Pacific Energy Super Insert, over fired? (I know, another thread...)

I know this gets asked a lot, but bear with me, there's a couple extra details I couldn't find in the other posts. I had a PE Super Insert put in a couple months ago and there's some things I like and don't like. My other stoves (at cabin) are freestanding Napoleons and there's been a bit of a learning curve adapting to this new one. The PE has way better glass wash and a cleaner burn, but even when I shut down early and pay attention, it likes to take off compared to the Napoleons, with the same wood.

I use an IR gun to take temperatures at three spots. 1) I shoot upwards at the glass, pointing at the baffle 2) I shoot the center above the door 3) I shoot each side, above the door. So far the center of the door (#2) is usually about 100 degrees higher than the sides (#3), above the door. Shooting through the glass at the baffle (#1) usually reads 100 degrees over that.

I've noticed you must really let this stove burn WAY down before adding more wood. Last night I wanted to add before going to bed. It was a little sooner than usual, but the temp in spot 1 was somewhere just over 400 degrees. I didn't take it above the door (#2), but usually that would have meant it was a little over 300 degrees there. There was a large coal bed, so I added two large splits of red/coastal live oak and a smaller round of almond on top. The wood was very dry (6%) when I checked it in October and has been covered since. Probably, should have burned the coals down more.

I left the air all the way up until it caught and gradually backed it down to closed, probably over the next 10 or 15 minutes, checking the temp in spot 1 each time. I had it all the way closed, by 550 or 600 degrees in position 1 (so, it was probably 450-ish over the door, though I didn't shoot that spot). Over the next several minutes or so it just kept taking off fast, even all the way closed. When it finally got to about 740 or 750 in spot #1 I opened the door wide to break the draft. I shot spot # 2, just before I did this and it was about 640 degrees above the door. That seemed to stop the temperature climb with all the cool air rushing in, but I looked up and the rear rail and rear parts of the side rails were faintly glowing. That's never happened before. The baffle did not seem to be glowing, but it looked like it could possibly be glowing inside, looking through the secondary holes?!? Not sure about that. I now notice that you can just see the stove collar through where the blower air comes out, but I did not know that at the time and did not check the stove collar. One weird thing I noticed was that one log was a little too close to the primary air holes and I saw one or two them that were right next to the end of the log shoot little flames, as the log outgassed, almost like a weak little secondary burn. Is that EVER supposed to happen with primaries?!? Looks like a little weak pilot light.

The fire was still raging with the door open, so I put in a couple wet newspapers and that cooled it off fairly quickly to a normal fire, as they dried and burned up. Once that was handled I closed the door and it burned overnight normally.

Today I raked the coals forward and burned them down with small, individual splits of really dry pine. After the stove had cooled down to under 200 degrees above the door, I started a new fire with three pieces of pine that I use during the day sometimes when its warmer out. I would swear I am not getting anywhere near as many flames out of the secondaries as usual, and I seem to be getting more some smoke out the chimney, where I would normally have nothing but heat waves. Seems like rolling flames, but not many jets of flame from the secondaries, as normal. I also thought I briefly saw some secondary action from the rear of the baffle near the pin and think I may have seen that last night when it was running real hot. I don't see anything weird about the baffles or rail (warping, sagging)- they look just like after the first fire. Did I overfire the stove? Did something get ruined in the baffles, where its not burning as clean now? I'm much more cautious and attentive with this stove compared to the Napoleons, as it seem to run hotter, but apparently not cautious enough this time.Thanks.

Thanks for the response. After I burn the last of the coals down with this pine (and after it cools off a bit) I'm going to have a fire with oak or almond and see what happens. If its still smoking I'll let it cool down and take it apart this weekend. One of the pieces of pine had a knot. Maybe it was a bit pitchy and that was causing it?

Doesn't look like there's any tube to clog up on the PE baffle, unless the baffle is removed and liner swept, if I'm understanding the design correctly?

On a positive note, the primary air design is way smarter on these. Burns the coals down nice and doesn't get ash in it.

Thanks for the replies. Ironically I never used the IR gun until I got this one. Slowly, step away from the IR gun...

DTDEH, I was using red oak and almond last night when it happened. The pine was today and it was a smokier than usual, but I think Grisu has a good theory that I may have run it too cool today after yesterday. I have some red/coastal oak I bought and then all the free pine I can handle, so I try and use it during the day or to burn coals down. I have 40 acres up north with lots off dead standing pine that needs to be taken out. The fact that its been standing, that I split it over a year ago, and our drought means its real dry. The red oak I got from the tree guy down the road. He said its about 2 or 3 years old and my cheap moisture meter wouldn't even read it, it was so low. I had to have someone (industrial hygenist) with an expensive one check it for me. 6% back in Oct.

Sean, that's exactly what it looked like. I'm not sure if that's the first time it ever happened or I just chose to notice it during this event, but that sure is what I was talking about.

Thanks for your replies and, thanks Hog, for all the old posts you took the time on about PE stoves. I poured through a whole bunch of them.

I'll keep my eye on the smoke thing, but sounds like I should be fine.

Thanks for all the advice. Filled it with red oak/almond tonight and it seems to be just fine. Must have been the pine and me being cautious causing the smoke. It got fairly hot again tonight, but after reviewing more of Hogwildz, and a couple other member's post, I think this is just where this brand of stove likes to run. Mine is behaving identical to what they describe and no one has had any problems. Just need to get used to it running a bit hotter than my other stoves.

The primaries were definitely still working: https://picasaweb.google.com/102856...&authkey=Gv1sRgCPzWk6y8v4qNcg&feat=directlink