New Mansfield install

[Dairyman]

Hey all, been busy here finally getting a chance do get some pics up. I still have to finish the wall, but were up and burning!
Thanks to everyone that's apart of this great forum I'm up and burning with alot fewer headaches than if I had jumped into these EPA burners on my own. Alot of reading and putting it into use and the house went from 60 two days ago to 80 and we're lovin it!

 

[Dairyman]

Here's some more

 

[leeave96]

Nice - I really like the looks and large firebox of the Mansfield.

Happy burning,
Bill

 

[BrowningBAR]

I came so close to getting one...

So close.


Looks good. The dog seems to like it.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Congratulations Dairyman and welcome to the forum.

I really like your avatar too.

 

[shawneyboy]

WOOT ! Welcome to the Stoners club If you have any specific Manny questions either I or one of the other Manny owners here will be able to help you out. Enjoy.

 

[BrowningBAR]

Get a stove top thermometer on that thing!

 

[shawneyboy]

Get a stove top thermometer on that thing!

I would also reccomend a flue thermo as well.

 

[Dairyman]

Get a stove top thermometer on that thing!

There is I just have it stuck on the name plate. Also have an it thermometer that thing is cool! I haven't made up my mind on which flue probe to get, recommendations?

 

[firecracker_77]

Very pretty! When visitors come, it will be a conversation piece for them.

 

[NH_Wood]

Very nice! I love my Manny - as Shawneyboy said, any questions, let us know - njoy the heat of that beast! Cheers!

 

[certified106]

I love the look of the mansfield stove congratulations on the install it looks great!

 

[BrotherBart]

I seriously love the Mansfield. If there had been any way to get that thing into my fireplace I would have. Of course between the weight of it and my hearth it would have probably ended up in the basement some night full of burning wood.

 

[Dairyman]

I seriously love the Mansfield. If there had been any way to get that thing into my fireplace I would have. Of course between the weight of it and my hearth it would have probably ended up in the basement some night full of burning wood.

Lol! It sure is a heavy rock we broke one of the ramps I had dollying it in the house!

 

[Todd]

Nice looking setup. Looks like your dog will take full advantage of it. What kind of pipe is that, single wall or double? If single wall I'd just stick a Condar magnetic external thermometer on it, if double wall you could install a Condar probe. If you want to go a little more spendy and accurate look into Teltru.

 

[shawneyboy]

Get a stove top thermometer on that thing!

There is I just have it stuck on the name plate. Also have an it thermometer that thing is cool! I haven't made up my mind on which flue probe to get, recommendations?

I use the condor probe. Simple and easy install. Drill 1 hole in the stove pipe, two different sizes. Yep I was leery at first drilling into the pipe but.... gotta do what ya gotta do. Make sure you read the directions, have both drill bits at the ready , and just do it. Anyway, get a probe thermo and do NOT freak out when you see those temps. Many people reference temps and are using a magnetic thermo, with a probe thermo you are usually at about 2x a surface mount.

 

[begreen]

That big rock is a sweet heater. Congratulations.

 

[Dairyman]

Hi all, thought I'd give an update and get your options. The first burn went great, started with the driest wood I had 2 year seasoned white oak then switched to 1 year seasoned and kept right on humming. Let it die out the next morning and got to watch the soapstone do its thing and wow! I was impressed the stove top was still at 90 at 10oclock pm. I couldn't resist had to start her up again this time using the 1stove year seasoned and it was quite a chore to get it up to 2300 I never could get the secondaries to stay lit for very long. Finally burnt gave up and went to bed and tried some more in the morning on the coals not much luck then either. So I'm betting my 1favorite year seasoned isn't quite dry enough but why did I do just fine switching over the fist time and then couldn't get her to rip off of a hot bed of coals? I don't have enough 2 year wood so I need to figure out how to limp by.

 

[BrowningBAR]

Hi all, thought I'd give an update and get your options. The first burn went great, started with the driest wood I had 2 year seasoned white oak then switched to 1 year seasoned and kept right on humming. Let it die out the next morning and got to watch the soapstone do its thing and wow! I was impressed the stove top was still at 90 at 10oclock pm. I couldn't resist had to start her up again this time using the 1stove year seasoned and it was quite a chore to get it up to 2300 I never could get the secondaries to stay lit for very long. Finally burnt gave up and went to bed and tried some more in the morning on the coals not much luck then either. So I'm betting my 1favorite year seasoned isn't quite dry enough but why did I do just fine switching over the fist time and then couldn't get her to rip off of a hot bed of coals? I don't have enough 2 year wood so I need to figure out how to limp by.

I'm assuming you mean 230 degrees.

Tell us about the burn. How much wood did you use, what type of fire was in the firebox (raging or lazy), how long was the fire going, and what were your air controls set at?

 

[Dairyman]

2300 Silly phone! Flame was lazy to none, open the front door and it would take off. Air control I moved from full to half several times, tried to leave at half for around 15 minutes. Then no flame at all open the air up I'd get a lazy flame. If I'd open the front door at half air let it take off then shut the front door the secondary would light up for about 30 seconds then die off, but not with the air control at Max. The wood looked good and chard.

 

[BrotherBart]

It is just too danged warm outside. Same thing here. Draft is awful. Just cool enough to need a night fire but warm enough that chimney draft just doesn't wanna play right. Give it a shot tomorrow night when you get down in the thirties.

ETA: The 30 is cruising at six fifty which is too much for how "not cold" it is for a few hours but me and that thing have a few miles of splits under our belt together. And without the blower going won't heat us out of the house. You and the Manny will get there. Different conditions make for different burns every day of the week.

 

[shawneyboy]

2300 Silly phone! Flame was lazy to none, open the front door and it would take off. Air control I moved from full to half several times, tried to leave at half for around 15 minutes. Then no flame at all open the air up I'd get a lazy flame. If I'd open the front door at half air let it take off then shut the front door the secondary would light up for about 30 seconds then die off, but not with the air control at Max. The wood looked good and chard.

It is still a bit warm to have a great draft, I think that contributed to the problem. It really sounds like the fuel isn't sesoned enough. As a wise member here said before, "You can't burn water". When you have seasoned wood, then you will see the full abilities of that great big rock. If I were you I would bite the bullet and go buy a bundle or two of wood from the department store or local gas station. Make sure it is properly dry, many of those stores actually sell kiln dried wood. Give her a try.

The process I use with sesoned wood is, on a large bed of coals I use the zipper method, a smaller bed pull coals forward up to front. Load that bad boy up with the air completely open, (at this time of year maybe crack door for a few minutes depending on draft), Let it go untill wood is good and charred, usually about 15 - 20 mins, then push air back to open 3/4, wait another 10 mins, air to between 1/2 and 1/4, another 10 mins, air between 1/4 and shut down completely. By this time secondaries are going nicely, depending on wood could be bowels of hell look, but usually think of what a gas grill looks like right at the burner. At this point I walk away, usually don't need to do anything else for 8- 10 hours. Lather, rinse, repeat.

Starting cold is a different story and is even more dependant on your setup, draft, and so many other things. But once you get that rock going, the above method is the way to go, at least for me.

Shawn

 

[Dairyman]

I'm back again with a successful report and a few more questions.

I started a fire Saturday night after the cold front moved through, outside temp at 39 winds gusting to 40mph. Used the top down method and it worked great! Loaded her up about an hour in, had the center stone temps at 400 and for what it's worth the outer wall of pipe at 210.

Ten hours later I had a really good coal bed so I moved them to the center and put a small split of walnut on to help burn them down and buy some time. Then I tried Shawn's zipper method and really kicked out the heat. That's when I noticed a huge thermometer discrepancy, the ir gun was at 550° and the stovetop was at 650.

Then last night I did the zipper again and it event crazy on me, she got up to around 650 and I was nervous so I opened the door up to let it cool and that didn't seem to really help.

So my questions are, 1 should I install a flue damper to give me more control? If so how to operate never had one before.
2. Wear should I be concerned on temps, and were sould I be taking them from? The center stone seems to be the hottest so that's were I have been reading from.
3. Which thermometer to believe? The ir seems to be pretty close on everything I've checked it against and stye stovetop low until it breaks 400 then it's high.
Sorry for the long post. Thanks

 

[BrowningBAR]

I'm back again with a successful report and a few more questions.

I started a fire Saturday night after the cold front moved through, outside temp at 39 winds gusting to 40mph. Used the top down method and it worked great! Loaded her up about an hour in, had the center stone temps at 400 and for what it's worth the outer wall of pipe at 210.

Ten hours later I had a really good coal bed so I moved them to the center and put a small split of walnut on to help burn them down and buy some time. Then I tried Shawn's zipper method and really kicked out the heat. That's when I noticed a huge thermometer discrepancy, the ir gun was at 550° and the stovetop was at 650.

Then last night I did the zipper again and it event crazy on me, she got up to around 650 and I was nervous so I opened the door up to let it cool and that didn't seem to really help.

So my questions are, 1 should I install a flue damper to give me more control? If so how to operate never had one before.
2. Wear should I be concerned on temps, and were sould I be taking them from? The center stone seems to be the hottest so that's were I have been reading from.
3. Which thermometer to believe? The ir seems to be pretty close on everything I've checked it against and stye stovetop low until it breaks 400 then it's high.
Sorry for the long post. Thanks

650 is a little hot. You might want to cut it back a little earlier.

Temps should be taken from the top center stove. Temps should not exceed 600. Occasionally going above that is okay. But top recommended temps for Hearthstone are 600 degrees. Both, thermometer placement and top temps can be found in your manual.

 

[shawneyboy]

I'm back again with a successful report and a few more questions.

I started a fire Saturday night after the cold front moved through, outside temp at 39 winds gusting to 40mph. Used the top down method and it worked great! Loaded her up about an hour in, had the center stone temps at 400 and for what it's worth the outer wall of pipe at 210.

Ten hours later I had a really good coal bed so I moved them to the center and put a small split of walnut on to help burn them down and buy some time. Then I tried Shawn's zipper method and really kicked out the heat. That's when I noticed a huge thermometer discrepancy, the ir gun was at 550° and the stovetop was at 650.

Then last night I did the zipper again and it event crazy on me, she got up to around 650 and I was nervous so I opened the door up to let it cool and that didn't seem to really help.

So my questions are, 1 should I install a flue damper to give me more control? If so how to operate never had one before.
2. Wear should I be concerned on temps, and were sould I be taking them from? The center stone seems to be the hottest so that's were I have been reading from.
3. Which thermometer to believe? The ir seems to be pretty close on everything I've checked it against and stye stovetop low until it breaks 400 then it's high.
Sorry for the long post. Thanks

Stove top temps are the center stone. 650 does seem a bit high. Don't panic though, occasionally hitting that temp will not do much to the big ole rock IMHO.

For the flue damper, tell us how you are running her first. Lets assume you have some coals in the box, please explain what/how you do what you do until you reach cruising speed.

As far as temps, you have a double wall stove pipe so you REALLY NEED a probe thermo to get an accurate idea of what is going on. I have turned my Manny back when the center stone was only around 200 degrees before, that is because I knew what the stove gas exhaust temps were, this it the important info. Once you get a probe thermo then you will really get a feel for it.

I rarely even look at my stove top thermo anymore, I look at the fire itself and if I want a temp to use as a gauge it is the flue gas temp.