Newbie with a brand new Pacific Energy Spectrum

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woodsprite

New Member
Hearth Supporter
Nov 14, 2009
27
sudbury, ontario
Hello everyone...LOVE the forum! Been doing lots of reading and trying to educate myself on all the ins and outs of wood burning. Absolutely obsessed with my stove - so happy to be here with like-minded people (my friends just don't get my inordinate pride over my wood pile! lol!) I had been heating with a wood pellet stove for the past couple of years, but I'm a single mom and was finding the bags pretty heavy and also wanted the beauty of a more traditional wood fire, so I took the plunge and bought a brand new pacific energy spectrum (the freestanding parlor model). Am really enjoying the stove, think I have the basics figured out...no problems getting a nice fire going thanks to the top down method (I must look at that stack thermometer a thousand times a day!) but am looking forward to getting to the point where I can achieve some longer burn times. Would love any tips Spectrum owners could share...haven't quite worked up my nerve to attempt an overnight fire just yet, but it's getting colder and I'm going to have to get past that hurdle soon, so any advice would be greatly appreciated! So far I've only been able to burn dry cedar (burns really fast, I've discovered!) or poplar, but have some birch coming in a week or so. Thanks in advance! :)
 
No pic's no advice. :coolsmirk:
 
woodsprite,

My PE Spectrum is also new this year. You seem to have conquered the skill of starting a fire. Now check your owner's manual for helpful tips about efficient burning after the fire is started.

I am not certain there is a precise definition of "overnight burn" but here is how I achieve my understanding of what it means: About 1-2 hours before going to bed I get a good fire going. The stove air intake is then moved to "low" and immediately opened about 1/8. I let this fire burn down to red coals. I then gather 3-4, five or six inch rounds and set them in front of the stove. Next, I open the air control to the "high" position and load the 3-4 rounds. Close the door and leave the air control in the "high" setting for about ten to twenty minutes (the time will depend on the species and dryness of the wood). Once a good burn gets going and all the wood is on fire (you will know it when you see it), close the air control to about half. Leave the control in this position for five or ten minutes and you will then have a very hot fire going. Turn the air control to "low" and immediately open it about 1/8. Make certain the stove door is tightly closed. Refill the stove top steamer with water. Go to bed. Get a good night's sleep.

In the morning I turn on the coffee pot first, then check the Spectrum. Refill the stovetop steamer. There will almost always be enough hot coals in the stove to start a new fire using only paper and kindling. Sometimes I use only kindling; sometimes paper and kindling; sometimes paper, kindling. and a match. The amount of hot coals determines which method I use. I call it an "overnight burn" when I can start a new fire using only paper and kindling. Sometimes I will "cheat" and use a match to start the morning fire when the fire would start without it. The match just makes it faster with less smoldering. I call it an overnight burn anyway just because I want to. It's a guy thing.

Last night I followed this process and for the first time intentionally left the air control in the "low" position and didn't open it the 1/8 th I normally do. I have the best ever hot coals this morning and could easily have started a new fire with only kindling. Because the house temp is 70 deg Fahrenheit this morning I will not start a new fire until the house temp drops below 65 deg - sometime this afternoon. I will probably continue to use this new method (don't open the air 1/8) for the next few overnight burns to determine how successful it really is.

Hope all this helps a little and good luck with your new Spectrum.

John_M
 
Thank you so much for your awesome reply! That is exactly what I was hoping for - advice from someone with the same stove. Do you think your method would work with splits? My rounds don't seem to be burning very well. Also, a lot of people talk about loading E/W for overnight burn but a lot of my pieces don't fit the stove that way...they need to go N/S. Does that make a difference?

Oh, and pics to be coming soon! :)
 
woodsprite,

Given two pieces of wood of the same species, size and dryness, a round will burn a little longer than a split. The size of the log is more important than whether it is round or split. A large split would be my choice over a medium round. If your rounds are not burning very well it is probably because they are not yet fully seasoned. The Spectrum was engineerd to burn in the N/S direction so I would stick with the engineers' intentions. I believe the owner's manual also states the wood should be loaded in a N/S direction. Fresh air enters the stove from under the front door so I would speculate this air will flow through the wood more effectively when the wood is loaded parallel to the flow of air. Give it try loading E/W to see if you can detect a significant difference.

Best wishes,

John_M
 
Environment Canada has a video that does a good job of explaining the technology used in the new stoves.
They show a N/S fire and an E/W fire -- and explain when to use them, advantages etc.
I saw a post with the EC video link on it while looking through the forum tonight. Can't find it again, but it's there!
I ran a PE Spectrum for a couple of years with generally good results. Fairly easy to get overnight burns and it puts out lots of heat!
 
woodsprite said:
Hello everyone...LOVE the forum! Been doing lots of reading and trying to educate myself on all the ins and outs of wood burning. Absolutely obsessed with my stove - so happy to be here with like-minded people (my friends just don't get my inordinate pride over my wood pile! lol!) I had been heating with a wood pellet stove for the past couple of years, but I'm a single mom and was finding the bags pretty heavy and also wanted the beauty of a more traditional wood fire, so I took the plunge and bought a brand new pacific energy spectrum (the freestanding parlor model). Am really enjoying the stove, think I have the basics figured out...no problems getting a nice fire going thanks to the top down method (I must look at that stack thermometer a thousand times a day!) but am looking forward to getting to the point where I can achieve some longer burn times. Would love any tips Spectrum owners could share...haven't quite worked up my nerve to attempt an overnight fire just yet, but it's getting colder and I'm going to have to get past that hurdle soon, so any advice would be greatly appreciated! So far I've only been able to burn dry cedar (burns really fast, I've discovered!) or poplar, but have some birch coming in a week or so. Thanks in advance! :)


Just load it up, let char for 10 or 15 minutes and close the vent.
 
nelraq, are you referring to the famous Vanessa video? Yes, I've seen it. :) So glad to hear that you had good results with the same stove. One thing I am noticing is if I close my damper all the way I will lose the flames in my fire...I have to keep it open just a bit. Mind you, that could be my wood as well. I'm hoping once there are colder temps outside and I have my good hardwood it'll make all the difference. Just for clarification, once the wood is glowing orange, it produces very little creosote, right? A smoldering piece of wood would be not burning and throwing smoke? John_M, I did read the manual...very limited info in there...I'm going to look it over again today in case I missed something. Thanks so much for the replies, everyone, having advice from people with experience with the exact same stove is so helpful!
 
woodsprite said:
nelraq, are you referring to the famous Vanessa video? Yes, I've seen it. :) So glad to hear that you had good results with the same stove. One thing I am noticing is if I close my damper all the way I will lose the flames in my fire...I have to keep it open just a bit. Mind you, that could be my wood as well. I'm hoping once there are colder temps outside and I have my good hardwood it'll make all the difference. Just for clarification, once the wood is glowing orange, it produces very little creosote, right? A smoldering piece of wood would be not burning and throwing smoke? John_M, I did read the manual...very limited info in there...I'm going to look it over again today in case I missed something. Thanks so much for the replies, everyone, having advice from people with experience with the exact same stove is so helpful!

It is

You should be able to shut the vent all the way down on a well establish fire without loosing flames
 
Should have an answer to whether it is the wood or not sooner than I thought...four cords of kiln dried birch getting delivered tomorrow...looks like I know how I am spending my sunday afternoon! lol I'm really excited to try and see how I do with this new wood.
 
woodsprite, Do you have an Outside Air Kit feeding fresh air to your stove? I have one feeding mine and I am convinced the stove breathes easier with one than without one. This question IS NOT intended to start a never ending debate re: outside air vs inside air and I will not participate in such a debate.

John_M
 
I really don't know...I had it professionally installed from the dealer here in town and just let them do their thing...they do have to return to install the blower (it didn't show on the purchase order so they didn't have it with them), so I will ask them then.
 
Have a Pacific Energy Stove and we could not be happier with it. We are heating a 2000 sq. ft ranch and wondered if having ceiling fans is enough to move the heat around. Clockwise or counter clockwise?? The stove puts out sufficient heat and seems to burn efficiently but want to get the heat to circulate throughout the rooms better rather than the heat staying mostly in the front rooms.

Thank you.
 
Murphy, please describe the stove room size and height and the floorplan of the house. Is it an open floor plan, stove in the center or a ranch with the stove off at one end?
 
I dont have a Spectrum but do have a Super 27. I would think they are comperable on how they work. To get an overnight burn, I start preparing a couple hours before going to bed by letting the wood burn down to coals. I then put all the wood I can fit into the stove and open the air fully. I let it burn about 5 minutes, maybe more, then turn it to half way for about 5 minutes, then I shut her down all the way. I wake up 8-9 hours later and have a huge bed of coals and the stove temp is usually around 300. No need for kindling, I can put any size log I want and it'll start right up...
Love my Pacific Energy...
 
Well, I am happy to report that I am now a member of the overnight burn club...and I am love, love, loving my stove even more than I was before!
 
Murphy, My Spectrum is also a terrific heater. Each day provides greater pleasures than the previous. It ranks as one of my smartest purchases ever.

Stove is on an elevated hearth against a rear exterior wall and centered under the cathedral ceiling. Moving warm air from the great room w/ cathedral ceiling (13') to the bedrooms is a subject I tackled for two months and finally gave up. Here is what I tried without much success: 1) Two ceiling fans were configured in all configurations. Both fans blowing down, both fans blowing up, and both fans blowing in opposite directions using three same speeds and three different speeds on both fans. I finally settled on both fans blowing down on the lowest speed which is how they are now turning. The fans do not run 24/7. I might turn them on for ten minutes - then off for two hours. This on/off varies during the day but they are left on all night; 2) Purchased an excellent Vornado brand of fan/circulator (three speed and three angle floor model) and used it in every configuration and speed and in different locations. Tried blowing cold air out of the bedrooms into the stove room and all that did was create a cool draft in the hallway. Tried blowing warm air from the stove room into the bedrooms and all that accomplished was to create cool drafts in the hallway.

My next effort will be to cut a hole in a bedroom closet wall which is shared on the other side by kitchen cabinets. Install two small but powerful and quiet 120 volt computer fans into a custom bracket for the wall cutout. These fans will be mounted high on the closet wall which will place them above the kitchen cabinets. These will exhaust cold air from the bedroom into the stove room and should establish a circulation pattern of drawing warm air from the stove room down a hallway into the bedroom closet. There is enough clearence (about 1") under the closet door that it might not have to be left open for air to circulate. These fans could possibly be run 24/7 with the closet door closed and not interfere with sleep. This project will require adding another electric circuit w/switch for the small fans and some sheetrock work. I might do this in conjunction with additional fluorescent lights I want to add in my basement workshop. A few other projects are higher on the current priority list.


Using computer fans to move the air should work handsomely and solve the circulation problem. However, easy solutions were tried first, hoping they would work. My efforts were well planned and executed but unsuccessful.

Good luck with your efforts.

John_M
 
Woodsprite, Kudos for your success and welcome to the overnight burn club. Seasoned wood and a good stove on a wintery night make life quite grand, eh!

John_M
 
You said it, John_M! I honestly can't remember when I've felt so comfortable in my home...and interestingly, I am enjoying the winter weather so much more now that I'm thoroughly heated before the cold air hits me! Now the weather outside just feels refreshing. Such an amazing difference! And I agree with you completely...my pacific energy stove is one of the smartest purchases I've ever made.
 
I dont have a Spectrum but do have a Super 27. I would think they are comperable on how they work.

Pacific Energy actually has six models that use the same "Super Series" firebox:

The Super 27: Metallic black painted on pedestal or optional legs; ash drawer optional
The Super Step Top: A Super 27 with a 2-level top plate; ash drawer optional
The Spectrum: Porcelain finish on a pedestal; ash drawer standard
The Spectrum Classic: Porcelain finish on legs; ash drawer standard
The Fusion: Euro-style outer shell with curved front in metallic black or stainless steel; ash drawer standard
The Alderlea T5: Metallic black painted cast iron outer shell with legs and waycool trivet top; ash drawer standard

This firebox, dubbed "the best wood-burning engine ever built" at a national Hearth Products Association meeting awhile back (by the president of a competing company), is the flagship of PE's product lineup. The green Spectrum that heats my house is about to turn 17 years old, and still holds a fire all day while we're at work and all night when we're asleep, every day. I'm a little fanatical about changing the gasketing, but the rest of the stove is all original, including the firebrick.
 
Tom,
On your website you have a statement "Pacific Energy Super Series wood stoves sustained the longest burn time on one load of fuel among 61 models tested" but no reference to the test. Are you able to link to or tell us more about the actual test?

Thanks
 
I've had my PE Fusion since Spring and I've found the East/West allows me and my softwood spruce/poplar (if I'm luck white birch) an overnight burn. By overnight I mean 8-9 hours and just enough to start a fire with no kindling (stovetop temp is around 175F). With N/S burning on softwood I get skunked trying for overnights with my softwood. It can happen but I feel more confident when I'm able to load E/W.

Yesterday/today the winds are gusting to 65 km/h and at -7C the fusion is earning its pay. It's so windy my front door blew off the hinges (storm door) when I wasn't careful taking wood in yesterday. Being on the north shore of a VERY windy Island makes me lament the fact hat my stove is at the south end of the house.
 
Tom,
On your website you have a statement “Pacific Energy Super Series wood stoves sustained the longest burn time on one load of fuel among 61 models tested” but no reference to the test. Are you able to link to or tell us more about the actual test?

Hi Carinya,

Our test was the real world kind, not the laboratory kind. Here's the story:

When we first opened our stove shop, the wood stove was the only source of heat in the building. We had a seemingly endless supply of White Birch, Maple and Doug Fir from our friends at Dean's Tree Service, so that's what we burned. The problem was, even though we crammed the firebox as full as we could, whatever stove we were burning was always burned out when we came back to open up the next morning. Since it is hard to sell heating appliances in a cold showroom, this was a big problem. In Winter months, one of us would have to come down 2 or 3 hours early to light the fire. So, we kept trying different models to get the longest possible burn (and we're still trying new models as they come along, over 30 years later).

The exact list of the earlier models we burned is stored away in pre-computer paperwork somewhere, but I can still conjure up memories of every one of them.

There were models from Nor'Wester, Sierra, Washington Stove Works, Consolidated Dutchwest, Sweet Home (Fir, Grand Fir), Fisher (Papa and Grandpa), Schrader (2 models), Morso (1125, 1BO), Jotul (#4, Combi-fire), Alaska Kodiak, Everest, Woodland, Frontier Large, Frontier Box, Vermont Castings Vigilant and Defiant, Geomid, Sphero-Stove (it was round), Glacier Bay, Timberline, Earth Stove (one cat and two non-cats), Orley, The Stack Vista, Arrow, Austroflamme, Osburne, The Kent Tile Fire and Sherwood models (these held the record until the PE's came along), the Schooner stove, four different Hearthstone models, Russo, Little Scott, Woodstock Soapstone (the original), Amity, Trolla, two Avalons (995 and 1190), Dovre, Efel, BIS 2100, Mendota Hearth, The Elmira Stoveworks Peanut, The Wild Oak, The Round Oak, Petit Godin (lg round, lg oval), Pacific Energy (Super 27, Summit, Alderlea T6), and Waterford (Emerald & Erin).

All of these models advertised they'd heat 1500+ sq.ft., and all advertised an all-night burn. Many date back to before-EPA days, and those had the advantage of draft controls that could be turned WAY down. A few had catalytic converters. Some had larger models available, so we tried those. A couple had fireboxes as large as 4 cu.ft! Some of the soapstone models were still warm to the touch, but, aside from an occasional lucky burn, we still had to start a fresh fire in a cold showroom every morning.

Until we burned our first Pacific Energy model, which is now known as the Super 27. Twelve hours after stoking the fire and locking up, we returned to find the chill off in the showroom, and live coals in the firebox. This was not a fluke, it happened every single day. So, I put one in my house, and have had the same experience for going on 17 years.

I should mention that we had a similar experience with the PE Summit and Alderlea T6 models, but these hold a lot more wood, so the Super retains the record.
 
That's a great story, Tom. Thanks for sharing that with us. It's nice to get kernels of knowledge and experience like that from someone that's been in the business for many years. If we know where we've been, it is often easier to know where we're going.
 
Happy to say that I know where at least one test model ended up. :)
 
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