How hot is overfiring a Jotul olso 500?

[Sootfoot]

After loading my olso up with 2x4 chunks, my infrared laser therm was reading a stove top temp of 850-900 F. My stove pipe 6" out of the stove was reading 650-700F. Was this horrible? Did I over fire my jotul? What's the max temp you guys would let your olso reach? Thanks

Sootfoot

 

[claydogg84]

Yes, 900 is high. I'm assuming you got that reading from the center of the top?

 

[Sootfoot]

Yes, 900 is high. I'm assuming you got that reading from the center of the top?

Yes exactly. It would vary 50-100F depending where you had it aimed. Right now my stove top temp is about 725F ish. What temp is red hot?

 

[FionaD]

Hi sootfoot. I took my F3 to 900 deg once. It sure woke me up! I've never done it since. I belive the received wisdom here is that the stove will cope with that kind of temp when it happens for a short while by accident. When it happened to me, I opened the door wide and the temp fell away within a few minutes, although it seemed an age.

Was it at 900 for long? What did you do?

 

[Sootfoot]

Hi sootfoot. I took my F3 to 900 deg once. It sure woke me up! I've never done it since. I belive the received wisdom here is that the stove will cope with that kind of temp when it happens for a short while by accident. When it happened to me, I opened the door wide and the temp fell away within a few minutes, although it seemed an age.

Was it at 900 for long? What did you do?

Turned air control down all the way, closed damper and jumped on my cellphone to do research. Temps dropped quick. I'm used to celcius and 500C didn't seem high to me, but then I realized you guys are talking F when you say 550-650 perfect range. At that point I just about fell off my couch. New to burning, new to hearth, new to stove temps.

 

[Sootfoot]

Turned air control down all the way, closed damper and jumped on my cellphone to do research. Temps dropped quick. I'm used to celcius and 500C didn't seem high to me, but then I realized you guys are talking F when you say 550-650 perfect range. At that point I just about fell off my couch. New to burning, new to hearth, new to stove temps.

As for the amount of time it was that hot, could of been 15-20 mins, maybe more. But at 900F you eat up chunks of 2x4 pretty quickly I think.

 

[FionaD]

Sounds like your stove will be OK. Guess your heart has proved itself too!

I'm a centigrade person too.. But since I started coming here I can now only think in Fahrenheit when it comes to stove temps.

I'm sure I read somewhere here that 900 is pretty much at the edge of the red hot point for cast iron.. Someone here will tell us if I'm wrong. I didnt see any glow when my stove hit 900, mercifully; I guess it would need to sit there for a while. Another good sign, I'd say, that your stove didn't get as far as glowing red!. Phew!

 

[claydogg84]

Jotul recommends using a stovetop thermometer at one of the top corners. When I do full reloads I bring the stove up to 550 - 600 at the corners, and that usually means the center plate is anywhere from 50 - 150 degrees warmer. I'd try to be careful loading it up on 2x4s as they are usually very dry and will take off quickly.

 

[branchburner]

After loading my olso up with 2x4 chunks, my infrared laser therm was reading a stove top temp of 850-900 F.

If that was a center plate temp, it means the corner temps might have been as low as 700-750f --- not too bad --- or as high as 850f, which would certainly be higher than desired. Hitting such temps on rare occasions will not ruin your stove, but I wouldn't make a habit of it... which means don't make it a habit (= try never again) to load the stove full w/ 2x4s, a recipe for overfire. Mix them w/ larger splits.

 

[Sootfoot]

If that was a center plate temp, it means the corner temps might have been as low as 700-750f --- not too bad --- or as high as 850f, which would certainly be higher than desired. Hitting such temps on rare occasions will not ruin your stove, but I wouldn't make a habit of it... which means don't make it a habit (= try never again) to load the stove full w/ 2x4s, a recipe for overfire. Mix them w/ larger splits.

Sounds good. Thanks for the tips, I knew if the 2x4's were dry would be bad idea, but they were pretty wet and it was even difficult to get the fire going. But once it got going...... Looked like hell inside.

 

[Jags]

But once it got going...... Looked like hell inside.

Exactly the reason that most stove manuals state not to use construction lumber for fuel. Even if starting off wet, once that dimensional stuff all dries off at the same time its gonna run and run hard. Bumping a stove top to 850 or 900F on rare occasion is probably not gonna hurt anything, but I would recommend staying south of 750F for the life of the fire.

 

[Sootfoot]

Exactly the reason that most stove manuals state not to use construction lumber for fuel. Even if starting off wet, once that dimensional stuff all dries off at the same time its gonna run and run hard. Bumping a stove top to 850 or 900F on rare occasion is probably not gonna hurt anything, but I would recommend staying south of 750F for the life of the fire.

At what temp will the stove glow red? I know my dads dutchwest gets red often. He's had that stove for 20 years and always uses the ash door to get fires going. I think his is a great design having sections rather then complete cast, but I like my jotul much more.

Also, when I aim at my corners, if the centre of the stove is 450 F my corners read 175-250F. Doesn't seem to be an accurate way of judging stove temp? Where is the best place to check temp reading?

 

[Jags]

Glowing red stoves is a bad idea. A VERY sure sign of overfiring and once again is mentioned in virtually all stove manuals to "not go there".
I locate my thermo on the top left of the cooking plate that my Isle Royale has. It sound to me like you are using an infrared hand held thermo - in that case, I would probably take various measurements of the top and work up an average of them. Dead center will be the hottest area.
Our Wiki on glowing temps:
https://www.hearth.com/talk/wiki/know-temperature-when-metal-glows-red/

 

[branchburner]

Where is the best place to check temp reading?

If placing a magnetic thermometer, Jotul suggests the corners rather than center... as noted above, and as you observed, it can run 100-200f higher than corners. But since you have a gun, yes, shoot it everywhere on the stove and try to not go over 800f for any extended periods of time. (You can also check the flue to be sure it is not running either extremely high, or too low to keep the flue clean.)

Other Jotul owners could chime in, but I imagine the center must hit 800f on occasion if their stove corners lift above 600-700f before settling down to somewhat lower cruising temps.

 

[Sootfoot]

Sounds

If placing a magnetic thermometer, Jotul suggests the corners rather than center... as noted above, and as you observed, it can run 100-200f higher than corners. But since you have a gun, yes, shoot it everywhere on the stove and try to not go over 800f for any extended periods of time. (You can also check the flue to be sure it is not running either extremely high, or too low to keep the flue clean.)

Other Jotul owners could chime in, but I imagine the center must hit 800f on occasion if their stove corners lift above 600-700f before settling down to somewhat lower cruising temps.

Sounds great , thx