Hearthstone Heritage Observations - burn cycle seems a little short

[johnstra]

I've been burning in my Heritage for about a month now. Overall, the stove performs really well. I've been burning mostly pine (9-10% moisture according to my meter). On colder nights I'll mix in some ash an elm. I'm saving my meager supply of oak for colder weather.

My only disappointment is the length of time I get out of each burn cycle. I'm reloading every 3-4 hours, burning 3 or 4 splits of pine. I reload a little before I need to, I know. When I reload, my stovetop temp is usually around 350-400 and I have large active coals. When reloading, I get good active flame and the load is charred after 5-15 minutes, depending how hot the coal bed is. Then I cut back the primary air. I've discovered I can actually cut my primary all the way back and still maintain a nice slow secondary burn. Burns are very clean - no chimney smoke and my glass is clean.

Now I know I can get longer cycles out of the stove, because I get 7 hour overnight burns with enough coals in the morning to easily get a load going. The reason I reload often is to keep the stove temperature up above 450. I've mentioned in other threads that my stove is a bit undersized for my space, and this reinforces that point. To keep the house above 70F, I have to keep the stove above 450.

As an experiment, I loaded the stove about 80% full of ash today at noon. It was about 35F here and overcast. We took the kids out for a hike and came home at 5. The stove top was still 300 and I had a great bed of coals, but I really would have like to have gotten another 1-2 hours out of a rather large load of good hardwood.

From what I've read, my burn cycles are quite a bit shorter than many of you other members. Are you guys getting high-heat burns that last much longer than this or are you just more patient, letting the cycle go longer before reloading?

Thanks,
-john

 

[Todd]

I don't have the Heritage but if you have to reload with the stove top temp still at 350-400 to maintain a 70 degree house temp, maybe you should consider an upgrade to the larger Mansfield or need better insulation? I don't think there are many stone stove owners that reload at that high of temps. I reload at 200-300 and leaves me enough coals for good sized splits to take right off.

Maybe the dealer would work with you and give you a deal on an upgrade? You might have to take a loss but would be happier in the long run. When it gets colder those burn times are going to get shorter and you will have to burn even hotter to maintain that 70 degrees.

 

[johnstra]

...if you have to reload with the stove top temp still at 350-400 to maintain a 70 degree house temp, maybe you should consider an upgrade to the larger Mansfield...

I am discussing a Mansfield upgrade with my dealer. I didn't get a Mansfield in the first place because it's top-vent only and because it doesn't have a side loading door. I don't think I can make it work on my hearth, but we're investigating it to be sure. If I can't upgrade, I'm prepared to supplement with central air when necessary.

My application is a perfect example of trying to stretch a stove a too far. I don't have anybody to blame but myself.

 

[gyrfalcon]

I've been burning in my Heritage for about a month now. Overall, the stove performs really well. I've been burning mostly pine (9-10% moisture according to my meter). On colder nights I'll mix in some ash an elm. I'm saving my meager supply of oak for colder weather.

My only disappointment is the length of time I get out of each burn cycle. I'm reloading every 3-4 hours, burning 3 or 4 splits of pine. I reload a little before I need to, I know. When I reload, my stovetop temp is usually around 350-400 and I have large active coals. When reloading, I get good active flame and the load is charred after 5-15 minutes, depending how hot the coal bed is. Then I cut back the primary air. I've discovered I can actually cut my primary all the way back and still maintain a nice slow secondary burn. Burns are very clean - no chimney smoke and my glass is clean.

Now I know I can get longer cycles out of the stove, because I get 7 hour overnight burns with enough coals in the morning to easily get a load going. The reason I reload often is to keep the stove temperature up above 450. I've mentioned in other threads that my stove is a bit undersized for my space, and this reinforces that point. To keep the house above 70F, I have to keep the stove above 450.

As an experiment, I loaded the stove about 80% full of ash today at noon. It was about 35F here and overcast. We took the kids out for a hike and came home at 5. The stove top was still 300 and I had a great bed of coals, but I really would have like to have gotten another 1-2 hours out of a rather large load of good hardwood.

From what I've read, my burn cycles are quite a bit shorter than many of you other members. Are you guys getting high-heat burns that last much longer than this or are you just more patient, letting the cycle go longer before reloading?

Thanks,
-john

You're definitely undersized for the size/insulation of your home-- as am I. You're also not using particularly high-BTU wood. If you can get your hands on a suply of Beech, Black Birch or Hophornbeam you'll get a hotter, longer-lasting fire. Burning Ash, Rock Maple, Red Oak and/or Red Maple, my little stove cruises at between 300 and 325. Throwing a single chunk of beech in with the maple gets me an extra 50 degrees. A whole stove load of beech/black birch and my stove runs happily up to 450.

 

[Todd]

...if you have to reload with the stove top temp still at 350-400 to maintain a 70 degree house temp, maybe you should consider an upgrade to the larger Mansfield...

I am discussing a Mansfield upgrade with my dealer. I didn't get a Mansfield in the first place because it's top-vent only and because it doesn't have a side loading door. I don't think I can make it work on my hearth, but we're investigating it to be sure. If I can't upgrade, I'm prepared to supplement with central air when necessary.

My application is a perfect example of trying to stretch a stove a too far. I don't have anybody to blame but myself.

Looking at your Heritage install it looks like you could put a mansfield in there and just offset the pipe with a couple 30 or 45 degree elbows to get that rear clearance? Or maybe put a 90 elbow right off the top of the stove into your tee? Looks like it can work, might have to extend hearth out as well?

 

[ispinwool]

We have a Heritage----and an unusual set-up so the space we're heating is a bit different
than what would be considered "ideal"....
However, we are getting about the same amount of burn time and comparable stove top
temps. What makes the biggest difference in burn time is our wood: maple only gives us
3 or 4 hours but Locust will go 5 or 6 hours before we need to reload. And the bigger the
round the better!
Did you see the suggestions (here on the forum) of fans set up to push the hot air around
where you need it? This is my 2nd year that I've been "experimenting" with our woodburner
and I'm finally getting the hang of it...give yourself some time to acclimate

 

[joshlaugh]

I have the heritage. I think it comes down to the species of wood you are burning. I burn lots of different kinds of wood in the stove over the years and notice a difference between what I burn. Hickory and oak will burn longer and have a better bed of coals than say ash or pine. I suggest trying some of your oak and hopefully that will help. I installed a 2nd stove to keep my house warm since the heritage couldn't do it by itself.

Good Luck

 

[johnstra]

Good replies... thanks all.

Yes, I'm sure burning higher BTU wood will extend my cycle by a fair amount. I'll let you all know how the oak behaves. Later this week, temperatures here are supposed to stay below freezing for a few days with single digits overnight. So I'll be reaching into my stash of oak.

I haven't tried using fans yet. I do have space behind my stove for a box fan, so I'll give that a try. I do have a ceiling fan in the center of my room and that does create good circulation. I don't know, however, if it's pulling air out of the alcove behind my stove.

My house is reasonably well insulated. It's just that I my square footage is a too much for the stove (2100 sq/ft) and I have very high ceilings to boot.

I considered buying the Hearthstone fan for my stove, but I'm not convinced it'll help enough to justify $200+. Maybe I'll change my mind if the box fan behind the stove helps significantly.

Yes, a 90-degree elbow right off the top of the Mansfield will fit - just barely. So if I do decide that I need to move up to the mansfield, it is possible. The hearth has plenty of space. The Mansfield is 5" deeper than the Heritage, so instead of sitting completely in front of the cavity as my Heritage does, a few inches of the Mansfield will have to go inside the hole. That's why I posted another topic asking about how much heating efficiency is lost when the stove is in a hole.

-john

 

[Highbeam]

Any particular reason you are only filling to 80%? If I want heat and long burn times I fill the box up full, all the way to the burn tubes. This stove seems to be made to cruise between 350 and 450 while loaded and down to 250 or so before refilling. For whatever reason, it seems as though you are running your stove hard and so burn times will suffer. I don't particularly like the looks of the mansfield and the next step up is the equinox with the 8" flue.

Any other brands that you like?

 

[North of 60]

I'm reloading every 3-4 hours, burning 3 or 4 splits of pine.
-john

I really don't understand what more you would expect out of 3 to 4 splits of 10% MC pine.
That's good. An hour a split for soft wood. What are the average dismentions?

 

[johnstra]

It's not really a matter of expectations. I'm still learning about my EPA stove, so if an hour per split for dry pine is normal, then that's fine. As Inferno suggests, I still have a little budget and I can get more wood in per load. And of course I can burn higer BTU wood. It just seemed, based on what I'm reading, that my cycles even with pine are kind of short. But I am pushing the stove pretty hard and I know that makes a big difference.

No, I'm sold on soapstone/Hearthstone. I seriously considered Woodstock, but I like the looks of the Hearthstones better.

 

[North of 60]

What are the average dimension's of your splits?

 

[johnstra]

Splits are 16" or so.

 

[North of 60]

Splits are 16" or so.

OK.... 16" by 4" by 4" or 16" By 10" by 10" ?
It all makes a differance.

 

[johnstra]

16x4 to 16x6

 

[Highbeam]

Once you've admitted defeat and use the furnace to supplement the heritage then you are down to some different choices. Like, do you want to get longer burn times and burn more furnace fuel? Then close the stove draft and get max burn times possible. Do you want to minimize the furnace use? Then run the stove harder and know that you will load more often. In all cases, loading the stove to 100% full will yield the best results.

It is okay to get the most out of the stove to supplement the furnace. Don't overfire the stove and don't fuss too much about the frequent reloads and inability of the stove to roast you out.

With 2100 SF though, I would think that you could heat the place pretty well with the heritage this time of year.

 

[North of 60]

Highbeam, I would say his burn times with pine and what he has been doing are normal to good, wouldnt you?
Just a larger load with his primary air throttled to maintain secondaries. Correct?