What happened here?

[ohlongarm]

This morning, I put 4 splits in the stove outside temps about 40*my thinking was get the splits going and shut the stove down to 1.5 since not much heat would be needed for the day.Well a big front blew in a couple hours later 60 mph winds temp dropping to about 30 sleet,rain and pelletized snow.My intention was to then fire the stove up this evening with the 4 splits,house was a comfortable 71*anyways, I return home a few hours later ,walk in the house it's real warm 75*.Here's the surprise stovetop was 775,cat was pegged at 1400 and red hot,alot of fire fairies dancing around wildly,what happened I've never seen this before,winds were howling at 50+ still usually my stove at 1.5 barely runs but enough for the conditions we had this morning. Thanks

 

[jeff_t]

I know from taking the thermostat cover off that 1.5 is just barely all the way closed on my stove. There is a hole about 1/2" in diamter, IIRC, under the flapper that always allows some primary air in. Big change in wind conditions is going to create more draft, doesn't matter what stove you have. Maybe the direction was just right to really make it pull.
I've went to bed before with it at a low smolder, then gotten up a few hours later with the wind kicked up and the thing burning along nicely with a fair amount of flame and cruising about 600°.
Same thing today, though not quite as drastic as yours. I took my wife out to lunch and got some groceries. While I was gone the wind picked up to 25-30 mph, and I came home to a nice wisp of flame and a warm house.

 

[mellow]

Wind in the right direction will do that, increases your draft, that is one good reason to have a damper on your pipe.

 

[bogydave]

Wind & the wind direction effects my draft.
I have wind mostly from the N, & I have to turn the stat down a few tenths to compensate for the strong draft on windy days.
One more thing that takes some learning on individual systems.
Another BK over heating the house, can live with it I guess.

 

[jeff_t]

Or you better check your door gasket.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

It may not have been the wind. Turning a cat stove down really far can create this sort of thing. Just a few days ago I got our stove up to just about touching 700 degrees and had put in only 3 splits and those were not big splits either. When I noticed how high the temperature was I simply opened the draft just a little bit and the stove top cooled down to a more reasonable temperature. It did get a bit hot in the house for a while though.

 

[jeff_t]

It may not have been the wind. Turning a cat stove down really far can create this sort of thing. Just a few days ago I got our stove up to just about touching 700 degrees and had put in only 3 splits and those were not big splits either. When I noticed how high the temperature was I simply opened the draft just a little bit and the stove top cooled down to a more reasonable temperature. It did get a bit hot in the house for a while though.

I've heard of that, too much cat food, but haven't had that experience. I did cram as many odd shaped, knotted up splits in as I could, about noon, to make it until 1230-1am when I leave for work. The splits that were straight in the door are now burned to ash with just a few coals, but the ones to the sides are still there. There are some coals but no flame, the cat probe is way over in the active zone and glowing pretty bright, and the stovetop is about 600°. Usually about 350-400 at this point, but the wind is whipping pretty hard.

 

[webby3650]

Sounds like a perfect storm! :coolsmile:

 

[SlyFerret]

The wind was Turbo charging my stove too. Had to cut the air back much more than normal.

-SF