Flue and stove temp with door open

[woodhog73]

got a question for the pros and more experienced wood burners. Got a quad 3100 insert going on my 4th burning season. Great little heater.

I don’t use the start up air control. It’s hard to move and never really did much anyways. So I leave it shut permanently. Just use the main control which works great. So on cold starts I have to leave the stove door cracked open about 2 to 3 inches for around 5 to 10 minutes max until my fire is well established.

I was so tired last night but wanted to get the chill out of the house without turning furnace up. I fell asleep in the recliner as soon as I sat down with a new cold start going in stove and the stove door cracked open. I woke up 2 hours later with my wood completely burned up, no red coals ( oak ) and nothing but ashes.

So basically the stove burned through wood like an open fire place probably with some pretty intense flames and no heat into my house. It all went up the chimney.

Question....how hot does the stove pipe and stove get with a big fire in the box yet door open ? My gut tells me although the flames would be huge with so much air passing through, in reality the liner and stove temps might actually stay lower ?

Reason I’m asking is I want to get as much life out of my stove and liner. It’s a 6 inch ribbed ( not smooth) flex liner. After 3 full heating seasons it appears to be in good shape and I want to keep it that way ( hoping to get 10 plus years from my liner ). So I’m wondering if you think I put intense heat into the system by essentially burning an open fire in it ( by accident ) or by doing cold starts by leaving the door cracked open for 10 minutes.

 

[bholler]

got a question for the pros and more experienced wood burners. Got a quad 3100 insert going on my 4th burning season. Great little heater.

I don’t use the start up air control. It’s hard to move and never really did much anyways. So I leave it shut permanently. Just use the main control which works great. So on cold starts I have to leave the stove door cracked open about 2 to 3 inches for around 5 to 10 minutes max until my fire is well established.

I was so tired last night but wanted to get the chill out of the house without turning furnace up. I fell asleep in the recliner as soon as I sat down with a new cold start going in stove and the stove door cracked open. I woke up 2 hours later with my wood completely burned up, no red coals ( oak ) and nothing but ashes.

So basically the stove burned through wood like an open fire place probably with some pretty intense flames and no heat into my house. It all went up the chimney.

Question....how hot does the stove pipe and stove get with a big fire in the box yet door open ? My gut tells me although the flames would be huge with so much air passing through, in reality the liner and stove temps might actually stay lower ?

Reason I’m asking is I want to get as much life out of my stove and liner. It’s a 6 inch ribbed ( not smooth) flex liner. After 3 full heating seasons it appears to be in good shape and I want to keep it that way ( hoping to get 10 plus years from my liner ). So I’m wondering if you think I put intense heat into the system by essentially burning an open fire in it ( by accident ) or by doing cold starts by leaving the door cracked open for 10 minutes.

Over all the temps were probably cooler. But fires like thst could cause hot spots and very uneven heating which can lead to damage of the stove the liner or both. I really doubt you did any damage but it should certainly be avoided. Have you had anyone look at the startup air? They are pretty simple mechanisms and it could probably be fixed fairly easily.

 

[woodhog73]

Thanks bholler for the reply. I was thinking it would be cooler but didn’t know for sure and glad to hear this. Yes I know it’s stupid to fall asleep with a new fire going but darn cold snap hit and I had a long day outside working and well it happened.

No I haven’t had the start up control looked at. It’s the older version and does not have the automatic feature where it closes on its own. It’s always gone hard but kept getting worse to the point I felt I was going to break something by forcing it to move. This is opposite of the main air control which just looks like a small metal blocking plate attached to a short 3 or 4 inch long metal rod. Goes in and out easy.

I’m guessing the start up control is at the back of the insert ? So I’d have to pull the stove out ? Hoping to avoid that which is why I figured easier to just keep the door cracked open on cold starts.

When this stove gets old I’d prefer a free standing unit. Easier access to repair stuff if needed like the start up air valve. But then I’d be left with an unusable fireplace if I took the insert out since the original metal firebox and dampener had to be cut to allow more room for stove and liner. Otherwise I’d rather have a free stander.

 

[Chimney Smoke]

Honestly, I would be scared my stove pipe would melt if I had a load of wood and left my door cracked open. I do the exact same thing when I cold start but my door gets closed within 5 minutes and the stove usually sounds like a blast furnace.

 

[begreen]

How much wood was in the stove? Stuffed full, or a starter load of a few splits?

 

[woodhog73]

It was full but it’s a small stove ( quad 3100 insert ) I can only fit 4 or 5 medium splits. All oak I don’t have kindling wood but very dry 4 years seasoned.

I read somewhere that if you have an over fire stove situation the quickest way to get it under control is to open the door because the rush of air will actually cool the combustion process and stove and flue temps.

So I didn’t worry about it especially after Bholler also said he thought it would cause cooler temps not warmer. Do you guys feel different ?

I didn’t pull the face plate to check on the flex liner. I suppose I could but I’m burning tonight and drafting just fine.

Just trying to get the maximum service life from my liner. It is a basic non smooth 6 inch flex liner and I have no idea how long they last but I want to maximize its life and was afraid I might have caused premature wear on it.

I’m sure it did sound like a blast furnace. 5 solid white oak splits gone in under 2 hours with not so much of a red coal remaining, a warm but not hot stove and gray ash was all that remained. My bad

 

[woodhog73]

Honestly, I would be scared my stove pipe would melt if I had a load of wood and left my door cracked open.

Could a steel flex liner do this ? Actually melt ? I didn’t think a wood fire could get hot enough to actually melt steel but I don’t want to find out. I’m still kicking myself for falling asleep on a new cold start. Accidents happen but still not good.

 

[Ludlow]

Common sense tells me that the huge amount of air coming in the door actually cooled the flue gases. Similar to a stuck open barometric damper. Stovetop was probably pretty hot though, for a time. Was there a new smell in the house?

 

[bholler]

Common sense tells me that the huge amount of air coming in the door actually cooled the flue gases. Similar to a stuck open barometric damper. Stovetop was probably pretty hot though, for a time. Was there a new smell in the house?

Yes overall it would bee cooler but depending on the airflow there could have been some really hot spots.

Could a steel flex liner do this ? Actually melt ? I didn’t think a wood fire could get hot enough to actually melt steel but I don’t want to find out. I’m still kicking myself for falling asleep on a new cold start. Accidents happen but still not good.

Melt probably not but it could be overheated and damaged. And a quad 3100 isnt really a small stove.

 

[Ludlow]

My Dad ran his insert wide open all the time, because he was used to a roaring open fireplace.


I would avoid repeating it, but once probably didnt do anything serious.

 

[bholler]

My Dad ran his insert wide open all the time, because he was used to a roaring open fireplace.


I would avoid repeating it, but once probably didnt do anything serious.

Agreed

 

[Woody Stover]

Religiously use the timer on your phone when ramping up a fresh load.

 

[11ultra103]

I dont honestly know the answer to your question, but I just bought a Jotul woodstove, and you can get an optional fire screen where you leave the door open and just put the screen in the opening. Could be specific to my stove. But I cant imagine it's that bad. But I'd say it sure burned hot to burn that much wood that fast, all your heat went right up the chimney but I'd think the liner is rated for higher temps than your stove will ever reach. At least I would hope it is

 

[Ludlow]

I dont honestly know the answer to your question, but I just bought a Jotul woodstove, and you can get an optional fire screen where you leave the door open and just put the screen in the opening. Could be specific to my stove. But I cant imagine it's that bad. But I'd say it sure burned hot to burn that much wood that fast, all your heat went right up the chimney but I'd think the liner is rated for higher temps than your stove will ever reach. At least I would hope it is

There are many stoves that have a screen for open burning. From what Ive seen its cast stoves though.

 

[11ultra103]

There are many stoves that have a screen for open burning. From what Ive seen its cast stoves though.

Good to know. I'm not entirely new to burning wood. I've been burning wood in my garage for about 8 years. I only used an old kodiak stove before buying my new house. And now wood is my main heat source in the new house. Figured out the stove is too small to burn longer than 4 hours so I purchased a Jotul last weekend

 

[bholler]

Good to know. I'm not entirely new to burning wood. I've been burning wood in my garage for about 8 years. I only used an old kodiak stove before buying my new house. And now wood is my main heat source in the new house. Figured out the stove is too small to burn longer than 4 hours so I purchased a Jotul last weekend

It should be able to last a lot longer than 4 hours

 

[11ultra103]

There are many stoves that have a screen for open burning. From what Ive seen its cast stoves though.

This stove is so small you can only fit about 4 medium sized logs in at a time

 

[bholler]

This stove is so small you can only fit about 4 medium sized logs in at a time

Its about 2 cubic feet not that small

 

[11ultra103]

Its about 2 cubic feet not that small

Idk but even with the air inlet fully closed, and stuffed to the max with wood, 6 hours later there arent even any coals. Nothing but ash

 

[bholler]

Idk but even with the air inlet fully closed, and stuffed to the max with wood, 6 hours later there arent even any coals. Nothing but ash

What wood species?

 

[bholler]

Idk but even with the air inlet fully closed, and stuffed to the max with wood, 6 hours later there arent even any coals. Nothing but ash

Wait what stove is this i got confused and thought you had the quad sorry

 

[11ultra103]

What wood species?

Mostly white oak with some red oak. Wood moisture content is about 16%. The stove is a 2006 model century cfm. I just purchased the house a month ago and have tried everything possible to get it to burn longer with no luck

 

[bholler]

Mostly white oak with some red oak. Wood moisture content is about 16%. The stove is a 2006 model century cfm. I just purchased the house a month ago and have tried everything possible to get it to burn longer with no luck

Century makes a few different stoves which one is it?

 

[11ultra103]

Century makes a few different stoves which one is it?

It's a century model FW270029

 

[woodhog73]

There are many stoves that have a screen for open burning. From what Ive seen its cast stoves though.

I’m dumb when it comes to stove technology. Mine is a quadrafire 3100 insert. Is this cast iron ? Or steel ? And what’s the difference as far as how long the stove will last ?