Summit insert took off!!

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James02

Feeling the Heat
Aug 18, 2011
415
N.Y.S.
Soooo, I had guests over the other night and didnt want to fuss with the stove much...So I packed it more than I normally would....Got the air down quick for a slow long burn....Some time went by (can't be real specific, I blame the Bourbon) and I noticed the entire box was fully engulfed, stove at 750 according to the thermo...I know folks rin it hot like that, but I never have...Where did I go wrong???
 
Where/how were you measuring the temp on an insert? Search for some threads on Summit insert temperature monitoring to compare your temps to others with the same unit.

Otherwise, seems pretty normal for dry wood.

The amount,split size, type of wood and moisture content affect BTU output
 
They were good sized....It's that dang dry oak, and I believe I had some BL....Put some bark on top just to fill the box more.
 
Happens with my full N/S overnight loads with large splits often. The front part of the load gets the firebox up to temp and then after the back end of the splits get dried out they start off gassing. Doesn't last a long time but can get exciting with strong draft.
 
Happens with my full N/S overnight loads with large splits often. The front part of the load gets the firebox up to temp and then after the back end of the splits get dried out they start off gassing. Doesn't last a long time but can get exciting with strong draft.
Ditto,
Does not seem like you did anything wrong. Try cutting the air back sooner.
 
I have 2 thermos, one on each side at the top....I did do N/S....I generally do E/W, bit the splits were a bit too large to burn that way...If you folks say it's ok, then I wont worry...Tks!
 
No matter when you cut the air back, it is going to offgas at some point, sooner or later. Just depends on how long it takes to get to that point. You can't avoid that with a packed stove. Relax, enjoy.
 
Yeah mine does it around a half hour into the burn. Sometimes I am setting up the coffee pot and look over at the stove saying "OK. Do it and get over it so I can go to bed.".
 
I was always worried about packing the stove, well really I just don't have the room for that much wood. If I had the room I would get the outstanding Summit burn times. I didn't notice if the top was glowing...At this point, it's too late anyhow.
 
I've never burned a full load of BL, but when I had a couple of splits in with a load it seemed like the stove got a little hotter than usual...
 
So if you crammed it with black locust, small splits etc, It could melt your face if you got to close to it...

Highjack alert: I was lucky to score 6 cords of black locust - and if I could, would only burn black locust. Burns hot, leaves very little ash, and seems to season very quickly. And typically I only put three very large splits in and shut it down fairly early.
 
We had some larger blooms as I was learning the stove. A couple burns got close to 750F but it wasn't time to panic. The stove took it in stride without issue. Mostly I was concerned about excess wood consumption. As a result I blocked off the (old style) EBT and slightly reduced the air intake opening. Since then the stove has been a pussycat to run. Like BB's 30NC, N/S loads in the T6 will burn hotter and faster than E/W loads.
 
We had some larger blooms as I was learning the stove. A couple burns got close to 750F but it wasn't time to panic. The stove took it in stride without issue. Mostly I was concerned about excess wood consumption. As a result I blocked off the (old style) EBT and slightly reduced the air intake opening. Since then the stove has been a pussycat to run. Like BB's 30NC, N/S loads in the T6 will burn hotter and faster than E/W loads.
What temps do you see with a E/W load mine are less then N/S load?
 
We're still having mild weather so I like to get it cruising around 5-600 for the initial burn. This is with softwood. I stoked the stove 7 hrs ago with a 3/4 full E/W load. The stove top is still at 300F and the living room is at 72F. I'll probably refill sometime around 5-6pm tonight.
 
We're still having mild weather so I like to get it cruising around 5-600 for the initial burn. This is with softwood. I stoked the stove 7 hrs ago with a 3/4 full E/W load. The stove top is still at 300F and the living room is at 72F. I'll probably refill sometime around 5-6pm tonight.
Thank you begreen 500 to 600 is what i see also.

But with a N/S load i have seen 750 before.
 
It can happen, hopefully not too frequently. The main thing is to remain calm and turn on the blower if necessary.
 
It can happen, hopefully not too frequently. The main thing is to remain calm and turn on the blower if necessary.
Yeah installed a pipe damper for when i need to put the brakes on the stove. During a normal burn i leave it open.
 
James.. Burning Locust right now and man its a hot burning wood ;)

I had to cut the draft down a touch for sure.

loon

Picture2172.jpg
 
I love burning locust, but it has to be cooler than current temps.
 
Hotter than expected burns happen to me every time I load up on top of an already hot burning fire. I blame the misnamed EBT for this, it opens when it gets hot and adds more primary combustion air when I want less air instead of more. Pay attention to what begreen said in Post #13 about blocking off the EBT port. although getting to it can be lots of fun with a floor mounted insert.
 
Hotter than expected burns happen to me every time I load up on top of an already hot burning fire. I blame the misnamed EBT for this, it opens when it gets hot and adds more primary combustion air when I want less air instead of more. Pay attention to what begreen said in Post #13 about blocking off the EBT port. although getting to it can be lots of fun with a floor mounted insert.

If you already have a hot fire going, and your loading more fuel onto that, then that is a problem right there. Reloading should not be happening until there is some colas on the floor of the insert ready for a fresh load. Can't exactly blame the EBT for the stove going nuclear after loading prematurely.
 
Yes, I can blame the EBT for allowing an excess of air into a supposedly controlled environment regardless of fuel supply causing elevated temperatures and short burn times. Quoted from "Operating Tips", page 18 of my Summit Series A operating manual:
"3. If a slow burn is desired, set the air control to low. Active secondary burning should be present above the wood load. If it is not present or goes out shortly after, proper operating temperature has not been reached and the stove needs additional warm up time."

What PE does not go on to explain is that if the stove gets hot enough the EBT is going to automatically open and add more air that you cannot shut off. Others have speculated that the EBT is actually a device that allows PE to meet EPA standards with a large firebox. What PE does say is quoted below from their online brochure:
"Face the challenge of heating your bigger space head on with the Pacific Energy Summit Insert. The Summit is the only insert with patented Extended Burn Technology, giving you up to ten hours of burn for a full night of heat. The Summit's extremely efficient Heat Extraction System transfers the maximum amount of heat to your room, over the longest time. And unlike an open fire, you control the heat output with a one-touch control."

Many new owners, including James02 and self, got an unpleasant surpise after stoking fully then finding that the fire was burnng much hotter and faster than desired. The Summit is promoted as high capacity in terms of both heat output capability and burn time but this is not necessarily true. Needing to wait until a fire cools to reload is not an acceptable requirement for a stove intended as a primary heat source and prior knowledge of this would probably disuade many from purchasing the device. I live life on my schedule,not my fireplace's schedule. When it is time to go to bed on a cold night I want to load the firebox, turn the air down and retire and have moderate steady heat for a long time. This frequently does not happen and it is necessary for a perplexed owner to search forums like this one to find out why he cannot control his new fireplace.

The statement "you control the heat output with a one-touch control" is patently false and I believe the EBT is to blame.
 
Burning Locust right now and man its a hot burning wood
I hope you didn't fill the stove up with just locust. I have mostly locust and oak and try to mix an equal amount in each load. If I filled my liberty with all locust, chances are it would be glowing red and starting to melt.
 
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