Englander NC30 2 Month reveiw.

[slinger646]

So, It has been a good 2 months since I fired up the new Englander (Summers Heat) NC30.

It is a good stove, will heat the downstairs to about 88* in a few hours. Much better than my Vogelzang Boxwood of death.

She likes dry wood, the drier the better and hotter she burns. It took a while for me to get into the good wood that wasn't like a sponge, but now she is eaiser to start and gets going quicker.

The ash hole is about useless as tits on a bullfrog, unless you clean it out hourly, besides, I found she runs better with "some" ash. Im still experimenting.

The only Quirks I still have is my flue temp is still cold (250-300, tops), even when the stove is running me out of the house..and Im not sure how hot I can get this puppy, Ive had her up to 500 on the side of the firebox, can she go higher?

I would recommend this to anyone who wants to sweat in January. I feel we went too big, and aren't able to run it to its full potential. The NC13 probably would have done as good.

Im planning on adding the heat shield and fan setup as soon as santa puts some dough in my account. That will lessen the myriad of fans in the house.

 

[[email protected]]

I installed a 13 a couple of months ago. I love it. Sounds like the same stove with all of the same burn characteristics. The Ash drawer does completely suck and yes it burns best for me with a little ash on the floor, especially if I create an air channel from fron to back. The only issue I have is the size of the fire box. It's hard to get long burn time out of it. I originaly though it would be a suppliment to the furnace. I really like to burn it, It's not the primary heat source (at least until I run out of free wood) and wish I could get longer burns out of it, more than 2-3 hours is pretty tough.

 

[cmonSTART]

We love our 30, and with lows in the low single digits here the past couple nights we've been pushing it hard to keep the house warm. It does the job!

 

[OpenWater]

I'm about 2 months into my first season with the 30 as well. This is my first stove and I really like it. +1 on the comment on a N / S 'trench' in the ashes for air flow. I'm a weekender, so I still have plenty of experimenting to do, although I feel I am zeroing in on the sweet spot. The stove is in the basement, and it does a pretty good job at heating the upstairs. I'm glad I got the 30 instead of the 13 (great advice from this forum). Next time I burn, I'll be experimenting with a full load to see if I can get an over-nighter!

 

[slinger646]

Four Month Update !

So another few months have passed, and we've gotten our butts whipped by two large storms. The 30 has chugged along faithfully with no real problems and a few minor inconveniences.


The stove runs at 550*-650* measured from the center of the firebox.

Ive obtained near 100* temps downstairs and have ran it wide open for 8 days straight in Sub Zero Temps.

Ive discovered the use for the little escape hatch inside: between shoveling, I open it up and clean the area near the front air port. I don't know if it helps anything, but it makes me feel better.

Im still leaving a little ash in the firebox, scooping each side and spreading the middle out.

Ive had two occasions of the Firebox lip trim falling off, I assume due to heat. It's as hot as the firebox and can pose a melting/fire hazard. Until I get a fix, its out in the shed....it's only cosmetic.

Im still wanting to get the blower, but that's a lot of coin for me.

The Wife has mastered getting it going, which is a big accomplishment for a city girl, IMO. No longer am I coming home to mediocre temps and darkened glass.

 

[Jags]

Im still leaving a little ash in the firebox, scooping each side and spreading the middle out.

Suggestion: Stop messing with that ash until it really builds up. Let 4" build up and get back to us on the burn cycle. I think you will be surprised at the reaction the stove is going to have with a nice buildup. With a 3.5 cuft box, you should be able to do an overnight burn without even working at it. The ash will help.

For many reasons, my stove (at 3.0 cuft) went 24 hours without a re-load till last night. I still had burning charcoal that would easily fill a small coffee can. Couple of pieces of wood chips, a few small sticks and poof - fire. Thats 24 hours later. Don't get me wrong, the stove wasn't throwing squat for heat at that time, but only 8 hours into the burn, it would have been.

 

[FireAnt]

Im still leaving a little ash in the firebox, scooping each side and spreading the middle out.

Suggestion: Stop messing with that ash until it really builds up. Let 4" build up and get back to us on the burn cycle. I think you will be surprised at the reaction the stove is going to have with a nice buildup. With a 3.5 cuft box, you should be able to do an overnight burn without even working at it. The ash will help.

For many reasons, my stove (at 3.0 cuft) went 24 hours without a re-load till last night. I still had burning charcoal that would easily fill a small coffee can. Couple of pieces of wood chips, a few small sticks and poof - fire. Thats 24 hours later. Don't get me wrong, the stove wasn't throwing squat for heat at that time, but only 8 hours into the burn, it would have been.

I agree with the ash. I have a NC-13 and leave 4" of ash in mine. There is a difference I have seen with a clean fire box and one with ash in it.

 

[caber]

we are on month 3 with our NC30. It is amazing the heat it puts out and the length of time it holds the heat.

When we clean out the ashes, we leave at least 2 inches in place. It seems to hold the coals and heat best with 4 inches or more of ash in the box. With 4 inches, I can come back after 18 hours and still find good coals.

 

[maxed_out]

Hey Jags how did you get 24 hrs out of that IR? That stove is on my short list to someday replace my DEcat and I'm more than curious.


For many reasons, my stove (at 3.0 cuft) went 24 hours without a re-load till last night. I still had burning charcoal that would easily fill a small coffee can. Couple of pieces of wood chips, a few small sticks and poof - fire. Thats 24 hours later. Don't get me wrong, the stove wasn't throwing squat for heat at that time, but only 8 hours into the burn, it would have been.[/quote]

 

[SlyFerret]

As you use the stove more, you'll get used to how to "hold it back" and still let it burn clean.

This is my second full season with my 30, and we've been much more comfortable this year than last year. Last year, my average stove room temps were in the low 80's, this year, it's high 70's.

Next year, I'll probably do even better at keeping the house temp down a little more, and hopefully keeping the temp more consistent, minimizing the temperature swings.

The way I see it... keeping the house warmer than it needs to be just means I'm burning more wood than necessary.

I love knowing I have plenty of room to let the 30 stretch it's legs for the few times per winter that we have sub zero temps and wind on top of that.

-SF

 

[BrotherBart]

Something I do with the 30 because the big firebox is great for it is to bank the coals after a morning burn on "warmer" days like today. Upper 30s but no Sun. I burn three or four splits to get the place warmed up to the mid seventies and around noon I move the coals into a stack in the center back of the stove and cover them with the ashes. The stove maintains three hundred degrees down to two hundred for a long time and about sundown and when the house temp drops a couple of degrees I rake the coals out of the pile and forward and load splits to get a coal bed prepared for the night loading at nine o'clock. Keeps the house warm, saves a lot of wood and makes for an easy start at sundown.

 

[Jags]

Hey Jags how did you get 24 hrs out of that IR? That stove is on my short list to someday replace my DEcat and I'm more than curious.

Hey Maxedout - read BroB's post above. It is virtually the same method I use except that I will bank the coals then load it to the hilt. You get big heat from the new load, and long duration from the coals.

Edit: oh, and to be fair, I am using uber seasoned white oak splits, a couple of them will be big puppies.

 

[iceman]

Four Month Update !

So another few months have passed, and we've gotten our butts whipped by two large storms. The 30 has chugged along faithfully with no real problems and a few minor inconveniences.


The stove runs at 550*-650* measured from the center of the firebox.

Ive obtained near 100* temps downstairs and have ran it wide open for 8 days straight in Sub Zero Temps.

Ive discovered the use for the little escape hatch inside: between shoveling, I open it up and clean the area near the front air port. I don't know if it helps anything, but it makes me feel better.

Im still leaving a little ash in the firebox, scooping each side and spreading the middle out.

Ive had two occasions of the Firebox lip trim falling off, I assume due to heat. It's as hot as the firebox and can pose a melting/fire hazard. Until I get a fix, its out in the shed....it's only cosmetic.

Im still wanting to get the blower, but that's a lot of coin for me.

The Wife has mastered getting it going, which is a big accomplishment for a city girl, IMO. No longer am I coming home to mediocre temps and darkened glass.

when you say wide open do you mean the air all the way open?
if so you are running your stove at risk of overfire unless your wood is really wet... never run a stove with the air all the way open for long extended periods of time.... earlier you said your flue temps dont go over ~300 that is the way the stove is supposed to run, , cooler stack temps and a warmer firebox= most epa stove ... my stove is the same flue temp 250~ 500 stove temp 500-800

 

[slinger646]

Iceman, you are correct. The air vent was 100% open. I think the temp may have kissed 650 once when some slab was thrown in by mistake.

The vent usually is at 75% and avg stove temp is 575-600 with the flue being much cooler.

I dont think I was in any danger, but I may have been wrong. What is the "overfire" temp for a NC30?

I did overfire my vogelzang boxwood o' death several times, that thing would run away with green wood....

 

[Jags]

Iceman, you are correct. The air vent was 100% open. I think the temp may have kissed 650 once when some slab was thrown in by mistake.

The vent usually is at 75% and avg stove temp is 575-600 with the flue being much cooler.

I dont think I was in any danger, but I may have been wrong. What is the "overfire" temp for a NC30?

I did overfire my vogelzang boxwood o' death several times, that thing would run away with green wood....

At 600F - you ain't hurting that box. Keep her under 700 and it will last a loooong time.

 

[rdust]

Iceman, you are correct. The air vent was 100% open. I think the temp may have kissed 650 once when some slab was thrown in by mistake.

The vent usually is at 75% and avg stove temp is 575-600 with the flue being much cooler.

You're wasting a lot of heat by running it wide open. When you start closing the air you will keep the heat in the stove instead of wasting it up the pipe. Try getting it going till the top is around 400 or so then start closing it down in increments. You should find the secondary burn improves and you should reduce your wood usage.

How are you measuring the flue temp? Are you using single or double wall pipe?

 

[slinger646]

Iceman, you are correct. The air vent was 100% open. I think the temp may have kissed 650 once when some slab was thrown in by mistake.

The vent usually is at 75% and avg stove temp is 575-600 with the flue being much cooler.

You're wasting a lot of heat by running it wide open. When you start closing the air you will keep the heat in the stove instead of wasting it up the pipe. Try getting it going till the top is around 400 or so then start closing it down in increments. You should find the secondary burn improves and you should reduce your wood usage.

How are you measuring the flue temp? Are you using single or double wall pipe?

With a magnetic coil thermometer, single wall pipe

Next winter, I plan on having good SEASONED wood instead of the hit and miss stuff I had this year. I think there is def. a learning curve to this stove.