Poll: Maximum Temp on a Hand Fired

Since I'm trying to heat a large square footage this winter with as little supplemental propane as possible, I usually run my insert about 400-480* (stove temp). My sense is that this is on the higher end of what people here run in terms of stove temps. Curious if there was a certain maximum I should never exceed, I emailed this question to Hitzer, describing where on the stove I was measuring temp. Dean at Hitzer emailed back saying that he really didn't know since they never measured a temp at that exact spot but that I should burn the stove at the temperature that gives me the heat I desire in the home "over time not just all at once". He also said that "the hotter you burn the insert the more it can affect the life of some of the components somewhat".

So, it appears there is no absolute maximum as far as the equipment is concerned. When outside temps drop again I may try pushing it a little more (550-600*), but I suspect that there are diminishing returns in terms of heat output into the home as you push stove temps up, with more heat wasted up the chimney and more fatigue on stove components.

There is a difference between max temperature and normal running temperature.
Normal running temperature in winter is 3-350*.
Cold spells 475-525*.
I will not exceed 550* on the side of my MarkII.
Higher burn temps give me more clinkers and most likely less efficient burns.

the max I've had the stove was 750 during the cold snap -18 f normaly it runs 500

Average running temperature 500 to 550*.
On cold snaps averages 600 to 650*.
I have seen it up to 800* after shaking and filling it up then leave it get blazing before dampering it down for the night.

CapeCoaler wrote:There is a difference between max temperature and normal running temperature.
Normal running temperature in winter is 3-350*.
Cold spells 475-525*.
I will not exceed 550* on the side of my MarkII.
Higher burn temps give me more clinkers and most likely less efficient burns.

I agree - anything higher gets scary really fast! I don’t have my owner’s manual in front of me but I believe the maximum temperature for my Harman Mark II is 500. Like the CapeCoaler said, there is point of diminishing return in terms of clinkers and less efficient burns. Lisa

After I load my Hitzer 503 up I typically run the temp up on the stovepipe to about 650 or so. On a typical cold day up here I run the stove in the vacinity of 350. Today it is 28 outside and the stovepipe is running about 220 with blowers running about 3/4 speed - 73 in most of the house - open floor layout.

I don't think my stove would have a problem whatsoever running at 500 or so. A couple of thoughts...

I run around 450*f max and I get nervous when it goes above 550*f.

At about 500* I begin to smell the stove paint. It is a year old so I think it is not still curing. It is a rare cold day when 400* is not enough to heat my house. I did run it 500* one day when we had a breeze and it was below 0* actual temperature.

I have a huge thermometer I picked up 2nd hand. It has a probe inserted above the firebox internal to the stove. I've seen at or above 1000F a few times, even at 1200F with the mighty Superior stock, but this was with the ash pan door open for 15mins and a full load. Typically it'll run from 650F to 900F, This will vary depending on what stage the coal fire. i.e. new, peaking and declining fire 10hrs into a full load.

This thermometer reads true firebox temps and I would tend to believe everybody's fire runs nearly this hot. Measuring the external plate is relative to design and stage of fire.

I voted 400* based on my magnetic themo stuck on my stovepipe about 12" above the stove. (Interior temps will obviously be higher)
In actual practice I never go above 360-370* range for extended burns. (Temp may peak above that when loading)

Since it has been cold I have been running the Jotul at 850 F 24/7. It has been three weeks. Today is the first day I backed it down to 600 F. Tomorrow might be another day at 600 F or maybe lower. Lower sounds good to me.

the snowman.

I am happy to see this thread come up with folks posting recently....I don't know if I would have found it and the info is very helpful as I've wondered what temperature is "safe" and perhaps efficient.

Back when I had no success with coal a couple of years ago, I was trying nut coal in a Harman 2000 which is wood and coal; has two sets of air controls and a shaker grate. The heat of a coal fire "drove me out", forcing me to open windows when it was zero outside and 90F in my living room! The stove was running around 500 to 550F surface temp. As I throttled the stove down by cutting the air supply, it would seem to go out if I got much below 500. Around 425 to 450 the room was getting better but the fire would go out. That made me give up coal burning.

Last year I got a Hitzer 55 for the basement and it's been just perfect! It can run at 500F and the area being heated is large enough that it doesn't get above 60F which is perfect. I've run it at 550F but don't need that much heat. It got milder so I experimented with turn down and ran sucessfully at 350F with a very noticeable drop in fuel use.

As for comfort level, I like the 450 to 500 max for surface temp. While tending (ash door open) temp will reach 600 to 650 but then settles back from adding fresh coal. I stoke in two stages, one side then the other. After the second stoke I let the temp climb just to above where it run....say 525F and close the ash door. Temp will continue to climb to 600 or above and then settle back. As it cools down to operating temperature, I close the direct vent and the spinner down to just a turn open, and I'm done for 12 hours and ignore the stove.

As for safety and comfort with being safe, I'd say 525 to 550 judging from the appearance of my fire. It is more than vibrant enough to take any shaking and tending needed. I've had it get over 600 with the ash door open and the fire was too "wild" for my comfort level and I shut the ash door and waited for it to cool down before starting over with tending...starting at the more moderate 525-550 level.

My two cents!
Mountainman37