Lopi agp
- Thread starter saxcity
- 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
I just had my Lopi AGP installed a couple days ago and am getting used to it. The different thermostat programs have me a bit mystified, and I don't understand if it is better to let the stove run on low (Program 3), thereby saving the igniter, or Programs 1 or 2, which let the stove shut all the way off. Seems like Programs 1 & 2 save the blower motors, while Program 3 saves the igniter.
Is it that simple? I suppose another advantage of Program 3 is that the insert is always warmed up, and therefore so is the house.
I hope I have the new auger motor in mine.
Travis Tech
New Member
Travis Tech
New Member
Hi,
You are correct in thinking that program 3 will help increase the life of the igniter. However, using programs 1 or 2 won't really do much in terms of increasing the life of the blowers.
As you may know, the biggest thing with any pellet stove is maintaining it. Regardless of the thermostat setting you run the program in, cleaning and maintaining the stove as the manual states will go a very long way in making sure that your blowers, as well as the rest of the unit, have a long and happy life.
Thanks, Travis Tech. We do love the insert, and it sure seems like a high quality product. I'll make sure to keep up with cleaning. Sure beats the pile of ashes and "warm-on-one-side" feeling of our old fireplace!
So in a very cold climate, Program 1 lets the stove/pellet slow down gradually, bumping back up as needed, but indeed shutting down if there's no tstat call. Program 2 does it more quickly, and Program 3 essentially runs on idle instead of shutting down?
It would be nice to let it cool down, but start up a couple hours before we awaken each morning. The simple wireless tstat that came with our stove doesn't do that, but I might upgrade.
Travis Tech
New Member
Hi Ellandee,
I am very happy to hear that you are happy with out products.
And yes, you are correct in understanding how the different T-Stat functions work. As of right now we do not offer a thermostat that runs on a timer, but there might be something like that available on the market. We just need to make sure that it runs on milivolts.
I run the SkyTech 3301P with my Lopi AGP stove and it works great. The only issue I have with my stove is too much ash, no matter what brand of pellets I use.
I'm very new to this, so I don't know what makes "too much ash." I'm doing the daily cleaning, and compared to a wood fire, it's beyond night and day. I've tried the brand they gave me when I bought it, and I've since burned some Heatrs. I have some Sierra Supreme from Olympus that I'll burn in a couple days. I can't seem to make myself pay $7-8/bag for Lignetics out here when I get the big-box store pellets for $5. Unless it's a huge difference in the amount of heat/ash produced, I can't justify the price difference.
Richard
I have a friend that runs a Harman p68 and he can go a month before needing to empty the ash pan, which is a similar size to the one in the AGP. However, I can't make it more than a week. I've tried burning a wide variety of pellets, hard/soft wood, premium/big box brand, nothing seems to make a difference.
I wonder if the two of you burn at different feed rates? Again, I know NOTHING about all this with my vast week of experience. I thought that hotter fires make less ash. Right now, I'm running the pellet on medium heat with the thermostat, and on TStat Program Mode 3, which breaks the feed down to low after the room reaches target temperature. I guess that means I'm burning low a lot. I have been emptying the ash pan every day, but it looks like I could go a week or so before I had to empty it.
So much to learn.
Richard
Travis Tech
New Member
This is the tricky part with any pellet stove; the fuel.
What makes this so tricky is that from state to state or region to region the brand as well as the quality of pellets changes (the NE is notorious for being hard to track down high quality pellets), so unless someone is in the same area it is almost impossible to recommend a good brand. And even once you find a brand that you like, the batch of pellets they produce from one season to the next is going to be very different. Another thing that makes this tricky is the fact that the pellet market/industry is completely unregulated. Anyone and everyone is allowed to market their brand as being "premium" when in reality it might be nothing more than tightly compressed bark, glue and dirt.
With all of that being said, the amount of ash that is produced is solely the result of the fuel being used. Any and all ash that you find is not a result of anything that the stove is or is not doing. Burning a fire hotter won't help to reduce this either, it will just ensure we are getting as much heat out of the pellets as possible, as well as help to make sure we don't start getting creosote build up.
What makes this so tricky is that from state to state or region to region the brand as well as the quality of pellets changes (the NE is notorious for being hard to track down high quality pellets), so unless someone is in the same area it is almost impossible to recommend a good brand. And even once you find a brand that you like, the batch of pellets they produce from one season to the next is going to be very different. Another thing that makes this tricky is the fact that the pellet market/industry is completely unregulated. Anyone and everyone is allowed to market their brand as being "premium" when in reality it might be nothing more than tightly compressed bark, glue and dirt.
With all of that being said, the amount of ash that is produced is solely the result of the fuel being used. Any and all ash that you find is not a result of anything that the stove is or is not doing. Burning a fire hotter won't help to reduce this either, it will just ensure we are getting as much heat out of the pellets as possible, as well as help to make sure we don't start getting creosote build up.
Thanks for the on-point reply. So a hotter (faster fuel) fire lets you get heat out of the fuel while it is still in the stove rather than a slow burn, where some of that heat energy instead becomes creosote (with some unused caloric value). Once that energy gets past the heat exchanger, you're outaluck.
The only way to really test two stoves/pellets is to both go to the same store, buy the same pellets from the same batch, run the stoves at the same ambient temps for the same amount of time, then check the heat rise in identical homes....sounds like a pretty tough experiment design.
On a secondary point, are the heat exchanger tubes made of metals with very low specific heat, so as to absorb that energy as quickly as possible?
Interesting stuff!
Richard
maewolf
New Member
Yes, Travis Tech I have a question/problem I'm having a problem with. I have a new Lopi/Leyden pellet stove. I had it professionally installed. I love the stove and it is working flawlessly. However, I have one issue and that is with the supplied thermostat. While I like the convenience of the thermostat and I think I'm using less pellets while using it, it is difficult to get an exact temperature setting. Not because there is anything wrong with the thermostat, it's difficult to set the thermostat exactly where I want it, about 72 degrees. Is there a thermostat that is compatible with my stove (that would not damage the stove or void the warranty) that is digital or has large computer type reading? I'm thinking something like the new Nest thermostat or the Hunter programmable thermostat we have for our oil furnace. Thank you!
maewolf
New Member
Travis tech, I'm confused by your answer to Ellandee. Aren't all thermostats millivolt compatible? I'm looking at a Lux thermostat that is a simple digital, millivolt compatible thermostat with just 2 buttons to adjust the temp up or down and has a back lite digital display. It would be much easier for me to see and set to the temp I want of 72 degrees.
I have the Avalon APG which is the same thing. I have lignetics and new england pellets and they both are very ashy. Anyways I can not run my stove in Tstat program 1. It always throws a code after a little while and shuts off. I was using a skytech and now Travis has recommended their model and to run it in Tstat program 3. My stove would not reignite the pellets after shutting down when reaching the desired thermostat setting. I have not had a chance to use it in Tstat 3 mode as of yet. it has been too cold out so we are running the stove in manual mode.
lagger
Feeling the Heat
i Have been running my AGP insert for two months now in Tstat mode pgrm 1 with no issues at all.. I have a fairly modern, tight house so letting it shut down at night and again after it runs in the AM to warm the house has been just what I needed. The Tstat I am using was under 20 bux on ebay, has a calibration as well as swing adjustment (in my sig) and has a versatile programming function, my only concern at this point is that the manual is for the free standing unit and does not tell me how to pull the insert for a thorough cleaning... I have no idea where the vacuum nipple is for instance. Re: ashes, some pellets have been less ashy others more so and have also noticed some produce black foamy ash ( green supremes for instance) and others a more light weight fluffy gray ash ( Timber heats and Heatr's) I usually empty the ash pan, pull the burn paltform and vacuum every other day, and drop the liners about once a month to vacuum behind also. Oh yeah, and I take off the little trap doors behind the ash pan and vacuum inside as best as I can reach e\o day also.
Travis Tech
New Member
We do offer a universal T-stat remote that works on this unit. Allows you to turn unit on/off as well as set the t-stat temp with a digital readout.
Travis Tech
New Member
That I am not sure of. The only t-stats I know too much about are the ones that we offer.
Travis Tech
New Member
I can private message you and get an email address so I can send you a copy of the insert manual
lagger
Feeling the Heat
maewolf
New Member
I've been using this t-stat with no problems. All I wish is that I could set one to come on at 4 AM in the morning to take off the chill. Now I'm running Program 3 all night. Maybe not a bad thing. We had the door closed to the exercise room yesterday, and had to get on the treadmills at 51 degrees!
mmj
New Member
Hi, I too recently purchased and had the Lopi AGP insert installed. After 2 months of burning pellets I wondered if there is something I could use to wipe and clean the baffles with.
I see we're supposed to keep the vacuum tube clean, and I understand that the AGP stove owners can access it. However, how do those of us with inserts clean that vacuum tube? The warning to clean it is right on the hopper lid, so I'm a little ana...er...nervous about cleaning it.
mmj
New Member
When I read any of the posts regarding taking the stove apart and cleaning it, it many cases they are referring to the stand alones. I clean and vacuum what I can see from the inside of the stove. I don't trust myself in removing the insert out of the fireplace. I will leave that up to the expert. In September I will call the serviceman to come out and clean it through out.
- Status
Similar threads
