Avg. Time From Cold Stove/Insert To Cruising Temp?

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jscs.moore

jscs.moore

Feeling the Heat
Sep 9, 2015
291
Eastern PA
Hey Guys...still a newbie, still learning my insert (Hampton HI300). My first season burning...for background have 6" ovalized, SS pre-insulated liner with a 28ft exterior chimney, no block off plate (yet), and a condor stove top thermometer in the middle of the top of glass door (where dealer said it should go). Since the weather finally started turning a little colder today, I started a fire from a cold insert. I took about 2hrs or more to get the firebox up to cruising temp (approximately 450 to 475...according to the thermometer)?

I started with a small kindling fire to get the firebox warmed up and then after the fire was established I started loading about 4 big splits into the firebox (kiln dried wood). I left the air intake wide open for a while and did NOT run the fan on the insert until I got the firebox to about 450. I've read on this site that running the fan too early in the burn cycle will cool things down too quickly when you want to get the firebox to cruising temp?

Anyway, my question is...is about 2hrs a long time to get the insert up to cruising temp? I really thought it would only take about 45 minutes to an hour tops? Right now the insert is burning fine (around 475) and there is absolutely no visible smoke out of the chimney...the air intake is about 60 to 70% open and the house is maintaining a temp of 73 with the heat pump off since I started the fire. Any feedback would be appreciated!
 
2 hrs. is long time. With the blower off the stove/insert will heat up faster. Normal time to reach 600F for our stove from a cold start is 20-30 minutes. On a warm restart it can be as little as 10 minutes. This is with very dry doug fir. I loosely load our cold start fire so that air and flames can easily go up through the wood. A lincoln log style build will also do this. Reloads get packed tighter.
 
I monitor pipe temp not stovetop on my furnace, but it only takes about 10 minutes to get the pipe in the "burn zone" and about 15 minutes for the automatic blower to kick in which comes on when the plenum hits 200
 
That's pretty good for a furnace. Pipe temp can be hot much sooner than stove temp. The other day our pipe got up to 1000F in about 5 minutes. Surprised the heck out of me. Pipe temp is also hard to measure on an insert.
 
begreen said:
2 hrs. is long time. With the blower off the stove/insert will heat up faster. Normal time to reach 600F for our stove from a cold start is 20-30 minutes. On a warm restart it can be as little as 10 minutes. This is with very dry doug fir. I loosely load our cold start fire so that air and flames can easily go up through the wood. A lincoln log style build will also do this. Reloads get packed tighter.
Click to expand...
Yeah...not really sure why it's taking that long? Wood is dry and I have tried to follow tips on this site...like keeping the fan off until I get to cruising temp. It's in the mid 30's now so it's not like it's so cold the insert is fighting severely low outside temps or something. I'll be the first to concede that I haven't mastered burning this insert in anyway yet. Do think it's because I don't have a block off plate...could that be it?
 
That's using dry pine kindling stacked Lincoln log style over papers and three dry pine splits on top of that. Ya this thing heats up fast and really cranks out heat but burn time is barely eight hours if I run it hard enough to to keep the stack hot......... Believe me this is not a fancy furnace, it is a Shenandoah AF77 add on furnace that I have set up as a stand alone unit, I bought it nos from my dads work, they where a dealer for these in the 70's. It was brand new in the crate dated 1977 lol paid $100 for it. I can raise the temp in the whole house which is 2200 sq ft from 60 to 72 in an hour.
 
I don't rely on magnetic thermometers too much. They're pretty slow. The way the fire is burning is a better indicator to me. My 27 can be shut down and cruising in fifteen minutes or less from a cold start.

With good dry wood, it seems like you should be able to shut your primary down to about all the way closed, especially with that much chimney.

Have you tried starting a fire from the top down?
 
jscs.moore said:
Yeah...not really sure why it's taking that long? Wood is dry and I have tried to follow tips on this site...like keeping the fan off until I get to cruising temp. It's in the mid 30's now so it's not like it's so cold the insert is fighting severely low outside temps or something. I'll be the first to concede that I haven't mastered burning this insert in anyway yet. Do think it's because I don't have a block off plate...could that be it?
Click to expand...
If this is an exterior chimney and fireplace then an insulated block-off plate will help as well as putting some insulation board around the insert if there's room. But that doesn't sound like the root cause. Have you watched this video for some tips?

Most important for a quick start is dry wood with gaps between the logs so that air, flame and smoke can quickly travel through the wood.
 
jscs.moore said:
Hey Guys...still a newbie, still learning my insert (Hampton HI300). My first season burning...for background have 6" ovalized, SS pre-insulated liner with a 28ft exterior chimney, no block off plate (yet), and a condor stove top thermometer in the middle of the top of glass door (where dealer said it should go). Since the weather finally started turning a little colder today, I started a fire from a cold insert. I took about 2hrs or more to get the firebox up to cruising temp (approximately 450 to 475...according to the thermometer)?

I started with a small kindling fire to get the firebox warmed up and then after the fire was established I started loading about 4 big splits into the firebox (kiln dried wood). I left the air intake wide open for a while and did NOT run the fan on the insert until I got the firebox to about 450. I've read on this site that running the fan too early in the burn cycle will cool things down too quickly when you want to get the firebox to cruising temp?

Anyway, my question is...is about 2hrs a long time to get the insert up to cruising temp? I really thought it would only take about 45 minutes to an hour tops? Right now the insert is burning fine (around 475) and there is absolutely no visible smoke out of the chimney...the air intake is about 60 to 70% open and the house is maintaining a temp of 73 with the heat pump off since I started the fire. Any feedback would be appreciated!
Click to expand...
From your description sounds like you could benefit from closing down the air in stages sooner. As long as you are maintaining relatively clean burn then the box can benefit greatly from reduced air velocities and heat up quicker. Should also help promote more secondary combustion. I just keep an eye on the fire and start closing the air asap. Helps heat up faster. This applies to my stove now, and to my insert i had previously (perhaps moreso for the insert).
 
begreen said:
If this is an exterior chimney and fireplace then an insulated block-off plate will help as well as putting some insulation board around the insert if there's room. But that doesn't sound like the root cause. Have you watched this video for some tips?

Most important for a quick start is dry wood with gaps between the logs so that air, flame and smoke can quickly travel through the wood.
Click to expand...
 
Thanks Begreen...the video is very informative. I may have found my problem. I think I should use the top down method to start my fires, then when the fire is well established load in the large splits and let just go through the burn cycle. Out of frustration I've been adding splits here and there throughout the day attempting to get the firebox temp hotter...now I have a huge pile of coals and I can't seem to get the firebox much above 400 to 425? I guess I need to learn more about the burn cycles and how to more efficiently use the insert? I've read on this site quite a few times that it's not good to feed the stove over and over because it's not an efficient way to produce maximum heat output...guess I have a lot to learn. The video is very helpful...thanks again!
 
You may also be fighting less than fully seasoned wood. If that is the case it is a challenge, but not untypical for the first year. Most of us have been there at one point or another. Truly dry wood and kindling will provide easy starts and quick warm ups. You might try mixing in some construction cut offs (2x4s) to the fire to see if that helps speed up starting. Just don't run the insert on that wood exclusively.
 
Im not sure why your loading it twice to get it going. I have the same stove I use only clean dry wood thats been stacked for well over a year. Its been said a million times and still some people feel its something wrong with the stove or the draft or outside temps. Its all about the WOOD. Anyway on cold starts, I load bottom row north south top row east west jammed up to the top. It forces the fire around and over the top pieces for blowtorch effect. The stove is cold so dont get shy and close to early.start closing when its really roaring and Within 45 mins max fan shoukd kick on and its sit back and watch.
 
I have an HI-300 as well. Two hours is a very long time to get the insert up to cruising temperatures. You said you are using kiln-dried wood, so I will assume the wood is not the problem. In addition to learning better method for cold start up (I am a fan of the top-down method), you might try leaving the door cracked open for the first 5-10 minutes to really get the fire established before closing it up.

Other tips: pack it full, but not dense. Load the bottom row N-S and then a top row E-W. Use several kindling-size and small splits on the top row.
 
That is a long time to reach cruising temp. You also mention that after two hours your air is 60-70% open. It definitely sounds like you're fighting less than ideal wood. I go from cold stove to 600 degree stove top in usually 20-30 minutes. My air is closed 75% withing the same time frame.
 
begreen said:
You may also be fighting less than fully seasoned wood. If that is the case it is a challenge, but not untypical for the first year. Most of us have been there at one point or another. Truly dry wood and kindling will provide easy starts and quick warm ups. You might try mixing in some construction cut offs (2x4s) to the fire to see if that helps speed up starting. Just don't run the insert on that wood exclusively.
Click to expand...


The wood is likely the issue. Kiln dried is only for a few hours at a certain degree to kill insects. It has little to do with moisture content...a bit misleading marketing. Bought a cord a few years ago and was woefully disappointed. The birch splits were fine, but the oak and hard maple were all pretty high 20s on the MC. Started reading the labels on the bundles around the local stores and its stated on there what the process is.
 
[email protected] said:
I have an HI-300 as well. Two hours is a very long time to get the insert up to cruising temperatures. You said you are using kiln-dried wood, so I will assume the wood is not the problem. In addition to learning better method for cold start up (I am a fan of the top-down method), you might try leaving the door cracked open for the first 5-10 minutes to really get the fire established before closing it up.

Other tips: pack it full, but not dense. Load the bottom row N-S and then a top row E-W. Use several kindling-size and small splits on the top row.
Click to expand...
Thanks Jim...yeah, I'm realizing after reading these posts that I really didn't start my fire in the best way. I placed a bunch a twisted newspaper in the firebox and then put a bunch of kindling on top and lit it. It was going pretty good then collapsed on itself, I then started putting the larger splits on probably too early. It then started to smolder and I had to add more newspaper and kindling on top to get it going again. I'm clearly thinking this is operator error and I need to work on better fire starting methods. I like your comments about loading the bottom N-S and the top E-W and using kindling size splits to get it good and hot. I'm definitely doing something wrong if it takes two hours to get the firebox to cruising temps.

I guess the good news is...I had the heat pump off from around 12:00PM yesterday and I was able to keep the whole downstairs right around 72 to 73 degrees and the upstairs around 70...even with my crappy fire starting & stuffing method. I hope to get a better handle on burning I get the house a toasty 75 degrees easily!
 
I wonder if you don't actually have a problem at all. You said you're measuring the door temp. I measure my temp with an IR gun and they vary a good deal with where I measure. Last night when I was down to nice glowing coals the top of the insert measured around 450f, the glass was about the same and the highest reading I could get on the door was 250f. Different insert than you but try moving the thermometer around if you can or get an IR. You may see different results.
 
baysideburner said:
Im not sure why your loading it twice to get it going. I have the same stove I use only clean dry wood thats been stacked for well over a year. Its been said a million times and still some people feel its something wrong with the stove or the draft or outside temps. Its all about the WOOD. Anyway on cold starts, I load bottom row north south top row east west jammed up to the top. It forces the fire around and over the top pieces for blowtorch effect. The stove is cold so dont get shy and close to early.start closing when its really roaring and Within 45 mins max fan shoukd kick on and its sit back and watch.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the feedback...yes, I'm beginning to think the "Kiln" dried wood is not so dry? I do have a moisture reader but didn't really check the splits yesterday when I started loading them into the firebox. What also makes me think the Kiln dried wood isn't so dry is even later when I had a really big coal bed going and added 3 big splits..they didn't start burning fast and hot with a lot of flame? They would burn slow without a lot of flame. I really will try the top down method with bottom loaded N-S and top loaded E-W with dry wood (double checked with a moisture reader). I really don't think there is anything wrong with the insert...just operator error:) As a newbie this is all a learning experience this season!
 
jscs.moore said:
Thanks for the feedback...yes, I'm beginning to think the "Kiln" dried wood is not so dry? I do have a moisture reader but didn't really check the splits yesterday when I started loading them into the firebox. What also makes me think the Kiln dried wood isn't so dry is even later when I had a really big coal bed going and added 3 big splits..they didn't start burning fast and hot with a lot of flame? They would burn slow without a lot of flame. I really will try the top down method with bottom loaded N-S and top loaded E-W with dry wood (double checked with a moisture reader). I really don't think there is anything wrong with the insert...just operator error:) As a newbie this is all a learning experience this season!
Click to expand...
Dont feel bad
 
baysideburner said:
Thanks for the feedback...yes, I'm beginning to think the "Kiln" dried wood is not so dry? I do have a moisture is
eader but didn't really check the splits yesterday when I started loading them into the firebox. What also makes me think the Kiln dried wood isn't so dry is even later when I had a really big coal bed going and added 3 big splits..they didn't start burning fast and hot with a lot of flame? They would burn slow without a lot of flame. I really will try the top down method with bottom loaded N-S and top loaded E-W with dry wood (double checked with a moisture reader). I really don't think there is anything wrong with the insert...just operator error:) As a newbie this is all a learning experience this season!
Click to expand...

member: 40339"]Dont feel bad[/QUOTE]
jscs.moore said:
Thanks for the feedback...yes, I'm beginning to think the "Kiln" dried wood is not so dry? I do have a moisture reader but didn't really check the splits yesterday when I started loading them into the firebox. What also makes me think the Kiln dried wood isn't so dry is even later when I had a really big coal bed going and added 3 big splits..they didn't start burning fast and hot with a lot of flame? They would burn slow without a lot of flame. I really will try the top down method with bottom loaded N-S and top loaded E-W with dry wood (double checked with a moisture reader). I really don't think there is anything wrong with the insert...just operator error:) As a newbie this is all a learning experience this season!
Click to expand...
Dont feel bad my first year I was splitting wood in the snow putting the wood right in the stove and wondering why my glass was black and i had no heat. The biggest thing ive learned and itss sad Is purchased wood is all a lie!! Its never dry. What u need to do is start today biulding your OWN wood piles that way your ensured quaility performance
 
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