Wood burning stoves are a fantastic way to heat your home but, did you know that if the stove is too hot, your home could possibly colder?
We’ll dive in to how a stove can be too hot, what counts as “too hot”, and how you can prevent your stove from reaching this level.
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How Hot is too Hot?
Wood burning stoves can definitely get too hot. But, it’s essential to know how hot is too hot.
Anything over 800°F will be too hot and probably burn too quickly to heat your room effectively and efficiently. Ideally, you’ll want something between 650-750°F.
That temperature range is sustainable over several hours whilst still keeping you warm.
The best way to tell how hot your stove is would be to use a stove thermometer. You can get these at your local hardware store.
Why a Stove Shouldn’t be that Hot
It might seem counter-intuitive that a stove can be “too hot”. Most people would think that the entire purpose of a stove is to warm your house, so you’ll want it as hot as possible.
Although it feels like common sense, it’s incorrect as when a stove is too hot, too much oxygen can enter. With an abundance of oxygen, the heat will burn through the wood very quickly and as a result you will need to replace it more often.
You might become very warm for a couple of minutes, but if you build a stove fire to this temperature before bed chances are your home will be freezing again by the time you wake up as the fire will have burnt itself out at a more rapid rate.
Another downside of a scorching stove is that it can cause damage. Too much heat could damage the interior of your stove and increase the risk of a house fire. Did you know that 4,000 fires a year are caused by wood burning stoves?
Why is your Stove too Hot and What are the Solutions?
Now, let’s look at some of the reasons why your stove might be too hot and what you can do about it.
Open Air Vents
One of the main benefits of a stove when compared to an open fire is that you control how much oxygen the fire gets at any one point.
The air vents allow you to control airflow and let more oxygen in or prevent it from doing so.
If the air vents are constantly open, too much oxygen will get in, and your wood will burn quicker.
As the fire becomes more visible, slowly close the air vent. Just remember that every fire requires a certain level of oxygen, so don’t close the vents entirely.
If you see a large, roaring flame, there is too much oxygen in your stove.
Door not Closed Properly
The second reason your stove may be too hot is related to the first. The door might not be shutting completely.
This issue is usually caused by a problem with the door seal. If there is a gap between the stove and the door, oxygen will get it and make your flames hotter, regardless of what you want or what you’re doing with air vents.
If the seal doesn’t work as designed, call a professional to get it fixed and airtight.
Too Much Wood
The third issue that causes overheating is too much wood.
Adding lots of wood into your stove can create more flames than are necessary. This can damage the baffle plate.
Usually, you won’t need to put more than 2-3 large logs into your stove at any one time. Most stoves are not big enough to justify huge stocks of wood, so build your fire accordingly.
Burning Poor Quality Wood or Trash
This might sound like common sense, but an average wood burner should only be used to burn wood. It isn’t an outdoor fire pit, and as a result you can’t simply burn any extra trash you might have.
Not only can poor quality materials cause excess smoke, and toxic fumes but they can also become a fire hazard depending on what you throw into the burner.
On top of that, poor quality burning materials (such as trash or low quality wood) will burn quicker, with a brighter flame, but produce little quality heat over a longer period of time.
What to Do if your Wood Burning Stove is too Hot
If you find that your stove is too hot, there are several things you can do.
Firstly, to find out the temperature of your stove, use a stove thermometer. Some stoves have these built-in, but go to your local hardware store if necessary.
Next, reduce the amount of oxygen accessing the fire. The best way to do this is by closing the stove vents. Finally, if you notice any poor quality materials remove them with fire tongs if safe to do so.
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Just remember, a stove can absolutely get too hot…and although that might seem like a great thing, it can actually have an adverse effect on fire performance, duration and safety.
We hope this helps, and for everything else home heating stick with CosyWarmer.com