Hampton HI400 Installed!!!!

[Woody Stover]

The shape and size of the firebox tends to lend itself more towards E/W I think....I have loaded it a few time with the first layer running E/W then everything else N/S.

You could try E-W and see how it works. I was not with the Buck 91 all day so I didn't experiment all that much with E-W, but I figured that if I did it I'd have to use the "tunnel of love" (N-S trench in the coals to allow more air to the back of the box) or maybe short N-S splits on the bottom and E-W for the rest of the load. To figure the usable firebox volume, I measured the width half way back and used that to figure the volume of an equivalent rectangle. The height was about 10" to the cat shield with room for a split higher along the side walls, less than you apparently have but it sounds like the Buck is a little deeper. I could get in 18" splits N-S, leaving a few inches between the wood and the glass. I calculated about 3 cu.ft. usable.

 

[jpl1nh]

I'm considering putting one of these into an existing fireplace in a new home we bought this summer. The fireplace looks like it was designed for this stove, considering it's dimensions. I've been using a Woodstock Keystone in my last house for the past 10 years. Loved it, loved it, LOVED it. Just isn't practical in this situation but I love a cat stove. The Keystone glass would blacken in the corners too. What i learned over many years was that generally I didn't really need to stuff the stove full. I'd have the wood looser and a bit further back from the glass unless it was really cold and I was totally cranking it. The extra air space seemed to help. Also, while I could damp the crap out of it, I often burned it a little more open. With those changes, my burn times weren't as long but I often didn't need them to be and my glass tended to stay cleaner. I could reload every 4-8 hours in many cases. I have no idea if these tips would help on this insert but perhaps they might?