Hearthstone Heritage—Ruing the Day I Purchased

[Kat_K]

Second winter with my Hearthstone Heritage and every single day I regret the purchase. Prior to this I had an old cast-iron stove that burned beautifully in any kind of weather. The hearthstone – terrible!! The only way to keep the stove burning is to have the catalyst disengaged at all times. Kind of defeats the purpose, eh? As soon as the catalyst is engaged, the fire dies to smoldering smoke and when it’s windy, like today, forget even using it. It smolders to the point that smoke pours out the back of the stove and fills my house. I have had my chimney people here twice. They assure me that everything there is set up and working properly. They advised me to test the moisture level of my wood. It all came in at about 12%. I feel completely gypped by this purchase. Can’t burn when I most need to. Must be home at all times to feel safe burning at all. Smoking is destroying my home. Anyone want to buy the damn thing from me? I’ll give it to you cheap. If hearthstone will buy it back, I’ll take half the purchase price and run – far far away from the company and anything with the catalyst. Expensive lesson learned.

 

[gthomas785]

Ok now tell us how you really feel... Lol
Sorry you have had this terrible experience. Can you describe your setup in a bit more detail - is the stove on the main floor? Basement? How tall is the chimney and what type of chimney do you have? Are there other appliances in use that could draw air out of the house (dryer, bathroom exhaust, range hood, etc) Do you have a flue thermometer? What are your steps to creating the fire and at what point do you close/ open the bypass damper?

Also, if you could describe in detail the process you used to measure the moisture content of your wood, as well as how the wood has been processed and stored, that will help the knowledgeable folks on the forum to pinpoint the source of your issue.

 

[Dieselhead]

Sounds like your cat is plugged. Also how are you measuring your wood moisture?

 

[begreen]

Sorry it has not been an easy trip so far. Maybe we can help. 12% is pretty low. How was the wood moisture checked and by whom?

These stoves need adequate draft. Describe the flue setup from stove to chimney cap. Pictures are welcome

 

[Kat_K]

The stove and chimney were just professionally cleaned last week by a reputable company. Smoked the very next day. I measure the moisture content at room temperature. I do not know much about chimney setups to be able to answer all your questions about that. It was relined when the stove was installed. The stove is on the first floor of an old farm house in the exact same location a wood stove has been for 50 years, as is the chimney setup. The old stove had ceramic behind it. That was cracked and therefore replaced with metal at the time of relining. I trust the chimney people. They have outstanding reviews from the local community. They have assured me that everything in that respect is functioning as it should. They said check moisture content and then call the dealer if I think the stove isn’t functioning properly. I feel it’s going to be back and forth with chimney blaming stove and stove blaming chimney. Meanwhile, I’m spending more and more money—absolutely necessary in the case of chimney because of creosote buildup from an extremely poor burning stove.

 

[Kat_K]

Setup of back of stove, which is where it smokes when windy.

 

[begreen]

Was the wood re-split in half, then tested in the middle of the freshly exposed interior face of the wood?

About how tall is the liner in the chimney? This may be on the receipt. Is the new liner insulated?

 

[gthomas785]

Setup of back of stove, which is where it smokes when windy.

Am I seeing like a 1" gap all the way around the pipe at the thimble? That would be enough to kill your draft right there.

 

[Kat_K]

Ok now tell us how you really feel... Lol
Sorry you have had this terrible experience. Can you describe your setup in a bit more detail - is the stove on the main floor? Basement? How tall is the chimney and what type of chimney do you have? Are there other appliances in use that could draw air out of the house (dryer, bathroom exhaust, range hood, etc) Do you have a flue thermometer? What are your steps to creating the fire and at what point do you close/ open the bypass damper?

Also, if you could describe in detail the process you used to measure the moisture content of your wood, as well as how the wood has been processed and stored, that will help the knowledgeable folks on the forum to pinpoint the source of your issue.

The chimney company said height of chimney is not the issue. It’s cement, I believe. Can post pic of that when I have daylight. No other appliances in use the vast majority of time. Range hood—after smoke fills my house plus an air purifier. But not until needed. I use paper, fat wood, fire starters, and kindling to start. Even that requires the door to be ajar for quite a while. Then I slowly add bigger pieces. I have learned not to close the damper until it’s at the high end of Catslyst Engage. The fire is usually crackling and flaming well at that point. Dies out quickly once catalyst engaged. I used to be able to get a lasting fire with a single match in my old stove. Never needed fire starters or fat wood.

As for the wood, it is presumably kiln dried. It does get a bit of moisture where I store it—in an old corn crib with air flow but tarp on top. Same place wood was stored with the old stove. I just measured a room temperature piece I brought in today. It says 10.4%. Mind you, last year I used regular wood—not kiln dried. Paid extra for drier wood this year because I thought too much moisture was the problem last year. Same issues but worse with the higher winds this year.

 

[Kat_K]

Am I seeing like a 1" gap all the way around the pipe at the thimble? That would be enough to kill your draft right there.

Maybe quarter inch or so. Again—installed by chimney experts with a great reputation. I spent thousands on a new setup, knowing the liner was bad and the ceramic thimble cracked.

 

[Kat_K]

Maybe quarter inch or so. Again—installed by chimney experts with a great reputation. I spent thousands on a new setup, knowing the liner was bad and the ceramic thimble cracked.

Now that I’m feeling it, the gap is really only at the top of the pipe. There is draft there though.

 

[begreen]

Maybe quarter inch or so. Again—installed by chimney experts with a great reputation. I spent thousands on a new setup, knowing the liner was bad and the ceramic thimble cracked.

That doesn't mean it was done correctly unfortunately. This should be a tightly sealed fitting with no air leakage.

 

[Kat_K]

Was the wood re-split in half, then tested in the middle of the freshly exposed interior face of the wood?

About how tall is the liner in the chimney? This may be on the receipt. Is the new liner insulated?

I can look up the receipt but will have to hunt it down. No, I did not respite the wood when I tested. Don’t really have equipment for wood splitting. I pay to have it split by someone else. Lol

 

[gthomas785]

Now that I’m feeling it, the gap is really only at the top of the pipe. There is draft there though.

If any noticeable amount of air is pulling into the chimney, that's reducing the draft felt by the stove. Your old stove was probably easier breathing and didn't care as much.

Do you have some (non-combustible!) material like ceramic insulation you can stuff in there to block it off a bit and see if the stove performance improves. Not as a proper fix but as a test.

 

[begreen]

No, I did not respite the wood when I tested

Unfortunately that means the moisture test could be invalid. Wood dries from the outside in. The exterior of the wood can be dry while the core is still damp. If it is possible to get some known, fully seasoned wood for testing, that would eliminate this variable.

 

[Kat_K]

That doesn't mean it was done correctly unfortunately. This should be a tightly sealed fitting with no air leakage.

This is good info to have. Posting relining specs now.

 

[Kat_K]

Here are the specs for the relining and installation.

 

[Kat_K]

This is good info to have. Posting relining specs now.

That doesn't mean it was done correctly unfortunately. This should be a tightly sealed fitting with no air leakage.

I do believe the old ceramic thimble fit snugly. IF this is the issue, how much are we talking to fix? The stone backsplash is fieldstone from the family farm and I really wanted it touched as little as possible.

 

[Kat_K]

If any noticeable amount of air is pulling into the chimney, that's reducing the draft felt by the stove. Your old stove was probably easier breathing and didn't care as much.

Do you have some (non-combustible!) material like ceramic insulation you can stuff in there to block it off a bit and see if the stove performance improves. Not as a proper fix but as a test.

Yeah, afraid to do that. Already fear burning down my house.

 

[brenndatomu]

Unfortunately that means the moisture test IS invalid.

FIFY.
Outside moisture test means nothing...depending on wood species, I bet the real moisture content is more like 30%.
Between that and a leaky stovepipe, that'd kill the performance of any stove.

 

[coaly]

Yeah, afraid to do that. Already fear burning down my house.

You can fill that leaking joint with Stove and Gasket Cement from a local hardware store to prevent air leaking in, reducing draft. It is made for attaching door gasket material or putting together the multiple parts of cast iron stove joints. (No chance of that burning)

It may crack over time, but will prove there is not an issue with your stove.

What’s happening, is the hot exhaust gases rising up chimney creates a low pressure area, or vacuum in chimney flue, pipe, and stove. This pressure differential between inside and outside of chimney is measured as draft. This allows atmospheric air pressure to PUSH into stove intake, feeding the fire oxygen.

Like a vacuum cleaner with a leak in the hose, or a drinking straw with a hole in it, air is rushing into the void created by the chimney, reducing draft.

If this sounds familiar, better pay up, we have an outstanding bet! Lol

 

[Pinesmoke]

I just read through this. Good eye on the bad joint guys.

Once the stack is pulling right something I found with my Hearthstone. These seem to be incredibly cold blooded. I couldn't get a pull when I engaged the cats when I first started running this stove. I have to run the door cracked pretty much through the initial load of limb wood until I have a decent pile of coals and the flue temp is in range. THEN it will pull well when the cats are engaged.

 

[kborndale]

I just read through this. Good eye on the bad joint guys.

Once the stack is pulling right something I found with my Hearthstone. These seem to be incredibly cold blooded. I couldn't get a pull when I engaged the cats when I first started running this stove. I have to run the door cracked pretty much through the initial load of limb wood until I have a decent pile of coals and the flue temp is in range. THEN it will pull well when the cats are engaged.

Even if you prewarmed the flue?

 

[Pinesmoke]

Even if you prewarmed the flue?

It pulls OK for startup so I don't need to per warm it. It just won't pull well through the cats until it 250-300 degrees.

For full disclosure I don't top down cold start this rock. I don't want the repeated thermal shock to the stone with one. Startup load is 6-8 pine limbs around 2".

 

[gthomas785]

I do believe the old ceramic thimble fit snugly. IF this is the issue, how much are we talking to fix? The stone backsplash is fieldstone from the family farm and I really wanted it touched as little as possible.

It depends what exactly is the problem. It looks like the thimble is a bigger size than the pipe, which would mean you need an adapter. However your invoice shows a 6" liner and this is a 6" stove so I'm not sure why the thimble would be oversized. I'm curious, if the chimney guys thought this was acceptable, what other wonky stuff could be going on behind that trim plate.