Requesting some wisdom for a new stove owner.

[nopolis]

I recently had my first wood stove installed, I had never used one before. It is a Drolet Escape 1200.

Last night I had about my fifth fire in it, and I believe when I tried to refuel it on top of a hot coal bed, I did so too soon. I placed two medium pieces of wood on top and the fire became bigger than I was comfortable with. I tried to control the fire with the air intake, but apparently EPA stoves don't allow you to shut the air off past a certain point. Even with my air all the way down, the fire was still going hotter than I wanted, and I became concerned that I would overfire the stove. Based on the burn I think the wood was offgassing hard because of the hot coal bed.

I began hearing metal tapping sounds and soon after my smoke/CO alarm went off (I believe for smoke). I'm hoping all that happened is a backflow into the house due to having the air set to low for twenty minutes trying to bring the fire down.

At this point I made the decision to extenguish the fire and inspect the chimney in the attic and outside to see if there were any real problems. It appears that there were not. The stove was not glowing as best I could tell, and after using an extenguisher the fire turned into a coal bed which slowly lost heat throughout the night.

I do have some thermometers on the way, and I'm going to order a chimfex stick since apparently you can't shut the air off on an EPA stove. I'm still new and learning how to use the stove, based on my experience with outdoor fires and fireplaces I didn't expect it to have a learning curve, but here I am.

My question is this: I now have to clean my stove. It's full of ABC dry chem. Will a simple run through with a shop vac suffice? Should I remove all the bricks? Or should I have someone come sweep the chimney as well? It's single wall to the ceiling and class A stainless/galvanized exterior through the attic and outside. I'm not sure if the fire pulled dry chem up the chimney and if I have corrosion concerns there.

Thank you for your help.

 

[begreen]

This might not be as traumatic as it seemed at the time. It's unlikely the stove overfired. It could be that for the first time, the stove was hot enough to bake in the paint. The extinguisher was not necessary. If the stove and flue systems were installed properly they can tolerate brief overheating. A decent stove thermometer on the stovetop and one on the stovepipe will be helpful for guidance. If this is a totally new installation, it's unlikely the chimney needs cleaning. The hot fire did that already. But if you want someone to inspect it, that's ok.

 

[nopolis]

Thank you. Do you believe running a shop vac in the stove itself will prevent any corrosion concerns from the drychem extinguisher, or should I do a more thorough cleaning by taking the bricks out etc?

 

[bholler]

Thank you. Do you believe running a shop vac in the stove itself will prevent any corrosion concerns from the drychem extinguisher, or should I do a more thorough cleaning by taking the bricks out etc?

Everything in the stove should be pulled out and replaced. The chimney needs cleaned everything vacuumed out then sprayed doen with wd40 or something similar. Then wiped down as well as possible. The tubes will be fine if wiped down but I would replace the bricks and baffle.

 

[nopolis]

Thank you. I believe the bricks and baffle plus a chimney cleaning will cost upwards of $500. I would have never bought a stove if I knew that I couldn't completely control airflow to the fire. This whole thing has turned into a nightmare. I'm at the point I wish I'd never bought it but I'm too far in the hole to do anything about it now.

 

[begreen]

Yes, this is sad and unnecessary. The fire may have been lively, but just fine. 2 logs is not enough fuel to cause a lot of problems. It's not the stove's fault. What happened is that the wood was rapidly heated and outgassed quickly due to the higher heat of the hot coal bed. The wood gases ignited and secondary combustion got robust enough to warm up the stove thoroughly. Then perhaps the air was closed down a bit too late. Hard to say without being there. Don't give up. A thermometer on the stove and stovepipe will verify the stove's working temperature for more peace of mind.

 

[nopolis]

So I have a few updates. I called Drolet and they told me to simply clean the bricks and baffles along with the bars a few times over the next several months and that it won't have any negative effects. I'm going to at least start there since that's something I can do at home today.

I did however notice that my installer did not put an insulation shield in the attic. So I have more problems to contend with it seems. There is insulation touching the insulated class A chimney pipe in the attic as a result.

I know it's not the stoves fault - it's my fault. If it were someone else's fault it wouldn't be so frustrating.

I do have a couple thermometers ordered which will help. Drolet also confirmed that the safe operating temperatures are more than I thought, which makes me feel better.

 

[rudysmallfry]

Don't be so hard on yourself. All stoves have a learning curve. Every setup is different. Different outside temperatures and barometric pressure even change how much wood you'll need on any given day to get the same stove output. Some days you can use a single split and get the same heat output as another day where you practically have to stuff the stove full I made the reloading over hot coals mistake so many times, I've lost count. The stove top thermometer will help you a lot. You'll start to get a feel for when you need to reload to keep a consistent temperature that you're looking for. Just keep the loads on the smaller side until you're more comfortable with how the stove handles the wood. I still panic when my stove takes off on a full load, but I don't give a crap if there's only 1 or 2 splits in there since it just can't climb that high with less fuel. Hang in there. First power outage, you'll be loving that thing.

 

[begreen]

Initially, learn how to operate the stove and to distinguish what is normal operation from something that is dangerous. Instrumentation, videos, past threads on this topic will help. It is very rare for one to have a dangerous situation in a properly installed setup. The best peace of mind is knowing that from the stove to the chimney cap, every component is correctly installed and up to code. It's good that you are looking at the install more closely. Feel free to ask lots of questions and post pictures when needed.

In general terms, if the stovetop temperature is below 800º and nothing is glowing with the lights out, then the stove is likely ok. A stovetop temp (STT) is usually in the 500-650º range. You'll want to try and keep the flue temps under 500º surface reading with a magnetic thermometer on single-wall stove pipe. When the fire is normally cruising range the pipe temp will probably read more like 300-350º.

A common mistake is not turning down the air soon enough. As soon as the fire is burning well, start turning down the air until the flames get lazy, but not out. Then wait until the flames regain strength, then turn down the air some more. Repeat if necessary.

 

[saberbass]

I did something very similar when learning my stove for the first months. I threw a lot of really dry pine on a large bed of coals and it just took off and freaked me out. I had thermometers on the stove and the pipe and both were right on the edge of the danger zone. I learned a lesson there and I'm sure you did too. Its a bit of a learning curve, but you'll get the hang of it with your stove, lots of great info here and you'll be fine.

 

[nopolis]

Thank you guys. The temp estimates will be really helpful to know. It's also good to know that I'm not the first person to make this mistake. I did indeed learn from it and it'll help me run it safely from now on. As much as I've not enjoyed spending the last two days learning and cleaning extinguisher gunk out of my stove I'd rather my learning opportunity come from a small, safe mistake rather than one with real consequences.

 

[GrumpyDad]

Thank you guys. The temp estimates will be really helpful to know. It's also good to know that I'm not the first person to make this mistake. I did indeed learn from it and it'll help me run it safely from now on. As much as I've not enjoyed spending the last two days learning and cleaning extinguisher gunk out of my stove I'd rather my learning opportunity come from a small, safe mistake rather than one with real consequences.

It's just a big metal box with fire in it, what could go wrong!?

Ive have a few more gray hairs on my head from my stove and a couple of experiences.
1. The stove was on the lowest setting after I got a load going. This was during the fall, and I thought well I'll run it really low/slow to keep the place warmed but not cook us out because it was like 58 degrees outside, plus I was itching to use/learn from my stove. I was in the other room but I smelled a hot metal smell, different than the paint burn off smell. I rushed into the room and saw my entire stove box through the windows was nothing but flames. The flue pipe was ticking and my STT were reaching 700 degrees. I went to turn it down and realized, ITS ALREADY as low as it would go. I tried covering the air intake.. NOTHING. Oh shoot get the fire extinguisher. Right before using that, I decided to jiggle the handle of the air control back and forth a few times then resetting it back to the lowest setting. The flames almost immediately died down and within 15 minutes I had to turn it back up to see flames again.

2. I left a door open too long on a fresh load of wood that took off like a rocket and rushed flames up the flue, causing the creosote in there to burn off making a snap, crackle, pop noise while puffing bits of smoke through the flue pipe.

Ive also singed the hair off my hand/arm a few times as a bonus....

 

[hearthon]

I just bought thr exact same stove and will try and to not make the same mistake as u.

Really excited to get it up and running.

 

[GrumpyDad]

I just bought thr exact same stove and will try and to not make the same mistake as u.

Really excited to get it up and running.

You won't be so excited soon. Then you will be. Then you'll hate it and want to blow it up. I almost did. Literally. Then you'll start to get more scientific with it. Then you'll just use the force. And kinda enjoy it. Kinda.

 

[stoveliker]

That is not the common experience reported here for first time stove owners.

Sure there might be some issues, but with a stove as good as a Drolet, working thru them and going along the learning curve is not as frustrating as the above.

If you have a concern, issue, question, don't struggle, ask. Many folks here with your model stove that can help.

 

[Woodsplitter67]

You won't be so excited soon. Then you will be. Then you'll hate it and want to blow it up. I almost did. Literally. Then you'll start to get more scientific with it. Then you'll just use the force. And kinda enjoy it. Kinda.

My advice is this. Purchas some magnetic thermometers one for stove top one for stove pipe. A cheap IR gun will be helpful to check accuracy. Read the manual carefully and make sure you dont exceed the maximum manufacture temperature. Take it slow, do your break in fires then some medium fires and learn how the stove operates, as well as behaves. Gradually build larger fires and extend your burning time, then gradually go to overnight.

Your experience should be a joyful one, granted you will feel a little stress as your dealing with the unknown and this is a new experience. Dry wood is your friend get a moisture meter check your wood. crack open a split and measure on the freshly split face with the pins going with the grain and at room temperature.

Many on here love there stoves and the experience of burning and showing some independence.. welcome to the club..

 

[hearthon]

Thank you very much, I'm really excited to begin this journey. I've wanted one for 3 years but couldn't really justify the price for a stove and pipe. But every year went by and every winter I wish I had one installed.

I've used a few wood stove in my life at a friend's cottage for over 20 years now but I've never had the chance to run a new stove so I'm sure there will be a learning curve. I'm happy I read this post and found out that the air can't be turned off completely on brand new stoves.
I have 1 magnetic temp monitor and I will buy another.

What I'm wondering is, should I install a damper? And a fresh air intake for my stove?

My shed is medium sized 12x16 and don't want it pulling in cold air from outside to fuel the fire. I'm trying my best to make the shed air tight but I believe at the end there will still be some drafty spots.

 

[stoveliker]

A damper won't be needed given your chimney height (and associated draft).

I think an outside air kit is overkill for a shed. I won't hurt tho to add one. Note that they should exit st or below the stove level.

 

[hearthon]

Ok, I'll use it for a bit without one and see how it goes. I'm waiting on a sale for the fans that you put on top of the chimney. I want 2 double ones.

 

[stoveliker]

What fans? If you have a tall enough chimney then you'll have sufficient draft to run the stove and any fan (mechanical part that can break down) is not needed

 

[begreen]

Ok, I'll use it for a bit without one and see how it goes. I'm waiting on a sale for the fans that you put on top of the chimney. I want 2 double ones.

Why? Generally, this is not a good idea. It is a bandaid solution for troublesome installations.

 

[hearthon]

I don't know what they're exactly called but they run off of the hot stove and you put them right on top. As soon as the stove heats up the fans start to run. My stove will be in the corner of the shed and my seating will be in the opposite corner.

 

[hearthon]

 

[stoveliker]

Ah. You had said "on top of the chimney". That confused us.

These are fine. Some debate on how well they move air, but in a small space it may have benefits.

 

[tcassavaugh]

This might not be as traumatic as it seemed at the time. It's unlikely the stove overfired. It could be that for the first time, the stove was hot enough to bake in the paint. The extinguisher was not necessary. If the stove and flue systems were installed properly they can tolerate brief overheating. A decent stove thermometer on the stovetop and one on the stovepipe will be helpful for guidance. If this is a totally new installation, it's unlikely the chimney needs cleaning. The hot fire did that already. But if you want someone to inspect it, that's ok.

"The hot fire did that already."...... thats how my brother cleans his short chimney connected to his old mother earth stove.....he calls it giving the stove a "high pro glow".....it seems to work for him.