Newbie needs help

[Jaackil]

Hi All,

I just had a Pacific Energy "Pacific" Wood insert installed in my existing fireplace. I am not getting what I feel is enough heat out of it. The room it is in is about 13x 19 and it is only getting up to about 72. I have tried buring different woods as well as Hearthwise Pellet Logs. I have used different combinations of damper openings and fan speeds but nothing seems to get the heat into the room let alone the rest of the house. The insert is a "Mid size" rated to heat up to 2000 square feet and I cant even get 250 sq ft heated. I should also say that the bricks infront of the insert (The Hearth Bricks) get extremely hot so hot that you can only keep a hand on them for a second or 2. So the stove is producing heat but it seems like I am losing it somewhere. Also the chimney was cleaned and inpected before instalation and no defects were noted and I have a good draft.

Anyone have any ideas?

Thank You

 

[Jags]

Do you have a block off plate at the bottom of the chimney? If not, guess what your heating?? If you do, then you need to find a way to get the heat moving away from the stove.

 

[Cearbhaill]

I am heating 2000 sq ft toasty warm with the same insert, so hopefuly someone will help you.

When I reload, I do it when the insert front thermometer gets down to 300ºF. At this point the air is wide open and the blower running on its lowest setting. Once the fire gets going well, I cut the air all the way back and the temperature begins to rise. Once I see about 400ºF I turn the blower up to high and sit back. My insert tends to peak at right around 650- 700ºF and will happily sit there for quite some time. Once I see the temperature start to fall back to the 400ºF range I start cutting the blower back a bit too, and using this method I reload approximately every six hours or so.

Do you have a thermometer?
Are you sure your wood is well seasoned?
I'm assuming your chimney is lined the whole way- do you have a block off plate?

I am by no means knowledgeable about installation, but I know these guys are gong to ask you this stuff, so just trying to help out in that way.

It's a dandy insert and should be doing a better job- folks here will get it figured out for you!

 

[Jaackil]

This may sound really really stupid but what is a block off plate?

Not sure what you mean by Full liner The house was built in 1980 so the chimney has a ceramic liner and creates sufficiant draft, I do not have the full stainless steel liner only the 5 foot. Because of the Flue size and draft I was told I didnt need it.

 

[Jags]

This may sound really really stupid but what is a block off plate?

Not sure what you mean by Full liner The house was built in 1980 so the chimney has a ceramic liner and creates sufficiant draft, I do not have the full stainless steel liner only the 5 foot. Because of the Flue size and draft I was told I didnt need it.

Sounds like you have a classic "slammer" install. 5 ft. of pipe stuck up into the chimney. A bottom block off plate is a tin plate that covers or "blocks" the chimney from the fireplace opening. So it goes, stove in fireplace, pipe goes from stove into chimney. At THAT point is where the block off plate should be. Sealing off the fireplace insert/opening from the rest of the flue. Hope that makes sense.

It stops the heat being generated from the stove from going up the chimney.

 

[Cearbhaill]

Bump for the night time crowd...

 

[Dix]

Hi All,

I just had a Pacific Energy "Pacific" Wood insert installed in my existing fireplace. I am not getting what I feel is enough heat out of it. The room it is in is about 13x 19 and it is only getting up to about 72. I have tried buring different woods as well as Hearthwise Pellet Logs. I have used different combinations of damper openings and fan speeds but nothing seems to get the heat into the room let alone the rest of the house. The insert is a "Mid size" rated to heat up to 2000 square feet and I cant even get 250 sq ft heated. I should also say that the bricks infront of the insert (The Hearth Bricks) get extremely hot so hot that you can only keep a hand on them for a second or 2. So the stove is producing heat but it seems like I am losing it somewhere. Also the chimney was cleaned and inpected before instalation and no defects were noted and I have a good draft.

Anyone have any ideas?

Thank You

I'm heating a larger room to 78-80 with the same insert. I've got the stove heat moving to 1500 SF of a 2000 SF house, and I'm working on fan placement, etc to get some of that heat to the rest of the house.

It's been in the 20's here the past few nights, and when I wake up in the morning, it's 75 in the house. Insert has been loaded heavy the past few nights & days, and has kept up with the cold.

Fans on medium setting & automatic. Center of the house masonary chimney was relined top to bottom, and blocked off at the top.

The chimney inside of the house is warm to the touch these days.

My research showed ( to me) that a slammer install wasn't going to cut it. If that's what you have, then that is where your heat is going.

Or a combo of unseasoned wood, as well.

Wow, rereading this, I realized that in June I was alittle dazed and confused about all of this wood burning stuff :coolsmile:

 

[Jaackil]

OK another really dumb newbie question What is a Slammer install?

 

[begreen]

This may sound really really stupid but what is a block off plate?

Not sure what you mean by Full liner The house was built in 1980 so the chimney has a ceramic liner and creates sufficiant draft, I do not have the full stainless steel liner only the 5 foot. Because of the Flue size and draft I was told I didnt need it.

Check your manual on pages 4-6, you need a block off plate for a stubbed installation (no full liner). Here's a link about block off plates.

https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/wiki/Why_damper_seal_is_needed/

But you also need to find out why your house is leaking heat. It sounds like you are trying to heat outdoors right now. That is a losing battle. Find the leaks and seal them up.

 

[Jaackil]

Thanks for that reply, I dont think the house is leaking that much heat, the reason I say that is I have about 2800 sq ft and last year didnt burn anywhere as much oil as other people I know in this area. But I am not sure. How do I go about looking for where I might be losing heat? I am very new at this so I am sorry if I sound clueless but basicly I am. I am open to any and all suggestions.

 

[bren582]

Sheetmetal damper block off plate. This one is 22guage Galv that was eventually painted with black high heat paint. Regardless of the blank deer in the headlights stare you will receive from most professional installers when asked about it, This novice swears its a no brainer especially when the chimney in question is external as mine is.. It took some time and effort to fabricate but the payoff is huge..

 

[begreen]

Didn't know this was such a big house. Using a 2 cu ft stove to heat 2800 sq ft is a little like trying to feed an elephant with a teaspoon. It can be done, but you are going to have to feed it constantly. The stove is undersized for the volume of the house. If you are trying to move the air temperature a significant number of degrees (like more than 5 degrees) it's going to take a while to warm up the mass of the house. Everything from the walls to the furniture have to be warmed up. Once they are up to temperature, the job of maintaining the temp is easier.

 

[otrip]

Did the insert come with a blower?
It makes a huge diffrence. IMO they should be standard on inserts instead of an option.
An insert w/o a blower is like a furnace w/o a fan it makes no sence.

 

[Cearbhaill]

OK another really dumb newbie question What is a Slammer install?

I think that is when the pipe from the top of the insert just goes partway up the chimney and then stops, as opposed to a full liner that goes from the top of the insert all the way to the top of the chimney.

 

[Jaackil]

ActuallY I am not trying to heat all 2800 sg ft with the insert only the first floor which is about 1400 Sq ft. I do understand a little about thermodynamics and I understand that there will be some heat loss to the upper level and so forth that all makes sense but I would think a meduim size insert rated for up to 2000 sq feet should heat a room of 250 sg ft to a little more than 70 degrees, No?

 

[Jags]

ActuallY I am not trying to heat all 2800 sg ft with the insert only the first floor which is about 1400 Sq ft. I do understand a little about thermodynamics and I understand that there will be some heat loss to the upper level and so forth that all makes sense but I would think a meduim size insert rated for up to 2000 sq feet should heat a room of 250 sg ft to a little more than 70 degrees, No?

Not if you don't have a bottom block off plate and that heat escapes up a chimney BEFORE it even gets a chance to heat the living area.

 

[Jaackil]

Thank you to everyone that replied, you have all been a big help. I do have a Bottom Block off plate. I took the surround apart this morning and checked. But I think I found at least part of the problem. Be Green, you hit the nail on the head last night. I was leaking heat in the last place I would have thought, but proberbly the first place I should have looked. The Attick Pull Down!. I noticed a cobweb this morning dancing around it. So I decided to cover the whole pull down with some clear plastic. Once I did that the temp in the whole house began to rise! Unforturnately I was at the end of a burn cycle to I wont know exactly how effective that cure will be untill I refuel and start again. I am going to have to come up with a more permanant solutuin than the clear plastic but for now I will see if that cures at least part of the problem. Anyone else have any obvious places I could be losing heat that this Newbie could be overlooking?

Thanks again to everyone for all of your help!

 

[begreen]

Way to go Jaackil. And good to hear that there is a block-off plate in place

Put some good weatherstripping around the edges of the attic door frame so that they seal it tight when it closes. Also, can you glue some 2" foam insulation to the backside of it? If you have recessed lighting fixtures, they can be problem spots too. I've been trying to gradually eliminate them. You could also close off unused areas of the house if possible.

 

[Jags]

In the words of Mr. Burns..."Exxceelllent".

Glad to hear that the block off plate is in place as well.

 

[mhubes02]

I thought I would jump in on this thread myself, I have a similar problem. I recently installed a Pacific Energy D-1 insert into my fireplace and can't seem to get much heat out of it. Maintaining about 55 in the 14x20 room its located in since I turned the furnace off, the rest of the house (approx 1200sf) is very cold. Outdoor temperatures are around 35/25 day/night right now. I have fired up full loads of seasoned oak to 600 degrees front of insert temperature, and even then the air coming off the blower on low speed seems to be cool air? I can comfortable sit about 2 feet away - doesn't seem right, either. And the perforated metal vents on either side of the firebox are actually cool, if not cold to the touch. Any ideas? I'm at a loss. Tomorrow I'm going to take the surround apart and fiddle with it, but I already have a block off plate at the chimney liner and at the old damper, so I'm not sure what I can improve there. I just can't seem to figure out why things aren't heating up. Thanks.