Revisited the Mansfield Manual

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MF1529

New Member
Jan 25, 2011
48
Vermont
Hi Everyone,

I was having issues/concerns for quite a while regarding my Mansfields heat output. My concern was the only way I could reach high temps (550+) was with the primary fully open. I was frustrated because other Mansfield owners have written that their temps are high with the primary air shut down, this did not work for me. I re-read the Mansfield Manual to see if I missed anything. The manual states that high burn is achieved with the primary is fully open. It also says stove temps can reach 600 during High Burn. I understand other Mansfield owners are reaching these temps differently, but I wanted to share this in the event others are having trouble reaching higher temps. Burning fully open, as explained in the manual, works for me. The ash build up is still a pain. Below is the section of the Mansfield manual related to burning:

**I only burn fully open when the temps drop into single digits and below anything above that I can keep the primary turned down and get plenty of heat.

HIGH BURN: Fully load the firebox with wood on a bed
of hot coals or on an actively flaming fire and fully open
the primary air control. A high burn rate is recommended
once or twice a day to fully heat the stovepipe and
chimney, which will help minimize creosote
accumulation
MEDIUM BURN: Set the primary air control to a midrange
setting appropriate for the heating needs of the area
being heated. A medium burn rate should be the typical
setting and is preferable if the stove is to be left
unattended.
LOW BURN: Close the primary air control for a low burn
rate. A low burn rate over extended periods of time is not
advisable as it may promote the accumulation of creosote.
The venting system should be inspected frequently if low
burn rates are maintained consistently.

Monitor the stove temperatures with a stove thermometer
(available from your dealer) placed on the top center
stone of the stove. The thermometer could read as high as
600° F (427° C) on high burn and 300-400° F
(149-240° C) on low burn.
 
I had my mansfield at 525 last night during a low burn. Maybe I've got an air leak somewhere? I was even thinking it seemed awful hot for having the air control all the way closed.
 
I personally do not agree with the manual. I KNOW I have no air leaks, with a full load I regularly burn at around 525 - 550 with the air completely closed. I believe these numbers are if you had the air control set and you loaded it and walked away. Meaning low burn is if I set it almost completely closed and loaded the stove and walked away. I don't do this.

With a full load I load her up with the air open. At 20 mins or so, when everything is charred, I start setting the air control back, in stages. I again kick it back some (usually about 3/4 closed) after another 15 mins or so. At around 45 mins to 1 hour the air is completely closed, the secondaries are flaming away, and the stove top is in the neighborhood of 400 - 450 depending on wood. The stove top levels out around 525 - 550 with the air completely closed.

I agree that different people have different burning methods. I can tell you this much, if you are burning wide open you are sending, as my son would say, a shiot-ton, of heat up the flue and out of the house. I , if burning wide open, would also be burning a shiot-ton more wood than I need to use, while I would not be getting the same amount of heat. If you look at my cap, there is no smoke at all, if you look down my flue there is very little if any creosote.

Of course all of this depends on the wood you are burning. If you have well seasoned hard wood (I use seasoned Oak and Beech) you can reach high temps with low air and have loooooong burns.


Shawn
 
I agree with Shawneyboy, running wide open is not the most efficient burn. A low to medium air setting should be more efficient and give you more BTU's over a longer stretch of time. How dry is your wood?
 
I suspect your wood is not adequately seasoned. If your wood is dry you should be able to burn the way Shawneyboy describes. I burn the same way.
 
johnstra said:
I suspect your wood is not adequately seasoned. If your wood is dry you should be able to burn the way Shawneyboy describes. I burn the same way.
Click to expand...

Has to be the wood. Well 99% of the time it is.
 
The recommendations are odd. First, in order to achieve the ~ 80K BTU's to heat the 2500sqft that the stove is rated for, you would HAVE to get the stove top hot - in the 550* range (right?). So......if you need to get the stove top that hot, and you need to use high burn (air wide open) to do so........why do they suggest using high burn once or twice a day - for example, once per day to get the flue nice and warm, etc. Makes no sense to me. Perhaps you have very sluggish draft, and your 'wide open' is equivalent to the rest of our draft with the primary closed. The fire in my stove would RAGE if I left the primary wide open. What are the characteristics of your fire 1 hour after loading with the primary air wide open?? Let us know. I wonder if you have some odd obstruction that is limiting your draft. Cheers!
 
NH_Wood said:
why do they suggest using high burn once or twice a day
Click to expand...

1. to clean the chimney & connector...
2. to clean the glass...

That's the way I was taught to burn a non-cat...
YMMV
 
There is a BIG difference between "High-burn" and a hot stove. You'll be getting a high burn with max air but you will be sending that heat up the chimney.

To get max stove temps, you do NOT use a "High burn" setting.
 
And if you can't get a hot stove at a medium-low burn rate then you have wet wood and/or an inadequate chimney.
 
DAKSY said:
NH_Wood said:
why do they suggest using high burn once or twice a day
Click to expand...

1. to clean the chimney & connector...
2. to clean the glass...

That's the way I was taught to burn a non-cat...
YMMV
Click to expand...

The only cleaning my glass needs is the every so often fly ash haze cleaning. I have only gotten darkened glass when a log was to close to the glass. The darkened area burned off as soon as the edge of the log was a bit further away, no reload, no adjustment, just wait til it burns the edge of the log away and wal-la, no more black.

If you burn properly seasoned wood, a high burn does not clean the chimney, because there really isn't anything to clean anywhere near the connector or in the bottom of the chimney. Besides the only way it "cleans" the chimney is if you have a small chimney fire, of which I would prefer to avoid.

Of course this is only my thoughts on the subject.

Shawn
 
Well my problem has now been eliminated. I just picked up a Pacific Energy Summit Custom stove in Titanium color. This stove is exactly what I was looking for. I can't wait to swap the stoves, sell the Mansfield, and never look back. If the Mansfield is supposed to burn the way everyone has written, I'm not sure I'd like that either. If it's burning at 550 shut down then there is really no way to shut it down. Anyway I can say I tried hard to like it, to include burning 3 yr old rock maple that had been split and stored under cover for 3 yrs, and I never got the heat I wanted. I hate that I spent $3000 on a stove that I don't like but whatcha gonna do. I wish I could have joined the Mansfield fan club, but this was not to be. Thanks everyone. I'll report back on the PE Summit if there is any interest.
 
MF,

Congrats on the new addition to the family. I am sorry to hear that you didn't get out of the stone what you expected. I can tell you this, I would buy it from you if Vermont and PA were closer to each other.

You are correct about "not being able to shut it down" at least completely. Of course all EPA stoves can not be completely shut down. That being said, it is easy as pie to adjust heat output by simply adjusting the amount of fuel you give her.

I look forward to your thoughts on the PE Summit. I am guessing you will feel some more intense heat as opposed to the softer heat of the Mansfield, since it is plate steel.

Anyway, I hope you are happy with your new stove, I am sure you will not have an issue selling the Mansfield.

Shawn
 
shawneyboy said:
MF,

Congrats on the new addition to the family. I am sorry to hear that you didn't get out of the stone what you expected. I can tell you this, I would buy it from you if Vermont and PA were closer to each other.


Shawn
Click to expand...

According to Google Maps, it's only 8 hours or so from Vermont to Pennsylvania. Sounds like a great trip for a long weekend!
 
MF1529 said:
Well my problem has now been eliminated. I just picked up a Pacific Energy Summit Custom stove in Titanium color. This stove is exactly what I was looking for. I can't wait to swap the stoves, sell the Mansfield, and never look back. If the Mansfield is supposed to burn the way everyone has written, I'm not sure I'd like that either. If it's burning at 550 shut down then there is really no way to shut it down. Anyway I can say I tried hard to like it, to include burning 3 yr old rock maple that had been split and stored under cover for 3 yrs, and I never got the heat I wanted. I hate that I spent $3000 on a stove that I don't like but whatcha gonna do. I wish I could have joined the Mansfield fan club, but this was not to be. Thanks everyone. I'll report back on the PE Summit if there is any interest.
Click to expand...
What makes you think you will like the summit more than the mansfield? I have a summit and not all that happy with it but I think it is my chimney that is the problem, as good a stove as the mansfies is I can not help think you had other issues. But I hope you like the new stove.
 
Give us a report when you get the Summit up and running.
 
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