PE Summit EBT conclusions

  • 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
Not open for further replies.

MovingOffGrid

Member
Jan 2, 2009
102
North Cascade Mtns
Hope everyone had a nice break this past summer.

Like many, I'm back in the wood burning mode and on my second season with my PE summit. Haven't even bothered to fire up the furnace yet, even as backup :)

I searched back threads but haven't found any conclusions or consenus about the EBT on the Summit.

Anyone disabled it? Why?
Anyone think it doesn' t help extend burn times? Why?
Anyone think it helps extend burn time at the most opportune time?
Anyone think it was put there to help the EPA testing more than the end user?

I think the only way I can prove this thing to myself is to put on a full load of wood on a hot chimney and watch it with a flashlight for 6 hours - lol - ain't gonna happen!

Like some others, I would like it to only open deep into an all night burn when the coals are dying and it needs some more air. Prior to that it seems like a waste of heat and will produce a shortened burn time, especially if it opens up during early or mid burn, when everything is chugging along well already.

Being a bit of a tweaker/control freak, I think I would prefer to be able to tell the EBT when to open (a timer would be nice), and would also prefer to have zero peep hole left in the draft control, to force a full secondary burn only when the draft is pulling extra strong on cold nights.

All conclusions appreciated.
 
thanks for those links Madison - I searched PE Summit EBT and missed some.

Reviewing those posts, some of which I participated in last year, still leaves me looking for consistent conclusions and consensus.

I think I'll cover my EBT for a while and see if the stove gets longer burn times or operates any differently. So far, unless I'm still missing something, there doesn't seem to be a definitive ya or nay on the EBT and it's positive effects.

Love to hear from any who have disabled it and prefer to run it that way.
 
MovingOffGrid said:
So far, unless I'm still missing something, there doesn't seem to be a definitive ya or nay on the EBT and it's positive effects.

You probably already gleaned this from TheChimneySweep posts that were linked, but I do want to point out that one advantage of the EBT is that the draft control on EBT stoves can be turned down more than on other non-catalytic stoves. The ability to be able to turn down the draft control should, alone, allow for longer burn times (in certain conditions, anyway).
 
Thanks, ya the smaller minimum size air hole is good in my books. My guess has been the EBT likely made it easier to get the Summit past EPA rules, but I suspect it may not really be enhancing length of burn times and I hope it isn't hindering them.

Overall, the way this stove works is great, but I would like to squeeze even longer burn times (mine vary according to wood, temps outside and size of load with my max load to a few glowing embers, under ideal conditions, being almost 8 hours on my big chimney) and if the EBT is not helping that, then I'm all ears.
 
Don't know if it is working right, or even where it is, for that matter! All I know is that is works ALOT better (so far) than my old 1979 Taylor Made insert.
 
this season i installed a solenoid to the ebt.its controlled by an electronic controller.last year i had the controller control a car air bypass valve on my insert.it was a touch small.gonna see how this works this year.i dont think theres much of a gain but i like to tinker.
 

Attachments

  • aa.jpg
    aa.jpg
    30.7 KB · Views: 411
r500930 - now that is tinkering at its best :)

interested to hear how it works out for you. I'm particularly interested if you discover anything consistent that enhances burn times.
 
Dirtgrain said:
MovingOffGrid said:
So far, unless I'm still missing something, there doesn't seem to be a definitive ya or nay on the EBT and it's positive effects.

You probably already gleaned this from TheChimneySweep posts that were linked, but I do want to point out that one advantage of the EBT is that the draft control on EBT stoves can be turned down more than on other non-catalytic stoves. The ability to be able to turn down the draft control should, alone, allow for longer burn times (in certain conditions, anyway).

If you read PE's filed patent for EBT, its description does not match TheChimneySweep's description. The patent simply states that it opens with higher temps and then closes as temps cool down. There is nothing about an elaborate going back and forth between "reburn refresh" stages (or equivalent) etc etc etc.....
 
Status
Not open for further replies.