My Insert, its blower and overfiring.

The blower absolutely cools the stove.

Where is the thermometer? If it's on the top- over the air outlet, then you are cranking. Move it to the door and see what it says.

Use the blower, I think the manual says you have to run the blower. I do not think 280 on the shelf is overfiring. I have hit 350 maybe a little more with he blower on low on my hampton which is the same stove with a cast enamel face.

The blower actually takes heat out of the stove. I have the Hampton as well and have seen the top of the stove (looking into the blower output) glowing dull red without the blower on. With the blower- never seen it. Inserts are designed to be used with a blower.

The times to worry about overfiring are when using kiln dried lumber, or when you get a huge coal bed and full load of wood and leave the air open or door cracked open.

That's good to hear, AP. I've got the Hampton as well, and I've left a load of pine raging in there with the draft all the way open and come back to find the same thing: top of the stove glowing dull red, secondary tubes glowing, and the edges of firebrick glowing. :roll:

I try not to make that a practice, but good to hear others with the same stove say it happens to them as well....

Wow, I have not gotten anywhere close to the glow If you put a rutland thermometer on the thop shelf of your inserts what temp do you get with the blower on low and hi?

PDClaw- ya, pine goes up quick. The blower seems to keep up though.

I need to get a thermometer. :red: Where did you place yours, right on top of the enamel cooktop?

I don't actually have a thermometer. I understand how they help, and that it's good fun to monitor, but my stove burns great and clean without.

Yes, it sits a few inches from the half kettle.

I've been experimenting the last week with temps. I have the rutland on top shelf over the blower vents. Its shelf protrudes out from the door. I think I'll move it back a few inches and see. Anyway with the damper all the way open I hit 275. As Burntime stated this stove should have little problem at 350. I have the fan on auto and it seems to kick on around 150. I have the fan on high. Last night I turned the fan off until it hit 225 and then turned the fan back on. My room where the Hampton is located hit 83 and 71 upstairs around 9:00 pm. When I woke up this morning at 7:00 the room with the Hampton was 73 but the upstairs measured 73 also. Can anyone explain that? Does it take awhile for heat to rise? The fire was going out last night around 9:30.

Takes a while for the natural convection to occur, heat rises. Just enjoy the heat

Here is where I currently have the Rutland.

Move it back to one side and get yourself a half kettle to add moisture, then burn baby burn

We purchased three humidifiers for the house. My wife hates a dry static house. So do the dogs.

With a steamer there is no electricity needed. I think the heat delivers it more efficently too, plus humid air is heavier and the blower moves it. I use a table top unit with the steamer but I think with the upgrades the steamer will probably do it all? Time will tell.

Last night I had the blower on low instead of high. The box got hot very quickly. I was up near 300. I would say that is pretty darn hot. Not sure if I would go much past 350. As Burntime has indicated it seems like a really good burn occurs between 250 and 350. Though I am just getting started with the Hampton I have had other stoves. A really good investment for me. I'm paying out the A$$ for propane but not anymore. The Hampton even heats my upstairs to 73. The challenge will be the cold and very windy nights. That is when I might experiment with getting the box to 350.

I am hitting 350 on about 1/2 to 3/4 load. I think I will be able to hit it or higher with the blower on high and a full tilt load. It seems like 50 more degrees at 350 is a lot more then say 20 percent, its more exponential if that makes sense?

Yesterday, I tried the Rutland thermometer for the first time. Put the thermometer on the door, right above the handle - the house & stove was cold with room temperature at 54. Loaded the stove with 5 splits at 7:00 PM. After about 2 - 2 1/2 hours, I reloaded 3 more medium to large sized splits - the Rutland measured 300. Home quickly got to 72 3 hours after lighting the stove. I think, 300 - 350 is a good temperature to burn during peak winters. Loaded another large piece before I hit the bed. The blower was still on by 6:00 AM. I could see some coals in the stove - I open the door and stirred the coals & ash and saw quite a bit of live coals. The room was at 66 at 6:30 AM. I quickly got ready and left for work-I don't burn in the mornings, except during weekends.

So, my daily wood usage during mid to late -Nov (central PA) when daily temp averages at 28/40 is around 8 or 9 medium to large splits. Hope I'm not using too much wood for this time. The more I use the stove, I'm getting more confidence that I'll be able to handle the winter. Hope this helps to compare with someone's wood usage.