Hi there got our stove in and running last night, Thanks to all the help of Tom and Paul at chimmey sweep we had some problems but they was very helpful. They are great people. but I do have some questions for ya now, We can not get the stove temp on the pipe hot what is your normal temp, we have gotten it to 250 wide open but thats it, The fan don't want to run much unless it's over 200, is this normal. We still can't get it warm in the wide open basement, It's a brand new house .We have it loaded to the brim and a bed of coals very deep,and we have plenty of fire, any advice. and also with all the coals we have we find it hard to load anymore wood what do you guys do for that. I know you guys will think we are crazy again, But it's still 60 in my house. But I do have to say it is much nicer and easier then the harmon tl300, I just want to get warm without electric bill going high again. Now granted it is 12 here tonite and today it was 30. Any advice would be helpful. Thanks
Smokey beaver is back got my Summit PE in.
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Possibly wet or green wood? thats the only thing I can think of. Do you have a gauge on top of your stove to measure the stove top temp as they say. Does the draft seem to be good?. Im sure youll get a whole bunch of suggestions when everyone wakes up.
It's normal for the fan not to come on until there is enough heat built up.smokey beaver said:
Once you get a good fire going you cut the air supply back.
With it wide open all your heat is going up the chimney.
Cut it back and it stays in the firebox to heat the air that comes out of the blower.
Or green wood. Where did it some from, how long have you had it?
The real answer guys are going to want to know more about your installation- block off plate? chimney height?
The more details you give them about that plus your fire building technique the quicker they are going to get to the bottom of it.
In the mean time run to the store and get some yuppy kiln dried firewood and see if that burns any hotter. If so your wood is wet.
Congratulations smokey. It does sound like the wood is not well seasoned. You won't get much heat out of damp wood. Go to your local hardware or grocery store and pick up a couple bundles of firewood. That "should" be dry wood. Try a fire or two using only this wood. If there is a remarkable difference, the issue is the wood.
Hi, no the wood the is very well seasoned over 3 yrs in a building, i have a guage on my pipe near the bottom by the stove it's new to. also excellanent draft it does a good job of burning woke up today to a huge bed of coals. which reminds me do i need to take them out to ad more wood or just let it go, flue temp is 100 now stove plum full of coals. everything installed right we had the new harmon installed and they did all the pipe so when we got this all we had to do is put the stove together and fire it up. so again hows your temp run on pipe is this normal stove is to hot to touch i just tried lol.
For the coals, try putting most of them in a straight row down the center of stove, Front to back. put a decent sized split on each side, then another on top of the other two, all running front to back.
Basically making a tunnel out of the splits, with the coals inside the tunnel. Let her get blazing say up to 500 stove top or insert front in my case, then cut the air back all the way. This has worked for me very well lately.
I also have not been loading her all the way to the bottom of the baffle. At night I am not squeezing 3 large splits in front to back, which leaves about 3" or so open below the baffle.
I have notices that when its packed full with splits on top if splits, the secondary burn burns up the top splits, and the ashes from those seem to be covering the lower splits and insulating them somewhat and keeping them from burning completely. Hence, lots o coals. Is this an insert or freestander? Might want to check temp with a second thermometer. The coal problem I had my first year, due to not quite seasoned wood, and always loading more wood in before the prior load was closer to completely burnt. Sounds like some of this is getting to know your stove, and the other may be impatience and loading a bit too often.
Not sure what the temp problem is. What is your set up & a couple photos would give us an idea of how its set up. Got to go cut some wood, I'll check back in a bit.
Basically making a tunnel out of the splits, with the coals inside the tunnel. Let her get blazing say up to 500 stove top or insert front in my case, then cut the air back all the way. This has worked for me very well lately.
I also have not been loading her all the way to the bottom of the baffle. At night I am not squeezing 3 large splits in front to back, which leaves about 3" or so open below the baffle.
I have notices that when its packed full with splits on top if splits, the secondary burn burns up the top splits, and the ashes from those seem to be covering the lower splits and insulating them somewhat and keeping them from burning completely. Hence, lots o coals. Is this an insert or freestander? Might want to check temp with a second thermometer. The coal problem I had my first year, due to not quite seasoned wood, and always loading more wood in before the prior load was closer to completely burnt. Sounds like some of this is getting to know your stove, and the other may be impatience and loading a bit too often.
Not sure what the temp problem is. What is your set up & a couple photos would give us an idea of how its set up. Got to go cut some wood, I'll check back in a bit.
I would suggest you go back and rexamine the things you've said are ok. I have a Summit insert and even in a poorly insulated house, it should do alot towards getting it warm.
Is the wood dry? Are you really sure.? Here's a quick way to tell if its seaons. When you have the big bed of coals and you add more wood. If you can barley get the stove filled before there are flames again. It's very dry. It you have flames within minute of filling it. It's dry enough. Any longer and it may be a wood problem. This a big stove and having coals 10 hours later is normal, but you shouldn't have more than a few shovel fulls. If you have a whole lot, that's a sign the wood isn't dry on the inside of the splits.
How is your draft? Do you have a full liner? How tall is it?
Do you have a block off plate?
Move your thermometer from the stove pipe to the top or front of the stove and tell how hot it's getting. I've never measured flue temperatures. I do know the hot air coming out from the blower on my stove is around 200 degrees. the stove box itself runs between 500-700 degrees sometimes a little higher.
Is the wood dry? Are you really sure.? Here's a quick way to tell if its seaons. When you have the big bed of coals and you add more wood. If you can barley get the stove filled before there are flames again. It's very dry. It you have flames within minute of filling it. It's dry enough. Any longer and it may be a wood problem. This a big stove and having coals 10 hours later is normal, but you shouldn't have more than a few shovel fulls. If you have a whole lot, that's a sign the wood isn't dry on the inside of the splits.
How is your draft? Do you have a full liner? How tall is it?
Do you have a block off plate?
Move your thermometer from the stove pipe to the top or front of the stove and tell how hot it's getting. I've never measured flue temperatures. I do know the hot air coming out from the blower on my stove is around 200 degrees. the stove box itself runs between 500-700 degrees sometimes a little higher.
smokey beaver said:
That's odd. We can easily bury the needle on our stove-pipe thermometer even with the air control 1/2 closed. We normally run @ 400-500 flue temps, and 600-800 measured right on the stove top.
As far as the buildup of coals goes, I just let the coals in the front 1/3 of the firebox burn out on their own, then push the ashes (and some coals) down the ash dump. Then I close the trap and rake the stuff from the back forward. Doing this everyday keeps them from building up too deep.
If you let the ash & coals build up too much, you'll either have to wait a LONG time, or shovel 'em all out into a steel pail and leave it outside.
BTW, does your stove have the legs or pedestal?
Is this single wall or double-wall connector pipe coming off the stove? How far above the stove top are you placing the thermometer?
Once the fire gets burning strongly, are you cutting back the air supply at least half way or more? That will help the stove get hotter. With the air control wide open, most of the heat heads straight up the flue. But once the air supply is reduced, strong secondary combustion should be taking place. This will raise the stove top temperature about 150 degrees or more.
For a little while, move the thermometer to the stove top. Place it about 3-4" in front and slightly to the left or right of the flue pipe. Tell us what kind of readings you are getting on the stove top. Also, does the stove have an outside air kit installed? If not, have you tried opening a window in the room to see if it makes a difference in the fire? If there is no outside air kit (OAK), did they remove the 4" plug for room air supply? (see page 9 of the manual for location.)
Another question is what are the size of the wood splits and what kind of wood are you burning? You might try splitting the wood in half and burn with that size. Smaller splits ignite faster.
FYI, here's a quick test of wood quality from Pacific Energy:
Add a large piece of wood to the stove when it has a good large
bed of glowing coals. The wood is dry if it is burning on more than one side
within one minute. It is damp if it turns black and lights within
three minutes. If it sizzles, hisses and blackens without igniting
in five minutes it is soaked and should not be burnt.
Once the fire gets burning strongly, are you cutting back the air supply at least half way or more? That will help the stove get hotter. With the air control wide open, most of the heat heads straight up the flue. But once the air supply is reduced, strong secondary combustion should be taking place. This will raise the stove top temperature about 150 degrees or more.
For a little while, move the thermometer to the stove top. Place it about 3-4" in front and slightly to the left or right of the flue pipe. Tell us what kind of readings you are getting on the stove top. Also, does the stove have an outside air kit installed? If not, have you tried opening a window in the room to see if it makes a difference in the fire? If there is no outside air kit (OAK), did they remove the 4" plug for room air supply? (see page 9 of the manual for location.)
Another question is what are the size of the wood splits and what kind of wood are you burning? You might try splitting the wood in half and burn with that size. Smaller splits ignite faster.
FYI, here's a quick test of wood quality from Pacific Energy:
Add a large piece of wood to the stove when it has a good large
bed of glowing coals. The wood is dry if it is burning on more than one side
within one minute. It is damp if it turns black and lights within
three minutes. If it sizzles, hisses and blackens without igniting
in five minutes it is soaked and should not be burnt.
It is double wall pipe,, and Tom called me and I was doing some things wrong first i was running the fan before stove temp was up to 600,and i had the temp gauge on my pipe not the stove. then we think it could be the wood is too seasoned. well i'm speaking with tom now for his wonderful help that he gives me. and got the stove up to 725 and turned fan on it's burning good so far. i am now sitting on my couch drinking a drink as he suggested lol! and will speak with him in 2 hrs to see how it's going. also i'm not wrapped up in 3 blankets lol! thanks for your help i'll keep ya posted.
Tom is a top shelf guy. His knowledge is priceless.
I am wondering, if too seasoned, I would think you would have the opposite problem, with too high of temps.
Anyways, sounds like you on track, enjoy. This time next year, it will all be habit.
Congrats.
I am wondering, if too seasoned, I would think you would have the opposite problem, with too high of temps.
Anyways, sounds like you on track, enjoy. This time next year, it will all be habit.
Congrats.
I did promise you them pixs but give me a week to get it running good ok. coz remember i'm supposed to be in them lol! the last thing you want to see is a woman in flannel pj's and 3 blankets lol! :lol:
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