Over-fire

[blacklocst]

Need some help in determining the cause of an over-fire which got up to 600 degrees , I've been running a Jotul 600 for the past 3 seasons and this is the first fire that got out of control on me.

Is my firewood too dry ( burning year and a half old seasoned Sugar Maple, White Birch and Ash)?
Is there a crack in the stove (temps dropped when I choked back the air vent and flames slowly extinguished)
Local conditions seemed normal (not windy)

So what can I be missing or is this normal sometimes?

 

[EXCALIBER]

Maybe its just me, but 600 degrees does not seem too hot? Where are you measuring the temp at?

 

[blacklocst]

Top front right hand corner. Stove was making expansion noises, when I looked at the temp gauge it was 600 degrees and rising.

 

[Ductape]

Agreed. If 600 degrees is overfiring, I'm doing it a little too often.

 

[FLHX Storm]

It is possible the type of wood your burning.

When I want a good hot fire, I will stick in some well seasoned pine. I've had my stove reach 725 degrees without issue. If the 600 degree temperature is a concern, just damp it down. Don't open the door! That will cause any soot in your chimney to blow out the top and go all over everything. At least that is what happened when I did it!

 

[Locust Cutter]

If you have a reputable stove dealer/chimney sweep in your area I'd have both checked just to make sure. Not to doubt the quality or seasoning of your previous fuel, but it might be that you finally got dry enough wood that the stove was performing as originally intended? How long have you been burning this stove and what's it normally run at temp-wise for you? I ask, because my T-6 Alderlea has been a painful re-education in the definition of "seasoned wood"... Wood that I used to burn in an open front insert and in my parent's glass doored insert, really pisses off the T-6. I really didn't have properly seasoned wood until this year (it's a wonder what blast furnace heat and a drought can do!!!). The way my stove is performing currently (3rd year of owning/operating an airtight EPA stove) is noght and day different and in a word: phenomenal. Wish I could be of more help.

 

[blacklocst]

Not burning pine just the 3 mentioned above, thinking back the splits I filled the stove with where smaller than usual.

 

[sgt7546]

A lot of smaller splits in the stove will get you a higher temp than you normally experience. The reason being there's a much greater surface area from all those smaller splits to catch alot faster than say three really large splits. I wouldn't personally fret about a 600 degree temp to much, I've been there many of times with no adverse result.

 

[chadsailors]

I have a V.C. Dutchwest free standing stove and I measure at the connection from my stove to my double wall. I should tap the double wall and screws it on but don't really care to do that. It's on the stove outlet. 600 degrees seems fairly normal. just a bit high for my setup but all are different. I burn cherry,oak,ash, red maple and beech so it varies on wood a lot as well as moisture.
My opinion is that's ok. But take it for what it's worth.


Mine was stacked full of cherry one night when I left and when I came back home I knew it had run a little hot maybe 750 degrees if i guessed. cause it tanned my black double wall to a flat looking black instead of gloss finish. It didn't worry me to much. My setup isn't fool proof but I've never been worried about an over fire and such.

 

[hamish]

600 degress is a normal operating temperature, maple, birch and ash are all good woods to burn.

Yes things work differently when one closes the draft...........remember a fire needs 3 things to burn and the most important is air!

Know now a stove burns, specially note the heat absorbtion of wood, many different ways to make a fire dependant upon the desired outcome.
When I need to fry bacon or boil water, the fire is made differently then when I am baking or soley heating.

 

[Streblerm]

First, I don't think 600 degrees is over firing. 800 is probably more like it. I try to get my stove up to 600 daily before closing down the daft.

Second, I would suspect that you got into some truly dry wood. Possibly for the first time. With fairly dry wood I struggle to reach 600 but with really dry wood it is effortless.

You may possibly have a gasket that isn't sealing. I use a lighter to check my gaskets for leaks. Run the lit lighter around the door and any joints. If it sucks the flame into the stove then you found the leak. If the flame stays stable then all is good.

I wouldn't worry about it if I were you.

 

[stihly dan]

Whats the manual say? The dealer in town told me no more than 600 operating temp.

 

[gregfox]

For me 600 is on the low end of a good fire. 800-900+ is gettin a little hot. Burn some good double seasoned oak or hickory and good luck keeping it under 600

 

[chadihman]

I owned a cast iron Quadra fire Isle royale that burned really hot. It would climb too 800 almost every time I put in 3/4 the way full of one year sesoned hardwood. One time it got close to 900 and that scared me quite a bit as it was shut down as far as it would go. I spent a lot of time talking to Quad and my dealer. Finally found the leak with a candle. The flame sucked in at a leaky joint. I now have a Quad 5700 for the warrant replacement and I it will not go above 600. I usually take it to 500 or 550 before I tame it back. The most heat comes when the gas is being burnt of in the secondary flames. My air tubes are cherry red sometimes and it looks like a hot torch blowing out all the little holes in the air tubes. The stack is clean when this happens. I'm not afraid to take my 500 lb + fully welded steel stove to 800 but 800 on a glued together cast stove scares me.
Draft,outside temp, type of wood,split size,wind speed and humidity all play a factor in burn rates with the new epa stoves.

 

[PEKS]

I will run my Stoves Hot, 900F for few minutes daily or on initial firing..
This is gauged with an Inside Flue Probe Thermometer..

 

[chadihman]

I will run my Stoves Hot, 900F for few minutes daily or on initial firing..
This is gauged with an Inside Flue Probe Thermometer..

Yep thats what I do and use. I was really shocked at the difference from magnetic pipe thermometer to probe flue type. The outside of the pipe is at about 450 when internal is 900 flue temp.I will never use a magnetic surface therm again. Top of stove gets to 550 sometimes before I shut it down.

 

[blacklocst]

I would suspect that you got into some truly dry wood. Possibly for the first time. With fairly dry wood I struggle to reach 600 but with really dry wood it is effortless.

Burn some good double seasoned oak or hickory and good luck keeping it under 600

I think you guys are right,a couple of the splits did feel PFD(popcorn fart dry) is this the down side of FAD.:hmm3grin2orange:

Whats the manual say? The dealer in town told me no more than 600 operating temp.

The manual is basically useless, my dealer told me to try to run it between 400 and 500 degrees.

Finally found the leak with a candle. The flame sucked in at a leaky joint.

Good tip I,m gonna try that.

Not to doubt the quality or seasoning of your previous fuel, but it might be that you finally got dry enough wood that the stove was performing as originally intended? How long have you been burning this stove and what's it normally run at temp-wise for you? I ask, because my T-6 Alderlea has been a painful re-education in the definition of "seasoned wood".

My third year with the stove and I usually run it in the 400 degree range.Yeah I was going from season to season with my wood supply. Getting close to 3 years ahead on my supply.

 

[chadsailors]

I will run my Stoves Hot, 900F for few minutes daily or on initial firing..
This is gauged with an Inside Flue Probe Thermometer..

You have a picture of your stove? possibly a link to your thermometer?

 

[cnice_37]

My stove at peak temps, very full box of wood on a 300deg reload (coal base established) will cruise past 700F with ease.

With something like 5 splits, medium sized fire, I'm running at 550F or so on average for a few hours.

600F ain't no thang, run it hot, or clean your chimney often.

Anything over 800F and I'm baby-sitting.

 

[savageactor7]

Long time wood burner here and I blame the few run away fires on a fickle wind that very rarely blows across the top of the chimney in just such a way as to create a suction force. Just install one of those old fashioned inline dampers and you can very easily lock down those run-aways.

Or like was mentioned above you can throw on some ashes and partially smother the fire. <---- Not as easy as it sounds cause when you open the door the stove is screaming like a freight train, can be scary...best that you rehearse this before hand because it's the next best control to a damper.