Learned a Lesson...just not sure which one

[Pellet_Pete]

Well, it didn't take long for me to bite off more than I could chew with the Jotul. Itching to see what I could get for burn times with a full load of good wood, I reloaded last night with red oak and beech with a few small splits of cherry. Stove was still at 450-500 and there were lots coals I raked forward, taking up the space of a medium-sized split. Didn't take long for this to get going, and I knocked the air all the way back. At 20-30 minutes into the cycle, I believe what happened is the wood in back (including the beech) finally became engaged and started taking off, which led to stove top temps on a clear runaway path. As it was reaching up to 700 and the secondaries were roaring like a blowtorch, I resorted to opening the loading door (thank you again hearth.com) and letting the fuel spend itself out - this definitely cooled the stove top down, but it took a loooong time to cook off the bulk of that oak and beech before it was controllable with the draft slider. Spent 2 hours babysitting it before I could go to bed, fell asleep for 3 hours and woke up to a stove still full of hot coals and stove top at 400+ The beech split was still in form at the back! So, the good thing is I'm pretty darn sure my oak and beech are dry enough!

But, since I'm now afraid to put any of it back into the stove, I need to figure out what went wrong so I can use that primo stuff once we finally get winter. Splits too small (3-4")? Reload on too heavy a coal bed? Didn't close down air soon enough? Or could my stove have some leaky seams (all new gaskets in door & ash door)? With lighter woods the draft seems to work just right, able to shut it down to a smolder and tick it back up to get it dialed in, so I doubt (hope) it's not the stove body. Any thoughts from the veteran wood-combustors?

 

[pen]

Sounds like you just had too many hot coals in that stove when you loaded her up.

You'll need to time things better before putting a big load in.

For me, this means I get to put a full load in at 5:15am. A 1/3 to 1/2 load at 4pm, and then a full load again at 8:30 to 9pm. If I overfill that mid afternoon load, I'll shoot to the moon at bed, just as you did.

Keep on paying good attention as you are doing! Too many would have done what you did and just walked away.

 

[Pellet_Pete]

Sounds like you just had too many hot coals in that stove when you loaded her up.
You'll need to time things better before putting a big load in.
For me, this means I get to put a full load in at 5:15am. A 1/3 to 1/2 load at 4pm, and then a full load again at 8:30 to 9pm. If I overfill that mid afternoon load, I'll shoot to the moon at bed, just as you did.
Keep on paying good attention as you are doing! Too many would have done what you did and just walked away.

Thanks pen, that's what I was hoping to hear. As a rookie, I just get so worked up watching those embers cook down. I don't have any sense of timing based on load size yet, but I've been studying each load like a hawk so I can start to develop an intuition.

 

[TradEddie]

3-4" splits sounds very small, with a hot coal bed, there is no reason for smaller splits of anything, but especially not something fast-burning like cherry.
On the other hand, it's possible you jumped the gun a little too. I've seen temperatures shoot from 400 to 700 with spectacular secondaries, but reach a limit just over 700 and slowly drop once the air is fully closed.

TE

 

[CentralVAWoodHeat]

Try making your splits bigger, more in the range of 4-8" if your wood is that dry. Also, get yourself a moisture meter and test some fresh splits to see what you are working with. You may be surprised that your wood is too dry. It doesn't often happen but you may be working with wood that is below 15% moisture which can be a bit too active.

 

[pen]

3-4" splits sounds very small, with a hot coal bed, there is no reason for smaller splits of anything, but especially not something fast-burning like cherry.
On the other hand, it's possible you jumped the gun a little too. I've seen temperatures shoot from 400 to 700 with spectacular secondaries, but reach a limit just over 700 and slowly drop once the air is fully closed.

TE

Absolutely, I wouldn't be concerned unless things were climbing steadily and seeing the 800 range.

In all, that comes with experience. He got a good experience tonight, and will use that to help judge the appropriate route to take next time.

pen

 

[Simonkenton]

You think the stove is burning too hot, so you open the loading door to cool it down. I don't get it. It seems like you would get an even hotter stove top.

 

[edyit]

opening the door, fully opened not cracked, lets in cooler room temp air this cools down the box, counter intuitive but it does work in a pinch

 

[Pellet_Pete]

You think the stove is burning too hot, so you open the loading door to cool it down. I don't get it. It seems like you would get an even hotter stove top.

I've read it on here again & again. When you open the door, and a window like I did, it basically turns into a fireplace with all the heat flying up the chimney.

 

[BrotherBart]

Let it get down to around 250 or so stove top before reloading to avoid the massive off gassing and having pause to reflect. A former member, Gunner, used to say the art of wood burning is having just the right coal bed and temp at the right time for the night loading.

 

[BrotherBart]

I've read it on here again & again. When you open the door, and a window like I did, it basically turns into a fireplace with all the heat flying up the chimney.

And more importantly it breaks the vacuum in the firebox that is pulling air through the secondary air manifold and secondary combustion comes to an instant screeching halt.

 

[Pellet_Pete]

Lots of great feedback -wouldn't expect anything less from this site! Just think, 2 years ago i thought I could just buy a woodstove & run it up my existing 3" pellet flue. This site makes smarter, safer burners, plain & simple!

 

[Smock2015]

Amen to that!

 

[Smoked]

Sounds like you have decent draft too. Maybe a pipe damper could give you a little more control. If easy to install in your setup, it can't hurt to have one if the draft needs to be dialed back a bit!

 

[Shari]

Let it get down to around 250 or so stove top before reloading to avoid the massive off gassing and having pause to reflect. A former member, Gunner, used to say the art of wood burning is having just the right coal bed and temp at the right time for the night loading.

+1 here............

You reloaded too soon and you created a rocket..............