Before and After Insert Install

Pertzbro · Oct 24, 2016

Had my open fireplace concerted to an insert. Lopi Cape Cod. Seems to heat very well but we're not too cold outside yet. Having a hard time to get really good secondary combustion. I get alittle but nothing full bore.

Using 5+ year seasoned Ash that seems to right around it's equilibrium for my zip code of 13-16% water content.

I do get some wind noise while it's in use and when it is not in use. Not sure what that would be from. Basically you can hear the wind outside howling by the insert. Love the look and will be spending every night learning, watching, tending.

Edit: Bricks were stained using dyebrick.com products.

sportbikerider78 · Oct 24, 2016

Very interesting brick treatment. Is that paint?

Don't worry about the lack of secondaries firing. Wait for it to get cold, make sure your wood is try and then try again.

cableman · Oct 24, 2016

Looking good!
I would like to white wash my brick also. Ive read some thin paint. Im just scared ill mess it up and wont like it!

Pertzbro · Oct 24, 2016

sportbikerider78 said:
Very interesting brick treatment. Is that paint?

Don't worry about the lack of secondaries firing. Wait for it to get cold, make sure your wood is try and then try again.

The way I understand it it's not paint. It's more of a silica product that bonds with the brick. I guess they've been using this stuff on exterior brick in Europe to match colors from old brick to new brick and it is still working.

example: http://www.dyebrick.com/gallery2/v/after-many-years/sheerness/dyebrick-1994.jpg.html

It goes on like waterpaint.

begreen · Oct 24, 2016

Looks great. Where is the power cord?

Dix · Oct 24, 2016

Nice !! And welcome to the forums, in case I missed you !!

Ash C/S/S for how long???/

blacktail · Oct 25, 2016

That is one handsome looking setup!

mellow · Oct 25, 2016

I just got done whitewashing mine this weekend, I watered down some beige paint and did the cloth dabbing. I didn't want the white look, just wanted to dull down the red brick.

cableman · Oct 25, 2016

mellow said:
I just got done whitewashing mine this weekend, I watered down some beige paint and did the cloth dabbing. I didn't want the white look, just wanted to dull down the red brick.

What kinda paint ya use? Any problem with painted brick near the insert? I wanna go for the washed out look myself, not a full white.

mellow · Oct 25, 2016

I cleaned the brick first with that rutland brick cleaner stuff on the dark spots, then I just used regular paint and watered it down.

I followed this video for mine:

Pertzbro · Oct 25, 2016

begreen said:
Looks great. Where is the power cord?

It's routed into the basement through the ash dump under the insert.

Dix said:
Nice !! And welcome to the forums, in case I missed you !! Ash C/S/S for how long???/

Ash and some other small amounts of various woods - i've noticed locust and mulberry in it. At a minimum 5 years or more. My dad had a large amount that he never got to using. I've got about 4 cords of 5+ years C/S/S wood and another 10 cords of freshly split ash waiting to be stacked. I have a basement fireplace too that i plan on using during the super cold spells. I'll post a picture of my new woodshed after work.

begreen · Oct 25, 2016

Pertzbro said:
It's routed into the basement through the ash dump under the insert.

Code requires that the appliance be disconnectable within the room. This is for safety when servicing. The plug should be in the room or the outlet switched from within the room.

Benchwrench · Oct 25, 2016

NFPA and NEC should always be followed. Thanks for sharing that tidbit.

prezes13 · Oct 25, 2016

Beautifull stove. When it will get colder and draft will be stronger with a properly seasoned wood you will get secondaries trust me. I have a nice video of mine I just don't know how to post it.

Pertzbro · Oct 27, 2016

prezes13 said:
Beautifull stove. When it will get colder and draft will be stronger with a properly seasoned wood you will get secondaries trust me. I have a nice video of mine I just don't know how to post it.

I'd love to see that for comparison!

here is mine from last night. I go from fully open primary at 17-18 seconds in and then pull it completely shut.

Does your baffle plate get red at all? I've had some small sections (at most 4 inches) of certain tubes get red, but didn't think the baffle plate should get red? Sometimes I dont think I'm getting it hot enough and then I see it glow and think it might be too hot. Due to my install and having soldier brick that sticks out a half inch at the bottom I have a 1/2 inch gap between the original firebox top and the top surround. I can see and get an IR meter to hit the top of the insert box and at the very bottom of the flue liner and I've never seen higher than 300 degrees, yet I'm getting glowing internals (tubes and baffle plate)

prezes13 · Oct 27, 2016

When I bought my stove I emailed lopi with some questions about glowing internals according to the nothing should be ever glowing. I had the tubes glow on me. I don't think that the plate ever did sometimes it looks like it does but I think it's more of a reflection of the coals. I read me temps with an IR gun on top of the door. On the body of a stove to be exact between door and the grill. The highest I had seen was 480 but that was with the fan on so I figure it was about 200df less than an actual temp. According to lopi this stove should handale 800df. Fro. Your video it looks like you get most of the flames from wood. I have my tubes blowin a river of fire. I will post a video when I will figure out how to. I think what you are measuring is a temp of the shroud. The outside of the jacket around your stove. That would be not accurate, but I might be wrong. How is your wood situation? This stove performes great with dry wood.

Pertzbro · Oct 27, 2016

prezes,

Both meters I have show anywhere from 13-18% moisture. Most of it is 13-16% Ash that is 5+ years cut/split/stacked. I'm measuring the true top of the actual insert, not the trim surround and cannot get above 300. Door reads upper 400's. If memory serves be correct the temp of the stove between the door and the fan grill is in the upper 300's. With small amount of secondary flames coming of the tubes I dont think i have it hot enough, yet it's still glowing.

I have 24 feet of single wall flue with a cap and insulation on the top of the chimney with one layer of insulation at the bottom of the chimney near the original damper. Outside wall fireplace/chimney. Outside temps were around 40 degrees during this video.

Pertzbro · Nov 15, 2016

Got it loaded and set just right last night with a glowing coal base at the bottom, unburnt but charred wood in the middle and rolling secondary flames for a good 3 hours. Only problem I have is figuring out the coaling phase. Do you let the coals burn for awhile before reloading? Last night I fell asleep with 3 splits in it half burnt air control completely shut down, woke up two hours later to some coals but most were not red. I stirred them around and then set the air control to high to keep them going as long as possible (was going to let it burn out overnight)

Can anyone explain their coaling phase and best practices? Also seems that any coals that I stir up that are not directly in front of the doghouse seem to go out and dont completely burn down to ash even after a reload.

prezes13 · Nov 15, 2016

Mostlikely it's wet wood. With good dry wood everything burns to ash for me. I know you said 13%-18% is it on a fresh split when the wood is at room temperature? First year when I didn't know any better and was burning wet maple I had the same problem. If I want to burn the coals and let the stove die out I take it in front of the dog house and open the air full

prezes13 · Nov 15, 2016

Too me it looks like you have too much air going into the fire box. You want the fire to be on top of the fire box not out of the wood. Try to cut the air even more. That should warme the stove more instead sending it up the flue.

rickyboby · Nov 15, 2016

Here is a short video of secondary combustion. I hope this loads. By the way beautiful job on the brick!

Pertzbro · Nov 16, 2016

prezes13 said:
Too me it looks like you have too much air going into the fire box. You want the fire to be on top of the fire box not out of the wood. Try to cut the air even more. That should warme the stove more instead sending it up the flue.

I had excellent secondary burn the other night. I think before draft was not enough due to it being warmer outside and I didn't fill the box fully. I still dont get all tubes the full width going, but i get the back 2 going pretty good and the second to front was going in the middle of the tube and the front tube goes just a tiny bit from time to time. Wood is definitely 13-18% on a fresh split face. It's Ash that's been C/S/S for many many years in full sun and wind.

Ctstove84 · Nov 16, 2016

When it gets colder out which looks like starting Sunday it's going to be try lowering the blower and find the right setting for it.meaning I get more secondaries and more heat when I find the blowers sweet spot.it took me a while to find it but I have it set at a medium-low and use my ceiling fan to distribute to heat.

prezes13 · Nov 16, 2016

Ctstove84 said:
When it gets colder out which looks like starting Sunday it's going to be try lowering the blower and find the right setting for it.meaning I get more secondaries and more heat when I find the blowers sweet spot.it took me a while to find it but I have it set at a medium-low and use my ceiling fan to distribute to heat.

Good point which I totally forgot about too. If you run fan on high you are cooling your stove off. In the beginning I ran full blast so with subpar wood I had to run it with a more air. Now I have the fan on very low. I found out that there is no need to run it high. I only run it high when I see stove running really hot. 450 or so with the ir.

Pertzbro · Nov 17, 2016

Hmm, I was always running it on full blast. I knew it would cool it off, but figured if i had good coals and secondaries it wouldnt cool it down too much. Think that could be my coaling issue. Will running the fan on full blast increase reload times?

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