Anyone have Advice to help me keep this Lopi Endeavor from running off so easily? Seems like I have to watch it very close all the time otherwise the temp climbs to fast... And what really is the best way to cool it down the fastet when it does get out of hand? When I close the air down to kick in the secondary I close it all the way and pull it out about quarter inch but sometimes I've noticed it will start smoking to much out the chimney... so I'll give it more air smoke, so the smoke goes away... however then I now run into fire gets to hot and has to be really baby sat..so it dont over fire. This stove soo much different then my timber line any advice would be appreciated
I had it about 550 befor loaded it for the night come back 15 - 20 mins later to adjust air down more and its 690-710 ish i feel if I let it do its own thing it will continue to creep up
You might try to load the stove at a cooler stove temp than 550. You are already at the high point of your stove temp. Does that stove have a bypass damper? It might cool the stove down if you open it up. It would send the heat up the chimney.
Noncat stoves are designed to run hot so that they burn all of the smoke up. You have much less control over a modern noncat than you are used to with a smoke dragon. This is due to the full throttle all the time, unregulated secondary air system that is supposed to ensure a clean burn and also the minimum air setting that even when you think it's closed it's not. Lopi stoves in particular have a reputation for running hot. You just need to either get more comfortable with higher stove temperatures or start adjusting your operational methods to slow the production of smoke. Some tricks are fewer but larger splits, not letting the load get quite as engulfed before turning the air down, and less fuel. Your Lopi is safe up to 800. The owner's manual will offer some advice to high temperature limits and probably says something along the line of "no external parts shall glow". I prefer the long and low burns like your old smoke dragon had in a house stove. Good cat stoves can provide this. Lopis are heat monsters! My noncat NC30 really likes to run hot too and I am very comfortable with it at 750.
So the secondary system, well really all of the inlets, will pass more air into the fire as draft strength increases. Draft strength increases as temperatures rise. As temperatures rise, wood gas production increases which makes more heat for more draft. Kind of a spiral and the reason some of us fear the thermal nuclear runaway stove situation. You kind of have to babysit the stove until you learn how it behaves.
The lopi endeavor was the stove that I learned to use an EPA stove on after decades of slammers, open FP's and other smoke dragons. I think you simply need to get more familiar with it. Also, 550° it's far too hot to reload.
Thank you all for the advice! What temp do you suggest reloading stove then? And how can I dial it down for a long burn with out smoking out the chimney so much? And is opening the by pass damper and closing the air down the best way to cool it down quick If It ever gets up their to hot in a hurry?
Whoa. If you ever worry it’s running away on you just shut the air to zero and monitor for chimney fire. Some folks do some crazy stuff like swing the door wide open to cool the fire but I just can’t believe that works. I reload my noncat when the wood is burned down enough to fit more in. Long, low, clean burns are not what a noncat is made for. Hot, fast, and clean is the design.
I agree with most, 550 is too hot for a reload. And when I say that, it’s coming from a hybrid stove owner that has a system for reloads with a cat. I agree with highbeam with reloading when the coals are still large enough that it allows room for a new load. Stove top temp may be around 250-300, using the rake to even the coal surface and then reload. Open the air fully and heat the box hot enough to engage the cat (or secondaries) and then drop the main air for a black firebox nd go into cruise control. Revisit in 10-12 hrs
Been burning mostly ponderosa pine in my endeavor for about 10 yrs - here's my preferred sequence at startup: Primary air wide open and bypass open/disengaged until SST is about 350 deg. Close/engage bypass and close pri air to about 1/4 open, then pri air to about 1/8 open at 450-500 deg SST. As SST begins to fall, open air gradually. I don't reload until SST is back down to 350-400 deg. The only time I had a runaway was reloading a really resinous pine split at 500 deg. SST. At 750 deg., I disengaged the bypass and opened the door wide open. Sounds scary, but SST dropped to 600 in about 1 minute. I don't shoot for really long burns anymore, since my house is well insulated and my wife is an eskimo . My best long burn time was 6 hours, burning mesquite. The Endeavor's fire box is kinda small for really long burns. I've grown quite fond of my Endeavor. I think it's a great little non-cat stove for 1200-1500 sq ft. YMMV
Edit, it's the lopi liberty that we had installed at the cabin, but it's now in the shed. After dad had a jotul lp stove put in for ease of use.
I had an old Vermont Castings Vigilant that had a "secondary" burn channel behind the main burn chamber. Like you when the stove was cruising and running smooth I'd have no smoke but the stove top would be something like 700 or more- and that's just kind of how it was. Everything looked good, just old. And more importantly solid. As a few people have eluded, that just seems like the nature of the beast. I think it takes a little getting used to, but it sounds like knowing the quirks of each stove is a little more than half the battle. As a side observation- does anyone else feel like they have a few things they "re-learn" every burn season?
