Drolet Savannah - burning hot and clean.

[rnman]

Happy Holidays everyone.

Have been burning in this box for over two weeks in a modular home of a little over 1400 sq ft. It's a great little stove, and it burns clean and hot keeping the house toasty when fed faithfully. Also inexpensive. It is built in Canada (i would have rather had American but couldn't justify the difference between 700 and 2200 dollars) Stove specs and pics are at (broken link removed to http://www.drolet.ca/product.aspx?CategoId=1&Id=173) and include up to an 85% efficiency rating. It qualifies for the U.S.A. tax credit. And, it has a nice fire view and great heat when you want it. I'm a novice, but for those of you who are pro's and may install one of these for a customer, here a couple of things i share as possibly helpful. Trust your knowledge, not mine, if you think this information is safe or worthy of sharing with anyone else.

The opening size of the inside of the box (after fire brick) is approx. 20 x 15 x 13 and I tried using wood that would fill this box with three to four pieces and it didn't work as well as using wood that is notably smaller, even on hot coals. 13 - 16 inches in length and split down to 2x3 to 3x3 wedges where 6-8 pieces would fit cross stacked works best for me. This gives a hot fire in this box and put flames against underside of the stainless steel baffle, and with a combination of air controls before and after the box, the burn times vs. heat output are adjusted easily.

This box does not like green wood at all; it will build a large amount of creosote on the glass in a hurry when used, however the glass will
stay essentially spotless when seasoned hardwood is used with much longer burn times and heat production.

I also found that if a couple of shorter pieces, as well as the layer of shorter round or split 2 x 3 's are used running front to back (12 - 13 " in length) and then the rest of the wood cross stacked up off this until full, that restarts on hot coals the "morning after" are quick and easy. It is also helpful if you're willing to baby sit the box with the door cracked a 1/16 of an inch or so (door latch not totally engaged but still holding the door) for 5 - 10 minutes on starts and restarts.

Note: The pipe and chimney are HT2100 dura-tech pipe and dura-plus chimney ( American double and triple wall respectively) and are installed with Simpson's modular home approved kit 9086 (best price at (broken link removed to http://www.northlineexpress.com/customkititems.asp?kc=5SP-9086-KIT)). They come straight out of the top of the stove and through the ceiling without any elbows or offsets and are 11' in total length from the top of the stove to the rain cap. A local stove company didn't think a damper was needed with this combination, but i used one anyway and it's proven to be a good decision.

Merry Christmas to all ,
rnman

 

[tickbitty]

Thanks, great to hear the rundown on what is working for you! Glad you're staying warm in GA where the cold can surprise ya!

 

[John the Painter]

I have the Drolet Austral and pretty much everything you are saying happens to me as well.Great stoves as far as i'm concerned.Always good to see another Drolet user.
Happy Holidays

 

['bert]

not looking to start something here, but why the hesitation to buy something made in Canada?

 

[rnman]

'berta Burner,

That's an excellent question. Let me be clear; my previous statements are no way meant with malice or slander.

Our country is in bad financial trouble and this is what I do because it's the right thing to do. I try to keep my money close to home. I spend everything I can close so my neighbors and friends can have a job. In fact - the stovepipe I bought was made in the U.S. and was available online from a U.S. distributor, but I bought it from a private stove dealer 20 miles down the road and paid a hundred dollars more to do so; this was so my neighbors could continue to have a job too, and by the way I don't know them personally either. Thanks to our "honorable and intelligent government leadership's past - present - and future-affecting" trade and social spending decisions - the average private sector working American i know is having a difficult time just getting by, much less being able to plan for any American dream, and yet he and/or she is the one responsible for supporting our country financially- not just for him or herself - but for the indigent, any public worker (city, state, federal, or other), then for him or herself. These private sector workers are the having the toughest time getting by and what seems like the leaser lifetime income and the smallest retirements; that doesn't make sense does it- these are our country's bill payers, and if they are like me, they're all wondering what the future holds for our great country and for themselves. You know, my 19 year old son is trying to get back in school, but he's going to have to work to help with the tuition because we don't make little enough money to have federal tutition assistance available, but we don't make enough to pay all the expenses of college without it; besides, he needs to learn responsibility anyway. He's not found a job yet. For every job opening in the States there are an average of 6 applicants. One of his applications was to a local McDonalds (you'd think anyone could get a job there - right? - wrong) there were over 300 applicants for the one position at the Ringgold, GA location a month and a half ago because the really good manufacturing jobs are so few and those adults who would be in the manufacturing jobs are applying at places like McDonalds. Ever seen the movie Armageddon? Remember the Russian cosmonaut's statement when he was banging on the thrusters that wouldn't start to get the heck off the asteroid? "...Russian parts, American parts, [Canadian parts]...ALL MADE IN TAIWAN!" (that's not me yelling, it was yelling in the movie, lol . Well, we have a national debt of around fourteen trillion dollars as of today, and an unbalanced annual budget in any year in the last half of my lifetime that I am aware of. Too many people here shop at Wal-mart 24/7 buying Chinese and other foreign products without ever taking the time to realize who they are employing (buy the way, we owe the Chinese over 750,000,000,000 dollars and counting and I'll bet the Canadian and other governments we don't owe are glad of that fact because - well - it ain't lookin' to good) and I think the lack of American manufacturing jobs is the largest cause of our financial condition. Thus, I consider it's important for and incumbent upon me to support my family, neighbors, and fellow countrymen first. I'm not able to buy everything made in the U.S.A., but I'll bet I buy a far higher-than-average. If everyone here did this, and if it fixed the problem and we we're back on track, then even-stephen trade with others is more than acceptable, but until then I consider it my responsibility to make these purchasing decisions with as much consideration towards American manufacturing as I can. I give you my word, if I were Canadian and the same problem existed there - I would respectfully and proudly do the same for my Canadian countrymen and women.

On a slightly different note, my Ford F-350 was as manufactured in Canada and it's my favorite vehicle of all time, the Drolet I bought I have nothing but praise for, and I feel like this is a reflection of strong work and business ethics on the part of you and other Canadians.

I pray this situation in America is temporary, and I hope someday we as American's make all of our neighbor's proud to be just that - not because of any money or trade, but because of integrity, intelligence, valor, loyalty, strength, and friendship.

Respectfully submitted to my Canadian friends,

Robert (rnman)

 

['bert]

I fully understand and also suspected that is why you said what you did. Fact is that the Canadian economy is not doing any better. Our economy is tied very tightly to yours in the US. The United States is by far our largest trading partner, accounting for about 76% of exports and 65% of imports as of 2007. That is why many Canadians get very concerned when the US starts talking about protectionist measures and only buying American. 76% of our exports go to the US, that is a staggering number and the loss of that would outright kill our economy.

I think what sits bad with most Canadians is that (more or less) we were doing quite nicely with our economy but got sucked down by the fine people on Wall Street. No doubt that is because we rely too heavily on our trade relationship with the US. But our banking system and stock trading systems (for the most part) were being run responsibly.

We too buy too much cheap chit at Walmart and owe far too much to other countries. I think everyone needs to do a little more research into Walmarts business practices before shopping there. Anyway I will quit there before this ends up in the ash can. For the record no offense taken, I understand where you were coming from.

Here is to better times. :coolsmile:

 

[rnman]

'berta Burner,

Thanks for the courtesy and understanding in your remarks.

If i had any control over wall street i would apologize for the crash. You are right in that it's easy for these conversations to go into trash, but it is this and the other hundred million conversations like it that i hope are going on right now that i believe are the only solutions that our country (and maybe yours too) may have for a stable economy. Person to person education, motivation, and awareness are important. You obviously care about your country as well as the future of Canadian generations as I do America's. That future is irrevocably tied to the decisions that are made by both our leaderships. I suspect like you, I could go on with the obvious problems in our systems. I'll try some restraint.

I think soon we here are likely to understand a little more socialism here, which i am not in favor of; however, the uncontrolled aristocratic behavior of our big business, banking, and federal officials is leading us down a path that Washington would likely colloquialize as "unsustainable" (this is a new favorite, lol). The problem is that although these are their words, i fail to believe that they understand or believe the reality of these words. Wall street, in my opinion, is nothing more than a group of legalized gamblers whose excessive incomes are derived from the backs of a common laborer, and whose profits are increased by more than just decreasing costs as a business practice, but by using any means necessary to reduce labor cost (Asian grass hut labor for product imported and bought at wally world) and the legal embezzling and gambling of and with investor dollars for the sake of a 10,000 dollar a month N.Y. City apartment in exchange for their current 5000 dollar a month one. They consistently drive the future of various "must have" product prices up in cost for the average joe simply on speculation buying and selling (i.e. energy products, other commodities, and interest income). I don't think socialism will fix this - I do think people have to influence the success or failure of governments and Wall street on a one-by-one basis, and that they can if shown how.

In our economy and society it is encouraged (not by everyone obviously) to live in a state of financial debt and ongoing payments to others, so most Americans seem to feel normal now that our country may be incapable of paying what it owes and ignorant of the fact that it will get paid, just in someone else's life and buy others (our future generations, but not to future!), and it's wrong. I've always believed that anything in life has to both make sense and seem fair, these policies and behaviors don't do essentially either - ever. Concerning issues such as Asian trade, international rather than national defense, societal control, economic control, and government self-proliferation - i believe our government has veered from it's founding father's course. At present 52% of those surveyed last week in a CNN phone survey of >1000 people, citizens here showed they don't want government run health care, but watch as deals get cut like the one with the senator from Louisiana where a $100,000,000 amendment for Katrina money was added to the health care proposed legislation and all of a sudden she helped vote it out for debate where that she had publicly stated she wouldn't support the bill. And then a law will pass that the majority didn't want. Our constitution say a "government by the people and for the people as you likely know; it's just that this doesn't sound like the actions of a government that is to be established on that premise. I'm not sure what every fix is, but believe it starts with personal accountability and self-restraint, very little of it being shown these days. I believe that America is viewed as wasteful and as a user, and at times it's almost understandable why. What I do know is that we have families across the country living lifestyles they can't afford, as manifested by the bankruptcy skyrocketing of those who live this way - unprepared and irresponsible. Not everyone here is this way. The what-would-be called "radical" view I have is shared by enough Americans that it is being recognized to a small extent. I have reason to believe their are more responsible and good people in our country, and in the world than perhaps most others think. As a registered nurse, i am privileged to see it on a fairly common basis. Just got to get t more of these good people into positions of authority and policy making to return us to a point when we were actually a responsible society with an economy that reflects it; one that's fair and makes sense.

Alright, I'll stop . The "ash" bucket needed filling, lol.

I guess I hope somehow that maybe at least one of my neighbors to the North can have evidence that not all Americans are as reckless as it may seem.

Merry Christmas to you and yours and God bless both our countries,

Robert

p.s. to the host of this forum, i'll try to be back on the "fireplace" with the next post.

 

[pellet9999]

with hundreds of billions in oil sands, you canucks dont have to worry about income..you will have it for decades..

 

[scooter_nate]

NIce discussion guys. I am a Canadian Tool and Die Maker out of work for the past year due to these hard times in both yours and my Countries. To say that you are hesatent on "Buying Canadian" is a pretty low. I feel that both of our Countries produce quality products yes you do pay more.........but what you pay for what you get. I am considering on purchasing the Drolet Savannah and am glad to see that my freinds across the pond are using our products.
My mother is American and more than half of my family aswell. I try to buy North American as much as possible but it is hard when everywhere you shop is selling offshore products you really have to do your homework before you go to purchase alot of our housewhold items. I recently bought an '09 Dodge Journey when the recession was just getting started thinking I was buying North Americian, but to my dismay when I got the vehical home it was made in Mexico. The thing that really gets me is that in my trade for the last 6 years I have watched local tooling shops close there doors and put our (Canadian and American) workers out of work because companies are getting there damb tools made over seas for a fraction of the price.
The tools come to our countries with very little quality workmanship and do not produce the parts to the specs needed by our costomers so we re-tool these "New Tools" to run to the proper specs. Jesus.......Sorry for venting guys but this really grinds me (over seas products in North America).
Anyways rnman it is hard to find reviews on this stove, was it a good buy I plan replaceing my existing one in my garage with the Savannah .

Regards,
Nate

"Out of a job yet?....Keep buying foreign!"

 

[BrotherBart]

I recently bought an '09 Dodge Journey when the recession was just getting started thinking I was buying North Americian, but to my dismay when I got the vehical home it was made in Mexico.

Mexico is on the North American continent Nate.

 

[mxjamie540]

I too sport a Drolet Savannah. Have since October, this is my first wood stove and I am VERY pleased with it. sometimes I wish I could get a little longer burn (over 6 hours) like the Blaze King guys do, but I only paid $475 for my stove. Plus a King would simply cook me out I am afraid.

I am in Southern Illinois, so super bitter cold is not regular. However it is now in the single digits and I have had no problem keeping the majority of my house 74 or above (until bedtime).

Maybe when this craps out I will upgrade to a bigger stove, but it just very well may be a bigger Drolet!

 

[begreen]

Back to the OP. rnman, thanks for the good report on the stove. If you can post a picture of it burning, that would be sweet.

 

[scooter_nate]

Yes your right BrotherBart I meant Canadian or American!

 

[rnman]

Happy New Year all. BeGreen, here are a couple pics. they were taken shortly after the install and the fire is with bad wood. the stove however is terrific. like mxjamie, i would like longer burntimes, but the benefit is that the stove is really a wood miser. after a good fire, thick bed of coals will restart quick if small starter wood is used first; for me, this easy start has been as far out as 36 hrs from shut-down (intake and output dampers closed). i would recommend this stove to others.

glad to have it on these 14 degree nights in Georgia. what the heck is goin' on? :roll:

 

[mxjamie540]

rnman..... what particular flue damper did you use? I did not install one on my stove when I put it in, and am now thinking that I would like to have one to help give even more control over the stove.

I had not found this website until AFTER I purchased, installed, and started burning..... had I known more, I probably would have done things a bit different.

You say you got a startup on coals 36 hours after on your Savannah? How cold was it outside? How much heat were you getting from the stove on just the coals? I am impressed with my Savannah for the money, but have never experienced anything that long...... my longest restart on coals was probably 12-14 hours back in the shoulder season.


Thanks a bunch!

 

[rnman]

rnman….. what particular flue damper did you use? I did not install one on my stove when I put it in, and am now thinking that I would like to have one to help give even more control over the stove.

I had not found this website until AFTER I purchased, installed, and started burning….. had I known more, I probably would have done things a bit different.

You say you got a startup on coals 36 hours after on your Savannah? How cold was it outside? How much heat were you getting from the stove on just the coals? I am impressed with my Savannah for the money, but have never experienced anything that long…... my longest restart on coals was probably 12-14 hours back in the shoulder season.


Thanks a bunch!

mxjamie,

this morning my wife restarted the fire which has been out for over 48 hrs. there were still hot coals from the last really hot fire let burn out a couple of days age, but she used a paper towel saturated with vegetable oil to start the kindling anyway for a quicker start. we use good seasoned white oak for the most part, and the exhaust damper is always wide open on a start, then as closed as possible with a hot fire, so long as there is good draw. this stops the fire from burning up quick and works well once the firebox is burning hot. with a really hot fire, the damper is as closed as it will get (doesn't create a 100% closed seal in the pipe) which really increases box heat and extents burn time. as fire gets smaller, i either add wood or start intermittently opening the damper a notch at a time. the damper is a simpson damper for use with our pipe. the pipe is duravent dvl (double wall) pipe with duraplus chimney (HT2100 triple wall) and this pipe does a great job holding heat inside itself for good draw. i had also poured some water in the box yesterday because a paper towel i threw in the stove caught fire and was smoking in the house. It only does this when a fresh fire is started, the pipe isn't hot yet, and the electric heat is running in the house. I will correct this problem with a fresh air intake duct in the next couple of weeks, but reason this happens is because a negative pressure is created inside the house when electric furnace runs, and this negative pressure pull draw backwards from the chimney and thus smoke comes from the intake damper as a result. again, this can pull smoke out of the stove if the fire and pipe aren't minimally warm to create some draw. we work 13hr night shifts, so we set the thermostat on the central heat to low and only run the stove on the days we are not working for safety reasons. as such, my stove doesn't run 24/7. would be happy to PM you my cell number if you have any other questions, but i think what i've described here, plus the efficiency of the stove with it's firebrick and built in baffle are the reasons the coals stay hot in the stove so long.

 

[webby3650]

I installed a Drolet Celtic in my Brother-in-laws' house a few months ago, I tried and tried to talk him into another brand, but I could not find anything negitive about Drolet. :red: He ordered it on-line from a no name company and I was scared for him! It showed up 4 days later and it is a very pretty stove. He loves it, I would recommend it to anyone. I might be able to get some pics of that install.

 

[rnman]

this is the fire right now. that's Linda, my wife bringing in some wood. she doesn't work tonight; i do. note the top damper is completely closed and the bottom (intake damper) is partially closed. i carefully and slowly use the intake damper (slightly closing it as tolerated by the fire) for control when the fire is hot enough that the exhaust damper is tolerated completely closed. this combination really allows for alot of air flow control, maximum box heat, minimal heat loss in the chimney, and a complete burn of the wood.

p.s. my wife is fussing cause she's all bundled up for the pic and i'm gonna post her on the net here anyway. LOL Its headed for 16 degrees outside and i'm sitting here with no shirt on and about to sweat.

life is good and ya'll stay warm.

rnman :coolsmile: