Break in fire...no blower operation. Normal?

[Stax]

Did a break in fire this morning with 3 relatively small splits. According to manual it states to live a door slighly ajar while burning. Manual also states that unit needs to be up to temperature for blowers to kick on. Was this normal for the blower not to kick on during my break in fire?

1. E-mail sent to Travis Industries.
2. Rutland Stove Thermometer 701 just ordered through Ace Hardware.

What say you?

 

[begreen]

Yes, it will take more heat to bring the stove up to temperature. The stove will run cooler with the door ajar. The fan will not come on until you have a closed door, medium fire and the stove has had about 30 minutes to really warm up.

 

[hemlock]

It can take a while for the blower to kick on. I thought the blower on my PE was broken at first also. The stove really needs to buld up the heat, and from a cold stove - it can take a while (20-30 minutes) at a decent temp. A small break-in fire may not have brought the stove up to blower operating temps.

 

[Stax]

This just in from Travis...

Thank you for purchasing a Lopi Wilmington insert. We appreciate you vote of confidence.

It is normal for the blower not to come on during break in fires. The snap disk which controls the blower must reach a temperature of at least 120°. As it sits under the firebox it is not uncommon for the blower to take up to 30 minutes to come on when you build a large fire.

Have a great day and enjoy your insert.

 

[begreen]

Good for Travis, they responded almost as quickly as Hearth.com.

 

[Stax]

I replied by asking what stove temperature does the 120 degrees correlate to?

 

[Stax]

More from Travis...

Rob, that’s a tough one. It depends on the size of fire, the amount of coals, some days it might be as low as 300° or it can be as high as 700°. The snap disk sits on the right hand side behind the blower. So it’s the temperature under the firebrick which takes longer to heat up which allows the insert to reach it’s optimum operating temperature before it comes on.

 

[budman]

Yes, it will take more heat to bring the stove up to temperature. The stove will run cooler with the door ajar. The fan will not come on until you have a closed door, medium fire and the stove has had about 30 minutes to really warm up.

+1

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Great that Travis answered, especially on the same day. Shows a good company.

 

[DanCorcoran]

Remember, you don't want the blower to come on too soon, as it will cool the stove and may contribute to incomplete combustion (creosote) until the stove warms up more.

 

[Stax]

Good point Dan.

 

[DanCorcoran]

When my blower comes on, I can watch the stove temp drop by about 100 degrees.

 

[Jack768]

My blower takes 30-45 mins door closed with a big load before it kicks on.

 

[kettensäge]

X2, mine has a 100° turn on temp and is mounted down below the bricks, turns on when surface temp above the doors is around 250° or so, but only blows around 100° air or so. If it came on any sooner it would feel more like a cold draft. The good thing is turn off temp is about the same so the fire can be coals for a while but the blower is still extracting heat from the bricks.

 

[Stax]

Did another break in fire tonight with 5 small splits. 10 minutes in..cracked a Coors Light. 45 minutes in with door slightly ajar...BLOWERS KICKED ON!

 

[begreen]

And then there was heat.

Next fire, keep the door closed once it is burning well. I'm guessing it will come on in 30 minutes.

 

[Stax]

Yup, that's what I'm thinking. Now I just have to learn the stove.

 

[begreen]

Give it time. It will be a different animal at 20F outside than at 60F.