I just moved into a large, tight, super-insulated house in northern Michigan. I was here for awhile last winter when it was 30 below F and all we had was propane heat (very expensive).
So now we're back in for this winter and I decided to install some sort of wood heat. House already had a 6" SS chimney that had never been used or hooked to anything. Also has an unfinished hearth. Raised wood platform with a 6" fresh air vent that was intended to be hooked to a small Lopi Answer woodstove. I just brought my Hearthstone Mansfield over and hooked it up. I discovered the 6" fresh-air vent had been wide-open all last winter letting cold air in. Also found out that Hearthstone wants over $100 for a fresh-air direct hook-up kit which I won't pay. So I'm trying something new - or at least new to me. I hooked up the 6" pipe from outside to a dryer-vent. It is lightly spring loaded. So if any negative pressure develops inside the house - it will open and let fresh air in. Otherwise - it will remain closed.
I was never impressed with this Hearthsone since I got it new. But now - it's working much better then it ever did before. I'm wondering if there had been something wrong with it all this time. When I moved 800 miles to northern MI from central NY - I took the stove all apart to make it easier to move. Took the top off, the firebricks out, baffles and fresh air tubes out, door off, etc. Well when I went to put it all back together - I discovered that there is nothing to hold the upper ceramic baffle support in place. I'm wondering if it had been in the wrong location all this years? Working great now. We'll see how it goes this winter I have a large wood furnace ready to install - sitting next to it if needed. So far it's been in the low to mid 20s F and the house has been plenty warm with just the Mansfield.
So now we're back in for this winter and I decided to install some sort of wood heat. House already had a 6" SS chimney that had never been used or hooked to anything. Also has an unfinished hearth. Raised wood platform with a 6" fresh air vent that was intended to be hooked to a small Lopi Answer woodstove. I just brought my Hearthstone Mansfield over and hooked it up. I discovered the 6" fresh-air vent had been wide-open all last winter letting cold air in. Also found out that Hearthstone wants over $100 for a fresh-air direct hook-up kit which I won't pay. So I'm trying something new - or at least new to me. I hooked up the 6" pipe from outside to a dryer-vent. It is lightly spring loaded. So if any negative pressure develops inside the house - it will open and let fresh air in. Otherwise - it will remain closed.
I was never impressed with this Hearthsone since I got it new. But now - it's working much better then it ever did before. I'm wondering if there had been something wrong with it all this time. When I moved 800 miles to northern MI from central NY - I took the stove all apart to make it easier to move. Took the top off, the firebricks out, baffles and fresh air tubes out, door off, etc. Well when I went to put it all back together - I discovered that there is nothing to hold the upper ceramic baffle support in place. I'm wondering if it had been in the wrong location all this years? Working great now. We'll see how it goes this winter I have a large wood furnace ready to install - sitting next to it if needed. So far it's been in the low to mid 20s F and the house has been plenty warm with just the Mansfield.