Controlling stovetop temp when burning "coal" load

[dtabor]

I have the Neverburn Defiant and work at making it operate properly best I can. I have a problem when I load my initial load for a first burn or for a morning startup. I put in some splits to burn down to my coal bed but in doing that, my temps keep climbing before Im at coal stage, even when I close my air off. The only way I can slow it is to shut up the damper for awhile and let the temps lower then open and let it burn up some more. Ive tried both 2 year seasoned wood which is maple, birch etc (not much oak in my area) and Ive also tried with 9-13 month wood thinking the older wood was too dry or something. I get the same result with either.

Is this common or is there a problem? My gaskets all "test" fine. I dont believe my draft is excessive only because I lose my pipe temps when I close the damper though when running with the damper open, the flame sucks into the horizontal section and then THOSE temps spike too.

I defer to the professionals here for suggestions?

Thanks all..

D

 

[Corey]

I've read this a couple of times but not sure I understand - you're saying: you have coals in the stove, you load in some wood, the temps rise unless you close the damper, then when the fresh wood is burned to coals, the temp goes back down?

Unless I'm missing something, that is the way it's supposed to work. Coals put out heat, but burning wood will get the stove hotter. If you don't want to get the stove quite as hot, put in a little less (or bigger chunks of wood).

 

[carp]

The temps should keep rising, stabilize for a bit, and then start falling. That is the burn cycle. Use a stove top thermometer or flu thermometer to get an idea what the temp is. You need those temps high enough and draft high enough to prevent dangerous creosote build up in your stove pipe.

 

[Jags]

D- when your temps are climbing, do they get "too" high? If not, I think your neverburn is acting like it is supposed to {gasp, could this be one that is actually working?}

 

[dtabor]

Sorry for the confusion, I was wondering if I was wording it right....

Ill start like its the first burn of the season.....the stove is empty so I need a good bed of coals so that I can then reload and get Everburn working......I get the fire going, add the splits and let her roll. The griddle temps rise and rise 5, 600 and if I dont do anything, they keep going to 7 and 800 (overfire!). This happens before my wood is burnt enough to get to coals. The only way I can slow it down is to shut the damper up, let it slow then open up again so it can continue burning for my first bed of coals. Does this make sense?

This is also the case in the AM after all nighter. I rake the ashes and expose some coals but sometimes there arent enough for the everburn process so I add a few splits and let them roll to add to my coals before I leave for work and load for the daytime burn......there go the temps again so I play the open/close game until I have coals and then reload, char and attempt Everburn.

Its the burning before Everburn that climb and climb to the bad territory and while that damper is open, many (most) times if Im not babysitting it, the 3' or so section from the flue collar to the vertical liner goes crazy. The first time this happened to me last year before I knew it was GOING to happen, that horizontal piece was glowing as the fire from the stove was shooting thru the damper opening into the pipe. This section of pipe is spotless as far as creosote so it wasnt a chimney fire type thing. When I look into the stove I can see the flames going up from the wood and curling into the flue collar opening.

Hope this clears up what I mean.....thanks for attempting to understand my ramblings!!

D

 

[Jags]

D- my suggestion would be to burn the first load as though it was a "regular" stove. In other words, light it up, char the wood, damper it down (now you may want to stay on the high side of temp to speed up the coaling process here). When this load has been burned to the coal stages, NOW try and load er up and kick in the neverburn.