The Hampton HI300 just doesn't seem to be throwing enough heat. What am I doing wrong?????????

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I must chime in ! I`ve been burning for only 4 years with a pre Epa insert of unknown maker. lots of trial and error until I found this Forum just recently. The knowledge is pouring in, though much of it has not been put into application.I intend to upgrade to a liner and modern burner and have been info searching many areas of wood burning. Read entire thread last night,great input guy`s. The insulation seemed to fix things, GREAT,but I feel our firestarter is getting better at firing a cold stove after the picture`s were seen. Pay attention to the spacing between the splits; for that was not unintentional. Small details can yield big returns, and we must all take nothing for granted while learning, question any and all details.
Your children of course the most important detail; plan on a hard plate in the future. once installed you can then finish the insulation of the remainder liner. Consider what was mentioned earlier (vermiculite)(spl.?) a light substance often used under above ground pool liners, to soften the bottom when walking and to create a radius where the bottom turns up to meet the sides.You`ll need to bust out the mortor at the top of chimney then pour in the stuff until the void between your liner and flue is filled. then reseal top of chimney. This liner needs to retain heat in order to draft well and cut down on creosole deposits and achieve a clean burn.

engine search.... fresh air intake for wood burners.. and learn about indoor and out door pressure differences, the effects possible. Kitchen downdraft systems..bathroom vents ...cooking vents which vent outside could effect cold starts if on during this procedure. cracking window closest to stove during firing could cure or overide vents while firing and waiting for all things to come up to temperature. All depends on how air-tight your house is?

engine search "forestry dept" get a BTU chart on wood burning, determine the best wood in your area according to chart, make calls if you are buying wood and ask what they claim to be selling, then learn how to recognize such wood`s you want to burn. Especially if you are not cutting yourself. You have an investment to reclaim, demand honorable service, but get you a moisture checker and when they deliver, take your axe, split a large split and check the fresh wood with your meter as you give em the "eye". Remember earlier thread "it`s all seasoned wood" don`t bet the house on it.

When you get things burning right not knowing your floor plan, you may be in need of moving air (i am) Don`t try to move hot air out of room, try moving cold air into warm room. this will lower pressure in that cold area allowing warm air to migrate in. Hang Christmas tree tinsel from doorways, in order to better see how your house migrates air or if you can effect the flow with fans placed at strategic locations.

Watch the weather and plan out ,moving,covering,uncovering of wood at friendly times, all of course blended in with the family obligations. Don`t get caught in a rain shower with your wood uncovered for more drying time.

DETAIL`s;..detail`s. good-luck
 
ml said:
I must chime in ! I`ve been burning for only 4 years with a pre Epa insert of unknown maker. lots of trial and error until I found this Forum just recently. The knowledge is pouring in, though much of it has not been put into application.I intend to upgrade to a liner and modern burner and have been info searching many areas of wood burning. Read entire thread last night,great input guy`s. The insulation seemed to fix things, GREAT,but I feel our firestarter is getting better at firing a cold stove after the picture`s were seen. Pay attention to the spacing between the splits; for that was not unintentional. Small details can yield big returns, and we must all take nothing for granted while learning, question any and all details.
Your children of course the most important detail; plan on a hard plate in the future. once installed you can then finish the insulation of the remainder liner. Consider what was mentioned earlier (vermiculite)(spl.?) a light substance often used under above ground pool liners, to soften the bottom when walking and to create a radius where the bottom turns up to meet the sides.You`ll need to bust out the mortor at the top of chimney then pour in the stuff until the void between your liner and flue is filled. then reseal top of chimney. This liner needs to retain heat in order to draft well and cut down on creosole deposits and achieve a clean burn.

engine search.... fresh air intake for wood burners.. and learn about indoor and out door pressure differences, the effects possible. Kitchen downdraft systems..bathroom vents ...cooking vents which vent outside could effect cold starts if on during this procedure. cracking window closest to stove during firing could cure or overide vents while firing and waiting for all things to come up to temperature. All depends on how air-tight your house is?

engine search "forestry dept" get a BTU chart on wood burning, determine the best wood in your area according to chart, make calls if you are buying wood and ask what they claim to be selling, then learn how to recognize such wood`s you want to burn. Especially if you are not cutting yourself. You have an investment to reclaim, demand honorable service, but get you a moisture checker and when they deliver, take your axe, split a large split and check the fresh wood with your meter as you give em the "eye". Remember earlier thread "it`s all seasoned wood" don`t bet the house on it.

When you get things burning right not knowing your floor plan, you may be in need of moving air (i am) Don`t try to move hot air out of room, try moving cold air into warm room. this will lower pressure in that cold area allowing warm air to migrate in. Hang Christmas tree tinsel from doorways, in order to better see how your house migrates air or if you can effect the flow with fans placed at strategic locations.

Watch the weather and plan out ,moving,covering,uncovering of wood at friendly times, all of course blended in with the family obligations. Don`t get caught in a rain shower with your wood uncovered for more drying time.

DETAIL`s;..detail`s. good-luck
Click to expand...

Nice write up. You are an experianced wood burner because you hit some major points. I'm reading as many post's as possible to learn as much as I can in my first wood burning season. Just came back from soaking in the hottub with my wife. Nice to sit by my HI300 with her now and not hear her complain she's cold in the house :)
 
i am glad you heat is coming out!!!
but call me crazy.... but why would stuffing the damper with insulation make the stove cure? her stove still shoulda got hot before just no heat into the house as it woulda gone up the chimney???
the top of cap area must not have been properly sealed to allow such extreme cooling of the liner so that simply stuffing insulation gave her draft?????
if so yoou must insulate the liner completely to really make it perform even better
 
Iceman - you got it wrong, bud... Adding insulation stopped the stove's heat that was going up around the liner. That allowed portions of the stove which never before got hot to finally warm up to the curing temps. The fire itself has been plenty hot all along - i'm sure this did nothing at all for her DRAFT.

Adding insulation now would likely help her with future cleaning as that uninsulated liner in her big exterior chimney is probably gonna condense a lot of creo. luckily it sounds like her wood is pretty good.
 
Hey guys, just wondering how often you clean the glass on the Hampton? I can't believe how good the air wash system works. I must have burned over three cord thus far and only cleaned the glass maybe three times. I never get black stuff but more of a little haze. I am using seasoned oak that is measuring under 15% moisture.
 
stejus said:
OK, for those HI300 owners having problems getting their stove to 300+, here's a sure way to get to 400/500. It works every time for me so I hope you can get there.

Stuff the stove like the second picture. Let burn like the first pic. Start knocking down slowly to 3/4 closed. Take your time getting there. Started at 300 degrees and 1 hour later, close to 500.

Try this and post your readings. Good luck!
Click to expand...

Yep, the box must be laoded full just like your pics. With alittle space inbetween the splits. The secondary system works much better with a full box. At least for me I am unable to cut the air back below 50% without filling the box. Last night I was at around 25% and the secondaries were working nicely.
 
stejus said:
Glad to see you got to 400 degrees and smell paint. That means you've heated the stove to a point it hasn't seen before. I bet you can feel the heat now!

I do not run the blower when trying to raise the stove temp. Once I get the stove to the right temp (400/500), I run it a while until I totally shut down.

Remember, fan should only be used at full to half way closed. No blower beyond the half way point.
Click to expand...

So what you are saying that once you close it down below 50% you turn the blower off? Aren't you losing a lot of heat? Your relying only on radiant heat of an insert to heat the house?
 
cocey2002 said:
stejus said:
Glad to see you got to 400 degrees and smell paint. That means you've heated the stove to a point it hasn't seen before. I bet you can feel the heat now!

I do not run the blower when trying to raise the stove temp. Once I get the stove to the right temp (400/500), I run it a while until I totally shut down.

Remember, fan should only be used at full to half way closed. No blower beyond the half way point.
Click to expand...

So what you are saying that once you close it down below 50% you turn the blower off? Aren't you losing a lot of heat? Your relying only on radiant heat of an insert to heat the house?
Click to expand...

I guess I'm still learning in my first year and following manual to a tee. Once I get up to 400/500, there is enough radiant heat bellowing out and the brick is extremely hot as well. I do have a fan in my hallway blowing cool air into the room directly at the stove. I really think this helps because the cold air hits the stove and moves that heat away from the stove. If I'm really trying to heat hard (real cold weather), I will try to keep the stove going hard with 50% air and blower. If I am not struggling to generate heat, I just shut down about 3/4 to full and coast to maintain a comfortable level.

My family room and kitchen are almost considered one area on the first level. The Living/Dining room on the other side. I have a ceiling fan in the kitchen with temperature control. If the ceiling is above 74 degrees the ceiling fan will kick on and shut off once it hits 68.

So, air movement helps tremendously!
 
Last night I had the stove up to 400 could have went higher with the air cut back to around 25-35%. I turned on the fan (high) and it stayed in that range for a long time. I would say when you have the stove cooking to 400+ your losing a lot of heat not using the blower. Turning the blower on will lower stove temps but when you have it that hot I don't think it matters. I have a large ceiling fan in the same room as the stove- it helps a lot.
 
ml said:
I must chime in ! I`ve been burning for only 4 years with a pre Epa insert of unknown maker. lots of trial and error until I found this Forum just recently. The knowledge is pouring in, though much of it has not been put into application.I intend to upgrade to a liner and modern burner and have been info searching many areas of wood burning. Read entire thread last night,great input guy`s. The insulation seemed to fix things, GREAT,but I feel our firestarter is getting better at firing a cold stove after the picture`s were seen. Pay attention to the spacing between the splits; for that was not unintentional. Small details can yield big returns, and we must all take nothing for granted while learning, question any and all details.
Your children of course the most important detail; plan on a hard plate in the future. once installed you can then finish the insulation of the remainder liner. Consider what was mentioned earlier (vermiculite)(spl.?) a light substance often used under above ground pool liners, to soften the bottom when walking and to create a radius where the bottom turns up to meet the sides.You`ll need to bust out the mortor at the top of chimney then pour in the stuff until the void between your liner and flue is filled. then reseal top of chimney. This liner needs to retain heat in order to draft well and cut down on creosole deposits and achieve a clean burn.

engine search.... fresh air intake for wood burners.. and learn about indoor and out door pressure differences, the effects possible. Kitchen downdraft systems..bathroom vents ...cooking vents which vent outside could effect cold starts if on during this procedure. cracking window closest to stove during firing could cure or overide vents while firing and waiting for all things to come up to temperature. All depends on how air-tight your house is?

engine search "forestry dept" get a BTU chart on wood burning, determine the best wood in your area according to chart, make calls if you are buying wood and ask what they claim to be selling, then learn how to recognize such wood`s you want to burn. Especially if you are not cutting yourself. You have an investment to reclaim, demand honorable service, but get you a moisture checker and when they deliver, take your axe, split a large split and check the fresh wood with your meter as you give em the "eye". Remember earlier thread "it`s all seasoned wood" don`t bet the house on it.

When you get things burning right not knowing your floor plan, you may be in need of moving air (i am) Don`t try to move hot air out of room, try moving cold air into warm room. this will lower pressure in that cold area allowing warm air to migrate in. Hang Christmas tree tinsel from doorways, in order to better see how your house migrates air or if you can effect the flow with fans placed at strategic locations.

Watch the weather and plan out ,moving,covering,uncovering of wood at friendly times, all of course blended in with the family obligations. Don`t get caught in a rain shower with your wood uncovered for more drying time.

DETAIL`s;..detail`s. good-luck
Click to expand...
Thanks for all the tips, I still have so much to learn. The key is while blending with family obligations. This has taken over a huge amount of my attention, and other things are suffereing! All in good time!
 
[quote author="stejus" date="1233472825
Nice write up. You are an experianced wood burner because you hit some major points. I'm reading as many post's as possible to learn as much as I can in my first wood burning season. Just came back from soaking in the hottub with my wife. Nice to sit by my HI300 with her now and not hear her complain she's cold in the house :)[/quote]

Now I'm jealous of your pile of rounds and your hot tub. Always remember if the woman is happy, everyone is happy!
We are now hunting for more wood.....I can't wait for next winter when we know what we are doing!

Here's a question, can you use any glass cleaner on the glass? The door stay pretty clean, but sometimes I need to get a bit of white film off.
 
Glass cleaner will work of course but I just use a wet sponge and wipe the streaks of with paper towels. I usually only get white haze and clean about once a month.
 
I was told NOT to use glass cleaner. They said it will put little scratches in the glass and will cause it to break. Use the stove glass cleaner. Should be able to buy it at any hardware store. Also this post helped me alot. found the my flue baffle plates were not installed when the company put the stove in. just checked under my coals and there they are still in the bottom of the stove. So I hope that will get some heat in the house after I get those in the right spot.
 
leepster said:
I was told NOT to use glass cleaner. They said it will put little scratches in the glass and will cause it to break. Use the stove glass cleaner. Should be able to buy it at any hardware store. Also this post helped me alot. found the my flue baffle plates were not installed when the company put the stove in. just checked under my coals and there they are still in the bottom of the stove. So I hope that will get some heat in the house after I get those in the right spot.
Click to expand...

I saw it at Benny's (Benny's has everything!) but I wondered if there was a real purpose......thanks! It is AMAZING that you can't trust anyone to do anything. you have to become an expert in every field just to be sure you're not getting screwed! Glad you figured that out! Good luck! BTW...I am SWEATING! It is 82.4 degrees where the insert is, I loaded it 2 hours ago...NICE!
 
Thank`s, I have shoveled a few ashes! So tell me, is the Hi300 lined with soap or brick? Also if you know, was your flue opening enlarged for the liner smashed into an oval. How many BTU for this burner?
 
Havent got room temp above 70 yet but now I have to relearn how to work the stove, I may have to insulate mine also. I guess I'll find out tomorrow. Oh, and on of my baffles is cracked, so now I have to call the installer and tell them they screwed up and now I need parts, UGH.
 
Edthedawg said:
Iceman - you got it wrong, bud... Adding insulation stopped the stove's heat that was going up around the liner. That allowed portions of the stove which never before got hot to finally warm up to the curing temps. The fire itself has been plenty hot all along - i'm sure this did nothing at all for her DRAFT.

Adding insulation now would likely help her with future cleaning as that uninsulated liner in her big exterior chimney is pr
obably gonna condense a lot of creo. luckily it sounds like her wood is pretty good.
Click to expand...

Seems some of us still wonder "what`s up"
first... A 5 gallon bucket of insulation quote from earlier thread... Is not much... but a roll of store-bought about the size of 5 gallons is a much larger pile.Enough where I would dread having to reach past my sourround having been removed, and get it all up that relative small opening. How much could really be up there? Use a stick to push it on up?...How long could that stick have been???
those pipes cool seriously fast people...creo is real... finish the job.
I keep seeing a pot of boiling water sending a columne of steam up.. that represents no insulation.. now put a lid on it and that represents your insulation no more steam rising... but the pot temp never changed...I still wonder!

What I don`t wonder about is that...Hampton spent thousands, and more of em, to develope this technology of secondary-burn, wash systems,(i wish i could see past my doors) ect.,ect. to conform to EPA and be competitive with thease cleaner burning fuels and stay in the market... why can`t they answer the simple questions they found answers to long ago?
 
Got up Sunday morning to a bed of good coals and decided to see how hot I could get the stove. Rake the caols to the front, loaded the stove to the gills. After fifteen minutes I had a good burn going and started to back down on the air. After an hour or so I had the air almost all the way off, good some secondary burn going on and the stove barely got to 300. My wood is 15% moisture or below, good draft. I have decided that I need a block off (soft or hard). I called my installer Friday and he is supposed to get back with me today but I do know a block off wa snot installed at the baffle area.
 
H ave tried on several cold night (course cold being relative to where you are :) ) and get the same results.
 
wtb1 said:
Got up Sunday morning to a bed of good coals and decided to see how hot I could get the stove. Rake the caols to the front, loaded the stove to the gills. After fifteen minutes I had a good burn going and started to back down on the air. After an hour or so I had the air almost all the way off, good some secondary burn going on and the stove barely got to 300. My wood is 15% moisture or below, good draft. I have decided that I need a block off (soft or hard). I called my installer Friday and he is supposed to get back with me today but I do know a block off wa snot installed at the baffle area.
Click to expand...

A softblock-off plate (insulation) will help to some degree. I think your stove liner is too cold in the AM.

Try this next time in the AM. Turn off blower. Rake coals forward. Lay 3 good size splits on the coals (n/s direction). Burn wide open for 45 to 60 minutes. You should have three good burning splits/coals within 45 minutes and a temp around 325/350. Stuff the stove and let it rip wide open again until all wood is burning good. Start backing down slowly. The goal is to keep the fire going during the shut down. By the time you pass half way, you should have some serious secondary burn and its all down hill from there. I usually have 4 or 5 stages to knocking it down completely.
 
I Have tried that as well (the night before) and the stove never gets above 300 (at its absolute hottest) I have an external chimney with a liner installed with no blockoff plate. I believe all the heat from the insert is going right up the chimney instead of sticking around and heating my house. The very top of the chimney has insulation around it but there is a very large air column.

One question I do have about the Hampton inserts. Where does the combustion air come from? I was told it pulls in external air but from where?
 
wtb1 said:
I Have tried that as well (the night before) and the stove never gets above 300 (at its absolute hottest) I have an external chimney with a liner installed with no blockoff plate. I believe all the heat from the insert is going right up the chimney instead of sticking around and heating my house. The very top of the chimney has insulation around it but there is a very large air column.

One question I do have about the Hampton inserts. Where does the combustion air come from? I was told it pulls in external air but from where?
Click to expand...

I could be wrong, but my guess would be on the sides of the stove. If you look at the base of the stove, on the sides, there is an opening the runs along the bottom. I would imagine it pulls in air from these locations. I don't see anywhere else on the stove where it could possibly enter.
 
wtb1 said:
I Have tried that as well (the night before) and the stove never gets above 300 (at its absolute hottest) I have an external chimney with a liner installed with no blockoff plate. I believe all the heat from the insert is going right up the chimney instead of sticking around and heating my house. The very top of the chimney has insulation around it but there is a very large air column.

One question I do have about the Hampton inserts. Where does the combustion air come from? I was told it pulls in external air but from where?
Click to expand...

I was having the exact same problem, now that I have the insulation in, we get it to 350 or 400 everytime we burn and our wood is lasting MUCH longer.

Am I misunderstanding or is someone saying they still don't think my "fix" is a good one? I do understand that we need to insulate the whole chimney, but is this okay for now as long as we make sure to burn wide open for an hour or so each morning.

Remember that bit hole behind my insert? The other night when we loaded it up, I could see the stainless steel liner in there all glowing hot. A bit too hot maybe now? I haven't loaded it that much since Sat night.
 
ml said:
Edthedawg said:
Iceman - you got it wrong, bud... Adding insulation stopped the stove's heat that was going up around the liner. That allowed portions of the stove which never before got hot to finally warm up to the curing temps. The fire itself has been plenty hot all along - i'm sure this did nothing at all for her DRAFT.

Adding insulation now would likely help her with future cleaning as that uninsulated liner in her big exterior chimney is pr
obably gonna condense a lot of creo. luckily it sounds like her wood is pretty good.
Click to expand...

Seems some of us still wonder "what`s up"
first... A 5 gallon bucket of insulation quote from earlier thread... Is not much... but a roll of store-bought about the size of 5 gallons is a much larger pile.Enough where I would dread having to reach past my sourround having been removed, and get it all up that relative small opening. How much could really be up there? Use a stick to push it on up?...How long could that stick have been???
those pipes cool seriously fast people...creo is real... finish the job.
I keep seeing a pot of boiling water sending a columne of steam up.. that represents no insulation.. now put a lid on it and that represents your insulation no more steam rising... but the pot temp never changed...I still wonder!

What I don`t wonder about is that...Hampton spent thousands, and more of em, to develope this technology of secondary-burn, wash systems,(i wish i could see past my doors) ect.,ect. to conform to EPA and be competitive with thease cleaner burning fuels and stay in the market... why can`t they answer the simple questions they found answers to long ago?
Click to expand...


i just found it hard to believe but i guess it makes sense?? because of a soft block-off plate the stove got warmer??? that is draft it was not enough because too much cold air was cooling the pipes not allowing the stove to really heat up... right? thats the reason?? with a raging fire the stove still shoulda got hot enough to cure it... the heat just goes up the chimney??
so... do to her lack of insulation, it allowed to much cold air down the sides of the pipe in which the pipe wasn't able to get hot enough to "draw up" with any intensity.... i guess ... just trying figure it out
 
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