Seriously considering the Hearthstone Manchester wood stove

[BrotherBart]

Yeah it looks like the stove was designed for max surface area and convection too.

 

[begreen]

When someone has the stove top up to 600F could you try holding a sheet of paper or toilet paper in front of those convection slots? I wouldn't be surprised it if didn't need a blower to move that paper aggressively.

 

[Papa-Yankee-Romeo-Oscar]

A pic under the Manchester top:

 

[begreen]

Yep those are heat exchanger fins. I have seen them on a few undersides of stove tops, but not on top like that. It should boost convection quite a lot. They need to put a left and right hole in the top that would allow you to view a small 2" dial thermometer if it was on the back flat area of the stove top.

 

[Papa-Yankee-Romeo-Oscar]

There are holes directly above the fins of the exchanger. If you put a thermometer behind the fins on the flat area I think you would be able to see it if you look at an angle.

 

[begreen]

Hmm, I would be thinking a metal hole saw. , but let's see how that works for you.

 

[Woody Stover]

There are holes directly above the fins of the exchanger. If you put a thermometer behind the fins on the flat area I think you would be able to see it if you look at an angle.

I've got a mini flashlight on the mantle that I use to see my flue thermo, which sits back on the tee inside the fireplace. You may have to paint the pointer white and face the top of the dial forward, but it might work....

 

[Holiday]

What about putting it in that opening that can be seen from the front? That's where I have it on my stove.

 

[Wise Guy]

Wise Guy, I had a few of the same thoughts you have. I haven't fired mine yet, I will finish up with the chimney pipe today and it will be ready for that whenever I have time. Talmadge PA, huh? I worked out there for almost a year at the old Stoltzfus Quarry (I worked for ICM for a year and a half, now back at AAM) if you are familiar with the place at all

D8Chumley: Yes, I know where the old Stoltzfus quarry is. Talmage is a quiet place to live. and we love it.

BrotherBart: yes, the main reasons we bought this stove, the cast iron construction/soap stone lining and firebox size, are indeed getting the job done, but that was on a rather timid fall evening. The real test is coming this winter.

Woody Stover: FWIW, I attached the thermometer to the stove pipe about six inches from the top of the stove. During the initial firing, I never got the temperature above 450..I couldn't stand much more than that, and I doubt I'll ever run it much more than 600

I do have a question, one I couldn't get an answer to before I bought this stove. Does anyone know how this stove, the Manchester by Hearthstone, is constructed? Will I need to be concerned with re-constructing the joints in a few years?

 

[Wise Guy]

D8Chumley: Yes, I know where the old Stoltzfus quarry is. Talmage is a quiet place to live. and we love it.

BrotherBart: yes, the main reasons we bought this stove, the cast iron construction/soap stone lining and firebox size, are indeed getting the job done, but that was on a rather timid fall evening. The real test is coming this winter.

Woody Stover: FWIW, I attached the thermometer to the stove pipe about six inches from the top of the stove. During the initial firing, I never got the temperature above 450..I couldn't stand much more than that, and I doubt I'll ever run it much more than 600

I do have a question, one I couldn't get an answer to before I bought this stove. Does anyone know how this stove, the Manchester by Hearthstone, is constructed? Will I need to be concerned with re-constructing the joints in a few years?

Oops forgot to mention this: I noticed that the air control lever would not move after the initial firing. It moved before the initial firing and during the initial firing, but when I woke up, and went to start a second fire, I noticed that I could not move the air control lever. That got me concerned. Any thoughts?

 

[BrotherBart]

Yep. A concern. Dealer needs to fix that.

Move that thermometer up to around 18" - 24" from the stove top and figure on holding it under about five hundred on hot reloads and start ups. After the load settles in it will come down to the 250-350 range for cruising with good dry wood.

As to construction an iron stove will need to be a rebuilt around ten years, burned correctly. That stove is probably constructed with gasket material instead of furnace cement in the joints which could both maybe give a longer rebuild time and also make a rebuild a breeze compared to a cemented stove.

 

[D8Chumley]

Yep. A concern. Dealer needs to fix that.

Move that thermometer up to around 18" - 24" from the stove top and figure on holding it under about five hundred on hot reloads and start ups. After the load settles in it will come down to the 250-350 range for cruising with good dry wood.

The manual suggested no more than a foot

 

[Papa-Yankee-Romeo-Oscar]

Oops forgot to mention this: I noticed that the air control lever would not move after the initial firing. It moved before the initial firing and during the initial firing, but when I woke up, and went to start a second fire, I noticed that I could not move the air control lever. That got me concerned. Any thoughts?

I'm having a little issue with my air control as well. After the first fire it's much harder to move and seems to get stuck at the midway point.

UPDATE: My air control is now working great. It seems that it was just a temporary product of the break in fire. I've had it hot and cold a couple times since without a single problem.

 

[Wise Guy]

I'm having a little issue with my air control as well. After the first fire it's much harder to move and seems to get stuck at the midway point.

UPDATE: My air control is now working great. It seems that it was just a temporary product of the break in fire. I've had it hot and cold a couple times since without a single problem.

I have not used my Manchester wood stove since that initial start up fire. Temps here in south-central Pennsylvania have been in the mid-70s. I can say that I can move the lever. I'll have to see how things go. I am encouraged that the problem may be isolated to the initial firing of the stove.

 

[D8Chumley]

I burned mine for about 8 hrs yesterday afternoon and into the evening. Down in the low 40s this morning. Didn't load it up before bed but damped it down and there were still coals this morning. No issue with the air control lever so far. It had no problem cruising at 375-400 with maybe 2/3 to 1/2 air. Had all the windows open and it was still hot in there. Love this thing so far

 

[izzyq]

I'm getting excited to get this stove. Work has started on the hearth and back wall and we will be ordering the stove this week. Still can't decide whether to go with the brown enamel or the matt black. Decisions, decisions...

 

[Woody Stover]

I'm getting excited to get this stove. Work has started on the hearth and back wall and we will be ordering the stove this week. Still can't decide whether to go with the brown enamel or the matt black. Decisions, decisions...

They had a brown in the shop last fall, that thing looked great! I stopped in the other day and they've sold that one. The man said they'll be getting another one soon but wasn't sure if it was brown or black....
Yeah, I'm excited about it too and I'm not even in the market for a stove! But if this stove is as good as it looks, I may try to get my buddy to buy one so I can play with it.

 

[Wise Guy]

As temps fell through the 50s last evening and into the 40s, and with our 100+ yr old house feeling a little on the chilly side (the lone thermostat read 64 degrees), I decided to crank up the Manchester. I burned it from about 7pm till 11pm. The temps slowly rose, but by 11pm the thermostat read 76 degrees. When I woke up at 630, the stove felt similar to holding a hot cup of coffee, and the house too felt warm as the temps fell to 71. There were enough embers in the fire box that I am certain I could have gotten a fire started without newspaper and using only firewood. Ok, maybe a little kindling would have helped. As for the air control lever, it stiffened up again during the fire, but when I got up, I was able to move it again without any trouble. I love the efficiency of this stove!

 

[Wise Guy]

I have a few questions that I hope you folks won't mind addressing.

First, Izzyq, I am wondering if the comments made here by so many have been helpful to you? Have you made a decision? This week, as temps have fallen in Pennsylvania, I have had the opportunity to burn wood in the "Manny," as Woody Stover calls it. I've been thinking about posting a short video of the Manny in action. You and others might find that helpful. I'm thinking of focusing on the re-burn and what smoke there is out the chimney. When I first wrote to you, I explained what I think are some pros/cons about the Manny. I can add another con: too much smoke escapes out of the front door when opened for reloading. The manual states, "When opening the front door to reload or rearrange logs, it is advisable to open the door just a crack, pause for a moment then open the door completely....In addition, reloading on a bed of hot, red coals reduces smoking time..." I have found that the operative word in all of this is the word, "reduces." Yes, following this method "reduces smoking time," but it doesn't eliminate the smoking time. I don't want to see any smoke escape. I haven't been able to open the door without smoke escaping into my living room. That rarely happened with that old steel construction Haughs stove I inherited from my grandparents. I can say that I don't see that problem when I open the side door. Guess which one I try not to use

Second, Brother Bart, you say, "an iron stove will need to be a rebuilt around ten years, burned correctly." What do the words "burned correctly" mean? I guess this ultimately gets back to that issue of over-firing. No where can I find what that actually means. The nebulous sentence in the manual that reads, "Over-firing means the stove is operating at temperatures above normal temperatures," is about as helpful as is your sentence. I can't ask the writers of the Manchester manual to explain what "normal temperatures" are, but I can ask what you mean by "burned correctly." Please explain.

Third, D8Chumley, you say in reference to the placement of a thermometer, "The manual suggested no more than a foot" (from the top of the stove?) Where, what page does it say that? I can't find any reference to where to place a thermometer. Perhaps you can help. Where are you measuring the temperature of the stove?

Fourth, PYRO, alias Papa-Yankee-Romeo-Oscar, thanks for supplying those pictures of the top of the Manchester. I could place a thermometer there on the top of the stove under the convective top, but at this point that wouldn't be easy. How'd you get that convective top off? And perhaps you can help me figure out how to get that back plate off too. (not that I want to remove it permanently, but when it comes to moving this 515 pound beast, I could remove those pieces in addition to the 50 lbs of soapstone lining to lighten up the load. Izzyq might like to know how to do this too, especially if she is moving it herself. This brings me to my last question. Have you taken the Manchester apart? Perhaps you would have a very clear idea of how this stove is constructed. I still want to know what I am up against in terms of the short-term and long-term maintenance of this stove. Changing the three door gaskets is one thing: resealing all the many internal joints is another. The manual only mentions replacing the door gaskets, but says nothing about the internal joints that apparently will also need to be reconstructed at some point during its lifetime (10-15-20-more yrs?) of service.

Thanks in advance for your assistance with these questions.

 

[Woody Stover]

the "Manny," as Woody Stover calls it.

Please excuse the misnomer on my part; The "Manny" nickname had already been reserved for Hearthstone Mansfield, so it's gotta be the "Manchy." I hereby dub you The Man of LaManchy.

 

[Papa-Yankee-Romeo-Oscar]

Wise Guy, I had considered putting a thermometer under the top plate but instead I've been using an infrared temp gun to get my stovetop temps, I just shoot it down through one of the holes.

To get the top off there is a bolt at each end of the stove. If you look directly above and to the inside of the side door handle you should find one, the other is in the same place at the other end of the stove. Once these are out the top should lift right off and after the top is off the back panel comes off by sliding it upward, you'll have to finagle it around a bit to get it up and out past the rear flu outlet. Both of these panels removed definitely takes a good chunk of weight off of the stove. I haven't had it any further apart than this, I only had to remove these panels in order to install the blower but once I had them off I left them off until I had the stove in place.I just left the bolts out of my top so I don't have to deal with them down the road when I decide to clean underneath the top.

I myself haven't had any issues with smoke coming out either door during reloads but that could be due to me being in a rather drafty 100+ year old farmhouse and having a 28' flu, my chimney draws very well.

 

[Papa-Yankee-Romeo-Oscar]

Please excuse the misnomer on my part; The "Manny" nickname had already been reserved for Hearthstone Mansfield, so it's gotta be the "Manchy." I hereby dub you The Man of LaManchy.

Or maybe Chester....

 

[Woody Stover]

Or maybe Chester....

Oh yeah, I like that!

 

[Wise Guy]

Oh yeah, I like that!

If the word West is added to Chester, you'll peg my childhood neighborhood. Perhaps D8Chumley knows where that is. But the sound of LaManchy of West Chester has no appeal at all. I was once dubbed Sir Edward of Nottingham, Purple Knight of the Green Forest, so need for anymore dubbing.

 

[D8Chumley]

If the word West is added to Chester, you'll peg my childhood neighborhood. Perhaps D8Chumley knows where that is. But the sound of LaManchy of West Chester has no appeal at all. I was once dubbed Sir Edward of Nottingham, Purple Knight of the Green Forest, so need for anymore dubbing.

That I do, about 1/2 hour South of me. The 12" above the top of stove on the stack thermometer is on p. 27, 2nd paragraph of the owners manual in the troubleshooting section
Edit: I load mine from the side, no smoke into the house