and then use your spot in the front as an approximation for the stove top temp.

This insert is a little small so I'm busy experimenting with times to reload, how cold should I let it get before reloading?

Reload it before you freeze to death. No steadfast rule here because everyone's comfortlevel is different. I let it go down to coals, then I rake them to the front, load the insert full with large splits, wait a bit until the fire has engulfed the wood and then close door. Since the stove and flue are already warm during a reload I don't wait long to dial down the air. I look more for the fire than the stove temp to decide how much I have to adjust the air. I reduce it until the flames become "lazy". Wait a bit until they have recovered, then dial down again a bit more and so on. Sometimes it is only about 10 min until the air is fully closed, the stove over 500 F again and the secondaries going nicely.

The chimney breast runs up the center of the house, is it normal for it to read over 94f on the chimney breast in the room above the fire? ( bedroom has never been this warm) the liner was not insulated!

That really sounds like an uninsulated liner. Do you have a block-off plate? https://www.hearth.com/talk/wiki/make-a-damper-sealing-block-off-plate/
That will reduce the amount of heat going up the chimney. Sweep your flue regularly. When you are loosing so much heat to the chimney you may cool down the flue gases too much and create creosote. An easy tool to do your own sweeping without climbing on the roof is this one: http://gardusinc.com/sooteater.html
Nevertheless, if this is your first season get also a chimney sweep in the spring/summer to make sure everything is ok.

 

[Sprinter]

Hi Michael.

You will want to keep an inch or two of ashes in the bottom of the stove to insulate the coals and keep them going longer. So frequency will depend on all kinds of variables. Some stoves are deeper than others at the door also. Some hints on cleaning. If your stove has an ash tray, you can try it and see if you like using it. Or, just use a flat shovel and deposit the ashes in a metal ash can and get it outside asap to avoid CO gas in the house. Hot coals can last for days in the ashes, so be extremely careful how you dispose of them. Dowsing with water outside is a good idea.

Monitoring the temperature of an insert can be difficult. Unless you can get a surface thermometer on the stove top, its hard to find a good place to put one that will accurately report the temp. Most of the discussions you see about stove temps will be on the stove top, so you have to consider that. The temp of the front glass doesn't tell you much. An IR thermometer would be a good idea so you can point it anywhere you want.

Runaway fires are just a fire that keeps rising in temperature regardless of the air control setting. Under some conditions, it can happen that even with the air fully down, the fire just keeps getting hotter. One way that can happen is if you have a large hot bed of coals and put a large load of fresh wood on it. The new wood starts off gassing too quickly and becomes uncontrollable. They can sometimes happen if you have excess flue draft because, for example, your flue is too tall (maybe 30' or more). But good operating habits can minimize the risk. All modern stoves are built so that some air is always allowed in even with the control all the way down.

 

[Sully]

I keep stove top thermometer on top of unit. It is about 100 degrees off. I also have ir gun. With my insert I'm starting to get away from constant temp watching. It becomes an obsession quick.im new to inserts but it seems you can tell if something is wrong by looking. I try to keep a good fire burning. If I'm cold I put more wood. Open air for a few than close back down. I like to let the insert run it's cycle as much as possible. Like I said I'm still learning but I'm getting there.

 

[Sprinter]

Sounds like you're doing fine. It's normal to babysit the stove a lot at first. Caution is good. Then you get to learn the behavior of the stove and you don't worry so much. It's a continual learning curve, though. It's good to keep participating here. You just keep learning stuff.

 

[eclecticcottage]

We just emptied the ashes this weekend and not because it was really ready, but because we were replacing the door gasket and the door was off the stove for a while. We heat with wood and have been burning at least 2 fires a day since early October. We burn a lot of pine which doesn't seem to make as much ash as some other wood species. When we do empty the stove, we usually leave at least an inch of ash on the bottom (except when we clean the stove out for non-burning season). Also, be sure you are emptying them into a metal container with a locking lid which is then placed outdoors on a non-combustible surface. Coals can remain hot for weeks after being removed from the stove.

I don't know exactly how to tell if an insert is overfiring since it's harder to measure temps. For my stove, if the thermo is pegged on the stove top (it tops out at 800) and there's a glow on the stove or connector, it's overfiring (only happened once). Plugging the air intake will usually stop this, although another school of thought is to open the door all the way to break the secondary action and send heat up the flue. A run away is a little different, meaning you can't get it under control and it could overfire. This is usually caused by loading on too hot of coals, too small of splits, too much air space or not shutting down the intake air quick enough. Suddenly you find yourself staring into the bowels of hades in your stove, and shutting the air all the way down doesn't stop it. This COULD cause an overfire, and you'll need to plug the air intake or open the door (you can also try smothering it with cold ash. I've also heard of throwing in wet newspaper or a wet split. Can't speak to the effectiveness of these).

Generally speaking, 400 degrees for a stove top, not sure on an insert.

 

[firefighterjake]

Hello guys!

I just have a couple of questions, I would like to know how often most off you empty the ash out of you're insert or stove? When burning 24/7 in the winter twice a week usually.

I have seen a couple of post with people on about a runaway fire, how do you know you have one? Very hot temp reading on the thermometer . . . and the secondaries are really cooking.I have had my Enviro Cabello 1200 up to over 650f on the front glass where should I be looking for the temperature from?

This insert is a little small so I'm busy experimenting with times to reload, how cold should I let it get before reloading? For me I reload depending on how warm I want to be . . . generally though I reload the stove when the coals are about the size of grapefruits or large oranges . . . if it's a milder day (says in the 40s outside) I may let the coals burn down a bit more . . . and if it's wicked cold I may reload a bit sooner. Generally, I don't feel as much of a swing in the temps in the house . . . I think good insulation may be the reason.

The chimney breast runs up the center of the house, is it normal for it to read over 94f on the chimney breast in the room above the fire? ( bedroom has never been this warm) the liner was not insulated!

Thank you

Michael