stove shoppin, need reviews on a napoleon 1400PL

weezer4117 · Jan 15, 2011

im gonna bite the bullet and get a stove here soon. the local stove shop has a good deal rite now on a Napoleon 1400PL. i have searched the forum but havnt really found any reviews on this particular stove. i have looked the stove over inside and out, my concerns are how they hold up over time. i dont think this model is very old (5 yrs. maybe) so any users out there have anything for me to be concerned with? im also looking for reviews on overall performance.

weezer4117 · Jan 15, 2011

can anyone offer their review on this stove?

begreen · Jan 15, 2011

There a a fair amount of posts on variants of this stove on the pedestal, etc.. It's the same firebox. Good stove and a very willing heater. There are also many reviews posted here:
https://www.hearth.com/ratings/search.php. Search for Napoleon.

WhitePine · Jan 15, 2011

I don't know what the difference is between a Napoleon 1400PL and a 1400L. The manual that came with our one year old stove calls it a 1400L. The same manual is linked on the Napoleon web site with the 1400PL, still calling it a 1400L. I am going to assume they are essentially the same thing.

I am disappointed with our stove. While it looks fine and heats well, it is extremely noisy. It creaks and bangs like no other wood stove I've ever heard. Every small change of firebox temperature results in a series of noises. It is very off-putting.

During the holidays, we spent some time with relatives who had just installed a Hearthstone brand woodstove. It was absolutely silent. The contrast between their silent stove and our noisy Napoleon was dramatic, to say the least. I was jealous.

If I had to do it over again, I would not buy another steel stove from the Napoleon 1400 series. They now have a cast iron model (versus steel plate). It might not be as noisy, but only an owner could tell you for sure.

As far as heating ability goes, we can heat our 2,000 sf main floor with no problem at all. Our house is new, well insulated, and tight. The stove will drive us out of the house if we aren't careful. That's on a cloudy day with outside temperatures in the 20s. We have an open floor plan. We do not employ any blower or fan at the stove. We do use ceiling fans in each area to circulate the air.

Post if you have any questions.

weezer4117 · Jan 16, 2011

WhitePine said:
I don't know what the difference is between a Napoleon 1400PL and a 1400L. The manual that came with our one year old stove calls it a 1400L. The same manual is linked on the Napoleon web site with the 1400PL, still calling it a 1400L. I am going to assume they are essentially the same thing.

I am disappointed with our stove. While it looks fine and heats well, it is extremely noisy. It creaks and bangs like no other wood stove I've ever heard. Every small change of firebox temperature results in a series of noises. It is very off-putting.

During the holidays, we spent some time with relatives who had just installed a Hearthstone brand woodstove. It was absolutely silent. The contrast between their silent stove and our noisy Napoleon was dramatic, to say the least. I was jealous.

If I had to do it over again, I would not buy another steel stove from the Napoleon 1400 series. They now have a cast iron model (versus steel plate). It might not be as noisy, but only an owner could tell you for sure.

As far as heating ability goes, we can heat our 2,000 sf main floor with no problem at all. Our house is new, well insulated, and tight. The stove will drive us out of the house if we aren't careful. That's on a cloudy day with outside temperatures in the 20s. We have an open floor plan. We do not employ any blower or fan at the stove. We do use ceiling fans in each area to circulate the air.

Post if you have any questions.

i am used to noises from a steel stove but do you think they are significantly different then a average steel stove? my old fisher insert makes some noise with temp change but i guess its not off-putting.

WhitePine · Jan 16, 2011

weezer4117 said:
i am used to noises from a steel stove but do you think they are significantly different then a average steel stove? my old fisher insert makes some noise with temp change but i guess its not off-putting.

I can't say. This is the only steel stove I have ever had or (to my knowledge) seen in operation. Years ago, I heated full time using a cast iron insert. It was completely silent.

We bought the Napoleon because of all the positive comments I have seen regarding their products. I am having a real hard time reconciling all the glowing praise with the noisy reality of what we have.

Perhaps ours is defective in some way, or maybe it will quiet down some as it gets used more. We have only had about ten fires so far. Ours is mainly for emergency heat and the occasional touch of ambiance. That's for now. Once we can cut and season enough wood, it will become a major heat source.

weezer4117 · Jan 16, 2011

WhitePine said:
weezer4117 said:

i am used to noises from a steel stove but do you think they are significantly different then a average steel stove? my old fisher insert makes some noise with temp change but i guess its not off-putting.

Click to expand...

I can't say. This is the only steel stove I have ever had or (to my knowledge) seen in operation. Years ago, I heated full time using a cast iron insert. It was completely silent.

We bought the Napoleon because of all the positive comments I have seen regarding their products. I am having a real hard time reconciling all the glowing praise with the noisy reality of what we have.

Perhaps ours is defective in some way, or maybe it will quiet down some as it gets used more. We have only had about ten fires so far. Ours is mainly for emergency heat and the occasional touch of ambiance. That's for now. Once we can cut and season enough wood, it will become a major heat source.

ok, other then the noise, would you say the stove does what Napoleon says it will do? also, im wondering if there is a certian break in process that needs to be followed? i browsed over the manual at the shop today but didnt read about break-ins. on a scale from 1-10 (other then the noises) where would you rate the performance?

Skinn · Jan 16, 2011

I have a 1402i insert, not sure how it compares to the 1400pl though. I am very pleased with the overall quality and amount of heat output. Mine doesn't make any noise to speak of what so ever. I do have dual blowers on it, while they are not loud they make hide some of the noise?? I would definitely make the purchase all over again.

weezer4117 · Jan 16, 2011

Skinn said:
I have a 1402i insert, not sure how it compares to the 1400pl though. I am very pleased with the overall quality and amount of heat output. Mine doesn't make any noise to speak of what so ever. I do have dual blowers on it, while they are not loud they make hide some of the noise?? I would definitely make the purchase all over again.

thanks Skinn- i guess i wasnt aware you could have "dual blowers". im sure those move the heat!! how many sq. ft. are you heating?

Skinn · Jan 16, 2011

The 1402 has 2 blowers on it. I am heating around 2000 sq ft. and it does an awesome job of it! I pretty much leave the blowers on anytime I am running the stove, sometimes I wish for a bigger firebox but that is just so I could get a little more burn time. I guess I can't complain though, if I load the stove up good before bed then I will still have around 200 plus degree surface temps when I get up in the morning.

weezer4117 · Jan 16, 2011

Skinn said:
The 1402 has 2 blowers on it. I am heating around 2000 sq ft. and it does an awesome job of it! I pretty much leave the blowers on anytime I am running the stove, sometimes I wish for a bigger firebox but that is just so I could get a little more burn time. I guess I can't complain though, if I load the stove up good before bed then I will still have around 200 plus degree surface temps when I get up in the morning.

all sounds good. do you have a masonary chimney with a liner? i have single and double wall pipe for my chimney and i am wondering what kind of temps are on the pipe. the temps will vary with different setups and wood but just wondering what others are cruising at.

Skinn · Jan 16, 2011

Mine is an insert with a lined masonry chimney so I don't really have a way to get a temp reading on the pipe. I have a magnetic surface thermometer, I run between 400-500 degrees usually on that.

weezer4117 · Jan 16, 2011

Skinn said:
Mine is an insert with a lined masonry chimney so I don't really have a way to get a temp reading on the pipe. I have a magnetic surface thermometer, I run between 400-500 degrees usually on that.

Skinn- i appreciate the info! stay warm

WhitePine · Jan 16, 2011

weezer4117 said:
ok, other then the noise, would you say the stove does what Napoleon says it will do? also, im wondering if there is a certian break in process that needs to be followed? i browsed over the manual at the shop today but didnt read about break-ins. on a scale from 1-10 (other then the noises) where would you rate the performance?

Yes, it will do what they claim.

There is a break in procedure required to season the stove. It is covered in the manual. It mainly concerns driving the moisture out of the fire bricks with small initial fires. We are beyond that point. There has been no change in the noises.

As far as a numerical rating for the performance, other than the noise, I would have to give it a 10.

WhitePine · Jan 16, 2011

We have a magnetic stove pipe thermometer placed about a foot above the stove. We try to keep the temperature at that point around 350 - 400 F.

Napoleon's instruction manual covers numerous models and is (in my opinion) poorly written. As an example, it tells you what the stove temperature should be under the trivet. That's nice, but our model does not have a trivet. There is no mention of what the temperature is supposed to be on the non-trivet-equipped stoves, or where you are supposed to measure it.

The manual does give the stove pipe temperature, but completely neglects to mention at what height above the stove you are supposed to place the thermometer. It also don't differentiate clearly between double wall temperatures and single wall temperatures.

I'd rate the manual a 2.

Skinn · Jan 16, 2011

Ok I just went and reloaded my stove and looked at my thermometer closer. I never paid a lot of attention to the precise reading but it looks like I have been waking up to around 300 degree surface temps and have been cruising closer to 450-500 range. I don't know if this means anything to you but I just wanted to clarify is all. My blowers turn on and off with a thermostatic snap switch and there is still enough heat output in the morning that the blowers are still on.

cdavis · Jan 16, 2011

Hi Weezer 4117,

I have the 1400c, which is essetially the 1400pl firebox, mine just has a cast iron skin around it for looks. I am quite pleased with the purchase. Does a good job providing heat on our cold AZ nights. It is easy to get a fire going, at once it gets cranking, (and broken in) it really burns efficently. So much so, we have only taken one bucket of ash out since we have started using it over a month ago (we have had a fire every night). I agree with the poster above, it is a creaky stove, but I figure it goes with heating metal. It is not any more annoying to me than radiotors banging out some heat. The glass stays nice and clean, as advertised, so we enjoy watching the fires. I also like the firebox size, perfect for loading wood any direction. I am sure there are better stoves out there, but for the money, my wife and I are quite satisfied. Hope this helps.

Chris

cdavis · Jan 16, 2011

WhitePine said:
We have a magnetic stove pipe thermometer placed about a foot above the stove. We try to keep the temperature at that point around 350 - 400 F.

Napoleon's instruction manual covers numerous models and is (in my opinion) poorly written. As an example, it tells you what the stove temperature should be under the trivet. That's nice, but our model does not have a trivet. There is no mention of what the temperature is supposed to be on the non-trivet-equipped stoves, or where you are supposed to measure it.

The manual does give the stove pipe temperature, but completely neglects to mention at what height above the stove you are supposed to place the thermometer. It also don't differentiate clearly between double wall temperatures and single wall temperatures.

I'd rate the manual a 2.

I quite agree. I found the manual to be confusing. I have the condor probe thermometer 18" above the stove and just use the suggested optimum temp range on that. I hope I am not doing anyting wrong to the stove.

weezer4117 · Jan 16, 2011

well i am quite pleased with all i am hearing, i guess i havent read any negative reviews anywhere on this stove (other then the noise of the metal) that is a legitimate complaint but i think i can deal with that, i have for years. i understand that Napoleon is fairly easy to deal with direct so maybe some of the concerns that were mentioned, and not outlined in the manual, could be answered via phone or email? im 95% sure that i will have this stove next week. when/if i get it i will post my reviews as they arise. thanks for the replys!! keep them coming, i appreciate it. Weezer

NothingLikeWood · Jan 17, 2011

We had our Napoleon 1400Pl installed March of 2009 and started with break in burns September 2009. I agree, the stove is noisy on warm up but not enough to wake the sleeper in the room next door. I actually like the noises as they help me gauge how quickly the stove is coming up to temp. Once she's cruising, the noises are gone. I have no complaints about the unit. We run ours with an ecofan in a basement install and outside chase. We do have an OAK as our house is super tight. We still have to crack a window on startup and whenever I run a dryer load or use the central vac (the crack whistles)...that has everything to do with our house and not the stove's needs.

Our double wall pipe usually cruises around 400 and I can get it up to 600 on the second load - it will soon drop back to 450 or so. It does a good job of keeping our 1300 ft bungalow warm (no vents or factory fans...just a floor fan pointing into the room to "help" the heat come upstairs). Our electricity bill is half what it usually is (we used to heat with electric baseboard...we use these now to supplement/help get the house up to temp).

If I were you, I would go for it. We did end up investing in the cookmate trivet for the ecofan. I do sometimes wish I went with the enameled version because our stove is not as nice and shiny as it was new..but this new car feeling soon rubs off.

Feel free to ask any questions if I haven't answered the ones you were looking for...

weezer4117 · Jan 17, 2011

NothingLikeWood said:
We had our Napoleon 1400Pl installed March of 2009 and started with break in burns September 2009. I agree, the stove is noisy on warm up but not enough to wake the sleeper in the room next door. I actually like the noises as they help me gauge how quickly the stove is coming up to temp. Once she's cruising, the noises are gone. I have no complaints about the unit. We run ours with an ecofan in a basement install and outside chase. We do have an OAK as our house is super tight. We still have to crack a window on startup and whenever I run a dryer load or use the central vac (the crack whistles)...that has everything to do with our house and not the stove's needs.

Our double wall pipe usually cruises around 400 and I can get it up to 600 on the second load - it will soon drop back to 450 or so. It does a good job of keeping our 1300 ft bungalow warm (no vents or factory fans...just a floor fan pointing into the room to "help" the heat come upstairs). Our electricity bill is half what it usually is (we used to heat with electric baseboard...we use these now to supplement/help get the house up to temp).

If I were you, I would go for it. We did end up investing in the cookmate trivet for the ecofan. I do sometimes wish I went with the enameled version because our stove is not as nice and shiny as it was new..but this new car feeling soon rubs off.

Feel free to ask any questions if I haven't answered the ones you were looking for...

thanks NLW- i am going to be heating around 1800 sq. ft. with it so i think ill get the factory blower. i have a one story ranch so ill need to move the heat throughout. is the draft controls fairly easy to control, as i was looking at the stove i noticed that in either position the draft lever always allows air in whether primary or secondary. that kind of raised a flag with me. has your stove ever "took off"?

partybob99 · Jan 17, 2011

Skinn said:
The 1402 has 2 blowers on it. I am heating around 2000 sq ft. and it does an awesome job of it! I pretty much leave the blowers on anytime I am running the stove, sometimes I wish for a bigger firebox but that is just so I could get a little more burn time. I guess I can't complain though, if I load the stove up good before bed then I will still have around 200 plus degree surface temps when I get up in the morning.

I also have a 1402 insert. Yes it does makes some noises when it heats up. I agree as well with the other poster that you can use the sounds to know how fast the stove is heating up. The firebox could be bigger, it is 18inx18inx12in height. The dual blowers I leave running most of the time, but they can be shut down if the room gets too hot.

I'm satisfied with my purchase. I think it was last many many years as everything is solidly built..

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