burning on high setting. why is it "bad"

[Jaymaine34]

Sinnian ,
Give me shout . I'd like to give them a try

 

[St_Earl]

Just teasing with you ~ glad the blend is working out for you

i know.: )
burning the softies since last night.
seems like i need to increase the feed rate for them.
flame height definitely lowered with them burning.
still unsure of exactly how to evaluate them.
i mean, i know they are good. just need to get the stove dialed in for them.
might switch over full time next year. but only if the price is right.

pretty sure fewer pellets are being delivered per cycle with the softies.
still had a least the same heat. maybe a little better. but it's apples and orange till i get the feed dialed in.

 

[nikeseer]

i know.: )
burning the softies since last night.
seems like i need to increase the feed rate for them.
flame height definitely lowered with them burning.
still unsure of exactly how to evaluate them.
i mean, i know they are good. just need to get the stove dialed in for them.
might switch over full time next year. but only if the price is right.

pretty sure fewer pellets are being delivered per cycle with the softies.
still had a least the same heat. maybe a little better. but it's apples and orange till i get the feed dialed in.

I have tried the northeast from TSC. Not sure if I liked them. Less flyaway ash than the MWP blend. I feel about the same or a little better for heat. The Northeast was a softwood blend 80/20. Definitely not as dense as the MWP. Dialed in a little more on the feed for medium to get more heat. MWP is all I've bought this year other than a few bags of this or that to try. Going to have a night or two in the single digits here in CT. Wondering how medium will hold up.

 

[darryl123]

i have had my altair stove running on high and it got so hot that there was some pellets that fell inside the stove that started to burn and shoot sparks from the stove. now i dont run that over 2 out of 5.
my harman p38 runs on high all winter without problem.

 

[nikeseer]

i know.: )
burning the softies since last night.
seems like i need to increase the feed rate for them.
flame height definitely lowered with them burning.
still unsure of exactly how to evaluate them.
i mean, i know they are good. just need to get the stove dialed in for them.
might switch over full time next year. but only if the price is right.

pretty sure fewer pellets are being delivered per cycle with the softies.
still had a least the same heat. maybe a little better. but it's apples and orange till i get the feed dialed in.

How did the up the feed rate on medium work for you?

 

[St_Earl]

switched over to the mwp softwoods. so far i have the gate all the way open. running low when it's warmer outside.(yesterday in the low 30s) and on medium with some high as it gets below zero.

lol. sorry to change the parameters.

 

[nikeseer]

switched over to the mwp softwoods. so far i have the gate all the way open. running low when it's warmer outside.(yesterday in the low 30s) and on medium with some high as it gets below zero.

lol. sorry to change the parameters.

Sorry for what? Nothing to be sorry for. It's my first year and I'm working out the kinks. Right now have my feed open almost all the way on medium. Once my hopper gets down then I'll adjust my feed and run on high. Running on high now with the feed setting, WAY too much. Flame really high. Dont want to have an overfire. Supposed to be in the single digits for a few nights and I don't think medium even with the feed open almost the whole way will keep up, despite the and currently peaking 5-7 inches above the pot. Spikey like we like. Not lazy. Only have MWP hw blend.

 

[St_Earl]

just kidding about the sorry.
yeah open it up for the cold. just don't want the pot to get clogged w/ too many pellets.

 

[save$]

At this point in my Life, I am done "Settling" for something. If its not what I want, I am not gonna get it.. I either wait or go elsewhere.

I am so with you on this one. I hardly knew anything about heating units when I jumped in. I didn't do too bad, but now realize I could do a bit better with a unit that would put out a little better heat ESP. During Jan. and Feb. I have been thinking of a second unit, but the reality is having a higher capacity stove in the same place would meet our heating needs best with the least disruption to the house. I think one stove is going to be about all I want to have to keep loaded with pellets..

 

[nikeseer]

just kidding about the sorry.
yeah open it up for the cold. just don't want the pot to get clogged w/ too many pellets.

So far so good with the current setting but only in low 20's right now. 72 in the house right now. Drops min of 2 degrees at night on medium. Might leave it this way till morning then adjust and run on high with feed closed. I empty the pot once daily. I don't worry about that.

 

[The Ds]

Debbye has consulted her spreadsheet and says we just put bag 66 in the hopper for this winter.....Burning Somersets currently.....When we first started burning, we felt that we wanted to burn on low as much as possible -1 to help the stove last longer,and- 2 to let everything get a good soak......Yesterday at 5PM we bumped it up to med. with the gate closed all the way,put 2 bags in the hoppa,and it ran all night on medium......Outside temp this morning was 6 degrees F{cant find the degree symbol...lol} and 74.5 in the "space that the stove is heating". We are only heating a little less than 1,000 square feet,so during the shoulder season Low was plenty warm enough for the space.....This is our first experience with prolonged running on Med. and it seems to burn cleaner,also......We have burned 1.5 bags in the previous 24 hrs......

 

[nikeseer]

Its built just like a Quad mac. No High/Low on them. Thats the only thing I dislike about my Quad. Heat output is AMAZING, just wish it wasn't On/Off only.

I agree 100% about the pellets. Cost is cost. Your gonna have to buy more oil or buy more pellets?

As for the Heatilators, they use Quad components, the airflow through the Heatilators pot is reduced, and they dont have the same heat exchange system as a Quad. Its similar to the CPM in heat exchange regards.

Using the same type of pot and blowers, the burn should be the same. But there flames are not as active and are a skinnier, taller flame (Quad says 4"-6" for High--- Heatilator says 4"-8" for High).

Has anyone here posted a video on the Heatilator flame? This may help several different individuals right now? There are a number of people struggling with the stove and its performance. Most issues are likely not because of the stove.

A short 2 minute video for a low flame, then another for medium flame, and finally High setting..

I have a couple for my Classic Bay, one on the CPM, and my Fahrenheit. Videos help others to better understand? IMO

Hey dexterday. Probably a stupid question that's been asked before but after reading the manual again I had to ask. The flame height, got the numbers. But is it 4-8 steady or when it peaks? Because my hi will peak 10 + alot. I don't if this is normal. It's only peaking very tall and I'm not sure if that's normal. Even after firepot emptied and cleaned it is the same. Feed gate is closed as far as you can.

 

[Countryboymo]

I like running mine on high but I don't like feeding it every 8-10 hours. The stove has to be almost empty to hold a 40lb bag. I was going to add a short extension to the hopper but learned if I run it on high for a few hours it will bring the basement up to 75-80 and after that medium will maintain 70-75 and double the run time between feedings. I love wood heat so I would be perfectly happy with it on high all the time and hang out in the basement if only it was finished.

 

[sinnian]

Cold enough yet St. Earl?

 

[St_Earl]

yep :got the softies goin'.
and very nice they are.

-11.2f and it's only 7:15 pm