Stove too Hot ? This trick really works!

[Benchwrench]

I was amazed.
First of all I was having trouble with too much air leaking. keeping temps down, found out the culprit was loose gasket on my side glass and over the last few seasons the door needed adjustment.
After the necessary adjustments just this morning I found myself away from the stove a few minutes too long and allowed the temps to creep up to 725 F. which is outside my comfort zone.

After shutting down the air controll it just wasn't "enough" as the fuel began to maintain and then actually go higher to about 750 F.
What I did was something I learned here at Hearth.com a couple years ago. Someone here mentioned laying more wood in the box. I had just enough room to lay a new split on top of the existing hot load I had just created some 20 min. prior.
I have to say thank you to the guys here for your experience and remarkable remedy to an otherwise uncomfortable situation as the stove wouldn't recover on its own.
The new split of hardwood was just the thing to immediately notice the stove drop in temps, first with the tell tale click, tic, clicking of the recovering steel then after a few moments the stove top medallion gradually and consistently came back to normal operating temperatures of around 450-500.

So just remember; Stove too Hot ? when in doubt... whip one out.
I never would have thought that "adding fuel to the fire" actually keeps it from continuing to burn so hot.

 

[jeff_t]

Do you think it was possibly just the opening of the door? You let in a rush of cool air and pushed some of the excess heat up the pipe.

 

[Ashful]

I think both factors contribute. Lots more energy absorbing mass in one split of wood, than 30 seconds worth of chimney CFM.

 

[jeff_t]

I think both factors contribute. Lots more energy absorbing mass I one split of wood, than 30 seconds worth of chimney CFM.

Perhaps.

Opening the door not only lets in cool air, it breaks the pull in thru the secondary tubes and cools the gases up under the baffle.

Never had to do it. Both stoves have great control.

 

[Benchwrench]

I have just begun to utilize a second years seasoning of my wood, never having enough in the past stored up. Finding out that the second years worth of drying out has significantly changed the way the wood burns and my air control techniques.

I did try to open the door for a bit only to find that it doesn't work for my needs, the temps just raced away once I closed the door. It wasn't until a new split was applied to the firebox that it rectified the "run away" temp of over firing.

When the door is open all conditions are met; fuel, heat and now air.

 

[nyny]

my stove could never be too hot. i'm sure every factory has tried to melt their stoves in testing. i've never seen red glow let alone white, and i usually have some scary looking stuff

 

[Papa-Yankee-Romeo-Oscar]

Opening the door always seems to cool it right off for me. Takes the draft away from the secondaries and allows the cooler air to rush in the door, across the top and right up the flew.

 

[DanCorcoran]

I think I'll keep a wet split on the porch for just such occasions. A wet split will slow down the stove better than a dry one. I can remove it after things have cooled off...

 

[Ashful]

I think I'll keep a wet split on the porch for just such occasions. A wet split will slow down the stove better than a dry one. I can remove it after things have cooled off...

Maybe fine for a Shelburne, but you don't want to do this to any stove with a ceramic catalytic combuster.

 

[DougA]

my stove could never be too hot. i'm sure every factory has tried to melt their stoves in testing.

That's a pretty scary post. You don't have a stove listed on your signature so I can't comment on your situation but I know some that can glow like a jack-o-lantern if not attended to properly.

Actually, the whole thread makes me shudder. Adding fuel to an inferno may lower the temps for a few minutes but you still have to deal with more fuel that will get hotter eventually.
I would much rather close everything down and risk backpuffing. Easier to clear a smokey room and a red face than put out a house fire.

 

[Sodbuster]

750 doesn't bother me, although that's right at the top of my comfort range. Are we talking stove top temps or flue temps?

 

[Benchwrench]

Doug,
I've found after loading a fresh split on top that the loaded stove never climbed up in temp again, it just kept dropping.

 

[Benchwrench]

Sodbuster,
I'm speaking of a stove top temperature medallion since all we have is an insert.

 

[Sodbuster]

You're OK at 750, no harm being done. I don't get nervous until stove top reaches 850, and even then there is a safety factor built in. QuadraFires are a high quality stove and can take the heat. You have to work pretty hard to overfire one. I assume you have a blower and it's on high?

 

[hamsey]

Tried the full open flue technique last night to try and cool the firebox which only got the fire hotter. I was around 750 with the ir gun on the stovetop. Do not like to go above 700. This is only the second time it has happened. Fire just kept getting hotter. Air closed all the way fan up all the way and kept on climbing. Maybe I did not damper it down early enough. Nothing was glowing (thank goodness). Get the heart rate up. Trying to break my habit of dampening down too early. Let it really catch before closing the air. I did add quite a bit of wood and all I have is small splits (2-4 mostly around 2-3). I am also splitting my own wood so it is not so small.

I just got some fresh wood that I am going to be seasoning for 15/16. 28+ Moisture. If there is a next time I am going to try this. Hopefully there will not be a next time.

 

[DougA]

A lot will also depend upon the weather conditions outside. Today, it's very windy where we are and I have to really watch for overdraft even with the stove closed all the way.

 

[hamsey]

A lot will also depend upon the weather conditions outside. Today, it's very windy where we are and I have to really watch for overdraft even with the stove closed all the way.

Thanks for this. Did not know it would effect the stove