Performed surgery on my new stove.

[mdocod]

Just realized this ir is only rated to 716f possible false readings? @mdocod cod I try to get the ir gun as close to the surface as I can to make that measuring ratio small. Is this wrong? @3650 do you think I'd be better to leave the dampers open? I'm more concerned about stove top temps than the flue temps even though those are high to

View attachment 307684

12:1 ratio.. at 1' away you're measuring about a 1" wide circle.

IR guns read most accurate when measuring a surface that is 90 degrees to the gun. A stove pipe is round so will always be imperfect in this regard. Expect slightly lower than actual readings from the IR gun, but to get the most accurate reading possible I would hold it about 6-8" away, directly at the middle of the pipe at a 90 degree angle to the pipe, around the side away from the face of the temp meter.


716F should be plenty of range for surface temps of the stove pipe, but might not be accurate for your stove top temps.

I think the "rule of thumb" is that single wall stove pipe will be about half the surface temp as the gases passing through it, but this varies depending on how much fluffy soot is deposited inside the pipe acting as insulation, and other factors, but if we're being honest, none of the other ways to measure a flue temp are much better.

 

[brenndatomu]

Riddle me this. So I let the stove take off really slow. Like shutdown air at 200f flue temps cause the Flames seemed lazy but good. Once stove top git to 650 shutdown 2 of the 3 dampers. Now I can't see any actual Flames from the wood just secondaries. And they are slow and lazy. Just shutdown 3rd damper But stt and flue temps just keeps climbing . Dunno what else I can do? Why does this stove get so hot when it's clearly running lazily? I didn't even load it stuffed full.

View attachment 307677 View attachment 307678

That thing has huge secondary air intakes...I wonder if its not running away just from excess secondary air...maybe take some sheet metal and restrict those secondary inlets about 50% (for starters)

 

[3650]

I think what’s going on is the logs are smoldering without flame and the secondaries are so hot they are burning that smoke then with three mpd’s closed it’s trapping any smoke that gets past the secondaries forcing them to burn above the baffle that the secondaries are mounted under. Creating a kind of snowball effect or fireball I reckon. Just an opinion. Hard to say.

It would be interesting to know what the draft measures.I think fully closing all three mpd’s is too restrictive. Tbh it boggles my mind that the stove will even operate with them closed.
Maybe try closing two half way leaving the third open then play with the primary air intake. Start by just opening the primary a sliver and see what happens. Work from there. That’s where I would start.

350 flue temps are ok. When they start getting below 250 that is when creasote starts to form in the chimney.
I saw a guy on YouTube with this stove and he had a barometric damper on his. No mpd’s.

I also wanted to add from a safety standpoint, if those temps the gun is reading are accurate that’s approaching dangerous territory. I wouldn’t want the stove to linger there for very long. I like to keep a large pail of ashes by my stove in case things get out of hand I can smother the fire with ash.

 

[Vg3200p]

Ok this morning reload. I decided to build a smaller fire because I plan to work around home all day. Burning the same exact wood from last night. I loaded it up to about the edge of the ceramic baffle plate. Wich also happens to be the edge of the fire brick on the front. This leaves about 6 inches from the glass. Still a much bigger load than my old stove. Bout 45min into burn and she's cruising at 620 stt. And 280 flue surface. All 3 dampers are just slightly tweaked. Like maybe 20%. Still really good secondaries. But not near the amount of fire going around top of ceramic baffle. My theory is that if you have fire closer to the glass on this stove it sends all that heat and fire straight up the flue because it goes in front of the ceramic baffle. Wich in turn causes it to run super hot with huge draft and it just snowballs from there until those front pieces get burnt down? So I think for now I'll keep the wood back to the front of firebrick.

 

[Vg3200p]

I this stove does make beatiful secondary shows. Almost make all the crap worth it.

 

[moresnow]

What are we all going to watch daily when you get this thing figured out?

 

[Mirco22]

For this problem I put this tube, which comes perpendicularly from the flue and has a diameter half the flue. It reduces draft a lot.The flue sucks air from the stove and from it

 

[Vg3200p]

For this problem I put this tube, which comes perpendicularly from the flue and has a diameter half the flue. It reduces draft a lot.The flue sucks air from the stove and from it
View attachment 307702

Is that a open pipe going into your flue?

 

[Mirco22]

Is that a open pipe going into your flue?

Yes exactly, open, it comes from the flue, and is in an airy room behind the living room, where the stove is. I play with it, close it a little or leave it all open, founding the right setting good for me

 

[Vg3200p]

Yes exactly, open, it comes from the flue, and is in an airy room behind the living room, where the stove is. I play with it, close it a little or leave it all open, founding the right setting good for me

Thanks for the advice but I will not be doing this. I would be surprised if it was even legal in usa or safe to do that in a class a style chimney

 

[Gearhead660]

For this problem I put this tube, which comes perpendicularly from the flue and has a diameter half the flue. It reduces draft a lot.The flue sucks air from the stove and from it
View attachment 307702

That's basically a barometric damper, minus the damper. Believe those are not allowed on wood stoves in US.

 

[EbS-P]

Couple hours into burn. Primary was definitely the problem. All dampers open primary closed stovetop 600 external flue temp 230 good secondaries rolling

What I have found from trying to tame an over drafting stove is messing with the primary/secondary air ratio really complicates everything. I would take one damper out or two and completely cover all the open spaces in it. There are some good pictures in a thread somewhere.

Once you get close there the. You can restrict or primary air. Primary air feeds secondary combustion until the firebox get too hot and everything starts outgassing. Top down fires are easier to to control from a cold start.

Pack your loads tight. Be consistent when you load.

 

[brenndatomu]

What I have found from trying to tame an over drafting stove is messing with the primary/secondary air ratio really complicates everything.

That's true, on a good stove...but in this case I really think USSC just said more is better (air) and rolled with it...not a ton of tuning was done.

 

[Mirco22]

Thanks for the advice but I will not be doing this. I would be surprised if it was even legal in usa or safe to do that in a class a style chimney

I don't know legally, it was just for discussion, but also 3 dampers I don't think is legal!

 

[Mirco22]

That's basically a barometric damper, minus the damper. Believe those are not allowed on wood stoves in US.

Exactly, barometric damper ✌

 

[mdocod]

For this problem I put this tube, which comes perpendicularly from the flue and has a diameter half the flue. It reduces draft a lot.The flue sucks air from the stove and from it
View attachment 307702

Yikes...

This one scares me a bit.

How does the inside of the chimney system look running this? Does it stay warm enough to prevent creosote deposits?

 

[Mirco22]

Yikes...

This one scares me a bit.

How does the inside of the chimney system look running this? Does it stay warm enough to prevent creosote deposits?

it is yet to be verified I am burning wood that is not too dry, however there is another aspect: mixing smoke with clean air, I don't know what it can entail if good or not, but surely temperature decreases. This "barometric damper" is installed after about 3 meters flue, starting from stove, and I don't measure the temperature there. However, the same system has been installed for 4-5 years on a hydro thermal furnace, and the flue stays clean

 

[bholler]

Yes exactly, open, it comes from the flue, and is in an airy room behind the living room, where the stove is. I play with it, close it a little or leave it all open, founding the right setting good for me

So you are introducing dilution air directly into your flue???? Like you would with a barometric damper? That is a very bad idea for many reasons

 

[Mirco22]

So you are introducing dilution air directly into your flue???? Like you would with a barometric damper? That is a very bad idea for many reasons

Exactly! please explain all the negative reasons of this

 

[bholler]

Exactly! please explain all the negative reasons of this

Dilution air cools the exhaust that can lead to creosote buildup. Plus it leaves a direct path for air to supply a chimney fire is you ever have one

 

[Mirco22]

Dilution air cools the exhaust that can lead to creosote buildup. Plus it leaves a direct path for air to supply a chimney fire is you ever have one

Surely it is as you say, but in the dish there are also positive things. Without this element, I don't like how it works flue starts heating up, and the draft makes the fire crazy. I suppose by burning dry wood, and checking/cleaning the flue every year, everything will be fine. I'm waiting for this automatic valve, it will be a show!

 

[Vg3200p]

Lots of surgeries today. Had my morning load going and it was a small one but got a little hot. Started looking at the 2ndary tubes and thought I would try to turn them around to face the other way. Because the secondary Flames were just rushing up and around the ceramic baffle. So I pulled the fire bricks out to turn tubes around but you can't. They all have different sized holes though. The big holes were in the front with the back tube #6 having no hole. So I reversed the order. Big holes in the back no holes in the front. It ran alot better. Not nearly as many secondary Flames made it around the baffle. Bout 3/4 through that burn I pulled the front tube that now had no holes and cut 3 slits in it facing backwards. That made almost no Flames go up and around tge baffle. Tonight I've blocked off about 5/8th of the secondary air. I filled it with a bigger load than I meant to. She's running at 675 stt and 238 flue surface temp with only 1 baffle closed and still strong secondaries so tommorow am ill probably plug up a little more of the secondary intakes

 

[Vg3200p]

Thank you to every one who has helped on this thread. Tgat why I love hearth.com alot of people trying to help each other. The problem with this stove is way to much air plain and simple. Finally got her figured put. I've blocked probably 80 to 90% of possible air and now she's running how I want her to. I need to go back through it and redo some things. When I buy a welder I'll weld air routs closed instead of using stove silicone. The way us stove co designed this stove is highly dangerous. I don't know how they didn't burn the stove down on emmisions tests. Ive tried to contact the company multiple times to tell them how dangerous this product is with no luck. I've tried to post a review on thier website twice. But they must block it because it's negative. They have lost a customer for life. Hopefully can limp this pile along for a decade or so. Then buy a real stove lol. Thanks again for everyone's help

 

[Vg3200p]

1 damper closed with 3/4 of secondary air blocked off seems about perfect.

 

[Vg3200p]

Found another reason why this stove runs crazy. Pulled the jackets off the sides just for shots and giggles and found 3 more unregulated secondary holes on each side. I got some magnets I'm gonna play around with to see If I can get this thing to run with no damper. On a side note I always thought I saw smoke running out of the jacket on while I was loading and figured it was coming out the front door and working its way over there. Nope. Those 6 holes pour smoke when the door is open