Can you overload a stove?

[BucksCounty]

I am still learning/experimenting with the stove regarding loading and the longest possible burns. It is a small firebox, so I want to get the most out of every load. I am starting to really load up the box, really packing the splits in there. Is it possible to overload the firebox? It is a cast iron non cat stove.

 

[Wood Duck]

It is possible to overFIRE a stove, getting it too hot for safety or hotter than the stove can handle. If you can load up the firebox and still not have too hot a fire, then I think you are probably OK. Too much wood might interfire with air flow, and it shouldn't touch the secondary burn tubes, perhaps there are other concerns?

 

[Jags]

The real concern should be overFIRE, not overload. If you have proper air control and can control the burn temp, then load 'er up.

 

[BrotherBart]

Others will probably disagree but I think you can overload a non-cat EPA Phase II stove. The stoves are designed to burn gases above the wood load as they are released from the wood. If "combustion chamber" space isn't available then efficiency has to suffer.

 

[Jags]

Others will probably disagree but I think you can overload a non-cat EPA Phase II stove. The stoves are designed to burn gases above the wood load as they are released from the wood. If "combustion chamber" space isn't available then efficiency has to suffer.

Absolutely agree, but as stated in most manuals a full load should not go above the firebrick.

 

[Jags]

Others will probably disagree but I think you can overload a non-cat EPA Phase II stove. The stoves are designed to burn gases above the wood load as they are released from the wood. If "combustion chamber" space isn't available then efficiency has to suffer.

Absolutely agree, but as stated in most manuals a full load should not go above the firebrick.

theres epa stoves that dont have firebrix all the way to the ceiling of the firebox?

Yep, mine included.

 

[BrotherBart]

Others will probably disagree but I think you can overload a non-cat EPA Phase II stove. The stoves are designed to burn gases above the wood load as they are released from the wood. If "combustion chamber" space isn't available then efficiency has to suffer.

Absolutely agree, but as stated in most manuals a full load should not go above the firebrick.

The problem for the OP is that the H200 no gottie firebricks in the sides. One piece vermiculite panels floor to ceiling.

 

[Jags]

Others will probably disagree but I think you can overload a non-cat EPA Phase II stove. The stoves are designed to burn gases above the wood load as they are released from the wood. If "combustion chamber" space isn't available then efficiency has to suffer.

Absolutely agree, but as stated in most manuals a full load should not go above the firebrick.

The problem for the OP is that the H200 no gottie firebricks in the sides. One piece vermiculite panels floor to ceiling.

Ahhh....good to know. And a quick review of the manual does not state any proper "full load". I can see the confusion.

 

[mellow]

That is one thing im gonna hate about this EPA II not cat stove I have now, not going to be able to load it up to the top like I could do with my cat insert. I don't see how you could get proper detonation of the gases with a log stuck right up against the tube, but then again the holes are at an angle. I will have to ask the stove manufacture about this.

 

[MofoG23]

Others will probably disagree but I think you can overload a non-cat EPA Phase II stove. The stoves are designed to burn gases above the wood load as they are released from the wood. If "combustion chamber" space isn't available then efficiency has to suffer.

Absolutely agree, but as stated in most manuals a full load should not go above the firebrick.

Thats what I was told with my Quad - do not stack beyond the bricks. I guess there needs to be room for the airflow and proper secondary burn.

 

[BrotherBart]

Yep. One of those facts of life. You can't make a stove bigger than it is by over stuffing it. Like pappy used to say, you can't put five dollars worth of peanuts in a three dollar bag.

 

[MofoG23]

2 different 2ndary burn systems,duh= wonder why quad dont run the brix all the way up vs the others' with overhead tubes?

In my 4100i, its only a couple/few inches from the top of the brick to the bottom of the tubes. I would assume they say this mainly to prevent people from smacking the tubes when loading it to the top. I would also assume that it does require "some" airspace to burn properly.

 

[Danno77]

i climb up on the roof and start dropping splits down the chimney, when they are to the top I put a little knot made from newspaper on it and light it. now THAT'S a "top-down" let's see, 20ft of 6" chimney issss pi*r^2*L = pi*3^2*240 = 3.14*9*240=6782cuin = ~4cuft +1.9cuft stove

I can load around 6 cubic feet of wood into my stove

when i do this I get about 30 hours of burn time. half that if the fire department gets here to put the house out. double that if they don't and the neighbor's catches too.

 

[brogsie]

Danno, What if you piled the wood on top of the chimney. As it burned it would feed itself down the chimney. Give you a much longer burn.

 

[dondude]

Laughed my ass off on that one. Excellent idea!!

 

[Danno77]

Danno, What if you piled the wood on top of the chimney. As it burned it would feed itself down the chimney. Give you a much longer burn.

I like it! Maybe even a big metal funnel that would slowly feed its contents down into the chimney.

 

[brogsie]

Danno, Great minds think alike. What's wrong with us?

 

[Hogwildz]

Danno, What if you piled the wood on top of the chimney. As it burned it would feed itself down the chimney. Give you a much longer burn.

I like it! Maybe even a big metal funnel that would slowly feed its contents down into the chimney.

ure describing my sawdust burner!

Very curious to see this sawdust burner , please post a picture?

 

[budman]

What the f--- have you guys been drinking!

 

[BucksCounty]

Others will probably disagree but I think you can overload a non-cat EPA Phase II stove. The stoves are designed to burn gases above the wood load as they are released from the wood. If "combustion chamber" space isn't available then efficiency has to suffer.

Absolutely agree, but as stated in most manuals a full load should not go above the firebrick.

The problem for the OP is that the H200 no gottie firebricks in the sides. One piece vermiculite panels floor to ceiling.

Brother Bart, Are the vermiculite panels just a variation of firebrick? When I look at them, I always wonder if/when I need to replace them where the heck I would find them because they don't remove easily like firebricks? So much stuff to learn about the stove and burning. So, let me get this straight. As long as I am loading stove with some room (lets say 3-4 inches between wood and air tubes), and dampering down after wood has ignited to ensure I don't overFIRE stove, I should be good?

 

[BrotherBart]

Brother Bart, Are the vermiculite panels just a variation of firebrick? When I look at them, I always wonder if/when I need to replace them where the heck I would find them because they don't remove easily like firebricks? So much stuff to learn about the stove and burning. So, let me get this straight. As long as I am loading stove with some room (lets say 3-4 inches between wood and air tubes), and dampering down after wood has ignited to ensure I don't overFIRE stove, I should be good?

Give it three inches or so and you will be fine. It is hard to be precise with this stuff because your wood is all different sizes and and bit of variance doesn't mean anything. I leave at least six inches of space in the big stove but my firebox is roughly the size of Rhoade Island. In my smaller firebox stoves I leave three inches or so.

You have to work with it and see what works best with your stove.

 

[kenny chaos]

Where do ya get your dust and how do you get it/keep it dry?

 

[ControlFreak]

I load the Napoleon 1401 with as many splits as will fit. This is generally 8 splits more or less depending upon their size, and the wood can be all the way to the top. The entire interior of this stove is bricked. I always wondered about stoves that are not fully brick-lined.

I do agree that with it fully loaded like this, the secondary combustion is happening right on the top course of splits, so it may not be operating as cleanly until the load drops down a little bit. But hey, I have no problem going 8-10 hours between reloads without having to use kindling to re-establish a coal bed. If I go 11-12 hours I have to do some fanning of a very small pile of weak coals with kindling to bring it back to life.

 

[kenny chaos]

Where do ya get your dust and how do you get it/keep it dry?

hardwood mill 2 mi. away. goes from mill to dump truck into cellar which holds 4 cords sawdust= 2 cord hardwood. load into bin with 5 gal buckets. fire can run continuosly up to a month or whenever the grates need cleaning

Then when do they have a chance to dry please?