We had a Hearthstone Heritage for three seasons and it did great. When a Hearthstone Mansfield was made available via our son who was moving we decided to replace the Heritage with the Mansfield. Our house is large so we could use the larger stove. What we have noticed however is that we are not seeing the secondary burn with the Mansfield. Could something have jostled loose during the move? Any thoughts?
Hearthstone Mansfield secondary burn
- Thread starter geka
- 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.
- Status
Dakotas Dad
Minister of Fire
About the only thing I can think of is if the two "up tubes" in the back of the stove got dislodged in the move, or if they got moved around and clogged under with ash.
I will point out that we get "pretty good" secondary action up there, it's not near as impressive as the Homestead was. That thing looked like gas burners all on high.
I will point out that we get "pretty good" secondary action up there, it's not near as impressive as the Homestead was. That thing looked like gas burners all on high.
ddddddden
Minister of Fire
I think we're waiting for the Mansfielders to weigh in, but I would say that it's certainly possible that something is amiss with your stove's secondary air plumbing. Did your son get good secondary burns with it? Have you been using this stove since the beginning of the season? Are you using the same wood that you used with the Heritage?
Dairyman
Minister of Fire
Check your baffle board for holes and make sure it and the ceramic blanket are positioned properly.
What do you mean by the two up tubes? We are looking all over for some kind of diagram of the secondary combustion. Does anyone have a diagram of this? Our son got good secondary burns. We are using the same wood. The flames follow the ceramic baffle along the top but it never goes in the tubes for the secondary burn. Thanks for any advice.
Dakotas Dad
Minister of Fire
In the back of the stove there are two square steel channels.. running from the secondary air holes in the bottom, up into the manifold at the top. They look like "uprights".. If you shovel your ashes, they are the two things in the way of shoveling all the way to the back stones..
If you look under the stove, in the back, on each side about 4" in from the sides and 1 1/2 " from the back, you will see a ovel hole in the casting. That is the secondary intake. The air comes in there, up the two tubes, and into the bottom/back of the manifold that wraps around the sides of the top of the stove and holds/supports/feeds the secondary/afterburner pipes..
If you look under the stove, in the back, on each side about 4" in from the sides and 1 1/2 " from the back, you will see a ovel hole in the casting. That is the secondary intake. The air comes in there, up the two tubes, and into the bottom/back of the manifold that wraps around the sides of the top of the stove and holds/supports/feeds the secondary/afterburner pipes..
You have been so helpful. My husband checked out the intakes from the bottom by using a coat hanger and it was clear but he does not feel any air being taken in. My husband did take the board out to vacuum in there after he cleaned the cresote in the chimney. Some of the cresote fell in the stove itself. Is it possible that some cresote fell into the channel in the back and sides that are part of the intake to the secondary burners? If not any other thoughts?
Dakotas Dad
Minister of Fire
No real way that any stuff out of the chimney could get into the manifold.. it would have to some how bounce around and then go into the air tubes through the little "out" holes.. It could be that you are having draft problems if enough junk got down the top of the stove when cleaning, or if the blanket got wadded up or folded on top the baffle..
For the tubes.. with the stove cool, you should be able to reach in there and lift them up, and back, and remove them.
For the tubes.. with the stove cool, you should be able to reach in there and lift them up, and back, and remove them.
My husband removed the ceramic board when we cleaned out the chimney. He recalls seeing the insulating blanket and some got caught in the vacuum and he put it back. My husband is about to fly you up here. Wish we had a schematic of all this. Do you know where one is? My husband wanted me to say that we have good draft here it just does not seem to be pulling in now.
Sorry me again. We found a schematic online. It was helpful but not real precise. Question...Is the blanket the same size as the baffle/board and does it sit right on top of it? If yes then we may have shifted it to the back end when cleaning but still don't understand how that would affect the secondary intake.
Dakotas Dad
Minister of Fire
Yes, it sits on top, mine is flush with the front of the baffle. Are you sure the baffle is in the proper place, and not holed or anything?
And.. just a thought.. your primary air is funtioning correctly...? If it's not "airing down" properly, then the draft can't switch over to pulling through the secondary tubes and not the dog house...
And.. at what temps are you starting to air down? maybe you just are not getting hot enough to ignite them??
About all I can think of other than wet wood..
And.. just a thought.. your primary air is funtioning correctly...? If it's not "airing down" properly, then the draft can't switch over to pulling through the secondary tubes and not the dog house...
And.. at what temps are you starting to air down? maybe you just are not getting hot enough to ignite them??
About all I can think of other than wet wood..
Highbeam
Minister of Fire
I would do some vacuuming on those secondary inlets and outlets. Just shove the shop vac against the holes to suck them clear. COld stove of course so as to prevent catching your shop vac on fire.
Yes, it sits on top, mine is flush with the front of the baffle. Are you sure the baffle is in the proper place, and not holed or anything?
And.. just a thought.. your primary air is funtioning correctly...? If it's not "airing down" properly, then the draft can't switch over to pulling through the secondary tubes and not the dog house...
And.. at what temps are you starting to air down? maybe you just are not getting hot enough to ignite them??
About all I can think of other than wet wood..
Ok we cleaned out the primary and secondary tubes, etc. Everything was pretty clear. Beginning to think that possibly the primary is not airing down properly so the secondary will kick in. What could the problem be? The chimney is plenty high, the wood is dry. The draft from the chimney is great. We have been burning wood for 40 years so this is a puzzle.
Highbeam
Minister of Fire
Huntindog1
Minister of Fire
Your ceramic blanket on top of the baffle boards is used to add a layer of insulation to keep the heat in the fire box area around the tubes. Plus its used to seal the baffle boards better. Especially around the edges and it helps to seal that crack between the two baffle boards as most stoves have two baffle boards butted up against each other in the middle.
So your ceramic blanket should be a little over sized to seal around the edges.
Check for leaky gasket around the door , do the dollar bill test to make sure when you pinch the dollar all around the door that the seal is tight enough to not let it slip out at any one place.
Does your glass get dirty?
Lastly your wood maybe suspect might go to lowes and buy a moisture meter for $29 and check the wood by splitting it one more time to get a reading on the inside of the freshly split, split.
20% moisture or less is what your looking for.
What kind of wood you burning and how long has it been cut split and stacked?
So your ceramic blanket should be a little over sized to seal around the edges.
Check for leaky gasket around the door , do the dollar bill test to make sure when you pinch the dollar all around the door that the seal is tight enough to not let it slip out at any one place.
Does your glass get dirty?
Lastly your wood maybe suspect might go to lowes and buy a moisture meter for $29 and check the wood by splitting it one more time to get a reading on the inside of the freshly split, split.
20% moisture or less is what your looking for.
What kind of wood you burning and how long has it been cut split and stacked?
Well after all the cleanup of the tubes and all we got a fire started and after a bit shut down the primary intake and low and behold we had some secondary burn in the back two tubes. And yes our glass had been getting pretty dirty. Still not seeing bit in the front. Do we need to shut down the primary always in order to get the secondary burn?
Dakotas Dad
Minister of Fire
Pretty much.. when you shut down the primary, the secondary provides most of the air.. If you glass is getting dark, your wood may very well not be as good as most would like.
Huntindog1
Minister of Fire
- Status
Similar threads
