Holy #%&T

[lopiliberty]

Just came down to a heart stopping sight. I loaded the stove with the usual load. Stovetop was at 300 but not many coals left. All was well. Went to get a shower came back down to check it and it was burning as it should be. Went back up stairs for bed. After about 20 minutes I got that feeling like I should maybe go back and check the stove. Holy #%&t was the stovetop red. I hate to admit it but my stove has been red 3 or 4 times that I have known of not super red but a very dull almost hard to see red even in a dark room. This time I was about to see it from about 20 feet away. Plugged up the holes with foil and turned the fan on full blast. It finally came down to 750 and holding with the holes still plugged and the fan on medium low. I've been debating on a pipe damper but I am not sure it would do any good considering the holes are plugged and its still at 750. Gaskets are all tight and the wood is no different than what I've been using all year. I'm beginning to feel like I can't trust this stove and if I had the funds, there would certainly be a blaze king sitting in its place

 

[jatoxico]

Dang that's scary. From all I've learned a properly installed stove and chimney should withstand such an incident but it would scare me too. I think I'd get the damper. Too many overfires and you'll shorten the life of your set-up.

 

[Squisher]

I've had stoves glow in the past, not in this house with this setup though. It's unnerving to say the least. Proper clearances and a clean flue and you should be fine. But I agree hard on the setup.

 

[Knots]

If I load my stove at 300, I have to sit there and babysit it to make sure it doesn't sky rocket past 600. I have a tong draft and couldn't run my stove without a damper.

 

[tpenny67]

I've been debating on a pipe damper but I am not sure it would do any good considering the holes are plugged and its still at 750.

Which holes did you plug? The pair you see under the bottom middle of the stove don't appear to do anything unless you have an outside air intake. The real intakes are right above the control rod in the front for the primaries, and way back under the secondary air channel for the secondaries. I had to probe around with a length of wire to find the secondary intake, and found that its doesn't appear to close off as much or as fast as the primaries, so it would still be letting quite a bit of air in even on low.

I've also thought about getting a pipe damper, but haven't yet (my Liberty hasn't glowed yet that I know of). The pipe damper works on the hot exhaust, which is going to increase in volume as the stove heats up. In theory, the pipe damper becomes more effective at higher temperatures, unlike the air intake which is always regulating room temperature air.

All that said, it seems the best solution is to turn the stove down before it gets too hot. Which begs the question: why don't more stoves have a thermostatic air control?

 

[zig]

My old stove has a door actuated damper which is a pain to get set up but works well after you do. If you have the space to put it, a key damper even if it's open normally would be good in this case. Better to have and not need than need and not have.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Glad you came down stairs!

 

[bholler]

Proper clearances and a clean flue and you should be fine.

Yes but repeated incidents like this will destroy the stove. I have seen it before. We just replace a 3 year old 3100 that the top was warped so bad the top was down 3/4" at the stove collar and the front was bad enough you couldn't close the door. They guy said oh yeah I had it glowing all the time

 

[lopiliberty]

I covered the hole under the stove for the outside air kit and the front area under the ashlip. What your saying makes perfect sense. That would explain it taking so long to slow down

Glad you came down stairs!

Always trust that feeling in the pit of your stomach!

 

[jetsam]

BK overfire prevention manual: "Close the door."

Yes but repeated incidents like this will destroy the stove. I have seen it before. We just replace a 3 year old 3100 that the top was warped so bad the top was down 3/4" at the stove collar and the front was bad enough you couldn't close the door. They guy said oh yeah I had it glowing all the time

I bet it glowed pretty good with the door open all the time.

 

[brickie]

I've been lucky to only see 900f on the stove pipe.
The fastest way I've found to cool things down is to open the door and
put the fan on high.
I felt a little sick to my stomach for awhile!
I agree, trust your gut!

 

[tcassavaugh]

My old stove has a door actuated damper which is a pain to get set up but works well after you do. If you have the space to put it, a key damper even if it's open normally would be good in this case. Better to have and not need than need and not have.

i have to say, i'm a fan of key dampers too. i have a jotul and a summit pe and have key dampers in both of them. it just helps me control the fire better. mine area about 18-24 inches above the stove top.

 

[Squisher]

Yes but repeated incidents like this will destroy the stove. I have seen it before. We just replace a 3 year old 3100 that the top was warped so bad the top was down 3/4" at the stove collar and the front was bad enough you couldn't close the door. They guy said oh yeah I had it glowing all the time

Yes, I meant fine for the time being as in not burn your house down. Certainly hard on the whole setup, and a severe overfire IMO would be a good enough reason to give everything a real good looking over.

I have a harbercraft stove at my old home(rental property now so I don't allow woodburning) that glowed a number of different times but it still is fine and serviceable. Possibly the older simpler stoves were more tolerant of it than the newer stoves with glass doors and baffles or cats and the like?

 

[begreen]

When you went up to bed was the air closed all the way?

When the stove cools down, take a strong flashlight and carefully inspect the secondary manifold system. Start at the upper back center of the stove. Then move outward to the upper corners of the manifold and then to the front on each side. Looks for cracks, especially along seams and welds.

 

[lopiliberty]

When you went up to bed was the air closed all the way?

When the stove cools down, take a strong flashlight and carefully inspect the secondary manifold system. Start at the upper back center of the stove. Then move outward to the upper corners of the manifold and then to the front on each side. Looks for cracks, especially along seams and welds.

Yes the air was closed all the way. Did a full load today with the same exact wood as last night and the stove behaved as it should. Went up to 700 sat there for maybe an hour then stared to fall. Last night might have just been on of those nights

 

[firefighterjake]

I generally try not to reload when the stove is that hot . . . and I try to reload a half hour or more before going to bed just to make sure there are no unexpected surprises.

 

[revdocjim]

Yes the air was closed all the way. Did a full load today with the same exact wood as last night and the stove behaved as it should. Went up to 700 sat there for maybe an hour then stared to fall. Last night might have just been on of those nights

Were your splits the same size? If you happen to have used smaller splits last night with more pieces that means more surface area and a hotter burn. The only time my stove has gotten really hot is when I loaded it up with a bunch of smaller stuff in the morning, thinking that would help rekindle more quickly, and it worked even better than I expected... too well in fact!

 

[webby3650]

And I get jumped when I say that most non-cats can be unpredictable at times...

 

[Woody Stover]

And I get jumped when I say that most non-cats can be unpredictable at times...

Yeah, with a cat you are more worried about crashing the stove, instead of worried about it going to the moon on you. Makes you wonder about these Joe Average Citizens that buy stoves, most of which are non-cats, correct? I guess the stoves go to the moon on 'em, and they don't know enough to be freaked out? If that's the case, I bet you you see a lot of burnt-up stoves in your travels. Or maybe none of them are burnt up because all those folks are burning "seasoned" fuel from the local wood seller, and their stoves never get hot at all?

 

[webby3650]

Yeah, with a cat you are more worried about crashing the stove, instead of worried about it going to the moon on you. Makes you wonder about these Joe Average Citizens that buy stoves, most of which are non-cats, correct? I guess the stoves go to the moon on 'em, and they don't know enough to be freaked out? If that's the case, I bet you you see a lot of burnt-up stoves in your travels. Or maybe none of them are burnt up because all those folks are burning "seasoned" fuel from the local wood seller, and their stoves never get hot at all?

You got it! Unseasoned wood is saving most of them I'd say.

 

[jetsam]

Funny that we still get so many new member threads that say something like, "Help me pick a stove, I did a some googling and I learned that cats are bad, but I need help with the rest of it".

 

[Squisher]

Sure and conversely nobody has ever been 'jumped' on this board for ever questioning a cat stoves abilities? All the cat guys are very gracious when questioned on things like oh say, what's that reoccurring question again? Output!

The great cat vs non-cat debate. Coming soon to every thread near you.

 

[begreen]

The great cat vs non-cat debate. Coming soon to every thread near you.

 

[jetsam]

The great cat vs non-cat debate. Coming soon to every thread near you.

The Topic Eternal, Favorite of Fans, Derailer of Threads, Beloved of Moderators, long may it remain controversial-or-something.

 

[Woody Stover]

The great cat vs non-cat debate.

Either one will work. Read up and decide for yourself how you would like your stove to work. Debate over.