Pacific Energy Super 27 Classic

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warrenoliver

New Member
Mar 13, 2019
10
mcfarland, wi
New member here and would like to get some advice from some of the other PE owners.

I have been burning wood in a VC Resolute Acclaim for about 27 years. The stove has always done a good job for me but I finally got fed up with the continuing expense of replacing the combustion package (catalytic converter), every 2-3 years. I bought and recently installed a PE Super 27 Classic and love it so far.

The question I have with this new stove is where to place the stove top thermometer and what type of heat range I should be shooting for. The classic model has an enamel "shell" around the fire box so any place I put the thermometer is at least an inch from the fire box. I can get it to really put out heat and it is easy to control but I can never get the stove top temp above 400F. I am used to placing the thermometer on the griddle of the old VC stove but this one doesn't give me that option.

The dealer says to put it on the top about 4 inches from the stove pipe and run it between 300 and 600. When I place it there, the stove seems to run at about 300 - 400 and seems to be running very efficiently.

Any suggestions?

Thanks,

Warrenoliver
 
You can put it 18" up on the piping and go by pipe temp, or if you feel it is operating as it should, keep it where you have it and run at the tamps you're used to reading. Thermos are at best a reference. You know by looking at the fire and the charring of the wood when to cut air back, and what stages it is in. Don't get too hung up on the thermo and an exact temp, other than what you know runs best for you without getting anything glowing.
 
Hogwildz said:
You can put it 18" up on the piping and go by pipe temp, or if you feel it is operating as it should, keep it where you have it and run at the tamps you're used to reading. Thermos are at best a reference. You know by looking at the fire and the charring of the wood when to cut air back, and what stages it is in. Don't get too hung up on the thermo and an exact temp, other than what you know runs best for you without getting anything glowing.
Click to expand...


Thanks for the quick response. I am comfortable regulating by looking at the fire and keeping it up to temp. I am looking for a way to let my son and wife know when it is too hot or too cool although, when it is getting hot, you really know it. The heat coming through the glass door is impressive.

I will try the pipe measurement and give them a range based on that.

Thanks
 
A good thermometer on the stove pipe is best. Is this single wall or double wall stove pipe?
 
Surface reading at 18-24" above the stove should be at or less than the stove top temp once the stove top has fully warmed up after the air has been turned down. Surface reading on the stove pipe will be about half of the flue gas temps in the pipe. Assuming fully seasoned dry wood, shoot for no higher than 400-450º on startup and about 250-300º while cruising with the air shut down and good secondary burn.

This is more accurate for startup because it takes a while for the stove top to come up to temp, while the flue temp at that point can be much hotter. Eventually the stove top catches up and temps balance out.
 
I bought a new thermometer this year and it showed temps too low.
I was fortunate I knew my stove
 
There is a lot of garbage on the market. Condar makes a decent one.
 
Warrenoliver,
Congrats on a great stove.
I use a condor stove pipe thermo. package said put at 12 inches above stove.
I try to close down air as soon as possible without getting into the wasting fuel zone on the thermo.

As far as stove top temps which are different than stove pipe temps, the manual says glowing is too hot, i have run mine north of 700 stove top and no glow!
I have another thermometer for my stove top , but my stove is the heritage model, solid steel top.

These stoves are beasts they like hot. weakest link is chimney so keep the stove pipe in check and let her rip.
Bill


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I don't have the Super 27, but instead the Alderlea T5 and would agree with Bill they don't mind being run hot. I've only ever seen anything inside the stove glow red (the metal supports for the baffle) when the stove top temps were in a bit of a crazy 900 degree range. Not recommending to run it hot like that but again, only evidence I could see of an overfire was in that range and my thermometer pretty much pinned over in the red. 600-700 is what I consider cruising for my stove.
 
MDWOOD said:
Congrats on a great stove.
I use a condor stove pipe thermo. package said put at 12 inches above stove.
Click to expand...
Slight correction - no less than 12" above the stove. Optimal location is higher.

"Condar thermometers attach magnetically, directly to metal flue pipe. Optimal location is at eye level, no less than 12 inches above the top of the stove."
http://www.condar.com/Stovepipe-Instructions-EN.html
 
begreen said:
Slight correction - no less than 12" above the stove. Optimal location is higher.

"Condar thermometers attach magnetically, directly to metal flue pipe. Optimal location is at eye level, no less than 12 inches above the top of the stove."
http://www.condar.com/Stovepipe-Instructions-EN.html
Click to expand...

That’s odd because the flue temps cool as you go away from the stove. Sometimes fast!

Eye level seems more of a convenience thing. I think the best place is far enough away that the meter is not influenced by the stove. I like 18”.
 
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Woody5506 said:
I don't have the Super 27, but instead the Alderlea T5 and would agree with Bill they don't mind being run hot. I've only ever seen anything inside the stove glow red (the metal supports for the baffle) when the stove top temps were in a bit of a crazy 900 degree range. Not recommending to run it hot like that but again, only evidence I could see of an overfire was in that range and my thermometer pretty much pinned over in the red. 600-700 is what I consider cruising for my stove.
Click to expand...

Stove top or pipe ?
 
Highbeam said:
That’s odd because the flue temps cool as you go away from the stove. Sometimes fast!

Eye level seems more of a convenience thing. I think the best place is far enough away that the meter is not influenced by the stove. I like 18”.
Click to expand...
Not extremely quick in double-wall. Our probe is at 20".
 
begreen said:
Not extremely quick in double-wall. Our probe is at 20".
Click to expand...

Mine is at 19" based on the Condar directions that stated something along the lines of "install somewhere slightly above 18 inches from stove" ...good directions!
 
It's finally starting to warm up now so I am just doing partial fires in the morning. This morning was a 6 medium splits. That brings the house up from 65 overnight to 70. By 11am the sun is warming the house and the fire is just coals, stove top temp 375º. Max stove top temp today was 575º.
 
Highbeam said:
We’re not talking about double wall. It’s a magnetic surface meter for single wall.
Click to expand...
Condar recommendations for both are about the same. I thought your thermometer at 18" was on double-wall pipe.
 
begreen said:
Condar recommendations for both are about the same. I thought your thermometer at 18" was on double-wall pipe.
Click to expand...

The “minimum” height thing is what I found odd since playing with an ir temperature gun on single wall pipe shows quite a difference with distance away from the stove.

I have two installs and there are two similar threads going on right now. Both of my installs have condar meters, one surface meter on single wall and one probe meter on double wall. Both at about 18” above the stove.
 
Yes, it's challenging with single wall readings because one is guessing the actual flue gas temp by using a multiplier. 2x is often chosen, but which multiplier is correct will depend on the distance from the flue collar and velocity of the flue gases. So for example, a stove pipe that comes up to a 90º elbow at say 36" may actually read hotter on the surface of the elbow than at 18". A probe reading eliminates guesswork.
 
warrenoliver said:
New member here and would like to get some advice from some of the other PE owners.



The dealer says to put it on the top about 4 inches from the stove pipe and run it between 300 and 600. When I place it there, the stove seems to run at about 300 - 400 and seems to be running very efficiently.



Warrenoliver
Click to expand...

Any kind of fan on or directed at the stove? If so, turn it off to get a true reading.
 
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