Definition please

This is what my push it means.



Seriously though, my version of pushing it would be leaving it rage a bit long on start up charring (more air than needed) to jump the stove temperature a bit quicker. It's kind of a waste in my stove though, as I have a limited space firebox so while it might bump the temp, it reduces the length of burn time. And might leave more coals.

Pushing it could also be leaving the air open a bit more mid fire for a slightly higher temp. Again, with my stove I can run it at 600-630 F on the face above the door, but it blows a lot of flame between the baffles and up the flue.

If I settle it in earlier/less air, I see lower temps 500-540 F, but a much tamer fire (and much lower flue temp) with better wood mileage. Running my stove to the point of melt down doesn't bump my stt, but my stack temp gets up there.

Reloading before the coals are burnt down is pushing it as well. I suppose it has a lot of different meanings.

 

I was so hoping that wouldn't happen. Dang the luck.

 

My apologies if I have made you a sad panda.

 

That's a neat tidbit of information. Funny how you hear the expression but never knew the real meaning.

 

When I say I'm pushing the stove, I mean I'm going for maximum heat output, with little regard to efficiency. This includes getting rid of the last third of a normal burn cycle by opening the air much sooner than usual to make room for a new load (to get higher STT). Aiming for high STT and lots of secondaries, not concerned about flue temp. I routinely "pushed" my old pre-EPA stove to 900 degree flue temps to get enough heat out of it in the dead of the winter. Consumes some wood that way, but also generates warmth in the house. These days we seldom get up to 600 flue temp.

 

I think I have found the air setting that "pushes" my stove as far as I am comfortable pushing it. Normally my stove will go up to 550 SST with a 1.1 air setting; doesn't seem to matter if it is black cherry, american elm, or white/red oak. Over the last day I have been running at 1.25 air setting usually loading 3 splits getting same STT. This morning loaded 2/3 full of elm and cherry and went all the way to 600 STT. Outside temp is 14 and inside is 74 and climbing. Any higher air setting and I think the andirons would start to glow.

 

^Good description^
Usually done by keeping STT high with any combination of- high BTU wood species, smaller split size, higher draft settings, frequent reloads, coal removal, etc. AKA: burning more wood faster.

 

I think they are talking about a different wood

 

To me pushing it hard (when talking about wood stoves) is:
- full loads of wood, as much as I can get in the stove
- reloading while the stove is still very hot, rather than allowing some time for coals to burn down
- giving the stove more air, especially after the peak burn has passed.

This is all intended to keep the stove near peak temperature most of the time. On a more normal day the stove would be hot an hour after reload, but a couple of hours later it would cool off as the load of wood became coals, and as I allowed time for the coals to burn down before reload.

I always burn wood in batches, where I load a bunch of wood then go through a several hour burn cycle, then reload. I don't typically add a split or two every now and then, the way many people burn. I am not sure that loading a split or two every hour or so wouldn't be a better way to push it hard.

 

Not to worry HM
You wont get them glowing. I had a fire go nuclear the first year, It was almost to 800* STT


Normal Operating Temperature for the FV is 300-700* STT as per WS's owners manual. And that is considered safe burning for every day use.

My 800* temp scared me at first and I wouldn't recommend it, but I guaranty those stoves have been tested to to see what the limits are.

 

Check out this post from Tom at Woodstock (the owner).
BrianK was beta testing the new IS in 2013 for WS
Production Woodstock IS | Page 57 | Firewood Hoarders Club

 

I've had the tee on the back of my Fireview glowing and the door I don't remember what the stt was but I noticed it shortly after a reload my guess is that I had one hell of a draft and it was pulling the flames right into the tee. This was before I had closed the draft and engaged the cat. The door was glowing I believe because the wood had shifted against the door. As soon as I lowered the air and engaged the cat everything went to normal.

 

These are examples of where it is best to learn from other's experiences. Both of those sound a bit stressful to me.

 

Freaked me out when I saw the tee glowing.