Woodstove Temps

[blizzard]

Hey I was just wondering how hot those of you that have woodstoves let them get. We have a thermometer on the top of the stove and when it gets up around 500-600 degrees I start to get nervous. Is it safe to have hotter than this? Thanks for the help. Gabe

 

[PA Plumber]

No expert here. I don't like to maintain sustained burns at higher than 600 deg F outside stack temps.

If I'm trying to warm up the house quickly, I will run outside stack temps of 550 deg F pretty consistently.

I don't like higher than 600 deg F either. Makes me nervous also.

 

[aandabooks]

Got one of the magnet thermometers on the exhaust. When I get home in the morning I'll get it to around 500-600 degrees for 15-20 mins. Then I shut down to running temp at around 300.

Matt

 

[CharlieG]

Should burn the stove at high for at least a 1/2 hour to burn off the residual creosote. My thermometer gets 600-700 at the point where the pipe connects to the stove. Once it gets cozy, I cut back to about 300 to maintain the heat. No problems after 3 years.

 

[chowdozer]

At about 320 F or so, wood smoke will spontaneously combust with the introduction of air. I try to keep mine close to that.

 

[Saucydog]

I run my Regency at stovetop temps ranging from *500 to *900 depending on outdoor temperature to heat my place.Some would question this, but I've had no overfiring issues with this stove, and the oft-mentioned "ceiling"temps of 500-600 degrees always sounded like bullchit to me.

 

[paladin]

My thermo is about 1.5 ft above the stove on the pipe and I mainly try to run about 400 but the last two nights I try to run about 450-500 to warm the house up faster.

 

[Hugenpoet]

I have limited experience as I just re-entered the world of wood burning this year after a 20 plus year "vacation" from my trusty old Lange-which I decided to completely restore when I caught the wood bug again and now could be sold as new to someone with eyes as old as mine. I am now running two Jotul Oslo stoves, although I only run one when the nights are going to be near or above freezing, on the first floor of a large center hall open to all three floors house (5500 sq. ft.) and if I do the morning fire-up and the the return home from work fire-up at around 500 to 550 F for 30 minutes and then cut them back to half throttle which is around 350 to 400 F. everything seems fine to me-no smell, no visible smoke from the chimneys, good heat movement and disbursement.

 

[Dok]

What does everyone use to measure their temps? I have the probe type that goes into a hole drilled into the stove pipe, installed about 20" above the top of the stove. This seems to measure hotter than my neighbor who has a magnetic thermometer that sticks onto the stove itself.

With the above my stove idles at 400 and goes up to 600-800 at startup.
Dok

 

[Saucydog]

Dok, I have 2 probe thermometers; one 18" up in the smokepipe(as you stated) and the second lies centered on my stovetop.This is the only way to know if a person is burning at proper efficiencies.I have always found those magnetic thermos to be less accurate than the probe-type, and the magnets always crapped out after exposure to the heat.

 

[JackD_ME]

My Dutchwest has the thermometer in the center of the stovetop (built-in).
I keep mine between 500 and 1100. I have had it close to 1400 only one time! OOOOPS!
If I run it in the 300-400 range I get lots of creosote in the chimney, even with dry hardwood. Probably the reason for the creosote is the fact that I have over ten feet of block above the roof-line to meet 'code'.

 

[goblin]

For regular woodstove stovetop thermometer:

700F+ = have the Fire Dept on speed dial.

600F - 700F is insane hot.

500F - 600F is very hot.

300F - 400F = hot

200F - 300F = comfy

100F -200F = warm

0F - 100F = need more wood

Seriously, anything above 700F there is a serious concern regarding the distance from combustible materials where the stove pipe passes through ceilings, etc. If you've only got minimal distances of a few inches (which is common), you're baking your ceiling joists at those temperatures, and a ceiling fire is probable sooner or later. For short durations its OK, but to burn at those temps (700+) all of the time.....I hope your insurance coverage is adequate.

 

[Dok]

Thanks Saucydog, I was wondering because the temps seem to be all over the place on this thread. 1000F is easy to attain, just forget to shut the door in time. On startup I usually let the temps go to 800+ then shut down the air in stages. The stove seems to like to idle along around 400F. When it drops below 300F its down to coals, time to load more wood. I don't like forcing it to run below 400F, to do that eliminates all flames and looks like a partial burn to me.
Dok

 

[JackD_ME]

Goblin, every situation is different, this aint my first rodeo. As I said in my post, the temp probe is INSIDE the stove just above the cat converter, i.e. built in, not a $3 stovetop type.
My stove also has 'low clearance shields' behind and underneath and my clearances exceed 30 inches. I have 9' ceilings and an exposed chimney (fairly new) in the room, no through-the-wall or ceiling stove pipe.

With a fan behind the stove and blowing over the top, I have little to worry about but the fire department is 300 yards away and they haven't lost a foundation yet!

If I had a cheap piece of crap stove and some of the conditions you mention in your post, I'd rethink how I would run a wood stove.

 

[Saucydog]

Goblin,do you burn much wood yourself?Your statements imply that we're all burning wood in Vogelzang death boxes that we drug into the double-wide and piped out the window with dryer vent!My two stoves are quality,well-built units that are used to their potential yet also properly maintained-my run temperatures are taken from real-world experience over years of wood-burning.Both units are also installed at and\or above all code and safety requirements for proper,safe operation.If my stoves were not safe to use for 95% of my heating needs..... they'd both be up for sale.opcorn:

 

[PA Plumber]

I have the magnetic stick on thermometer. It reads about 30 deg F low according to my Fluke digital thermometer.

When I refer to "outside stack" temperatures, it is just that. I believe the magnetic kind stuck on the outside of the flue will have a cooler reading than the probe ones which measure "inside stack" temps. I understand the temp differences can be as much as 100 degrees F.

It wouldn't surprise me if my inside stack temps were around 700 deg. F when I'm reading 600 deg. F on the magnetic thermometer.

 

[slofr8]

Thanks Saucydog, I was wondering because the temps seem to be all over the place on this thread. 1000F is easy to attain, just forget to shut the door in time. On startup I usually let the temps go to 800+ then shut down the air in stages. The stove seems to like to idle along around 400F. When it drops below 300F its down to coals, time to load more wood. I don't like forcing it to run below 400F, to do that eliminates all flames and looks like a partial burn to me.
Dok

This is what works for me. I have a soap stone stove with a temp prob 18" up the stack and one on the top of the stove. I let the stack get to about 800F then start to shut it down slowly. I try to keep the stove top between 300 and 450. I effectively heat 1550 sq' in northern Maine with it.
G'luck. Dan.
Dan.

 

[Sprig]

What does everyone use to measure their temps? I have the probe type that goes into a hole drilled into the stove pipe, installed about 20" above the top of the stove. This seems to measure hotter than my neighbor who has a magnetic thermometer that sticks onto the stove itself.

With the above my stove idles at 400 and goes up to 600-800 at startup.
Dok

So you're measuring the exhaust/flame temps inside the chimney, not the radiant heat from the outside of the pipe, a bit different take on it me thinks.
I am however quite primitive on dis ranch, no measuring, if the pipe gets red its too darned hot, I suspect my average running temp around 3-400F from stovetop to ceiling (then into triple-wall through to da roof), though in my small space a bit less is just fine.
Just a small 0.02$ opine



Serge

 

[Patrick62]

matter of perspective

I run it hot. Magnetic thermo 2' above stove. Set the stage:
1200 sq. ft. shop, Schrader steel stove. When the temp is down around 0, I push the thing. Run it "insane hot" I probably would get a little nervous if I managed 800. 600-700 is closer to reality. When it cools down to 300, the shop gets cold and I feed the beast!

Getting things up going could raise a few eyebrows opcorn:

Load it up with some wood, smaller the better. Toss in the "kindling". Meaning whatever is handy. paper towels, grocery bags of burnables, etc.
Soak it up with UMO (Used Motor Oil). Grab the handy propane torch with the jet drilled out. Start igniting the entire mess. Interesting is that when the torch is held enough vertical.... it sprays liquid propane.... That works pretty well. Got a fire going in less than 2 minutes. Eventually things warm up, and the thermometer is on "speed dial". Climbs pretty quickly!
Recently I have also resorted to extra methods to hasten the process:

Compressed air to fan the coals (works good)
Hunks of cardboard (not so good)
Gasoline (hot, but little duration)
Paint thinner (better duration)
Oxy-acetylene (very hot, and effective, but costly)

For the record, I have not burned any shoes this winter.

-Pat

 

[Dok]

Pat, I'd like to watch you start a fire but at the same time I'm glad you don't live next door.
Dok