# Hearthstone Equinox



## trettig (Nov 6, 2011)

I am new to this Forum.  I hope someone or many can comment with their knowledge.  I presently have a Hearthstone Equinox which I purchased last year.  I had a Nashua stove (Largest one they made) prior to purchasing the Equinox. I heated one year with both.  My problem is that the equinox does not hear as good as the Nashua.  Both used a similar amount of wood.  Although the Equinox has a longer burn time with less start-up's.  I live in a large 2800sq foot, brick, big windows, old house in central Mass.  The equinox does not heat as good as I hoped.  Is there any better stoves out there.  I purchased the Equinox because I thought it was the biggest and best.  I can't help but think I did something wrong or purchased the wrong stove.
Tom in Central Mass.


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## BrowningBAR (Nov 6, 2011)

trettig said:
			
		

> I am new to this Forum.  I hope someone or many can comment with their knowledge.  I presently have a Hearthstone Equinox which I purchased last year.  I had a Nashua stove (Largest one they made) prior to purchasing the Equinox. I heated one year with both.  My problem is that the equinox does not hear as good as the Nashua.  Both used a similar amount of wood.  Although the Equinox has a longer burn time with less start-up's.  I live in a large 2800sq foot, brick, big windows, old house in central Mass.  The equinox does not heat as good as I hoped.  Is there any better stoves out there.  I purchased the Equinox because I thought it was the biggest and best.  I can't help but think I did something wrong or purchased the wrong stove.
> Tom in Central Mass.




Let's start with the basic questions first:
What stove top temps are you getting with the Equinox?
When was your wood split and stacked?


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## ms440 (Nov 7, 2011)

Yup, IME soapstone must have dry wood. The dryer the better!


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## trettig (Nov 7, 2011)

top temperatures I don't know.  I will test.  What should it be?  The wood is dry.  I purchased seasoned wood this Spring.  Stacked soon after.  It is dry.


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## BrowningBAR (Nov 7, 2011)

trettig said:
			
		

> top temperatures I don't know.  I will test.  What should it be?  The wood is dry.  I purchased seasoned wood this Spring.  Stacked soon after.  It is dry.




If it is oak, it is only marginally dry with a decent moisture count since it has only been cut, split, and stacked for less than a year.

You seem to not have a stove top thermometer. You should get one, or an IR thermometer . Stove temps should be 500-600. The thermometer should be on the center stone.


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## pen (Nov 7, 2011)

What kind of chimney (and what's the size) this stove going into?

pen


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## trettig (Nov 7, 2011)

I woke up this AM and the stove was at 200 degrees F.  after 7 hours since the last filling.  The draft was at half during the night.  I have a stainless steel 8 inch liner going up to the top of my chimney with cap. I will fill the stove and see what temp's the stove runs at.
Tom


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## woodmiser (Nov 7, 2011)

Does your flue exit the rear of the stove?

Once you get it heated up to at least 500 degrees stove top, with a good blazing fire. Heat pours off of it at that temp. You can be 6 feet away and feel it radiating from all sides.


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## trettig (Nov 7, 2011)

The draft is out the back of the stove. To a T and then strait up the SS liner about 25 feet.  It looks like the stone has heated up to 350. It was at half draft with a full load of wood. Maybe I should not dial it back.  Just let it run full open draft.  What do you all think?


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## shawneyboy (Nov 7, 2011)

trettig said:
			
		

> The draft is out the back of the stove. To a T and then strait up the SS liner about 25 feet.  It looks like the stone has heated up to 350. It was at half draft with a full load of wood. Maybe I should not dial it back.  Just let it run full open draft.  What do you all think?



No sir, if anything with a full load of good fuel you should be dialing it back beyond the halfway point.  Letting it run wide open sends all the heat up the flue.  You should be able to reach 500-600 easily on a full load and get 8-10 hours of heat from that bad boy.  Although it is a bit early to see those temps, at least 450 or so this time of year.

Shawn


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## woodmiser (Nov 7, 2011)

Dial it up full on at the start to get the stove nice and hot. If you don't get the stove hot, the soapstone will still be absorbing heat if you cut back too early, never giving the fuel a chance to get stoking. I find that getting the stove up to temp first allows control afterwards. You can drop down to just throwing in a few splits or even one split at a time once the stove is hot. I do that during the day sometimes when it's not real cold.

Are you running 8" flue all the way? No choke points?


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## shawneyboy (Nov 7, 2011)

woodmiser said:
			
		

> Dial it up full on at the start to get the stove nice and hot. If you don't get the stove hot, the soapstone will still be absorbing heat if you cut back too early, never giving the fuel a chance to get stoking. I find that getting the stove up to temp first allows control afterwards. You can drop down to just throwing in a few splits or even one split at a time once the stove is hot. I do that during the day sometimes when it's not real cold.
> 
> Are you running 8" flue all the way? No choke points?



I would have to disagree with you a bit here woodmiser. I have a Mansfield so my observations are based on the Equinox's little brother. 

I find there is no need to "get the stove nice and hot" before dialing it back. Warm yes but not hot like a cast stove. The soaps tend to heat up a bit slower, and I find its better to use the flue temps as a gauge (if you have a thermo) to start dialing it back as opposed to the actual stove temp. By doing so you keep the heat in the stove more than send it up the flue. Of course all stoves have their own personality, and mileage may vary.

Shawn


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## trettig (Nov 7, 2011)

Anyways is there a stove that is better for my purposes?  (my house is 2800sq feet, big windows, brick, insulation in the roof)  I think the soapstone just can't keep up with the heat loss of my house.
P.S. No choke points, 8 inch SS liner up to the top)


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## shawneyboy (Nov 7, 2011)

I would be willing to bet it is not the stove if the house is properly insulated.  Soapstone stoves are different animals than metal stoves.  You are just on the learning curve.  

Shawn


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## jeff_t (Nov 7, 2011)

Like every other similar problem posted here I would be suspect your fuel supply. That is a big heat load for a single stove, but there is no reason the stove you have shouldn't get hot.


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## BrowningBAR (Nov 7, 2011)

trettig said:
			
		

> Anyways is there a stove that is better for my purposes?  (my house is 2800sq feet, big windows, brick, insulation in the roof)  I think the soapstone just can't keep up with the heat loss of my house.
> P.S. No choke points, 8 inch SS liner up to the top)




I think you are not getting the stove hot enough. If you don't get the stove hot enough you will have a problem heating no matter what stove you have.


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## Dakotas Dad (Nov 7, 2011)

I can't for a moment believe an Equinox can't heat your home. Either your wood is not as dry as you think, or your house has some serious issues with heat loss. Or, you just don't have the hang of heating with wood yet.. I am heating 2/3rds as much house with 1/2 the stove.. No problems. 

1) you need to KNOW the internal moisture of your wood. Go to lowes or what have you, buy a $20 moisture meter, split a piece of firewood open, test the moisture level.
2) insulate/seal your house
3) as odd as it sounds, once the stove is up to temperature, LESS air is the answer. 

Oh, and to answer the question you have asked twice, at least IMHO, there is no better stove out there. I KNOW a hearth store near me that is heating about 4200sqft of open space with one.. it absolutely rocks. 

pun intended.


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## BrowningBAR (Nov 7, 2011)

trettig said:
			
		

> The draft is out the back of the stove. To a T and then strait up the SS liner about 25 feet. * It looks like the stone has heated up to 350. It was at half draft with a full load of wood.* Maybe I should not dial it back.  Just let it run full open draft.  What do you all think?




If the stove is only topping out at 350, you have a problem, whether it is fuel, draft, etc. If you do not get a stove hot you will not heat your home. You seem to want to think it is the stove, but everything points to another item being a factor.

With good fuel you should be able to have that stove dialed in at 500-600 degrees with the air control closed as far as it allows.


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## BrowningBAR (Nov 7, 2011)

Dakotas Dad said:
			
		

> I can't for a moment believe an Equinox can't heat your home. Either your wood is not as dry as you think, or your house has some serious issues with heat loss. Or, you just don't have the hang of heating with wood yet.. I am heating 2/3rds as much house with 1/2 the stove.. No problems.
> 
> 1) you need to KNOW the internal moisture of your wood. Go to lowes or what have you, buy a $20 moisture meter, split a piece of firewood open, test the moisture level.
> 2) insulate/seal your house
> ...




The poster has already stated that the stove is topping out at 350 degrees. That is the issue.


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## shawneyboy (Nov 7, 2011)

The obvious suspects are properly seasoned fuel, and proper operation of the stove (since it is a new stove to OP) , or a combination of both.   I have to agree with Browning here, I would be willing to bet it is not the stove itself but something else or a combination of factors.  If the wood is not properly seasoned, well that is a major factor.   Assuming it is, I think the OP needs to dial her back much more.  At 1/2 open, much of the heat is going up and out. 

So  trettig, if you have a moisture meter, can you get a reading on a fresh split?  If not, can you give some more info on what type of wood, when it was split, how was it stored ?  If that all checks out then I think you need to look into either setup, (which sounds right) or operation.  That means a bit of experimenting.   The first of which is IMHO to push that air control further closed, in stages, after reloading, and going from there. 

  I believe with the wealth of knowledge here, we can help you figure it out.  

Shawn


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## Todd (Nov 7, 2011)

What does your fire look like? When you get a full load established and dial it down you should see the flames slow down, lift off the logs and you should also see some flames around your secondary burn tubes under your baffle. This is the most efficient fire that will give you a long burn and hotter stove top temps.


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## Backwoods Savage (Nov 7, 2011)

I have to agree with some and disagree with others. 

For sure 350 degree stove is not going to heat much. BrowningBar is right on with the fuel supply. OP says wood was delivered last spring (seasoned, but that means nothing) but apparently does not know what type of wood it is. One should know what he is burning. 

This comment was made:  "Dial it up full on at the start to get the stove nice and hot. If you donâ€™t get the stove hot, the soapstone will still be absorbing heat if you cut back too early, never giving the fuel a chance to get stoking."   That is totally wrong. Keeping the draft full open only heats up the chimney. Soapstone will heat up much faster one the flue is to temperature by dialing down at least half way to keep the heat in the stove; that is the way to heat any stove, including soapstone. Typically with a cold stove we have our draft set about 50% after 10-15 minutes and the stove heats faster this way. Once the stove is to 200 degrees we set the draft at about 25% open and even dial it down further after the stove is to the temp we want (down to about .75 or 1 at most).


Also, thinking that soapstone will not heat as well as a different stove is definitely not true. If anything, it should be better. For sure you are not dialing the draft back as far as you should.


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## FireWalker (Nov 7, 2011)

To the O.P........

Sounds like we have a very similar setup! If you want max heat from your Equinox, here are a couple of things I have learned about mine.

As we share similar height chimney, I suggest a pipe damper about 6-12" above the stove top but I don't know if this is going to work for you as you have a rear exit pipe. If it works, do it, that is a tall chimney and you are pumping tons of btu's out the stack before they get into the stones. Once you get the damper installed you can use it to make a hot box hotter by closing it on a well established fire.

If you want a hot fire, put your wood in NS (ends running front to back).......I only use the front door. With a full load of oak front to back, the fire catches all the pieces quickly and burns faster than when the combustion air hits only one piece at a time (EW loading).........the side of the front piece blocks the fire from spreading back. When filling the box, try to fit shorter pieces tight to both sides, rounds work good here as when the fire burns the middle goes first and the your left with 2 side fires which can last a long time if care was taken to "bank" the sides of the firebox......the middle goes fast and hot, getting the rocks hot quickly then the heat slowly goes down as the 2 side fires burn. On a cold night this is a good time to drop in 2 more splits in the middle and go back to bed.

Next is the air control........get a good fire going on a new load and shut the air off then back on a hiar. This is the setting for 600 degree top rocks and it won't do it with semi dry wood. The good stuff I have works like a dream.......big half round oak splits light on a raked up coal bed in no time. Pull the coals up front in the middle and set the first split on top so that the end is resting on the hump where the combustion air comes out. The air should spray the coals.........if the split blocks the air supply, your fire will take forever to get going. Getting the fire going is the only time you really need full air setting..........again hot burns are done between off and 1/4 air. If you can't make 550-600 on the stove top with this technique, your wood is the likely culprit. Get a full year ahead with your firewood, no burning this years wood especially oak!

I will say, if your wood is really good and dry you should take care not to overfire as this technique can make a hot one!


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## jonwright (Nov 7, 2011)

If your glass is smokey and dirty the stove isn't getting hot enough at some point.  I figure a stove that size you should need a heat shield for your body to get near it once it's cranking.  

I've heated 1,800 ft with a Tribute - much smaller than the Equinox.  

If the guy you bought your wood from just said "seasoned" suspect your wood.  Wood moisture meters are less than $30 and will help you out to verify what's "seasoned".  Generally, if you are burning Oak and it was cut and split during the spring that just not long enough.  Folks tell me "the tree has been on the ground for a year, so it's seasoned".  No, it isn't.  

My little Tribute is not very tolerant of unseasoned wood.  Just can't get it hot enough to burn where it needs to burn.  These stoves need to be run HOT and if you don't they will get dirty and deposit creosote in the chimney - which makes it draft poorly, which makes getting it hot an issue, which makes for creosote, which makes it draft poorly.....

I would really take a long look at your wood first before you replace your stove.

Also, the heat comes from the COALS in the stove, not really the FIRE.  I've had to adjust how I run my stove to match when/how it puts out good heat.  Previously I had a very large stove for a small space so I didn't have to be too concerned with building a really HOT fire.  Now that I've figured it out I get much more heat and better burn times.

I figure your stove should have you opening windows.


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## jonwright (Nov 7, 2011)

https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/82673/


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## wkpoor (Nov 7, 2011)

I came to this forum somewhat like you in that I had a Nashua. I don't understand what it is about those stoves but they are heating monsters. At least you bought a stove most people really love here so you will be tolerated for any comments regarding the Nashua. You will learn to operate and love your new stove and its long burn times and it will be adequate and keep you warm. But here is the cold hard facts. It will never put off heat like that big ole beast did.


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## Battenkiller (Nov 7, 2011)

jonwright said:
			
		

> Also, the heat comes from the COALS in the stove, not really the FIRE.



If this is true, why do folks try so hard to induce spectacular secondaries?  What about pellet stoves, gas and oil furnaces, and gas-fired radiant stoves?  All flame, no coals.  Also, have you ever had 6" of coals in the stove but no real heat coming out?   That's one of the biggest complaints here come sub-zero weather in January.  

Any kind of combustion inside the stove produces heat, be it primary, secondary, catalytic or coaling.  I can get my stove up to 750Âº in 15 minutes with just a hot kindling fire... no coals at all.  Just saying.


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## jonwright (Nov 7, 2011)

So that's my outlook on it, and also rather my frame of mind when tending the fire in my little Tribute.

If I fire it up on the initial fire and within 15 minutes start to shut it down because I have nice flames, it doesn't get up to temp.  But if I let it burn until the first sticks of wood are orange coals, reload, let the second load catch up THEN start to shut it down I actually get secondaries going.

So when I start to look for good strong coals and not the yellow flames from freshly started/loaded wood I get better heat out of my stove.

I USED to build an initial fire and as soon as I got yellow flames in the wood and it was caught up well I'd start to shut it down.  Don't anymore.

I'm not saying flames or anything else don't product heat.  Just a little thing that helps ME keep my stove hot.

For ME and MY set up - that's what works for me.  Your mileage may very.  Maybe that little tip will help him get his Equinox up to temp.

Just saying.


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## FireWalker (Nov 7, 2011)

jonwright said:
			
		

> So that's my outlook on it, and also rather my frame of mind when tending the fire in my little Tribute.
> 
> If I fire it up on the initial fire and within 15 minutes start to shut it down because I have nice flames, it doesn't get up to temp.  But if I let it burn until the first sticks of wood are orange coals, reload, let the second load catch up THEN start to shut it down I actually get secondaries going.
> 
> ...



I think you make a good point.........I will not hesitate to put more wood in if there is room for it especially when it is cold. Keep it full and keep that peak operating temp going! All great if you don't leave or never sleep.


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## Battenkiller (Nov 7, 2011)

jonwright said:
			
		

> So that's my outlook on it, and also rather my frame of mind when tending the fire in my little Tribute.
> 
> If I fire it up on the initial fire and within 15 minutes start to shut it down because I have nice flames, it doesn't get up to temp.  But if I let it burn until the first sticks of wood are orange coals, reload, let the second load catch up THEN start to shut it down I actually get secondaries going.
> 
> ...



Got it... and I agree with what you are saying now that you've clarified it better for me.


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## trettig (Nov 7, 2011)

thanks for the advise.  I appreciate all your thoughts.


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## doug60 (Nov 7, 2011)

After  2 or 3 seasons with  my equinox ,I find it rises to the  occasion.
The  colder it gets the more heat it pumps out.
 Dry wood is  defiantly a factor.
I try to keep one year  ahead on my wood  pile.
At 550 stove top its throwing tons of heat.
If your at 350 stove top your gonna freeze.
As the outside temps fall your gonna  need a pipe dampener to keep the heat from escaping out the  chimney.
Once coals established load it  up let it char at mid air intake them slowly bank it down.
If very cold out close the  pipe dampener also.
Its a 24 / 7 type of  stove .
Plenty of coals for a quick start up after 12 hours .
My guess is its your wood, not seasoned enough.
These new  clean burn stoves require dryer wood.
doug


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## woodmiser (Nov 8, 2011)

jonwright said:
			
		

> So that's my outlook on it, and also rather my frame of mind when tending the fire in my little Tribute.
> 
> If I fire it up on the initial fire and within 15 minutes start to shut it down because I have nice flames, it doesn't get up to temp.  But if I let it burn until the first sticks of wood are orange coals, reload, let the second load catch up THEN start to shut it down I actually get secondaries going.
> 
> ...



That is my experience. You need to get the whole stove hot or the cold stone will suck the life out of the fire if you dial it down too soon.



			
				doug60 said:
			
		

> Once coals established load it  up let it char at mid air intake them slowly bank it down.
> doug



This is my experience. Like doug says, this is a good 24/7 stove. Your first load is devoted to getting the rock hot... even if it means loosing some up the chimney. Once the rock is hot you now have a good internal temps that will sustain a hotter follow-on load at closed or almost closed air settings... but if you don't get it hot initially, it will take a bit longer to get it hot.

I think the OP has a fuel issue and needs to learn the curve of the rock.


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## snowleopard (Nov 8, 2011)

Another content Hearthstone owner chiming in w/my .02's worth.

I heated  a 2000sf house in the middle of Alaska last winter with a Heritage (didn't plan it this way, but that's the way the boiler crumbled). Lots of windows, well-insulated.  

A couple of things I learned along the way that help with MY stove, MY heating situation, plus a few generalizations I've picked up from hanging out here: 

dry wood heats like a dream with this stove, but sometimes you have to use what you have at hand.  You can get heat out of substandard wood with this thing, but you need to get a good initial fire going first.  Sometimes that means smaller splits, sometimes bringing in hotter wood from elsewhere (cut up pallets are popular for that on this forum).    One suggestion that I haven't seen mentioned on this thread, so I'll put it out there--get something to burn that you know eliminates the `is it my wood?' question: biobricks, cut-up pallets, bundles of wood from the grocery store sold at exorbitant prices.   Get enough of whatever to take that puppy out for  a spin around the block, and see what it can do with good fuel.  Once you have a hot fire established and are getting some serious heat out of it, you could try adding the wood you have on hand in small splits, and see if it will start popping out some BTU's.   I was fortunate enough to have really good wood when I started learning my stove.  If I'd started out with sub-standard, I'd have probably thought I had an inferior stove.  As it was, I just burned up a lot of prime firewood going through the learning curve--ouch. 

Just for a day or so, you could also see if you can isolate the room that the stove is burning in and then evaluate the heating capacity of that stove.  Even if you have open doors, just hang blankets in there with a spring-loaded curtain rod.  That way, you're eliminating the `is it my house?' factor.  If that turns out to be the case, there are a lot of low-budget, high-ingenuity fixes for a poorly-insulated house.   Hit the DIY forum for specific suggestions on this. 

Someone used this analogy to describe different kinds of wood, and I'm just gonna kinda *borrow* it here to describe the air controls on a stove as well.  Think of the built-in damper on the stove as a way of running the stove through gears: wide open is first gear, which allows you to get the fuel combusting, and build up a little forward momentum; mid-point is your middle gears where you're getting more efficiency out of the wood you're burning, more power building, and shut down all the way is cruising in 5th gear.   It's counter-intuitive, but wide open is NOT more heat--that's where you hang out to get the combustion process underway. 

THe manufacturer recommends in the manual a daily `run-up' fire; starting it out with a nice hot fire to `clear its throat' and get the draft running and ensure a clean chimney.  I do this daily, and then dial it back.  My run-up stove temps are usually about 450F max--when my stove gets up towards the high 500's, I'm generally keeping a close eye on it and am not adding more wood or air at that point.  Most of the time my operating temps run around 350-450, even at -30.    This is for the Heritage, mind you, so I'd go with whatever the Equinox owners say about stovetop temps.   Just trying to say that even at 350, my (smaller) stove is heating my (smaller) house (alone, in a colder climate).    The Heritage manual is available online, so I imagine that the Equinox is as well.  

I get a lot of heat through the glass as the stove is warming up.  Although the stone takes awhile to come up to temps when it's cold, if I burn a bottom-up fire, I get heat out of the glass almost immediately.  If I try starting a top-down fire, most of that initial heat goes up the chimney, so I would only use that approach when I am either starting with a warm house, or simply have no time to fuss with a fire.    After 20 minutes, that glass is throwing off so much heat I have to back away from the stove.  

I use my stovepipe damper a lot to regulate temps and hold heat in the house.  However, I have a lot of good factors on my side with the stovepipe--internal chimney, no offsets or horizontal runs or even angled runs--straight shot through two stories, exits about 3' off the ridge on the downwind side of the house, and I live in a cold, dry climate.  This means that on an average day I have a good draft, and in a windstorm, that chimney screams like a banshee; I *need* that damper on those days.   The rest of the time, it helps keep heat in the house, but only after I have a hot fire established and my front damper is dialed down and cruising in 5th gear.   However, I'd learn the basics of getting this stove running before I had a damper installed. 

Do us a favor and stick around and let us know how this works out for you.   If you're lucky, wkpoor might even post pix of his Elm--that alone would be worth hanging around for.  We like knowing how the story ends, and we love "happily ever after".


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## oldspark (Nov 9, 2011)

trettig said:
			
		

> thanks for the advise.  I appreciate all your thoughts.


 Well well well, I feel your pain, the new stove is one hell of a stove but I heated my house for 30 years with a Nashua and they are a heat factory, you will get it figured out but  the Nashua is tough to beat in a foot race.


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## dafattkidd (Nov 9, 2011)

oldspark said:
			
		

> trettig said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Reading through this thread I immediately thought of you, oldspark.


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## trettig (Nov 15, 2011)

So I conclude from the above comment - My wood is not dry enough.  Maybe I will bring in wood into the basement to dry before burning.  Also It seams like I may need a stove pipe damper to bottle in the heat.  Does this seem correct.  
Again Thanks for all the great feedback
Tom


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## oldspark (Nov 15, 2011)

trettig said:
			
		

> So I conclude from the above comment - My wood is not dry enough.  Maybe I will bring in wood into the basement to dry before burning.  Also It seams like I may need a stove pipe damper to bottle in the heat.  Does this seem correct.
> Again Thanks for all the great feedback
> Tom


 Give us the details on your wood, type when split and stacked and do you have a moisture meter? You should not need a damper with the stove unless you have too much draft.


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## BrowningBAR (Nov 15, 2011)

trettig said:
			
		

> So I conclude from the above comment - My wood is not dry enough.  Maybe I will bring in wood into the basement to dry before burning.  Also It seams like I may need a stove pipe damper to bottle in the heat.  Does this seem correct.
> Again Thanks for all the great feedback
> Tom




We have no idea at this point since you never described how the fire was burning, how much wood you were adding, what type of fire you had (roaring or lazy) and the peak temperatures you were getting. If 350 was your peak temperature, then I would focus on getting a good fire going first and sorting out the wood issue before working on a damper.


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## oldspark (Nov 15, 2011)

trettig said:
			
		

> Anyways is there a stove that is better for my purposes?  (my house is 2800sq feet, big windows, brick, insulation in the roof)  I think the soapstone just can't keep up with the heat loss of my house.
> P.S. No choke points, 8 inch SS liner up to the top)


 Nashua! :cheese:  I could not help myself.


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## oldspark (Nov 15, 2011)

I hope someone chimes in here but maybe a more radiant type of stove would be better but you are not getting that stove any where near hot enough.


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## Dakotas Dad (Nov 15, 2011)

As has been posted several times.. we need more info.. but.. a pipe damper is very rarely needed on a modern stove..

As BB points out, how much wood are you putting in? is the stove FULL? Even with not seasoned wood, you*should* be able to get above 350 degrees with work.. what is your chimney instal like ( I may have missed it if you already told us...)

Go to Home Depot and get one of these: http://www.generaltools.com/MM1E--PIN-TYPE-LED-BAR-GRAPH-MOISTURE-METER_p_635.html

Take a piece of firewood off your stack, SPLIT it open, read the moisture level. Let us know what you find..

Honestly about 80% of the time, we see the final answer to "stove won't heat", no matter how sure the user is of his wood.. it's the wood. So that is almost always the first suspect, escpesially when we have no other info to work from..

BTW, I mentioned your problem to my dealer when I ran into them a couple days ago, they pointed out they would not have even sold you an Equinox at 2800sqft, they said they won't sell to anyone under 3000sqft, because it's just asking to have the stove run poorly to keep the heat from roasting the owners out.. ( oh, and they asked... "how is their wood?")


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## BrowningBAR (Nov 15, 2011)

oldspark said:
			
		

> I hope someone chimes in here but maybe a more radiant type of stove would be better but you are not getting that stove any where near hot enough.




How can a "better stove" be recommended if the current stove isn't being used properly?


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## oldspark (Nov 15, 2011)

BrowningBAR said:
			
		

> oldspark said:
> 
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 My bad, I went through this last winter and was thinking even when he gets his stove working correctly he may like a more radiant stove, pretty sure I would like that type better. He needs to get this one working like it is supposed to first.


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## oldspark (Nov 15, 2011)

BrowningBAR said:
			
		

> oldspark said:
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 I did say he was not getting his stove hot enough. :lol:


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## Milton Findley (Nov 15, 2011)

I think Jonwright hit it on the head, temperature wise.


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## BrowningBAR (Nov 15, 2011)

oldspark said:
			
		

> BrowningBAR said:
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## trettig (Nov 17, 2011)

I tried dry pine boards and the stove got up to 400 degrees.  I tried with the pine for about 3 hours.  Seems like it should have been enough time.  I am tracking down a manometer to measure draft in my chimney.  Also I will purchase a moisture content reader to test my wood.  I will report back later. - As always thanks for your suggestions.


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## oldspark (Nov 17, 2011)

trettig said:
			
		

> I tried dry pine boards and the stove got up to 400 degrees.  I tried with the pine for about 3 hours.  Seems like it should have been enough time.  I am tracking down a manometer to measure draft in my chimney.  Also I will purchase a moisture content reader to test my wood.  I will report back later. - As always thanks for your suggestions.


 My summit would get to about 550 or so and stall out, I also tried the pine boards and had the same temps so your chimney may be part of the problem. Have you had a chance to check the stack temps, mine were higher with my old chimney.


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## BrowningBAR (Nov 17, 2011)

trettig said:
			
		

> I tried dry pine boards and the stove got up to 400 degrees.  I tried with the pine for about 3 hours.  Seems like it should have been enough time.  I am tracking down a manometer to measure draft in my chimney.  Also I will purchase a moisture content reader to test my wood.  I will report back later. - As always thanks for your suggestions.




Still missing a lot of information.

How much wood did you use?
Did you fill the firebox?
What type of fire did you have?
Was it roaring? Was it lazy?
What were your air controls set at?
How did you adjust your air controls?

This stove does not work like a Pre-EPA stove (your Nashua). You need to work the air controls differently. With dry would you should have had that firebox engulfed with flames with a lot of secondaries.

You tend to not answer questions and post every few days with vague information which leads you to getting nowhere. Even with a strong draft you should be able to get that stove to a hotter temp than you experienced.


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## oldspark (Nov 17, 2011)

I agree it would be nice to have more info, but this is EXACTLY the same problem I had (down to the same old stove) and I went through you have  wet wood, you dont know how to run your stove, dont worry about your high stack temps and it came down to the chimney so I guess I am giving him the benefit of the doubt.


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## BrowningBAR (Nov 17, 2011)

oldspark said:
			
		

> I agree it would be nice to have more info, but this is EXACTLY the same problem I had (down to the same old stove) and I went through you have  wet wood, you dont know how to run your stove, dont worry about your high stack temps and it came down to the chimney so I guess I am giving him the benefit of the doubt.



He's already mentioned that his chimney is lined:
"The draft is out the back of the stove. To a T and then strait up the SS liner about 25 feet."

Another thing is that the Hearthstones have higher pipe temps than most EPA stoves. My Heritage will have a higher pipe temp than the Vigilant I run which is an old Pre-EPA stove. So, him having high pipe temps would not be an instant indicator of an overly strong draft.

Even with a strong draft he should be able to get the stove to a higher temp.


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## oldspark (Nov 17, 2011)

I missed the post about the liner, I see it now.


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## BrowningBAR (Nov 17, 2011)

oldspark said:
			
		

> I missed the post about the liner, I see it now.




With a 25ft chimney, he could very well have a really strong draft and might benefit from a pipe damper. But, without additional info, I bet he could install the damper and still have problems getting the temps up on that stove. If I ran the Heritage like I run the Vigilant, I'd have a tough time getting the stove over 350 degrees as well.


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## jonwright (Nov 17, 2011)

So Browning - if he has too much draft that will cause his stove to run cold?  But wouldn't he have a rip-roaring fire???

From the Equinox manual:

BURN RATE
HIGH BURN: Fully load the firebox with wood on a bed of hot coals or on an actively flaming fire and fully open the primary air control by moving it all the way to the left, away from the ash lip. A high burn rate once or twice a day to heat the stovepipe and chimney fully, will help minimize creosote accumulation. Temperatures of top center stone near flue collar should be in the 500-600 degrees F range.
MEDIUM HIGH BURN: With the primary air control in the open, left most position, push the control handle about Â¼ to Â½ the distance to the right. You should see temperatures around 450-500 degrees F.
MEDIUM LOW BURN: With the primary air control in the open, left most position, push the handle about Â¾ of the distance to the right. A medium-low burn rate is the typical setting and is preferable if the stove is unattended. You should see temperatures around 400-450 degrees F.
LOW BURN: Push the primary air control inward all the way to the right. This closes the air shutter to its minimum opening. A low burn rate over extended periods is not advisable as it can promote the accumulation of creosote. Inspect the venting system frequently if using low burn rates consistently. You should see temperatures around 300-400 degrees F

In reality my little Tribute has rarely seen 350+.


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## Milton Findley (Nov 17, 2011)

I think that BBar is right about the draft, and my flue temps are usually about 90 degrees hotter than the stove top after things have stabilized.  I have been reading this post and playing with my stove since this is the first cold morning we have had in Milwaukee.  When my stove hits 400 degrees, the fuel really gets going and the draft is very strong.  That Equinox is a lot of rock to heat up and he might not have gotten it hot enough yet.  Three hours is kind of a normal length of time for mine to heat through.  425/450 is as hot as I have ever measured my stove top temps though.


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## shawneyboy (Nov 17, 2011)

jonwright said:
			
		

> So Browning - if he has too much draft that will cause his stove to run cold?  But wouldn't he have a rip-roaring fire???
> 
> From the Equinox manual:
> 
> ...



The problem with this section of the manual, and yes it is in the Mansfield manual as well.  When I load her up, and shut her down in stages, when I am fully closed, my stove top is at 550-575 degrees, which is the "high burn" range temps but..... my air control is in the "low burn" range.   I also maintain these temps for a looooooonnnnnggggg   time.  This is how I do my overnights, and wake up to a stove at 200 plus degrees and nice bed of coals 8-10 hours after loading.

Just saying....


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## oldspark (Nov 17, 2011)

I'm getting some popcorn and keep an eye on this thread, screwy stove temps are dear to my heart.


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## BrowningBAR (Nov 17, 2011)

jonwright said:
			
		

> So Browning - if he has too much draft that will cause his stove to run cold?  But wouldn't he have a rip-roaring fire???
> 
> From the Equinox manual:
> 
> ...



If he has too much draft he will lose heat up the chimney, but the stove should still be able to get up above 400 degrees. I have a really strong draft and, I can get the Heritage above 450 regularly without closing the damper I have installed. With the damper closed and the air controls slowly adjust to the 'closed' position I can consistently achieve 550-600 degree stove temps.

The description on achieving a "High Burn" seems ridiculous. Leaving the air controls all the way open (far left) will rarely provide a high stove temp in my experience. You'll get a lot of flame, but minimal secondaries and a lot of heat shooting up the chimney.


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## BrowningBAR (Nov 17, 2011)

shawneyboy said:
			
		

> jonwright said:
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This has been my experience as well. Leaving the air controls wide open throws a ton of heat up the chimney and not in the firebox.


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## BrowningBAR (Nov 17, 2011)

Milt said:
			
		

> I think that BBar is right about the draft, and my flue temps are usually about 90 degrees hotter than the stove top after things have stabilized.  I have been reading this post and playing with my stove since this is the first cold morning we have had in Milwaukee.  When my stove hits 400 degrees, the fuel really gets going and the draft is very strong.  That Equinox is a lot of rock to heat up and he might not have gotten it hot enough yet.  Three hours is kind of a normal length of time for mine to heat through.  *425/450 is as hot as I have ever measured my stove top temps though.*




That's surprising. I wonder if a damper would work for you as it does for me.

But, not to get sidetracked, before we can recommend a damper for the OP, we need more info about how he is burning. I suspect he is trying to run the stove like a Pre-EPA stove. That will not work with a Hearthstone.


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## rhetta (Nov 17, 2011)

e replaced a Castine with a Heritage last year. The Castine would react much faster than  the Heritage does with rising temps. The Heritage will generally hold a 200 degree overnight temp but to regain the 400 to 450 degree temp can take two hours where as the Castine would climb from > than 100 degrees to 500 plus in way less than an hour. 450 with the Heritage is some serious heat for our application 550 is too much. One thing we have learned is that the control lever on the Heritage is very precise a quarter inch adjustment can suffice to change this stove's burn tendancies greatly.


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## trettig (Nov 17, 2011)

Did you fill the firebox? - Yes 
What type of fire did you have? - Very large amount of flames
Was it roaring? Was it lazy? - Roaring
What were your air controls set at? - Full Open
How did you adjust your air controls? - I didn't (It only got up to 400 Degrees)

I know my wood is dry but not dry enough.  Next week I will get get the meters (moisture and draft)


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## shawneyboy (Nov 17, 2011)

trettig said:
			
		

> Did you fill the firebox? - Yes
> What type of fire did you have? - Very large amount of flames
> Was it roaring? Was it lazy? - Roaring
> What were your air controls set at? - Full Open
> ...



There is the problem...  you are going by the look of the fire and the temp of the stove...  

Try this...(with properly seasoned wood)

Light her up.. Get the wood good and charred....  Say 30 mins.
Close intake to 3/4 open....
10 minutes later go to 1/2 open
10 mins later go to 1/4 open...
5 mins later all the way (only on VERY cold days)

Watch stove top temp go up to near 500 and secondaries flame away.

This is with a 1/2 - 3/4 full stove....

If you really load it up with Oak and do this you will be near 600.

Times and mileage vary (you may need to go to 20-10-10 or 30-5-5 or whatever).... but with properly seasoned wood, this is the best way I have found to run my Mansfield (the Equinox little brother)

I actually do this process over about 30 mins total...


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## BrowningBAR (Nov 17, 2011)

trettig said:
			
		

> Did you fill the firebox? - Yes
> What type of fire did you have? - Very large amount of flames
> Was it roaring? Was it lazy? - Roaring
> *What were your air controls set at? - Full Open
> ...




There's your problem. Once the fire is roaring slowly, in stages start to reduce your air. That will increase your temperature. You seem to be working the Air controls like a Pre-EPA stove. It will not work that way with a Hearthstone. Once the fire is roaring and set in, slowly adjust the air controls and you will begin to see temps rise.

This will take some time to get used to to figure out when the air should be reduced. But, when you have it right, the flames calm down and the secondaries take off.

Even with less than perfect wood, you should still be able to get the stove up to 500 degrees if you work the air controls correctly.


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## shawneyboy (Nov 17, 2011)

BTW I don't even look at the stove temps to decide when to adjust the air controls.  I use my flue gas temps.   Stove temps are irrelevant  to the timing.because of the mass of stone that needs to be heated.  I have started to push my air controls back when the stove was at 200 degrees before.  If you really want a signal, you need to go by the flue gas temps, IMHO.


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## BrowningBAR (Nov 17, 2011)

shawneyboy said:
			
		

> BTW I don't even look at the stove temps to decide when to adjust the air controls.  I use my flue gas temps.   Stove temps are irrelevant  to the timing.because of the mass of stone that needs to be heated.  I have started to push my air controls back when the stove was at 200 degrees before.  If you really want a signal, you need to go by the flue gas temps, IMHO.




I don't have a flue thermometer. I base my air control decisions on the look of the fire.


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## BrowningBAR (Nov 17, 2011)

shawneyboy said:
			
		

> trettig said:
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You beat me by about 30 seconds!


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## shawneyboy (Nov 17, 2011)

BrowningBAR said:
			
		

> shawneyboy said:
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But for a rookie, if they are wanting a measuring device wouldn't you agree on a big stone, flue gas temps are a better measure?

I also  go by look, but when it looks right, I check my flue temps to verify.


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## shawneyboy (Nov 17, 2011)

BrowningBAR said:
			
		

> You beat me by about 30 seconds!



I am just that good.

Answer was the same, just expressed slightly differently, which I think shows we may actually know what the hell we are doing Browning. ;-)


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## BrowningBAR (Nov 17, 2011)

shawneyboy said:
			
		

> BrowningBAR said:
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I wasn't disagreeing, just noting that it can be done on look if you don't have a flue thermometer.


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## BrowningBAR (Nov 17, 2011)

shawneyboy said:
			
		

> BrowningBAR said:
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That alone concerns me!    :cheese:


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## trettig (Nov 17, 2011)

I am sorry if I missed it - What should the flue temps be?  On the equinox.


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## shawneyboy (Nov 17, 2011)

trettig said:
			
		

> I am sorry if I missed it - What should the flue temps be?  On the equinox.



You didn't miss it.  It really depends on your own setup.  For me, flue temp is around 500-600 when I cut it back to 3/4.  THIS is with a probe thermo NOT a surface unit.    If you have a double wall stovepipe, then get a probe thermo.  If it is single wall then you would use a magnetic surface mount.  A simple, but not exact, rule of thumb is the gasses are double the temp of a magnetic mount.  By the time I am done my flue gasses are in the 900 area for a short while, then they settle back down.

But try the timing 20-10-10 and go from there.

Experiment, you will figure it out.  

Good fuel, and good operation makes a happy wood burning stove, and for me a happy stove makes for a happy wife, and a happy wife makes for a happy life.


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## Dakotas Dad (Nov 17, 2011)

This isn't a great video, but the stove was at about 325 when I dialed it down, it continued to CLIMB to about 500 on this load if I remember correctly.. and then cruised there for a nice long while..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9JPA2DK2mMM

as has been posted several times.. it's counter intuitive, but once your load is engulfed.. start turning the air DOWN.. the stove doesn't need all the air it's running on when the air is wide open in order to operate effeciently, and if you run with the air wide open once all you fuel is going.. well all the HEAT rushes up the stack because it is getting WAY more air than it needs to run.


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## trettig (Nov 19, 2011)

Just an update on a test from this morning.  I found this very interesting...

The top of the stove is running at 350 degrees
The stove pipe (on the T section) is running at 250 degrees

What does that mean????


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## Milton Findley (Nov 19, 2011)

trettig said:
			
		

> Just an update on a test from this morning.  I found this very interesting...
> 
> The top of the stove is running at 350 degrees
> The stove pipe (on the T section) is running at 250 degrees
> ...



It can mean one of two things, either you have 250 degree air cooling the 350 stove top as it heads for the chimney, or you have a measurement error.


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## woodmiser (Nov 19, 2011)

This morning I threw in a three dry splits on top of an already hot fire and walked away.... the temps began to run away. I had to close the stove pipe damper and the air control to stop it from rising.
You can get these things hot! I knew it because you could smell it.


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## BrowningBAR (Nov 19, 2011)

trettig said:
			
		

> Just an update on a test from this morning.  I found this very interesting...
> 
> The top of the stove is running at 350 degrees
> The stove pipe (on the T section) is running at 250 degrees
> ...




Like Milt said, you could have an error, or that fire is lazy due to poor wood.

I created a thread yesterday on getting a Hearthstone up to temp with good wood showing pictures of what the temps where and what the fire looked like. I had you in mind when I made the thread. Does your firebox look like mine when you have the fire going?


https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/83823/


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## trettig (Nov 20, 2011)

My burn has a lot more flames.  More flames at every step you posted.  The difference is maybe your stove damper.  I am going to install one.  I figure it can't hurt to install.  I will also try using (Hardware store wood - Dry dry) and see what happens.  Again Thanks for all your suggestions.  The project is fun to figure-out.


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## shawneyboy (Nov 20, 2011)

Just keep us informed as to what you find.  Not only is it fun for you, I know I, and quite a few of the people here, enjoy figuring these things out.   So be sure to let us know what your results are with whatever you do.


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## BrowningBAR (Nov 20, 2011)

trettig said:
			
		

> My burn has a lot more flames.  More flames at every step you posted.  The difference is maybe your stove damper.  I am going to install one.  I figure it can't hurt to install.  I will also try using (Hardware store wood - Dry dry) and see what happens.  Again Thanks for all your suggestions.  The project is fun to figure-out.




A lot of flame is good since that does mean your wood isn't sopping wet. Give the damper a try, maybe you are just losing a tone of heat up the chimney. That is an easier, and cheaper, solution than if you were dealing with wet wood supply.

I'm assuming you tried using the air controls with the same method? Did you at least top out at a higher temp, or is 400 still your high?


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## trettig (Nov 20, 2011)

BrowningBAR said:
			
		

> trettig said:
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400 is still the highest temps i achieved.  I tried the 20-10-10 thing.  It is interesting and seemed to work somewhat.  With hot coals in the stove the pipe is cooler than the stove by about 100 degrees (I purchased a second thermostat to check the first).  I think the heat is being sucked up the chimney.  I will install the damper with high hopes of keeping the heat in the stove box.


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## oldspark (Nov 20, 2011)

trettig said:
			
		

> BrowningBAR said:
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 If the heat is being sucked out the chimney the flue temps would be high correct, with my old chimney (worked but no top end) my flue temps were very high and now are much lower.


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## firecracker_77 (Dec 10, 2011)

for the o.p.; i agree with everything said here about dialing back that stove slowly and closing the air control once the fire is burning cleanly.  that will get your secondaries dancing and the stove top really hot.  i heat about 1,600 sq feet with a much smaller hearthstone weighing 200 pounds less.  i think it would be the same on all these non-cat stoves.  if that air control is open, i think it sends alot of the heat through the stack, which is consistent with my experimenting with that control.  these guys know better about dry wood than me.  i doubt the wood bought and not stored for a while is properly dried.  

i buy 'mixed hardwoods' that are supposedly seasoned, but it always squirts steam from the ends when it burns at least a little.


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## wellbuilt home (Dec 11, 2011)

well  ,  Ive been having heating issues with my equinox . 

  Ive worked with the guys on the form for a few years , I think fire walkers stove running directions are spot on . 
  Before i installed my damper my stove would   never get above 350  and would randomly run out of control  when ever the mood struck . 
  With the damper closed off   i run with  1/4 to 1/2  air  open  and can see 400 / 450  for a few hours then the heat drops off . 
  My problem is at 300 o stove top temp for the other 5 or 6 hours  just doesn't throw enough heat .
 My house is over 4000 feet 1st and second floor buti  close off 1000 feet of unused second floor .
  Things ive done to get more heat out of the eq.

  The damper raise my stove temp from 300 to 400o  
  A wood shed  with a real roof to keep the splits dead dry . 
  Ive been burning a mix of woods  pine really helps get other woods going .
  I dont use my ash pan and keep it empty so the stove radiates alot of heat down .
  I would get a fan kit to draw the cool air from the floor and circulate the heat . 
  I have a thin filter fan that stands off the left corner and blows heat off the stove and around the house .
  I dont use the side door because the lower gasket is of poor design and leaks draft .
 I pack my stove full and burn thru a full cycle , 12 hours if temps are in the upper 20 
  If its below 20 i burn a 8 hr cycle . 
  If its 0 out side im stuffing the stove like a steam engine. 
  Most of the time the house  temp is 66/70 and it takes hours to raise the temp 1o
  I try to get a good fire  going around 5 pm before the house drops its temp. 
  Im burning around 7 cored a year + - with the eq  My old dutch west cat would heat the house OK and the liveing would be 80o  rest of the house would be 55/60  and burn 3.5 to 4 coard a year.
 I just think a cast stove heats better .  John


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## woodmiser (Dec 11, 2011)

The EQ has a whole lot of surface area so I would think even at 300Â° it will give you decent heat but the key is to strip that heat off the stove and get it working for you. I'm going to bite the bullet and get the Hearthstone fan. I already have the rear shield so it won't cost as much.

It's not that cold yet (29Â° nights) but I found the key to getting heat out of mine is to get the whole house warm for a significant period of time. Once the solid objects warm up it's a lot easier to maintain the heat.

I find during the day with solar radiance helping, I can let my stoves idle back to just burning the coals down with the air open. Right now the EQ is holding 325Â° with just coals and I just looked at the Clydesdale and saw logs ready for final coal stage so I opened that one up. It's at 280Â° but will rise now that I opened up the air.

Back to work outside and later in the day I'll probably throw in some maintenance splits before I do the overnight loads.

If I work the EQ I can get it up to 700+Â° at which point you need to get naked as the radiant heat coming off of it is tremendous. I typically cruise at 500 or just over for a couple of hours before it starts dropping off. It's been a real pleasure to control compared to the Clydesdale but I must say the Clydesdale is getting more behaved now that the temperatures are dropping. That one is easy to get hot.

It will be interesting how they will heat as it gets colder. I save about $30-$40 a day doing this.

I use my side door almost exclusively with no gasket issues.

It's now 40Â° outside and the house thermostat reads 71Â° with both stoves idling on coals. It's (tstat) out of the way in a hallway so it's warmer in other parts of the house.


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## trettig (Dec 13, 2011)

John,
Since posting the original thread (question) I have been able to get the stove up to 400 degrees consistently.  One time it got up to 450.  Usually sits around 350. I have installed a damper which has helped keep the heat in the stove.  I have also brought wood into the house to let it dry before burning.  That increased the stove temp. by about 100 degrees.  I am happier with the stove now.  Although I wish I had gone with the T6. Originally I had a Nashua which burned about the same amount of wood although with far less burn times.  I purchased the Nashua for $500 and sold it for $500.  I then purchased the Equinox for $4200.  The Nashua worked better.  In conclusion - I should have stayed with the Nashua or gone with a cast iron or steel stove.  To much energy is waisted in heating up the stone. I could have used the money towards a new natural gas boiler.  
Tom


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## oldspark (Dec 13, 2011)

trettig said:
			
		

> John,
> Since posting the original thread (question) I have been able to get the stove up to 400 degrees consistently.  One time it got up to 450.  Usually sits around 350. I have installed a damper which has helped keep the heat in the stove.  I have also brought wood into the house to let it dry before burning.  That increased the stove temp. by about 100 degrees.  I am happier with the stove now.  Although I wish I had gone with the T6. Originally I had a Nashua which burned about the same amount of wood although with far less burn times.  I purchased the Nashua for $500 and sold it for $500.  I then purchased the Equinox for $4200.  The Nashua worked better.  In conclusion - I should have stayed with the Nashua or gone with a cast iron or steel stove.  To much energy is waisted in heating up the stone. I could have used the money towards a new natural gas boiler.
> Tom


 Unless you have heated with a Nashua you cant appreciate the heat they put out, the summit is a very good stove but it cant carry the Nashua's jock strap. At times I wished I would have bought the same stove you had but not sure I would have been happy with it either, the T6 might have been a better choice for me also.


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## wellbuilt home (Dec 15, 2011)

woodmiser said:
			
		

> The EQ has a whole lot of surface area so I would think even at 300Â° it will give you decent heat but the key is to strip that heat off the stove and get it working for you. I'm going to bite the bullet and get the Hearthstone fan. I already have the rear shield so it won't cost as much.
> 
> It's not that cold yet (29Â° nights) but I found the key to getting heat out of mine is to get the whole house warm for a significant period of time. Once the solid objects warm up it's a lot easier to maintain the heat.
> 
> ...




I would like to know how the fan kit works out for you .  
 I could have had a heat shield and fan kit for 130 bucks when i bought the stove  after the fact they wanted 400 bucks .  ( yes kicking my self ) 
 My side door leaks air at the hinges on the bottom . 
  I can burn up 3 or 4 splits in an hour and never move from 300o .
  Im burning up 7 cord of wood a year  how much wood are you going thru ? 
  I am going to try a magic heat heat reclaimer in the flu to boost heat out put . 
  I hate the way they look but i need to get more heat out put .


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## wellbuilt home (Dec 15, 2011)

trettig said:
			
		

> John,
> Since posting the original thread (question) I have been able to get the stove up to 400 degrees consistently.  One time it got up to 450.  Usually sits around 350. I have installed a damper which has helped keep the heat in the stove.  I have also brought wood into the house to let it dry before burning.  That increased the stove temp. by about 100 degrees.  I am happier with the stove now.  Although I wish I had gone with the T6. Originally I had a Nashua which burned about the same amount of wood although with far less burn times.  I purchased the Nashua for $500 and sold it for $500.  I then purchased the Equinox for $4200.  The Nashua worked better.  In conclusion - I should have stayed with the Nashua or gone with a cast iron or steel stove.  To much energy is waisted in heating up the stone. I could have used the money towards a new natural gas boiler.
> Tom



   ya 400 o is alot better . 
  Hearth stone really gave  the EQ a big build up for such a dud . 
  I do like the stove it burns great  and looks good . 
   I only use wood heat .
  I haven't even test  run my gas heat  since 06 and it hasn't run for more then 20 min since 95
  Im going to try a magic heat heat reclaimer  and see if i can boost my output  i don't like the way it looks, but  i have a friend that is having alot of luck with the MH .  John


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## woodmiser (Dec 15, 2011)

wellbuilt home said:
			
		

> I would like to know how the fan kit works out for you .
> I could have had a heat shield and fan kit for 130 bucks when i bought the stove  after the fact they wanted 400 bucks .  ( yes kicking my self )
> My side door leaks air at the hinges on the bottom .
> I can burn up 3 or 4 splits in an hour and never move from 300o .
> ...



You can stop the leak in the side door by replacing the gasket. A leaking door gasket can contribute to poor performance by allowing unwanted air in which in turn takes heat up the chimney.
I have a stove pipe damper and find I can run the stove with it shut and the air almost closed or even fully closed and get a good slow burn cruising at 400. This is key to keeping heat in the stove.
If you are continually allowing the stove to get cold and are having to bring it back up to temp, you have the wrong stove for your needs. 
When mine is cruising and gets down to hot ashes, if I load 3-4 splits of GOOD wood I can get to 500+ pretty easily at which point the heat is like the sun coming off of it. If I want to go to 600+ I load it with the drier stuff, get it blazing and then choke it down but not as much so I get a hotter fire but still keeping heat from going up the stack.
When I replaced my gaskets I found I needed to install them so they were thicker by not pulling on them. They need to be thick to get a good seal. I also found the front door seems to be designed with the hinge side clamping the gasket less than the latch side. I'm guessing they did this to help with door closure but I found I needed the gasket thicker on the hinge side to get it to seal there. So I re-installed the gasket with it more bunched up on the hinge sides. That worked. Next time I'm going with 3/4" gasket.
Don't know yet how much wood I'll burn. This is the first year.
My blower is on order.

It's going up to 56Â° today so I'm going to let both stoves cool and do a good cleaning. This wishy-washy weather makes it hard to keep an even keel.


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## wellbuilt home (Dec 16, 2011)

woodmiser said:
			
		

> wellbuilt home said:
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   I wish i could get to 500o but it just dosent happen ?
   My gasket's seem tight  cant see any smoke get sucked in around the doors .
   3/4 splits wont even get me warm  i pack in 8 or 10 splits at a time


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## woodmiser (Dec 16, 2011)

Yesterday I let my EQ go cold since we had some unseasonably warm weather. Gave me a chance to do a good cleaning. Next time I fire it I'll do a video and show how I get mine hot in a hurry. (No guarantees) Maybe tonight.


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## FireWalker (Dec 17, 2011)

WBHome, nice to hear your still kicking. Good to see you got the damper installed! Getting ready for a cold one tonight up here they say around 10! Bring on the snow making!

I don't have any new tricks for you this year but I can tell you my wood supply this year is mostly oak and maple and the splits are big. I got a good deal on cut, split and it was delivered stacked and covered during the fall of 2010. I asked the guy to split them big.........up to 9" rounds, anything bigger are split in half only. He was glad to do it as it was less work for him, I am loving it. Last season I had the same wood but smaller splits and I think I could make a slightly hotter fire with them but these big pieces just work great and go a long time. It's also nice to have all your wood the same length, I think the guy uses a processor. All told I wish I could have left this supply 2 full years of seasoning as it will sizzle a bit when loading but the fire takes right off so........

Something I have noticed here........lots of folks don't like their ash pans. I find this strange, I use mine once a week or less during cold spells and yea, it drops a little ash on the floor but it holds a lot and I think it works great. I noted that you keep yours empty, I don't. My ashpan is always full. I empty the ashpan then rake a fresh load of ash into the pan thru the grate where it stays until the following week. My thinking here is a full pan insulates the bottom of the stove thus forcing heat up so my tile hearth doesn't get so damn hot. Something else I have learned is when you do use the ashpan, the door gets ash spilled on the gasket and if you try to close it without brushing off the spilled ash the ashpan door closes hard and won't seal well. You may want to look at yours and also experiment with running with a full ashpan.


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## woodmiser (Dec 17, 2011)

Did a video today starting my EQ from 61Â° room and stove temp. Stay tuned. I have to do the lights on the tree then I'll edit the video and get it up on YouTube.


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## wellbuilt home (Dec 18, 2011)

FireWalker said:
			
		

> WBHome, nice to hear your still kicking. Good to see you got the damper installed! Getting ready for a cold one tonight up here they say around 10! Bring on the snow making!
> 
> I don't have any new tricks for you this year but I can tell you my wood supply this year is mostly oak and maple and the splits are big. I got a good deal on cut, split and it was delivered stacked and covered during the fall of 2010. I asked the guy to split them big.........up to 9" rounds, anything bigger are split in half only. He was glad to do it as it was less work for him, I am loving it. Last season I had the same wood but smaller splits and I think I could make a slightly hotter fire with them but these big pieces just work great and go a long time. It's also nice to have all your wood the same length, I think the guy uses a processor. All told I wish I could have left this supply 2 full years of seasoning as it will sizzle a bit when loading but the fire takes right off so........
> 
> Something I have noticed here........lots of folks don't like their ash pans. I find this strange, I use mine once a week or less during cold spells and yea, it drops a little ash on the floor but it holds a lot and I think it works great. I noted that you keep yours empty, I don't. My ashpan is always full. I empty the ashpan then rake a fresh load of ash into the pan thru the grate where it stays until the following week. My thinking here is a full pan insulates the bottom of the stove thus forcing heat up so my tile hearth doesn't get so damn hot. Something else I have learned is when you do use the ashpan, the door gets ash spilled on the gasket and if you try to close it without brushing off the spilled ash the ashpan door closes hard and won't seal well. You may want to look at yours and also experiment with running with a full ashpan.



    Hi FW   Im still kicken  
   My stove is still not performing  very well ? 
   I guess it is.    what it is . 
    I dont get  much  over 425  and with my fan blowing on the rear left corner the top reads 300 or so .
    Next year i will start burning north/ south as you suggested  but for now i have all long splits 24" +-
    I have 20 /25 cord in the drive way split very large and 20" for N S burn .
  I just installed a magic heat heat reclaimer  with a fan  in my flue. 
   The MH  is kind of ugly but if it helps with the heat out put and cuts down on wood usage  its not to bad . 
   Im sitting 8 feet from the stove  in shorts and a tee shirt  and its  25o outside and 71 in the kitchen area .
  When it gets below 15o its hard to keep the house @ 60 or above .
  below 0 outside and we need blankets to watch tv . 

   As far as the ash pan gos my shaker doesn't move freely and the knob is very stiff to open the door  and my wife cleans the stove most of the time . 
  I burn full loads of wood down to coals so she just scoops a few ashes when its convenient .
   I have burned with the ash pan full,  but dont worry about the  heat on the floor ( concrete and stone)
   With a full ash pan it could keep the fire box hotter and cause a better seconder burn .
   I just cleaned my flu and didn't get more then 2/3 coffee cans of creosote so i must be burning ok 
   I will check my flue new years day and see if the magic heat is cooling the flue and causing more creosote.               John


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## firecracker_77 (Dec 18, 2011)

BrowningBAR said:
			
		

> shawneyboy said:
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Sounds about right for me to.  I judge based on smoke.  I can't have smokey fires with my Heritage.  Mine in installed in an office condominium.  The neighbors would complain if they saw a massive smokey plume descend across the parking lot.  When that thing starts burning clean, I dial down the air control.  By the final air adjustment, I have lots of blue seondaries and surface temps rise.


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## woodmiser (Dec 18, 2011)

woodmiser said:
			
		

> Did a video today starting my EQ from 61Â° room and stove temp. Stay tuned. I have to do the lights on the tree then I'll edit the video and get it up on YouTube.



Posted the video here https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/86224/


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## FireWalker (Dec 18, 2011)

WBH, check to see if the ash door is stiff because ash is mashed up between the gasket and the mating surface........get your gloved finger on the surfaces and clean off the ash. Mine does the same thing. I dont use the shaker to shake the ash into the pan, I just use the handle to open and close the grate. Works for me.

I was thinking about loading these stoves last night........with big long splits there is really no way to get more than 3 or 4 of them in there at a time especially if you have an inch or more bed of ash. The problem is, you always go for a big split all the way in the back and if you lay another in front, it's hard to get another on top of the first two because your now up against the burn tubes so now your stuck trying to get a third big piece in front of the other two which starts getting close to the glass. Now maybe you can fit a smaller split on top but my point is if these stoves hold 80lbs of wood, there is really no way to get that kind of load in there EW unless you have a real good selection of split sizes. Most folks make their splits roughly the same size. If your splits are standard 16" they will fit NS and you can easily fit 2 stacked splits tight to each side and then fill in the middle with as much as 4 more medium to big splits which I do believe is at least 80lbs of wood......no doubt if your using oak. Now, not only will this load burn like a SOB for a good 3-4 hours, the middle will go first and leave twin fires on the sides which last at least 4 more. There you have it, the holy grail of wood heating......at least 8 hours of actual wood burning and beyond that is hours more of dying coals. So grab your saw and go cut a few wheel barrels of 16" splits for cold night NS fires and see what happens!

Now watching Woodmisers docudrama (nice job!) I can see that he has some real split size selection and I'll bet he hand picked a basket load of pieces to get the desired hot burn which is great for a one time photo-op but for day-in, day-out burning we tend to take the wood off the pile and use it as it comes. Point being, you can't always get as much as you want in there, you stuck sometimes with only 3 splits in the stove! When I load EW which by the way I'll be doing all next season because that wood is longer, I'll have a harder time getting long hot burns. But I took this into account, my next years wood which I scavenged from my neighbors property came in all different sizes which was separated into about 2 full cords of 4" to 6" rounds and 3 full cords of mixed hardwood splits. When that wood goes to the shed next fall I'll mix it all up so with each armload I'll get a nice mix of rounds and splits. We shall see...........

What setting are you using for burns both when you are hanging with the stove and then for overnight burns.

I ask because lately I have been really burning hard after work......getting the stove hot while burning a whole load between 5:30 and 9:30 with the pipe damper closed and primary air set to around 1/4 open. This gets a jump on overnight heating, the rocks are hot, I load up for the night and set the air to near full off......works great!


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## FireWalker (Dec 18, 2011)

WBH,

I re-read above, really, you are burning 7 full cords, damn, that's a lot of wood. I had about 5 set up for this year and it's more than I'm going to use, my December row in the shed is still going strong and will go well into January. You should let that puppy go full out one afternoon and really carefully inspect everything. Something is just not right if your wood is dry, look carefully at all the doors for ash buildup and proper sealing. I understand leaks would tend to make for too hot out of control fires but, you never know. Anyway, just a thought!


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## woodmiser (Dec 18, 2011)

FireWalker said:
			
		

> What setting are you using for burns both when you are hanging with the stove and then for overnight burns.
> 
> I ask because lately I have been really burning hard after work......getting the stove hot while burning a whole load between 5:30 and 9:30 with the pipe damper closed and primary air set to around 1/4 open. This gets a jump on overnight heating, the rocks are hot, I load up for the night and set the air to near full off......works great!



That's what I do. I've found that getting that sucker hot and maintaining it hot gets the house hot!


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## wellbuilt home (Dec 19, 2011)

FireWalker said:
			
		

> WBH,
> 
> I re-read above, really, you are burning 7 full cords, damn, that's a lot of wood. I had about 5 set up for this year and it's more than I'm going to use, my December row in the shed is still going strong and will go well into January. You should let that puppy go full out one afternoon and really carefully inspect everything. Something is just not right if your wood is dry, look carefully at all the doors for ash buildup and proper sealing. I understand leaks would tend to make for too hot out of control fires but, you never know. Anyway, just a thought!



  You guys are killing me with all this hot rock/stove talk . 
  I had the flue pipe off for a cleaning  Friday and it was not bad 2/3 coffee cans  of stuff for 28 feet of flue . 
  The inside had some ash 1/2" buy the flue pipe . 
   The door gaskets seem ok they wont suck smoke to the door .
  If i close the air off the stove smolders and will go out .
   Every thing  seems ok inside except  my professional chimney sweep popped a hole thru my baffle in the center of the flue collar .(  Guys a bone head )
 My wood pile is 5x 10' x 20'  and the sides taper out to  14' so there mite be 8 or 9 cord but there was 1 1/2 cord left over maybe . 
 I tried the north /south burn last year and it was easier to load and seemed like i can get the stove very full but i dont see more then 3 or4 hrs of temps over 300o .
  Ive been sitting buy the stove all day throwing wood in it and there is 4" of Cole's  , stove top is 325 o 
   house is 68  inside  outside temp is 21o .
  if not for the fan blowing on the side of the stove i would be cold 8' away  .      John


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## Todd (Dec 19, 2011)

wellbuilt home said:
			
		

> FireWalker said:
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What size are the splits your burning? Have you tried a full load of smaller 2-4" diameter splits?


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## woodmiser (Dec 19, 2011)

wellbuilt home said:
			
		

> FireWalker said:
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Did you watch my video and see if you were doing anything different? You either have lousy wood or a bad draft or both. Certainly not something wrong with the stove unless the air is somehow blocked or the damper control isn't working properly.


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## blacktop37 (Dec 19, 2011)

Hello everyone third year on my EQ. love the stove. Heating 2500 sq ft to 78 another 350 stays about 65. I am in the osage orange capitol of the world, Kansas. My home is very well insulated, 20 ft cathedral on 25% of floor. I heat from about Dec 1 off and on till Jan 1, then 24,7 till March 1 then done middle of March. 2 cords MAX, sometimes less. 28 ft insulated 8in flu inside a masonary tile. OAK a must, home all electric and very tight.
Start stove with light dry wood. Within  1 hr 300. 2hr, 400, shortly after 450 cruise. My stove stays so consistent it is unreal. After hot fire going, 3 large rounds or splits every three hours. 10 pm try to load 4, all nite till 730 am stovetop still 300-325. (when working thru week 7:30-5:00 nun added), get home lot of coal, 300 stove top. 
WHEN TEMP GETS DOWN TO 5F OR BELOW with any wind at all,  formulas are gone, throwing it in hand over fist. When in cruise primary air is 80%CLOSED.
One last thing, if I get the fire hot and open up the primary air all the way, it will turn the stove into a blast furnace.
I have had no regrets with this stove, coming from 21 years with a Blazeking smoke dragon


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## wellbuilt home (Dec 19, 2011)

woodmiser said:
			
		

> wellbuilt home said:
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  great video ,  Well im definitely  not standing around the stove with the door open  , but i have run loads of wood with the air open and no damper  and only once did i hit 600+  and it happened when i was napping in the lazy boy . 
 (The stove all most cooked my ear off )
  I have never seen 600 again ,      
   now im at 450 but ive been  stuffing wood in the stove  for 10 hours  and  have burnt up 11/2 days worth of wood . 
   The chimny is strait up 28' and clean .
  This is the 5th stove on this flue in 23 years  and the damper is  nothing special .
   As far as the wood gos its mixed hard wood.
 Ive burnt 14 cord in the stove in 2 years . 
 Alot of the wood im burning now is from 09  I have wood im splitting now for 13 thru 16 oak, maple ,locust  the wood is very random,   we cut and remove trees from homes and clear land so the wood is cut into rounds and split at the yard later . 
  It gets moved with a loader  so you never get 1 type of wood . 
  The piles get moved around  3 or 4 times a year and stacked  buy the house in the spring with the top covered . 
  The air control seems fine and the dealer has come out and looked  at the set up , he tells me the stove gets  hot ?
    I did notice  that when you close your air all the way  down your secondaries really lite up , my stove will smolder and go out ?
   I get my hottest burn  400+  at half air  and closed damper .
  my longest burn  ( 10hrs ) is at 1/8 open air closed damper  stove runs at 300o+ and tapers down to 200 o
 My secondaries only burn for 2 hr tops .    John


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## ddddddden (Dec 19, 2011)

If others are running the same stove well with the air control fully closed, but yours kills the fire, it sounds like your draft is weak.  Have you checked the flue for leaks?  It doesn't sound like you can rely on your sweep for a good inspection.


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## woodmiser (Dec 19, 2011)

I have found so far in my limited time with this stove, get it hot. Once it's hot you can really regulate it. Less wood and you get a nice moderate heat. Pack it and get it going and you'll get the stove up to 500+

But it likes the better woods. Not that anything won't burn in it but for the big heat it likes the better dry fuels. I am having no problems getting my stove up to temp and cruising nicely. I am burning seasoned oak now. I threw some hardly seasoned ash in the Clydesdale. It burned pretty darn good to my surprise but barely left any coals this morning.


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## FireWalker (Dec 19, 2011)

wellbuilt home said:
			
		

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## woodmiser (Dec 19, 2011)

As we speak my EQ is full and idling with hardly any flame. Stove top temp is just about 475Â°. Just a little smoke coming out the chimney... which might just be condensation.
Stove pipe damper is 90% closed and the air control is about 1/4 open.
This works because the stone is hot.


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## Todd (Dec 19, 2011)

wellbuilt home said:
			
		

> we cut and remove trees from homes and clear land so the wood is cut into rounds and split at the yard later .



How long has the wood been split til it sees the stove? How large are the splits diameter wise?


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## FireWalker (Dec 19, 2011)

O.K John, I just re-read again your post and now I'm confused..........did you just have a chimney sweep out and he broke your baffle or did this happen a while ago?


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## wellbuilt home (Dec 20, 2011)

Den said:
			
		

> If others are running the same stove well with the air control fully closed, but yours kills the fire, it sounds like your draft is weak.  Have you checked the flue for leaks?  It doesn't sound like you can rely on your sweep for a good inspection.



  I dont think i have a draft problem  my flue is 28 feet strait up , and only 3' sticks out of the roof .


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## wellbuilt home (Dec 20, 2011)

Todd said:
			
		

> wellbuilt home said:
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The wood im using now is still the same wood that  was heating the house      4 years ago  in my old trusty CDW  so i think 5 years . 
  This is looking like elm ,  not the best wood but it is dry in the center with some moisture on the out side.
  The outside drys in the house in a few hours .
  tomorrow  i have my eye on some oak from 09 and some pine mixed in . John


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## wellbuilt home (Dec 20, 2011)

FireWalker said:
			
		

> O.K John, I just re-read again your post and now I'm confused..........did you just have a chimney sweep out and he broke your baffle or did this happen a while ago?


 
     Sorry FW  Im better at  running equipment   and  splitting  wood  then writeing/ typeing on the net. 
    I  install stoves  and flue  all the time  im not licenced as a sweep . 
   My wife has a daycare in the house and i am required to get my wood burning equipment inspected for the state every few years  .  
   The ( bone head ) cleaned the stove in march of last year . 
    The hole is smaller then a dime  and has a furnace cement  old baffle patch over it now . 
    I really don't under stand how the secondary tubes work with the baffle, im thinking  there could be a problem  with the way its installd in the stove . 
  Have you removed the tubes and baffle yet ?                         John


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## FireWalker (Dec 20, 2011)

I have not yet removed the baffle on mine but I have cleaned (carefully vacumed) the top surface of it from the open top flue collar. The last time I cleaned it there was a layer of fine ash completely covering the top of the baffle and a big pile of black flakey creasote that had fallen from the connector partially restricting the collar opening. If I were you, I would get my head inside the firebox and have a very close look at the ceiling of your stove. Make sure everything is where it's supposed to be and there are no cracks or holes in the baffle. See to it that it is seated properly in it's perimeter frame. The concept is, the baffle forces ALL the gasses forward to the slot opening just insid and at the top of the front door opening. If gasses are escaping around either side or through a hole or, at the back of the baffle, your not going to get any secondary combustion because the gasses get out and up the stack before they can be burned. These gasses are what makes these stoves get up to 600! You ask why your stove is heating to only half of it's capacity..........it's either your wood is still not fully seasoned or there is something out of whack with your stove. 

I just know that you are going to have an ah-ha moment with your stove and you will be much happier. Again, you and I shared the exact same previous stove.......a DutchWest XL cat, we have a vary similar chimney setup, and you liked the heating output of the DW and I thought it was O.K. at best especially when compared to what I can do with the Eq.. Plain and simple the Equinox is a way better overall heater than the DW stove both in heat output and in it's ease of operation. You also are trying to heat 1000 more sf than me but you have the luxury of a well built home. With my old DW stove, I never felt I had anything in reserve when the cold night come a calling.......with the equinox I can always make more heat.

Also, if your burning exclusively elm.............well there is a poem about some king freezing his ass off trying to keep warm burning elm (someone please chime in). Mix in the elm and try a load or two of ash, no worries about not dry enough.


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## wellbuilt home (Dec 22, 2011)

FW  ,  I think i must have a problem inside the stove . 
 There isn't a flue problem  so   I want to going to raise my ch 3/4'  to clear my ridge line a bit more  and get a new top .
  My old ch top looks bent up ? 
  The roof is a 17 on 12 so its a pain getting up there .
  I was in the stove tonight and it looks ok but im going to take it apart and re install the
  baffle and tubes . 
  I did cut up a bunch of oak flooring 1x3 and filled the stove about 1/2 full and let it rip . 
  I did see 500 + stove top temps running with closed damper and 3/8  air setting open 
  but if i close the air down to 1/8 to  closed the temp drops  to 250 /300 and the fire just smolders . 
   I have a wood shed in the works for next year . 
   my wood is damp on the out side  ( kept under a tarp ) but i think it drys in a few hours in the house .
   I hope the wood shed doesn't need to hold 7 cord  i don't have room for that next to the house .
                                                                                                                                      John


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## doug60 (Dec 22, 2011)

Could you give a quick run down on removing the  baffle & tubes?
I stuck my head in there & could not see how it comes apart to change the baffle.
thanks ,doug


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## snowleopard (Dec 22, 2011)

wellbuilt home said:
			
		

> my wood is damp on the out side  ( kept under a tarp ) but i think it drys in a few hours in the house .
> I hope the wood shed doesn't need to hold 7 cord  i don't have room for that next to the house .
> John



Are you planning on using seven cords over the winter?  If so, it would be nice if it was covered, but it doesn't all have to be in the shed.  A sheet of corrugated metal roofing can keep a cord dry.  Just nail it on, or put some wood on top to hold in on in a wind.  Leave sides open.  

I have room to store wood covered outside my back door.   It's under a second-story deck.  I throw a tarp over the deck so the rain/snow doesn't get through, and then I can stack about three cords there.   That's not enough to get me through the winter, but it's enough to allow me to pick my time for restocking it, like some February weekend when the sun is starting to come back and it's a pleasure getting outside and working.  

You work out the particulars as suits your situation, climate, resources for moving wood, etc.

Even though my wood is covered, some of it got a little damp before we moved it.  I put it on a rack about 6' from the stove, and don't burn it for a day or two, and that damp feel goes away.  Internal MC is low, but it still burns better for that extra day or two inside.


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## woodmiser (Dec 22, 2011)

doug60 said:
			
		

> Could you give a quick run down on removing the  baffle & tubes?
> I stuck my head in there & could not see how it comes apart to change the baffle.
> thanks ,doug



The baffle comes out by removing the cotter pins that go through the secondary tubes. There are two cotter pins. On the top side, through the flue you can access the small steel plate that the cotter pins go through.
Once the pins are removed, the baffle will come out from between the tubes. If the baffle is being replaced dont worry about breaking it. The new baffle goes in and up between the tubes. New baffles come with new cotter pins and the plate.

If you see cement on the old baffle don't worry about it. That was put there for shipping purposes only. You do not need any cement with a new baffle.


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## FireWalker (Dec 22, 2011)

wellbuilt home said:
			
		

> FW  ,  I think i must have a problem inside the stove .
> There isn't a flue problem  so   I want to going to raise my ch 3/4'  to clear my ridge line a bit more  and get a new top .
> My old ch top looks bent up ?
> The roof is a 17 on 12 so its a pain getting up there .
> ...



O.K., the pipe is good. The building code tells us 2 feet above anything 10 feet away and you have a very steep roof. Do you meet the building code?

Something seems fishy with your air control, my stove with a half load of flooring would be a real good fire with pipe damper closed and air shut off. This pipe damper you have installed, does it allow any blow-by........are there holes cast in the butterfly to allow some smoke through? Did you make it or buy it? The damper I bought is cast iron and has two nickle size holes in it so when it's closed you still have some flow.

Next time, leave the damper open and run a load scrap flooring with the air supply full open until the fire is going good and then shut the air off, don't touch the pipe damper, leave it open. This experiment will tell us if your air supply mechanism is working correctly. If you burn floor scraps and snuf the fire with the air shut and your pipe damper is open, you have a draft problem.


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## TX-L (Dec 22, 2011)

> Also, if your burning exclusively elmâ€¦..........well there is a poem about some king freezing his ass off trying to keep warm burning elm (someone please chime in). Mix in the elm and try a load or two of ash, no worries about not dry enough.



Beech wood fires are bright and clear
    If the logs are kept a year.

Chestnutâ€™s only good, they say
    If for longits laid away.

Birch and fir logs burn too fast
    Blaze up bright but do not last.

Elm wood burns like churchyard mold
    Even the very flames are cold.

Poplar gives a bitter smoke.
    Fills your eyes and makes you choke.

Apple wood will scent your room
    With an incense like perfume.

Oak and maple, if dry and old
    Keep away the winter cold.

But ash wood wet and ash wood dry
    A king shall warm his slippers by....


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## FireWalker (Dec 22, 2011)

You see, I told you they would chime in!


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## blacktop37 (Dec 22, 2011)

woodmiser said:
			
		

> doug60 said:
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  Hi Wood m., My EQ vents straight out the back to a "T". Do you have to have access to the top of the burn plate to get it out? It will be a lot of work for me to remove the pipe as I would have to move stove forward.  Could you reinstall plate without pins holding it in for future cleaning? Thanks!


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## FireWalker (Dec 22, 2011)

blacktop37 said:
			
		

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Why not pull the cap off the top outlet and go in from there?

Just courious, how do you clean the connector if you can't disconnect the stove?


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## blacktop37 (Dec 22, 2011)

When I built my house I built a masonary chimney with a cleanout on ground level right at the T. I can clean from the ground to the top and I can go vertical to the stove from outside to the inside the house. This has worked very well for 25 years most with a smoke dragon BK. The new install with 8" liner has preformed perfect and I can clean everything except on top of baffel. the installer put on a double wall connecter that we had to back the stove to the connecter. Would be a lot of work to get plate off. I put a camera in the top and some creasote but not bad. I figure somday I will have to clean it. Nothing from the chimney ever gets in the area.


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## wellbuilt home (Dec 23, 2011)

FireWalker said:
			
		

> well built home said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...







   FW   No  I'm not 2' @ 10 feet .    My pipe exits   5' from the ridge   and is  6 " above the ridge + the top . 
    The chimney is 40+ feet in the air  so no one ever  really looked at it . 
  Chimney sweep wont even go up .

 Even in hi wind I get no smoke in  or puffing in the house . 
  If my flue is warm  the draft will suck  tissue up the flue?
  My damper is cast with  2 hols the size of silver dollars  .

  If  i  burn with out the damper   I don't get above 300o    with any air setting .
    I don't really ever get  flame from the tubes   only short bursts  5 or 6 " of flame at a time. 
   and only  if  there are logs burning . 
    Once the  wood is all in flamed i see  dancing flame  between the tubes and the top of the wood . 

   I had a HS 1    years ago and it would get hot  and the fire would last longer because the  fire box  was much taller and i could stack 
    4 /5 12" logs  n/s  
   This was much easier  because there was less splitting .
     I broke down a bought a electric heater for the living room   and plug it in 10 feet from the stove .  
  (Bummer)                                                                                                                                                  John


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