Breckwell says with thermostat not to run at higher than level 3. Why?

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latichever

Member
Hearth Supporter
Apr 14, 2006
89
I have a Breckwell p2000 insert. I have a thermostat.

With a thermostat the stove will either turn off or go to low level when desired termp is reached.

The manual says:

"When in “high/low” or “on/off” thermostat mode –
Do not operate the stove higher than the #3 setting."

I'm not sure I understand why.

I'd like to run it in the "on/off" mode. Typically I operate my stove at level 4. This is the fourth year I have been doing this without a problem. When not using the thermostat, the manual doesn't say not to run it at 4 for extended periods (although it does say not to run it at 5 for more than an hour). So what's the difference between me walking across the room to turn it off when a particular temp is reached and having it done automatically. I can't make sense of the difference.
 
If I remember right. It has to do with a chance of the stove overheating and hitting the high limit switch. The stove may not be able to cool down fast enough when it goes to low or off. This is do to the convection fan turning down to quickly when the setting is above 3. It will be on high above the 3 setting but when it reaches the call temp on the thermostat. It will drop to low fan speed. The stove temp will go up with the fan on low.

I think this was resolved with the newer control boards. It will let you keep the fan on the high speed. Like a manual over-ride. Not 100% sure you would need to check with breckwell. I am not sure that they fixed the "Don't run longer than 2 hrs. on the max setting" though.

Edit: I am wrong they have not fixed either. Still has them in the 2009 P2000 manual as well.

This is 2 of the reason's I sold my bigE. There was a gentlemen selling upgraded control boards. I not sure he ever finished. But these issue's were supposed to be covered.

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/37111/

good luck
 
I am wondering if anyone knows of a thermostat that has a wide temp range, meaning that it could be set to call for heat at say 64deg, and not stop calling until the temp is 74deg.

Anyone have a thermostat like that?
 
epehubb said:
I am wondering if anyone knows of a thermostat that has a wide temp range, meaning that it could be set to call for heat at say 64deg, and not stop calling until the temp is 74deg.

Anyone have a thermostat like that?

Look for a thermostat that has an adjustable swing. Something with a swing range of 5º will do what you ask. Set the stat to 69º. It will turn on at 64º and off at 74º. It will not restart until its 64º again.

Just remember it may require more fuel to bring the temp up the 10º than it would to maintain a set temp say 70º or idle along at a low feed setting. I personally use a 1º swing. On at 69º and off at 71º. Stove is Auto/Off in the shoulders and High/Low in the cold. The is some debate on what is best(holding the temp range or cycling the temp range).
 
Jay thanks for the info. The thought here is to NOT have the stove cycle on and off, because I have heard various reasons against that. However, I would want to avoid having the house go above 74 because at that point you're just buring fuel for no reason. Or if the house goes below 64 the oil burner kicks in. I think this is only really applicable in the shoulder seasons.
 
Unless you want to waste 2+ bags a day i would never run my stove above a 3, plus it gets real hot!!!, woories me that I cannot touch inside the hopper for a second without burning my hand.
Just fired the stove back up, furnace set to 62 and has been kicking on several times thruout the night.
 
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