Stopping an overfire

[bholler]

This was the largest stove that would fit my fireplace, and it required extensive cutting of the old metal firebox to make it fit. There's only a two inch gap between the top of the stove and the top of the masonry opening. Any key damper that could be installed there would interfere with the bypass damper.

I have installed them. With as little as 3/4" gap. Above the insert yes it's a pain but it can be done if it's needed. But I am not at all convinced it is needed. What you described sounds like fairly normal operation.

 

[j7art2]

Definitely needed this thread... I noticed with the Osburn 3500, if I've got a good fire going, I can kill the air 100% and still have a fire! I didn't expect that at all.

I've overheated a few times, and have just killed the air 100% and let it die down, thinking if I opened the air more, it'd get hotter yet.

I can normally "smell" overheating before anything else. It's hard to describe, but the other day when I got out of the shower, I immediately knew the wood stove downstairs needed to be choked out and yelled for my wife to kill the air. I don't know how to describe it, but steel gives off a certain smell when it gets too hot. My old wood furnace in the basement used to do it more frequently, and I noticed this one does too when it really gets going.

I'll be keeping a small bucket of sand nearby, great idea. Thanks for the tip.

 

[bholler]

Definitely needed this thread... I noticed with the Osburn 3500, if I've got a good fire going, I can kill the air 100% and still have a fire! I didn't expect that at all.

I've overheated a few times, and have just killed the air 100% and let it die down, thinking if I opened the air more, it'd get hotter yet.

I can normally "smell" overheating before anything else. It's hard to describe, but the other day when I got out of the shower, I immediately knew the wood stove downstairs needed to be choked out and yelled for my wife to kill the air. I don't know how to describe it, but steel gives off a certain smell when it gets too hot. My old wood furnace in the basement used to do it more frequently, and I noticed this one does too when it really gets going.

I'll be keeping a small bucket of sand nearby, great idea. Thanks for the tip.

Opening up the air will cool it temporarily but the temps will come back up so you would need to keep opening and closing it until the temp gets under control. The same with opening the door. Open it let it cool down a bit then close it. Repeat as needed.

 

[BillBurns]

I am going to use sand for this, then just shop vac up the sand and ashes once cooled. I will have to start over on getting a bed of ashes, but thats the fun part!

 

[bholler]

I am going to use sand for this, then just shop vac up the sand and ashes once cooled. I will have to start over on getting a bed of ashes, but thats the fun part!

You won't be able to suck up the ashes for a long time. There will be coals in it for many days

 

[BillBurns]

True. I would shovel it all out first, into a metal ash bucket. I just meant to completely clean it out, I would shop vac it.