OK How hot is this thing New stove still learning

[jdurando]

Ok so my new T5 has been up and running for a bout week now but has not seen musk use because i have been working a lot and do not yet feel comfortable leaving it going unattended that will change as i learn the stove. my first question is where do i get a good thermometer i have tried 2 Rutland magnetic thermometers and both are way off. i uses my meter at work every day to test ovens and dryers so i know it's accurate to about 5* - 10*f in the photos you can see the meter reads 626* and one thermometer reads about 450* and the other about 750* as the stove top went up to 698* one is reading 550* and the other 850*


my second question is about air control while checking the temps i had the air set to about 1/3 and i could not get the temp to stop rising unless i cut it all the way back then she cruses at about what ever temp it is currently at. again just want to know if this is normal. the wood i am burning is cherry and has been cut and stacked for about 4 years covered for 3 so i know it's dry but could it be too dry.

i also noticed when the temp was running up and got close to 800 i turned the air all the way down and the temp kept claiming so i opened the door 5 sec later the temp started to drop. my concern is if i load it up and leave with the air all the way down the temp could take off. she is holding good now at about 600*-650*

Thanks for the help

 

[jdurando]

OK here is something else i have a question on, the air currently at 1/2 and the stove top temp is about 625* just reloaded and i am not getting secondary burn at least that i can see, but if i lower the air the baffle holes start shooting out flames. is this normal for a T5 could this be that at the higher air setting the burn is more complete and there are not enough gases left for me to see the secondary burn, then when i cut off the air combustion is less complete so the secondary tacks off. i have tries changing the air and going out side to see if there is any smoke and i don't any on either setting.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

John, I'll let the others have a say on the secondary but it sounds okay to me.

It is normal for a new guy and new stove to be more than a little nervous, so you are normal! On the thermometers, we've bought them from 3 places so far and the only ones we found were accurate or very close were from Woodstock. We even received one as a Christmas present and it came from a well-known place....and it s close to 100 degrees difference!

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Whoops. Forgot to answer one of your questions. You wondered if your wood is too dry being that it is 4 years old. We've burned wood that has been stacked over 10 years and never had a problem. We're presently working on the wood for 2016-2017. Are we worried it will be too dry? Absolutely not. And some of that wood is cherry too. Most is white ash which is low-moisture wood to start with. It will not be too dry when we burn it.

 

[RonB]

Could you re-index the 2 rutland's to closer mimic the readings of the digital by removing/reattaching the pointer? Purchased my last stove temp gauge from a big box store. They had 2 hanging racks to pick from (8 units?). I just made sure I picked one whose temp agreed with the majority of the others. It is fairly close to the other one I already had. The stove temp gauges that the majority of us use are approximations of the actual temp and that is okay. They aren't an end in themselves. They are tools to help us monitor the stove to achieve secondary burn, reduce creosote formation, and problem solve. Once you gain some experience and know your stove, a temp gauge could be 100 degrees off and still be useful to you.

 

[begreen]

Sounds like you are running pretty normal john. The stove will have a spike of up to 750 or so, as it goes into full secondary bloom. You can mitigate this somewhat by the way the stove is loaded. Pack it tightly with wood, keeping the air gaps and passages to a minimum. Also maybe try larger splits.

I hear you on the thermometers. They are coming out of China with apparently little or no calibration. FWIW, I got a cheap Drolet from True Value for a friend and checked it with my IR gauge. It read within 10 degrees at 400 and 600 stovetop temps. If you want a precision instrument, there is a nice magnetic surface thermometer for about $90, it’s the Tel-Tru DM-014-750 surface thermometer. This is the first model I’ve seen with clear black on white markings and a glass cover. That's my kind of stove thermometer. It’s similar to my trusty old Sandhill, but is a lab instrument.
http://www.teltru.com/

 

[jdurando]

Ok well that makes me feel better but now i have a large bed of coals i guess that's normal i'm just surprised at the volume maybe i am reloading to fast. i just put 2 large splits in this time i will let it go a while and see if the volume is reduced

 

[Backwoods Savage]

John, to get rid of some of the coals (a good bed of coals is good so don't burn them down too far), just before your fire gets to all coals, open that draft full and let it burn the coals. Don't worry about losing heat out through the chimney because at this stage that is not a worry. It might take an hour or two to get the coals down to a manageable stage but you'll be getting heat too.

Another method of getting rid of some coals is to put some small kindling or maybe 2 very small splits on the coals and open the draft. Sometimes this works better and sometimes the other method works better. For us, we've found that first method to work the best.

 

[jdurando]

John, to get rid of some of the coals (a good bed of coals is good so don't burn them down too far), just before your fire gets to all coals, open that draft full and let it burn the coals. Don't worry about losing heat out through the chimney because at this stage that is not a worry. It might take an hour or two to get the coals down to a manageable stage but you'll be getting heat too.

Another method of getting rid of some coals is to put some small kindling or maybe 2 very small splits on the coals and open the draft. Sometimes this works better and sometimes the other method works better. For us, we've found that first method to work the best.

thanks for the info, that will defiantly put some time between my reloads it seams as thought i have been able to run the stove with the draft all the way closed and still get secondary at higher air settings i don't see it as much. I let the stove go cold tonight I need to check the baffle I think the insulation is under it in the back causing the secondary air to come out between the baffle and the bracket that holds it up. You are right it took hours for the coals to burn down. I pushed the hot ones back and found some black coals in the back so I raked them forward. When I opened the draft full and closed the door i got a nice Blue fire that lasted a wile as the coals burned off. I’m still not sure what temp i was at today I added another digital over thermometer the mix and got another temp different from the rest. The only reason I am questioning my meter is because it is designed to read air not surfaces. I may have had the stove to up at 850 today not sure. I think I am going to get a laser IR thermometer so I know what to trust.

 

[Hogwildz]

John, to get rid of some of the coals (a good bed of coals is good so don't burn them down too far), just before your fire gets to all coals, open that draft full and let it burn the coals. Don't worry about losing heat out through the chimney because at this stage that is not a worry. It might take an hour or two to get the coals down to a manageable stage but you'll be getting heat too.

Another method of getting rid of some coals is to put some small kindling or maybe 2 very small splits on the coals and open the draft. Sometimes this works better and sometimes the other method works better. For us, we've found that first method to work the best.

thanks for the info, that will defiantly put some time between my reloads it seams as thought i have been able to run the stove with the draft all the way closed and still get secondary at higher air settings i don't see it as much. I let the stove go cold tonight I need to check the baffle I think the insulation is under it in the back causing the secondary air to come out between the baffle and the bracket that holds it up. You are right it took hours for the coals to burn down. I pushed the hot ones back and found some black coals in the back so I raked them forward. When I opened the draft full and closed the door i got a nice Blue fire that lasted a wile as the coals burned off. I’m still not sure what temp i was at today I added another digital over thermometer the mix and got another temp different from the rest. The only reason I am questioning my meter is because it is designed to read air not surfaces. I may have had the stove to up at 850 today not sure. I think I am going to get a laser IR thermometer so I know what to trust.

John,
Secondary will happen easier & more with the air shut all the way down & less with the air open.
Most users including myself find the air all the way to low is the best position for long burns, with a nice secondary going.
Of course every set up is different, and some users do leave the air open a lil, as this works best in their set up.
The baffle has a small gasket where it sets onto the rear vertical channel. The gasket may be torn, out of place, or missing.
Even with the gasket there and even doubled up, this area still gets a secondary flame coming out of there. BG is the only one I have read that has eliminated this with doubled up gaskets.
Either way, its no big deal, the stove will burn & operate fine, and actually, I found the rear secondary helps to burn the load a lil more evenly.
If your burning truly dry wood and still getting too many coals, check your loading habits(too often). A full load of hard wood should last around 8 hours and still have just enough coals for a nice reload.
Sometimes longer & shorter depending on the outside temps & draft etc. Many times, excess coals are due to not really dry enough wood.
Another thing I found works well if you have more coals than you care to have, at reload, spread them out even, than load the new wood with the bottom splits of the new load resting on the boost manifold. This leaves an air space between the coals & the new splits which allows the boost air coming in to burn off the coals on the floor as well as ignite the new load. Works very well for me.

 

[jdurando]

If your burning truly dry wood and still getting too many coals, check your loading habits(too often). A full load of hard wood should last around 8 hours and still have just enough coals for a nice reload.
Sometimes longer & shorter depending on the outside temps & draft etc.

So if i am reloading right when the flames die down that is too soon?

 

[Hogwildz]

If your burning truly dry wood and still getting too many coals, check your loading habits(too often). A full load of hard wood should last around 8 hours and still have just enough coals for a nice reload.
Sometimes longer & shorter depending on the outside temps & draft etc.

So if i am reloading right when the flames die down that is too soon?

LMAO... Yeap
just cause there is no flames, if you have glowing splits in there, they are producing heat.
This is where a thermo comes in handy. Not so much the creosote/overfire part, but the temp part. If its steady your cruising, it will finally start to slowly drop. On mine at about 300 I reload, sometimes a lil less if I am a tad lazy.
This will all become second nature after you have been burning the stove a while.