Any good way to slow the burn???

[mjstef]

Finally getting the hang of the Flame Monaco but once it gets rolling it's near impossible to slow down! I have a 4" outside air intake drawing from under my 3 season porch and even with the air control totally shut off it gets way hotter than i like. Outside of Selkirk Suretemp HT is around 130-150 degrees 3' above the outlet of the fireplace. Right at the outlet i can see 200 degrees. Other than crawling under the porch and stuffing the intake with something can a person slow these things down? Burning 3 year seasoned Red Oak.....

 

[Hogwildz]

Nothing wrong with those temps.
Larger splits will slow her down, and last longer.

 

[mjstef]

Nothing wrong with those temps.
Larger splits will slow her down, and last longer.

My main concern is the temp inside the walls once i enclose it. Right now it is open to my 3 season porch. I will be putting 2 register vents at the bottom and 2 outlets at the top when i enclose it but still am concerned about a 150+ degree pipe in the wall even with proper clearances........

 

[Hogwildz]

With proper clearances, there should be no issue. You can always give it more clearance space than required if that will make you feel more comfortable. Enclose it with steel studs & durok and nothing combustible to worry about. You have options, but the spec's clearances should be fine.

 

[Highbeam]

Stinks to not have control. When it gets colder out and draft is stronger you could have much bigger problems. The fire could run away on you. Are there any other places where air enters the stove that you could block off to regain control? You wouldn't be the first person to figure out how to block your outdoor intake path for control. I've seen valves and shutters on that pipe outside and also right by the stove.

 

[Ashful]

Hogz, note the OP has been a member since 2009, so this might be more than just the usual first-timer jitters. Is this one running substantially hotter, or is it more difficult to control, than your prior appliance?

 

[Hogwildz]

Without knowing if he has been a burner for years, or just a member since 09, as well as a bunch of other info. One can only give feedback to the questions asked.
I gather from his post, that as least this ZC is new to him, and I don't see 200 as being crazy at the flew collar area, nor 130-150 3' higher as a crazy temp. We don't know how he is loading the stove, if he is loading with a bunch of small splits of red oak, this may be causing the high temps he fears. But then again, we don't know the actual firebox temp. Many come on here in fear of the stove hitting 650 degrees, and for many, that is a cruising speed, some even higher.
I don't recall saying he was a new burner, yet we don't know if this is his first fire burning appliance or not.
So the answers received are based on the information given.

 

[begreen]

The ZC is brand new. By the look of the stove glass it's being run on the cool side. I'd get a 2" thermometer and move it to above the door for a reading of the stove body temp.

Some history, the house had a contractor grade ZC prior that had a collapsed chimney. That may explain some of the OP's concerns. With the installation of a new ZC with a proper class A chimney this installation should be much safer than what was installed prior.

Other posts from the OP may be pellet related.

 

[mjstef]

My history was mostly woodstoves on the farm into a masonry chimney. Had pellet stoves for years after that. I am concerned what this fireplace will do when it's 20 below zero out. Begreen, I have been using a Laser temp gun on the frame above the door and it runs about 100* cooler than the door. Can't come up with a 2" thermometer anywhere but again, it runs cooler there. No really good place to get a good temp reading on this unit.

 

[mjstef]

Highbeam, Was thinking of ordering this as i could shut the intake down all the way. All intakes are closed off except for the 4" running outside.....

(broken link removed to http://files.drolet.ca/upload/images/accessoires/manuels/4-fresh-air-intake-register-with-airtight-damper_Manual_010.pdf?a=2.155628283.1354691197.1508810378-1809590191.1507051727)

 

[begreen]

Shutting down the air intake all the way is not advised and in violation of EPA regs.

 

[mjstef]

From the looks of the parts diagram, The air control does not shut down all the way......

 

[begreen]

My history was mostly woodstoves on the farm into a masonry chimney. Had pellet stoves for years after that. I am concerned what this fireplace will do when it's 20 below zero out. Begreen, I have been using a Laser temp gun on the frame above the door and it runs about 100* cooler than the door. Can't come up with a 2" thermometer anywhere but again, it runs cooler there. No really good place to get a good temp reading on this unit.

Measure the stove body. I've already suggested getting a Condar thermometer, but you doubted the size. Give them a call or email or get the Drolet thermometer.
(broken link removed to https://www.drolet.ca/en/accessories-and-venting-products/accessories/meters/)

 

[mjstef]

Shutting down the air intake all the way is not advised and in violation of EPA regs.

This damper kit would at least slow it down to keep temps down i would hope. My other hope is when i get the booster fan done in the basement that will draw some of the excess heat off the unit......

 

[mjstef]

Measure the stove body. I've already suggested getting a Condar thermometer, but you doubted the size. Give them a call or email or get the Drolet thermometer.
(broken link removed to https://www.drolet.ca/en/accessories-and-venting-products/accessories/meters/)

I'll call them to find out the size. Guess a guy will have to add 100 degrees to it. The outside edge above the door was running about 175, Right about the middle where their was no room for a thermometer was running around 250 and the cast iron bar where i have the current thermometer was running 350 last night. Warmer tonight so it's not on......

 

[begreen]

No need to add, the stove body is temp is not what you will read on a narrow strip of metal on the door. Running the fireplace too cool will soot up the glass and the chimney.

 

[mjstef]

No need to add, the stove body is temp is not what you will read on a narrow strip of metal on the door. Running the fireplace too cool will soot up the glass and the chimney.

That said How hot is too hot for the Selkirt HT? I have seen it as hot as 165* 3 feet up from the stove. Never had to worry about any of this with the old Masonry flues i was used too......

 

[begreen]

That said How hot is too hot for the Selkirt HT? I have seen it as hot as 165* 3 feet up from the stove.

That's a question for Selkirk support. The chimney pipe will get hot there as it is directly connected to the fireplace. What is important is the clearance to combustibles near the chimney pipe. If they honor the pipe requirement then it should be fine.

 

[Highbeam]

Highbeam, Was thinking of ordering this as i could shut the intake down all the way. All intakes are closed off except for the 4" running outside.....

(broken link removed to http://files.drolet.ca/upload/images/accessoires/manuels/4-fresh-air-intake-register-with-airtight-damper_Manual_010.pdf?a=2.155628283.1354691197.1508810378-1809590191.1507051727)

That would help! Would be a last ditch safety mechanism. To heck with emissions when the alternative is a burned down house. Otherwise you run outside and shove a plug in the intake.

 

[mjstef]

Really windy today. Hotter than it has ever run. This is as low as the draft will go.....

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[begreen]

Looks pretty normal.

 

[Highbeam]

Looks pretty normal.

That's how my hearthstone was. All the way shut off it would roll those non-cat flames for a long time. I just had to sit back and be confident that it was installed correctly and was designed to burn clean and hot regardless of user input. If those gasses that you see burning weren't being burned then they would be escaping your chimney as pollution.

After the bloom of volatile wood gasses settles down, the flames usually also settle down. Might be a couple hours though.

Measuring temperature on the door like that is not representative of "stove temperature" but I don't know what else you can do on a fireplace..

 

[begreen]

Measuring temperature on the door like that is not representative of "stove temperature" but I don't know what else you can do on a fireplace..

A 2" thermometer will fit on the stove face right above the door. That's where it would be on my fireplace.

 

[saydinli]

That secondary burn looks fantastic. I could sit and watch that all day long. And you're temp look good. You shouldn't have any worries about that burn.

 

[Hogwildz]

Looks perfect to me. Notice the flames are from the secondaries up top, that is how it is designed to burn. As Highbeam stated, that is the nasties burning off, and exactly how it is meant to burn. Nothing to worry about there. Only time will calm your nerves and improve your confidence, but appears you're doing well. Different set up, but here is the Summit after the nasties are burnt down, and all is calmed & cruising. Not sure I have any with the flames of hell at the beginning, but it is normal.

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Found a few stills of the secondaries blazing.