Moving on from a Lopi Leyden

[Keith-T]

Good morning, I have owned the Lopi since 2009. I have honestly never regularly used it because it is so finicky. I always blamed it on a chimney that needed cleaned or wo that was not dry enough. But the reality is, my firewood is very dry, the chimney is clean, the stove and combustor is clean. It’s just crap

I have read through a lot of other members comments on the stove, and it is clear to me that it is just a worthless piece of garbage.

I have a Lennox Napoleon wood-burning insert in the upstairs of my home, and it has worked flawlessly since 2009 burning countless cords of firewood.

So I am looking for recommendations on a replacement. This is in a finished basement of my home. Square footage around 1200. Chimney is double wall pipe, no horizontal areas.

Thank you for any suggestions.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

How tall is your chinmey?


I'd look hard at the PE super/t5 series. Its pretty hard to find a negative review on them. They are easy breathers though. A tall chimney might be a problem.

 

[Keith-T]

How tall is your chinmey?


I'd look hard at the PE super/t5 series. Its pretty hard to find a negative review on them. They are easy breathers though. A tall chimney might be a problem.

I would estimate 35-40’

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Wow, that's a tough one. S it a lined chimney? What size is the flue? I'm not sure that draft could easily be tamed.

 

[begreen]

The Leyden was a weak design and draft fussy. Have you done a draft measurement? I'm not sure a PE stove would be good there. They draft easily. The stove would probably need a key damper and maybe even some modification to work there unless the basement is a negative pressure zone. The original Napoleons liked a stronger draft, so that might still be a choice.

 

[Keith-T]

The Leyden was a weak design and draft fussy. Have you done a draft measurement? I'm not sure a PE stove would be good there. They draft easily. The stove would probably need a key damper and maybe even some modification to work there unless the basement is a negative pressure zone. The original Napoleons liked a stronger draft, so that might still be a choice.

I am unfamiliar with a draft measurement? I will have to do some research on that.

When we talk about draft, are we essentially talking about how well smoke is evacuated from the combustion chamber?

 

[Keith-T]

Wow, that's a tough one. S it a lined chimney? What size is the flue? I'm not sure that draft could easily be tamed.

The chimney has two liners In It. One for the upstairs and one for the basement.

8” double wall for the basement

The Leyden was a weak design and draft fussy. Have you done a draft measurement? I'm not sure a PE stove would be good there. They draft easily. The stove would probably need a key damper and maybe even some modification to work there unless the basement is a negative pressure zone. The original Napoleons liked a stronger draft, so that might still be a choice.

The chimney has two liners in it. One for the upstairs and one for the basement. For the basement it is an 8 inch double wall.

 

[Keith-T]

I have been using the stove, just keeping the back damper completely open. And keeping the air supply choked down or completely closed.

Obviously have been burning through a lot more firewood, but no issues with overheating and definitely no draft issues or smoke issues like I’ve had in the past with the stove.

 

[DarkNStormy]

Good morning, I have owned the Lopi since 2009. I have honestly never regularly used it because it is so finicky. I always blamed it on a chimney that needed cleaned or wo that was not dry enough. But the reality is, my firewood is very dry, the chimney is clean, the stove and combustor is clean. It’s just crap

I have read through a lot of other members comments on the stove, and it is clear to me that it is just a worthless piece of garbage.

I have a Lennox Napoleon wood-burning insert in the upstairs of my home, and it has worked flawlessly since 2009 burning countless cords of firewood.

So I am looking for recommendations on a replacement. This is in a finished basement of my home. Square footage around 1200. Chimney is double wall pipe, no horizontal areas.

Thank you for any suggestions.

If youre getting rid of the stove keep me in mind! I think its great.

Maybe people just aren’t logging on and looking up “Lopi Leyden” when they have no issues with this stove. I just happened to search it out of distraction from the rest of the world right now.

I have this exact stove and I burn in it regularly. I’ve gone through over 10 cords in 5 years and other than it burning through wood quickly, I have no complaints.

 

[begreen]

I have been using the stove, just keeping the back damper completely open. And keeping the air supply choked down or completely closed.

Obviously have been burning through a lot more firewood, but no issues with overheating and definitely no draft issues or smoke issues like I’ve had in the past with the stove.

With the bypass open, it is not functioning as an EPA stove. Closing the bypass routes the hot gases through the rear, secondary, afterburner chamber for much more complete combustion and a lot more heat from the fuel.
With a tall 8" liner it could be draft is too strong. This can be measured with a manometer or Magnehelic. If this is the case then adding a key damper in the stovepipe could tame the beast.

 

[begreen]

If youre getting rid of the stove keep me in mind! I think its great.

Maybe people just aren’t logging on and looking up “Lopi Leyden” when they have no issues with this stove. I just happened to search it out of distraction from the rest of the world right now.

I have this exact stove and I burn in it regularly. I’ve gone through over 10 cords in 5 years and other than it burning through wood quickly, I have no complaints.

The Leyden's design is very similar to the Vermont Castings Acclaim design. If the flue system's draft is within spec it can heat well, and like VC designs, it's a very attractive stove. But also like the VC it can be notoriously fussy when conditions are not perfect. Give it partially seasoned wood, or draft out of spec, and it can get grumpy and hard to manage. The Achilles heel is the refractory combustion system. It doesn't stand up too well to heavy 24/7 use. At 10 cords, it may be due for a rebuild.

 

[DarkNStormy]

The Leyden's design is very similar to the Vermont Castings Acclaim design. If the flue system's draft is within spec it can heat well, and like VC designs, it's a very attractive stove. But also like the VC it can be notoriously fussy when conditions are not perfect. Give it partially seasoned wood, or draft out of spec, and it can get grumpy and hard to manage. The Achilles heel is the refractory combustion system. It doesn't stand up too well to heavy 24/7 use. At 10 cords, it may be due for a rebuild.

I will look into evaluating the refractory combustion system. I do use the stove as supplementary heat to gas furnaces so hopefully, I am not going to be on the hook for an expensive repair soon. I’ll do some reading on how to inspect it and test it. Wondering if the refractory combustion system does fail, how will i know and what worse damage can that cause.
Thanks
Paul

 

[begreen]

When the refractory system starts failing the stove behavior will become erratic and either hard to control or it may become prone to balky behavior with frequent puffbacks. Given the supplemental use it may be worth a rebuild, but the parts are pricey. It's a shame because the castings and look of the stove are very nice.