Disappointed - Enerzone Destination 2.3i

[Colescoals]

Hi All,

I am DEEPLY disappointed in my Enerzone destination 2.3i that I had installed last month. Maybe I missing something simple, but this thing will NOT heat my house (or even near the stove really).

• 2,500 square foot home (only wanting to heat about 1300 square feet on main floor, upstairs is closed off with a door). Exterior chimney (I have insulated behind the unit and have a block off plate)
• Burning GrenHeat BioBricks and/or seasoned wood... so dry wood isn’t the issue
• I can get this thing SCREAMING hot (floor in front of unit from radiant heat) and the blower just won’t transfer heat out... am I missing something? The blower feels WOEFULLY underpowered (can’t feel heat more than 5 feet away)
• Burn times are pretty horrendous as well. 3 hours is asking a lot of this insert... I can get secondaries to light off (lazy flames too) and get it plenty hot in the firebox, but to say it’s transferring the heat out is dead wrong. We live in an old house but it’s not drafty by any means...

Am I missing something? Door gasket is in fine shape. Something that the installers may have missed? How would I know if the fan is operating correctly? It’s blowing but hardly moves air beyond 2 feet from the insert.

 

[Colescoals]

 

[bholler]

View attachment 274115

Can you explain your burn procedure for us? How much do you shut the air back and when?

 

[Colescoals]

I’ve been experimenting with this. I typically shut the air down to about half after I have had the fire ripping (large active flames) for 5-10 minutes. Then try to stop it down incrementally depending on how long I need the burn to work. Knowing that a slower burn will create less heat.

 

[patdale]

How much wood are you loading in? Looks like a small amount in your photo.

 

[begreen]

How much wood are you loading in? Looks like a small amount in your photo.

That was my first impression too.

 

[moresnow]

You won't get much heat out of the load you have pictured. Are you actually filling the stove?

 

[SpaceBus]

What is your other heating system? How big/what is the BTU rating? If you burn fossil fuels, how many gallons per month?

 

[Caw]

You gotta stuff that puppy like a can of sardines for it to work properly:



Use wood though. Sardines would be smelly!

 

[kennyp2339]

Do you have a block off plate?

 

[Colescoals]

To all concerned about the photo, it was a photo from a break in burn. I can STUFF this thing and get it roaring and it still just doesn’t put out heat... we heat with natural gas when not using the stove. But the goal was to not have to use the furnace if we can help it.

 

[Colescoals]

Do you have a block off plate?

Yes, I do.

 

[moresnow]

Can you explain your burn procedure for us? How much do you shut the air back and when?

 

[Colescoals]

I’ve been experimenting with this. I typically shut the air down to about half after I have had the fire ripping (large active flames) for 5-10 minutes. Then try to stop it down incrementally depending on how long I need the burn to work. Knowing that a slower burn will create less heat.

 

[bholler]

I’ve been experimenting with this. I typically shut the air down to about half after I have had the fire ripping (large active flames) for 5-10 minutes. Then try to stop it down incrementally depending on how long I need the burn to work. Knowing that a slower burn will create less heat.

Actually a slower burn can create more heat by having more dwell time in the stove allowing for more heat transfer and less waisted heat up the chimney

 

[begreen]

Thanks for the clarifications Cole. You have been doing a lot of stuff right. I would suggest turning down the air much sooner. Start closing it down incrementally as soon as the fire is starting to engage most of the wood or if secondary combustion is visible. Waiting too long just heats up the liner and wastes a lot of heat up the flue.

Do you have a way of measuring the temperature on the door face above the glass? If yes, what is the temp when the air has been closed down and there is strong secondary combustion? What is the temp at the air outlet above the door?

 

[Colescoals]

Thanks for the clarifications Cole. You have been doing a lot of stuff right. I would suggest turning down the air much sooner. Start closing it down incrementally as soon as the fire is starting to engage most of the wood or if secondary combustion is visible. Waiting too long just heats up the liner and wastes a lot of heat up the flue.

Do you have a way of measuring the temperature on the door face above the glass? If yes, what is the temp when the air has been closed down and there is strong secondary combustion? What is the temp at the air outlet above the door?

289 outlet, 350 above door. But these numbers are very short lived.

 

[begreen]

That seems low. I would expect to see more like 5-600ºF on the door. Is there a very tall liner on the insert?
How dry is the firewood, when was it split and stacked? Has it been tested for internal moisture content?

 

[Colescoals]

That seems low. Is there a very tall liner on the insert?
How dry is the firewood, when was it split and stacked? Has it been tested for internal moisture content?

I didn’t have the ability to source a LOT of seasoned firewood (read: I have some to mix in, checked with moisture meter), so I bought a pallet of grenheat wood blocks. So zero moisture content. Chimney is less than 25’ tall.

 

[stoveliker]

How high is the ceiling?

 

[Riteway]

289 outlet, 350 above door. But these numbers are very short lived.

That is...weird. I have a lower-end insert (Drolet 1800) from the same manufacturer (SBI), and can get a stove top temperature of 500 easily, even with a half load of wood of dubious quality. Have you checked to make sure the baffle is positioned correctly and still in one piece? It should be pushed all the way to the back. Any chance the installers forgot to put it in entirely?

 

[Colescoals]

How high is the ceiling?

10’...

 

[Colescoals]

That is...weird. I have a lower-end insert (Drolet 1800) from the same manufacturer (SBI), and can get a stove top temperature of 500 easily, even with a half load of wood of dubious quality. Have you checked to make sure the baffle is positioned correctly and still in one piece? It should be pushed all the way to the back. Any chance the installers forgot to put it in entirely?

I adjusted the baffle to the back (it was off slightly) I’m concerned something might be wrong with the install. Or the stove is just a dud.

 

[Caw]

Those temps are definitely way too low...you're not gonna get any heat off the box in that range. That's what I'd expect to see after 4-6 hours during coaling. These temps are about 1.5 to 2 hrs into a burn in my insert:

 

[moresnow]

289 outlet, 350 above door. But these numbers are very short lived.
View attachment 274130View attachment 274131

Unless I am seeing things it appears like you still have a very small load in the stove? Am I seeing things? I really wish you the best but small loads are going to be a hurdle to get the heat your looking for.
Potentially wet wood may be having a huge impact as well. It's amazing how much more heat you get with well seasoned fuel. Keep trying!