I've read a few threads where some people talk about hot loading and how they don't like it. That's what I've been doing since I got my insert installed- I like my insert to be putting out max heat for as long as I can keep her going. So, what's the deal with this? Is it dangerous/harmful to the stove/wasteful or none of these?
Hot loading - is it bad?
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If you load on coals that are too hot, the hot coals make the wood give up their goods extremely quickly. This means there is an increased risk of an overfire and by out-gassing so quickly, it is also possible that the secondary action is not able to keep up and fuel would be wasted.
If burning poorly seasoned fuel, folks may find that they must reload on hot coals to get to adequate temps.
If burning poorly seasoned fuel, folks may find that they must reload on hot coals to get to adequate temps.
mac cloud
New Member
Unless I am cleaning out ashes, my stove is always hot. Even the ashes I cleaned today were full of large chunks that were still very hot but the ashes were piles higher than I had ever allowed them and I had little choice. If you have an overfiring problem, is that not caused by you inattention or negligence to the stove? Just my opinion.
If seasoned wood is loaded on a large amount of very hot red coals in a stove designed for secondary combustion, closing the air down all the way may not be enough to control an overfire as the air that feeds the secondary combustion is generally unregulated.
In a pre-epa stove, it was often possible to turn the air down completely, or very darn close. This meant the overfire might not happen, but those extremely hot coals are still making the wood outgas (basically making charcoal). Open that door or even crack the drafts and the surge of oxygen can cause this to ignite in a very dramatic way. In doing this over the years, sometimes it would make the stove actually make a repeated "whoofing" noise. I've even seen flames shoot back into the room out of the draft knobs on an old fisher.
In general, I find it's best to wait for the stove top to get down to 300 or less before reloading.
A couple of splits in a stove over 400 stove top temp on large hot coal bed is workable. Pack a large firebox EPA stove full of dry firewood under those conditions and it will give you pause to reflect for an hour or so. Sometimes involving a change of underwear.
Even my old 4.3cf pre-EPA stove would peg a 1,000 degree mag thermo in those circumstances.
Even my old 4.3cf pre-EPA stove would peg a 1,000 degree mag thermo in those circumstances.
shoot-straight
Minister of Fire
i think it really depends largely on the stove, fuel and draft. different in every situation. my hearthstone was reloaded while she was still pretty hot. takes too much heat to heat it back up! my BK heats up much quicker because its a steel stove for the most part.
Just watch the flue temps on that rock. Since the stones do take longer to heat up, it can be deceiving as the stove may still be well within the safe range but the chimney could be overfiring.
This is the first I've ever heard of this. Often times I'll have half burned and will add more wood to top off the stove. Are people saying not to do this? When I wake in the am I'm down to very hot coals and always put in 4 splits to get it back going, and then add a few more before leaving for work. My stove is a 12 year old Woodstock Fireview. Before opening the door I always turn the combustor lever off or open, wait a few seconds, and then open the door. I've never seen any spikes, and cant imagine doing it any other way.
I can remember those nights during the first year we burned with insert...learned fairly quick how to avoid the nuclear stage.
From what I've read from folks over the years the cat stoves seem to be more forgiving here (although I have not operated one). It is possible to overfire the catalyst though. Especially if smaller splits are used, pallet scraps, etc, air isn't turned down quick enough, etc.
Bub381
Minister of Fire
I've heard about it but our Fireview being a cat stove and being real tight I can shut her right down and control it no prob.Even if she gets roaring I've never had it over 650.
Wood dried since early spring.
Wood dried since early spring.
There is a difference in adding a split or two to an established burn and loading a large load of fresh wood in a hot stove on top of just coals. Though adding a few splits is a patented way to end up with a stove full of coals.
Bub381
Minister of Fire
I wondered why I get so many coals on the colder days though the primary is set the same. I just open her up at the end of the burn and rerake to burn em off but have to add wood during this time to keep the temps up.I hate throwing any hot coals out.
With the coldest consistent temps we have had in many years I am getting a lot more practice with coals management than usual.
Kings and Fireviews may be forgiving, but my catalytic VC sure isn't...
Twice I've tried adding a couple splits mid cycle to stretch a load. Once I got away with it, second time as soon as those new splits started offgassing the catalytic temp shot up to 1800F. With a 50% sucess rate its not something I plan to try again.
Twice I've tried adding a couple splits mid cycle to stretch a load. Once I got away with it, second time as soon as those new splits started offgassing the catalytic temp shot up to 1800F. With a 50% sucess rate its not something I plan to try again.
I just open up the air, the stove top will rise to 450- 550 (mag temp says 600) if it is below that, and burn the coals down while heating nicely. It is great to never have a coal problem.
I reload on top of coals when i need to top a load off. No problems yet doing it,,,but have nuke problems other times
I reload on top of coals when i need to top a load off. No problems yet doing it,,,but have nuke problems other times
Like Tony, I have no problem loading the PH on hot coals.
When temps are consistently below 0F as the high, then I reload when the stove top temp drops to 400, from 425 - 450, my normal operating temp in this weather.
I am only loading about 1/4 to 1/3 full during the day, and have no problem with the stove taking off. It just goes back up to my normal operating temp within minutes.
Nights, I load about 1/2 full, and have no problem with the stove taking off.
One more positive mark for catalytic stoves, I guess.
When temps are consistently below 0F as the high, then I reload when the stove top temp drops to 400, from 425 - 450, my normal operating temp in this weather.
I am only loading about 1/4 to 1/3 full during the day, and have no problem with the stove taking off. It just goes back up to my normal operating temp within minutes.
Nights, I load about 1/2 full, and have no problem with the stove taking off.
One more positive mark for catalytic stoves, I guess.
dyerkutn
Feeling the Heat
My two cents for what it is worth--It seems to me that some variation in house temperature is inevitable, especially in very cold weather--it is not like the constant of oil or gas heat. Sometimes it drops 10 or 12 degrees while I am waiting to get the last of the heat out of the big coals. On the other hand, 10 degrees when you are able to keep the house at 80 is not nearly like 10 degrees when you are trying to minimize oil use and keep it at 68. I find that once the house is warm, it cools off much more slowly than it used to when I was using oil and forced hot air. I think this must have something to do with the heat being absorbed by everything in the house. To me it seems like a deep heat, as opposed to oil and hot air which feels to me like a superficial heat, if that makes any sense.
Makes sense to me, we were always cold with just the hot air oil furnace except when it was blowing air, once it stopped you'd get chilled again. One of the reasons we love wood heat, drops down to 70 or so before reload and there's no chill. I just need a bigger stove.
I can load my PE Summit hot, and still control the fire, but as others have said, you will build up coals and will need to burn it down at some point. Right now is when I'm needing to load hot because I don't have the luxury of letting the stove burn down ash, I need maximum heat output. Have you tried raking your coals forward to help them burn down faster?
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