AT WHAT TEMP DO YOU ALL RELOAD

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sandie

Feeling the Heat
Oct 29, 2009
279
West of Boston, MA
I get the fire going and really well and shut my damper at 600 degrees and let it ride, so my question is at what temp would you reload. I am have it running at 450 but if I open it, it cam be just hot embers but some say to leave that ride till it is 200 or so degrees here at home but want to know what you say. I am inclined to add wood at 400 or so when it is just hot embers. What do you think???
 
How well do you know your stoves limits?
I can load my stove up to about 500 but different temps require diff methods
At 500 I reload and damper down immediately and get a hell of a light show. However that's not packing it in tight as some do.
400- is where I try to reload if I am home and that's about 4 splits that will get me to 700 or so..
As long as you know your stove 400-450 or whatever for that matter is ok ... but you must know your stoves limits .
How hot does your stove normally get?
 
I usually try to wait for the house to cool to about 74 before reloading but sometimes I have to reload sooner if I'm loosing the coals.
 
Here is what works for me. If I load before this I will get excessive hot coals that build-up. To get here quicker (if I need more heat) I open the draft up all the way an hour or so before I reload, after the first has started to really quiet down.

thermometertemps4.jpg


pen
 
Most times our stove top temperature is around 300 when we reload. If it is really cold outdoors then we'll load a bit sooner. If it is not very cold outdoors then we will go much longer before reloading. But 300-350 is probably a good average.
 
Backwoods Savage said:
Most times our stove top temperature is around 300 when we reload. If it is really cold outdoors then we'll load a bit sooner. If it is not very cold outdoors then we will go much longer before reloading. But 300-350 is probably a good average.

If you are getting some of hurricane adrianne like we are, you're reloading at the higher temp? Lol
Wind is kicking our butts down here!
 
I do not like wind most of the time. Glad you have it rather than us. I have heard 80 mph reported. Now that is some serious stuff!
 
yeah, the wind is tough today. Lost a tree in the front yard last night, just missing the house. The stove has been on overdrive today because I live in an old drafty farmhouse and the wind finds it's way in and around. The stove was a saving grace last night, no power for a few hours. All in all it's a win win, I get the wood from the old oak that fell out front and saved a few pennies on the electric bill in the process. and BTW, cooking on the stove was a challenge, a bit different, and not something I would want to do on a regular basis.
 
That just means you should do more cooking more often so it isn't so strange when the power goes off. You will be better prepared. Lots of times it is difficult to see our stovetop because of all the pots and pans my wife has on it. Sure saves on the cooking bill and the food usually comes out great.
 
*250 to *300 stove top, sooner if we need more heat or want to go to bed early. Later if the house is warm enough and we're staying up, so it'll be warmer in the A.M.
 
No matter how high the stove goes, 600-700 this room does not go up past 70 degrees. It has been running all day and it is 69 in this room and thermostat on house is set at 60 and the house is around 62. I guess need a bigger stove, someday but not going to happen now for sure.
 
300 when it's not that cold, 350 on days like today.
 
I open it and if there is still wood in there I move it around to get flames and that brings the temp up for a while but when it is just embers I add wood but I do get left with some charcoal the next day as we do not keep it going all night. I feel like I waste some wood because I add wood before it is really time possibly so putting in wood too soon not getting all the heat out of what I have in there before I reload.
 
sandie said:
I open it and if there is still wood in there I move it around to get flames and that brings the temp up for a while but when it is just embers I add wood but I do get left with some charcoal the next day as we do not keep it going all night. I feel like I waste some wood because I add wood before it is really time possibly so putting in wood too soon not getting all the heat out of what I have in there before I reload.

So long as you don't scoop any of it out of the stove, you are not wasting a thing.

pen
 
sandie said:
No matter how high the stove goes, 600-700 this room does not go up past 70 degrees...
I've been running the stove dialed back all afternoon and the house still peaked at 77 with the oven on. I might have to rekindle the coals by the time it drops down to 74. 76 now and the wife wants me to reload the stove. I'd let it go down to 72 if I had my way.
 
Interesting. I've never considered what temperature the stove is when I reload. I just wait until there are coals left and reload. Need heat, reload. Don't need heat? Don't.
 
LLigetfa said:
I'd let it go down to 72 if I had my way.
LOL The wife tried to mutiny at 75. I had to take back control of the stove and reload.

I'll try leaving the blower off to keep the temps from climbing.
 
wendell said:
Interesting. I've never considered what temperature the stove is when I reload. I just wait until there are coals left and reload. Need heat, reload. Don't need heat? Don't.

Same here . . . sometimes the stove has started to cool down to a balmy 200 or 300 and sometimes it is quite warm still . . . I don't pay much attention though to the temp in this case . . . although I do pay attention to temps after I load to know when to start closing the air . . . for me, like Wendell, it's all about the coals and how warm the house is at the time and where I want to go with those temps.
 
Backwoods Savage said:
Most times our stove top temperature is around 300 when we reload. If it is really cold outdoors then we'll load a bit sooner. If it is not very cold outdoors then we will go much longer before reloading. But 300-350 is probably a good average.

+1 - and by the time the stove gets to these temps, the coals have burned down reasonable well - quite well on warmer day, and on colder days I open the draft at least 3/4 once the fire has reached the coaling stage to be sure to not have too many coals once I want to reload. Cheers!
 
sandie said:
No matter how high the stove goes, 600-700 this room does not go up past 70 degrees. It has been running all day and it is 69 in this room and thermostat on house is set at 60 and the house is around 62. I guess need a bigger stove, someday but not going to happen now for sure.

What kind of house do you own, age?
and how many sq ft are you heating?
 
Backwoods Savage said:
Lots of times it is difficult to see our stovetop because of all the pots and pans my wife has on it. Sure saves on the cooking bill and the food usually comes out great.

Like this you mean.........

Cookingonthewoodburner.jpg



There is a chicken roasting in the oval pot on the left, and veg cooking on the right, apple rings happily drying underneath......

And with all this going on, I sometimes forget to reload altogether :)
 
I too do not pay too much attention to the stove top temp when reloadinig. I open the top, see what kind of coals are in there, and then load accordingly. If the coals have gone down quite a bit I will run with the damper open for a while to heat the chimney and then fully load the stove. Shutdown at 600 degrees and then repeat the cycle.
 
I load when the stoves need wood
 
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