Trying to pick a good, small cat insert......
- Thread starter woodgeek
- Start date
-
Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.
We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.
We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil. -
Super Cedar firestarters 30% discount Use code Hearth2024 Click here
Finished product, installed.
![[Hearth.com] Trying to pick a good, small cat insert......](https://www.hearth.com/talk/data/attachments/278/278490-1c9101812340e3c2287418dec76044aa.jpg?hash=2l_Ud49Kej "[Hearth.com] Trying to pick a good, small cat insert......")
Mantel decoration:
![[Hearth.com] Trying to pick a good, small cat insert......](https://www.hearth.com/talk/data/attachments/278/278491-075bf8c886e399cb4da2adeb4cffc5c7.jpg?hash=Omm26lzcLE "[Hearth.com] Trying to pick a good, small cat insert......")
Mantel decoration:
Last edited:
Looks good, even if you were crabby when putting up the mantel.
SpaceBus
Minister of Fire
I like your decorations. Are you a biologist or do you just really love horseshoe "crabs"?
BKVP
Minister of Fire
We used to do the same in Orleans. (Home of the first Howard Johnsons)We summer on Cape Cod, and its a running gag in my family.
Did a progression of three, small medium and large burns yesterday to cure the paint. Started very small (three biobricks looking lonely in 3 cu ft) just to dry out the cement on the liner adapter.
First impression: I feel like a time traveller going from a 1980-ish stove to a 2020 model!
--My previous stove did not HAVE secondaries. I see how they work now, as described frequently around here.
--I turned down the primary air when the fire was small, as an expt, and it promptly went out! LOL. Got it going again.
--The primary wide open on this stove is like the air turned to 'hottest burn' on my old stove. On the FPX, the flames look a little 'smoulderey' to my eyes with the primary wide open (pushed in). But that unburned gas and smoke just feeds the secondary. Basically, if the flames in my old stove looked the way 'primary open' looks here, I would've either left it alone (if it was hot) or give it a bit more air.
The above makes perfect sense given how EPA stoves work, if you give it too much primary air, you lose efficiency, so that limit is built in. And the secondaries are always on, to clean up the burn no matter how you adjust the primary (if its up to temp).
--The snap disk clicked on even for the small fire where the front was just warm to the touch. And stayed on 10 hours after a full load. Perfect
--The blower is quite quiet unless you are near the maximum, which I don't think I will need. And super quiet at low speeds. Perfect.
--I had some smoke spillage on the smallest fire, but the temp outdoors was higher than indoors at that time... wasn't a problem at all later.
--The stove throws noticeably more heat for the wood load, and for longer, than the old stove. I think I estimated that the old one, with the air carefully adjusted was giving me something like 45-50% eff. So this make sense if the new stove is closer to 70-75%.
--Even after close to a full burn (to cure the paint), the wood facing at the closest clearance was just warm to the touch (like ~100°F), not hot. The brick facing was hot, but not scalding (~125°F), the metal surround was scalding. Can you tell I've misplaced my IR thermo?
All in all VERY pleased. Total job cost was ~$6600 for stove, venting, installation and the hearthstone (which I installed myself). Shocking, but houses are never cheap. Couldn't have sold the house with the old stove, and an all electric, no gas service house IMO needs a proper heat backup.
First impression: I feel like a time traveller going from a 1980-ish stove to a 2020 model!
--My previous stove did not HAVE secondaries. I see how they work now, as described frequently around here.
--I turned down the primary air when the fire was small, as an expt, and it promptly went out! LOL. Got it going again.
--The primary wide open on this stove is like the air turned to 'hottest burn' on my old stove. On the FPX, the flames look a little 'smoulderey' to my eyes with the primary wide open (pushed in). But that unburned gas and smoke just feeds the secondary. Basically, if the flames in my old stove looked the way 'primary open' looks here, I would've either left it alone (if it was hot) or give it a bit more air.
The above makes perfect sense given how EPA stoves work, if you give it too much primary air, you lose efficiency, so that limit is built in. And the secondaries are always on, to clean up the burn no matter how you adjust the primary (if its up to temp).
--The snap disk clicked on even for the small fire where the front was just warm to the touch. And stayed on 10 hours after a full load. Perfect
--The blower is quite quiet unless you are near the maximum, which I don't think I will need. And super quiet at low speeds. Perfect.
--I had some smoke spillage on the smallest fire, but the temp outdoors was higher than indoors at that time... wasn't a problem at all later.
--The stove throws noticeably more heat for the wood load, and for longer, than the old stove. I think I estimated that the old one, with the air carefully adjusted was giving me something like 45-50% eff. So this make sense if the new stove is closer to 70-75%.
--Even after close to a full burn (to cure the paint), the wood facing at the closest clearance was just warm to the touch (like ~100°F), not hot. The brick facing was hot, but not scalding (~125°F), the metal surround was scalding. Can you tell I've misplaced my IR thermo?
All in all VERY pleased. Total job cost was ~$6600 for stove, venting, installation and the hearthstone (which I installed myself). Shocking, but houses are never cheap. Couldn't have sold the house with the old stove, and an all electric, no gas service house IMO needs a proper heat backup.
brenndatomu
Minister of Fire
I'm sure there is air being pulled through the secondary tubes all the time, but since air will always take the path of least resistance, when the primary air is open that is the shortest/least convoluted path, so it will be the bulk of the air percentage wise...then that slowly shifts as you close the primary down...I'm sure different stoves have different ratios, but I'd guess once the primary is "closed", the ratio is something like 25% primary, 75% secondary.
brenndatomu
Minister of Fire
Oh, and looks great...sounds like you actually had a competent installer too! 
SpaceBus
Minister of Fire
That's really the most amazing part.Oh, and looks great...sounds like you actually had a competent installer too!
Similar threads
