Have you ever gotten that call?

[Highbeam]

I work at an office and my wife works from home. First thing in the morning I start the fire and get the insert up to 500 or so before I leave for the day and she is really quite good at keeping the place warm and without using too much wood. She seems to be a good burner and tells me she enjoys it. I get home and take over with the fire in the evening.

So I get the call.... "when the stove hits 750 is there anything to do besides just shutting down the air?" 750! cripes, we shoot for 600 on the stovetop to warm up the house and less than that to maintain temps. She loaded the stove at 400 and checked it a couple of times over the next hour but it wasn't raging yet. Then at the next check after a half hour it had gotten way too hot. I have noticed this pattern when the wood is too wet. The fire slowly dries the wood and then POOF it takes off.

Well she has the blower running and with the air cut off the stove is cooling as she watches 725, 700 and on down. I know it'll go down now that it has peaked which is something I was not confident of when insert dumped into the big honkin 8x12" flue. It has a 6" SS liner now and the stove in much less likely to runaway.

I don't know about this wood burning stuff. As a primary 24/7 heater it is a good bit of risk and effort. I sure wish I could have two heaters so that I could add a thermostatic pellet stove to the mix. We have no central heating system, only those expensive electric wall heaters in each room. The house has poor insulation so heat is lost all day long at a pretty good rate.

Anyway, thanks for listening.

 

[bruce56bb]

yes i have.
someone(kids,wife,me) opened or left open the startup air on the stove. don't know how hot it got, but it was hot!
after shutting both air controls the fire simmered down fairly quickly. it is very scary when it happens.

 

[buildingmaint]

I assume that your stoves have a thermometer on them or you would not know the exact temp your stove got to .My question is where is the thermometer located at on the stove?

 

[Roospike]

I assume that your stoves have a thermometer on them or you would not know the exact temp your stove got to .My question is where is the thermometer located at on the stove?

So I get the call.... "when the stove hits 750 is there anything to do besides just shutting down the air?" 750! cripes, we shoot for 600 on the stovetop to warm up the house and less than that to maintain temps.

 

[Highbeam]

My Rutland thermometer in cenetered on the stovetop about 4 inches behind the front edge which is as far back as possible without putting it inside the shroud. The stove's manual claims that 800 is overfired and/or when the stove glows red. I've been to 725 before and it doesn't feel right. The secondary air tubes glow red and dust burns from places where it wouldn't normally burn.

The fire is very different looking during an overfire. Almost all purple and rolling up and over the baffle. Looks like water flowing.

I am aware that this stove is designed to run up to the 600-800 range but it just doesn't feel right. The freedom bay is a huge stove and getting close to that wide front with the temps past 700 is quite an experience.

 

[Shawn]

I've never gotten the call, whenever my wife is in charge of the fire it usually goes out, she's good for adding wood and not opening up the air. Anyway, I also have a Lopi Freedom Bay and have hit about 750 before. I try to stay around 550-600 most of the time. I have never had the stove glow red, but the tubes have the few times I unintentionally let it get a bit hot. Don't think it will damage the stove, but it does make me feel a little nervous.

 

[begreen]

I don't know about this wood burning stuff. As a primary 24/7 heater it is a good bit of risk and effort. I sure wish I could have two heaters so that I could add a thermostatic pellet stove to the mix. We have no central heating system, only those expensive electric wall heaters in each room. The house has poor insulation so heat is lost all day long at a pretty good rate.

Anyway, thanks for listening.

750 is getting pretty warm, but not for the panic dept. Shutting down the air was the right thing to do. Rolling purplish secondaries are what I normally shoot for, not unusual. Depending on the stove, with good wood, 600-650 is pretty normal for peak burning temp.

Previously we had a pellet stove and woodstove. It's a nice combo. The pellet stove was on a digital thermostat. All we did was feed it and clean it.

 

[Corie]

Yeah I really think the combination is pretty sweet for whole house heating.


I've never had the stove above 650. My dad doesn't like to run it much above 500, but when I come home I'll usually load err up and let her free for a while. Only a few times have a seen the tubes glow red though, even with a full load tearing on a full open air control.

Actually the last time they were glowing it was because I dropped two pine logs onto a nice hot bed of coals and walked away for ten minutes. The stove temp. shot up to 650 and was still climbing. Even when I shut down the air control, that temp needle was still moving on the rutland. I was getting concerned because the secondary was so large and hot, and the pipes were glowing, that I contemplated shutting down the secondary air. I let it wind down though, and everything turned out ok.

 

[Roospike]

I've been to 725 before and it doesn't feel right. The secondary air tubes glow red and dust burns from places where it wouldn't normally burn.

I know , I hate that too , when standing next to the stove trying to warm up. %-P

 

[carpniels]

HI,

I have had that too (except mine goes to 900), but it is fairly common. I can create it any time I want. Go to the stove, add more wood until it is full, open the air fully, wait 15 minutes for wood to char, close air to 1/3 to 1/2 open, wait 15 minutes: voila: 900 degrees.

The trick is to close the air to less than 1/2. It makes the secondary burn come on and with all that wood it just goes.

carpniels