Pacific Energy Super Insert -- Unburnt wood

[Hogwildz]

Ohio Kat, I understand your frustration.
There are a few things you could try.
I have been experimenting with loading one layer of wood. Meaning large pieces set in next to each other, and not trying to stack anything on top to pack it full so to say. I have found in the past when I do fill her to the gills, that the wood on top burns down faster due to the secondaries cooking it from the top down. The ash from the top layer covers the bottom splits and seems to insulate the lower layer from completely burning down, leaving coals.
I have also been mixing the load more. I had more oak than anything in the past, and oak is a major coaling wood. You may want to try mixing some softer wood splits in with the hardwood splits. The soft woods leave less coal, but usually more ash.
I have some issue of the house temperature swings while waiting for the coals to burn down. I attribute this to a more colder than normal year this year. Anything above 20 and she does fine, but over night in the teens & single digits, it gets harder to maintain temps in the house. Mine will swing from 69 or 70 down t0 62 at times. I have become used to it this year and 62 does not feel as cold as it did early ion the season.
Your going from an old beast that accepted and took LOTS of air to aid in combustion and burn the load hot & fast, but also took much more wood to heat with, and now using a stove that needs much less air and burns much less wood, but that less air and slower burn comes with the cost of coals at times. Mainly in colder than normal temps.

At times that I have lots of coals left, I pull them all forward along the front even up onto the boost manifold, all the way across the front, as high as I can get it, then leave the air wide open, and it will hold 300+ degrees for a few hours until the coals are burnt down. I have also raked the coals into the center from front to back, and laid large splits on both sides & on top to form a tunnel to burn the coals down, mixed success with that though.
Best I have found is the pulling all forward along the front, or loading it up with pine to burn hot & fast, while burning the coals down at the same time. Pine leaves nothing for coals almost and not too bad on ash for me.
The Black Walnut I been burning leaves a very fine white ash, but lots of it. Having some insulating issues with it, but burning what I have.
Keep experimenting and you will find what works for you. Hard woods will create lots of coals & quick. Mix some soft stuff in with it to even it out.
Good luck.
Hogz

 

[madison]

It is interesting - that is - the ash densities/properties of various wood species. some of the oak i have been burning lately leaves really dense ash that is like powdered cement. and will really inhibit air flow under the burning wood. locust was rather powdery. and i really liked the lodgepole pine out west, i rarely had to clean out the stove with that pine.

 

[krex1010]

Maybe your wood is ok maybe it isn't, but I have a hard time believing that wood that is only one year old and stored covered would test at less than 15% moisture, maybe a few small pieces but not all of it. Usually from what I have seen readings like that come from 3 year or older wood ( that is if we are talking about hardwoods). That moisture meter may be suspect.

 

[summit]

I sincerely thank you all for your replies.

As I stated previously, we actually do have good, well-seasoned hardwood. I and my husband cut, split, and stacked the wood over a year ago. The wood was brought into shelter after one year plus in the elements. We understand "seasoning wood". ( Please only respond if you have some OTHER SUGGESTION than "we have improperly seasoned wood.")

I still pose my original question: "WHY DO WE HAVE UNSPENT WOOD AFTER HOURS OF BURNING?" The ONE AND ONLY AIR INTAKE that I can actually control is NOT "GETTING IT"; the wood fuel burns furiously initially upon light up and into burn time , but looses heat rapidly if I actually wait for the coals to burn completely to ash after hours of burning. As I have said previously, I have experimented with "high" and "low" settings and ALWAYS start with a hot initial or reload burn for at least 30 minutes. Are there any other suggestions besides "unseasoned wood" or "leave the air intake at 70% after initial hot burn?"

yes, I suggested emptying the ash more frequently to allow the coals to burn out.

 

[karl]

Try turning your fan down. I get coal problems from time to time in my Summit insert. I think it has a lot to do with the dryness of the wood. I also think that the blower is capable of cooling the stove off too much and effecting the over all burn.

 

[kat insert--hearth forum]

I sincerely thank you all for your replies.

As I stated previously, we actually do have good, well-seasoned hardwood. I and my husband cut, split, and stacked the wood over a year ago. The wood was brought into shelter after one year plus in the elements. We understand "seasoning wood". ( Please only respond if you have some OTHER SUGGESTION than "we have improperly seasoned wood.")

I still pose my original question: "WHY DO WE HAVE UNSPENT WOOD AFTER HOURS OF BURNING?" The ONE AND ONLY AIR INTAKE that I can actually control is NOT "GETTING IT"; the wood fuel burns furiously initially upon light up and into burn time , but looses heat rapidly if I actually wait for the coals to burn completely to ash after hours of burning. As I have said previously, I have experimented with "high" and "low" settings and ALWAYS start with a hot initial or reload burn for at least 30 minutes. Are there any other suggestions besides "unseasoned wood" or "leave the air intake at 70% after initial hot burn?"

yes, I suggested emptying the ash more frequently to allow the coals to burn out.

 

[kat insert--hearth forum]

I really like hearing from other P.E. owners/operators! As far as cleaning out ashes/unspent coals, we must do it daily in order to start a new fire each day due to the unspent coal bed. When you had your Summit installed, did they knock out some sort of "O/A Cover?" After reading the manual for the fourth time, this step sounds "optional". Please tell me more if you have incite with this detail. Will this cause "more draft" up the chimney?

 

[Dix]

Kat, you shouldn't have to clean your coal bed out every day. I clean up my ashes every 4-5 days, under duress

That's the facts, Jack ;-)

I doubt your "OAK" is the issue.

 

[nodtmf]

Oh hi,

If you are getting the air from the inside then knock-out the "knock-out" as the air intake is on the other side (or think of it as on the outside) of the insert cavity.

I have the PE Summit. I am burning un-seasoned wood according to a few postings I read here. Yes I get coals, but after a new load the coal seems to go away and replace by coals from the new load. Our stove is running 24/7. Seems to take 5 days to fill up where I need to empty it.

I am burning Oak from a tree that fell in January 2010 and was cut up and split and sat in the CA hot sun for the summer.

After I load I go full air until the temp gauge (mounted on the front above the door in the center) goes beyond the "Burn Zone" This temp gauge, Rudland, seems to read high when compared to an infrared thermometer. Still trying to understand why as I have tried two Rudlands and two different infrareds with same results...differing by 200F. Anyone else notice this?

I replaced a twenty year old Cat stove this year, I am 3 months into using the Summit. Seems to me you need to get it real hot after the load, get the dancing 2nd burn flames. During the day as the load burns down I incrementally open the air. At night I put in a big load at 11:00, turn it down at 11:30. In the morning around 6, I have a bed of coals, the stove fan cycles, as the coals can't keep the stove hot enough. I restart with some kindling.

-Glen

 

[cottonwoodsteve]

Coals in the corners and back never burn down that well. No air for them and they just cool down. The cooler they get the less draft you get. The less draft you get the less the coals will be fed oxygen. My experience is coals will burn down well if you have a good fire on top of them. Coals by themselves just die out partially unburnt.
What I have done for ""experimental"purposes only";
Get some extra firebrick. Angle them in from the sides at about a 45 degree angle. This will channel any coals and the burning wood to the center. This is assuming you have a lower front center air source. If you do this correctly you will see the wood turn to coals, then the coals always slide to the center right in front of the air source. Also this keeps the coals bunched up and hot. The extra bricks will cut out some wood space. But this space is in the lower corners where things don't burn well anyway. Put wood in gently so you don't crack the bricks leaning against the side wall. Remember this is for experimental purposes only. Do not leave your stove while you are doing these experiments.

 

[kolyur]

When I installed my Super insert, I did notice the OAK knockout on the left rear side--I did not remove it. My dealer told me that unless you have a super insulated/airtight house, there's no need to mess with that. And in my case he was right--my draft is excellent.

 

[Sisu]

I sincerely thank you all for your replies.

As I stated previously, we actually do have good, well-seasoned hardwood. I and my husband cut, split, and stacked the wood over a year ago. The wood was brought into shelter after one year plus in the elements. We understand "seasoning wood". ( Please only respond if you have some OTHER SUGGESTION than "we have improperly seasoned wood.")

I still pose my original question: "WHY DO WE HAVE UNSPENT WOOD AFTER HOURS OF BURNING?" The ONE AND ONLY AIR INTAKE that I can actually control is NOT "GETTING IT"; the wood fuel burns furiously initially upon light up and into burn time , but looses heat rapidly if I actually wait for the coals to burn completely to ash after hours of burning. As I have said previously, I have experimented with "high" and "low" settings and ALWAYS start with a hot initial or reload burn for at least 30 minutes. Are there any other suggestions besides "unseasoned wood" or "leave the air intake at 70% after initial hot burn?"

yes, I suggested emptying the ash more frequently to allow the coals to burn out.

Yes I think it is all about ash management. When I am burning 24/7, I will remove the ashes first thing every morning. I will start at the front of the stove, removing the dense ash that forms along the boost manifold. Then, I will scoop along the bottom, from the front to back, and lift. While lifting, I shake off the coals that are at the top of the shoveled ash. Once that is done, the coals are raked to the front and new wood is added.

I also have a Weber charcoal bbq. Whenever I feel like some winter bbq, I shovel out some coals into the bbq. Presto charcoal bbq ready in 10 seconds. This also help to manage coal levels.

 

[Rudyjr]

I really like hearing from other P.E. owners/operators! As far as cleaning out ashes/unspent coals, we must do it daily in order to start a new fire each day due to the unspent coal bed. When you had your Summit installed, did they knock out some sort of "O/A Cover?" After reading the manual for the fourth time, this step sounds "optional". Please tell me more if you have incite with this detail. Will this cause "more draft" up the chimney?

From the Summit manual :2) Room air supply: Remove the 4" knock-out plug from
the casing side prior to installation (Fig. #14). Install the
Insert as described in the "Installation" section. The
Insert will now draw its air from the room through the
front grill.

The only other choice is if you use outside air you do not remove this. This step is not "optional" if room air is used.