A nice installation job and now I'm starting my break-in fires.
![[Hearth.com] Finally, first fire](https://www.hearth.com/talk/data/attachments/256/256266-533ef80e50b725370156713fe4c060ac.jpg?hash=KvKDP5cQyN "[Hearth.com] Finally, first fire")
Finally, first fire
- Thread starter danham
- Start date
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Here's the block-off. See-through fireplaces have their issues, but it comes in handy for monitoring stack temps.
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brazilbl
Burning Hunk
Welcome to the fold. I'm in my 3rd year of burning and this website is a gem when it comes to a knowledge base, opinions and guidance.
As you learn your stove, you will find the "stickies" on the top of the page to help you in working through any issues you may come across as as a wood burner. Read these while you watch your stove perform is a nice way of learning in a very comfortable setting.
After three years, I finally came around to the fact that "top-down" fire starting really works! These helpful documents such as "how to start a fire" will guide you in running your stove as best as you can...
Three things I come away from reading countless posts on these forums.
1) Dry wood (a moisture meter is needed) is absolutely critical if you want nearly hassle-free starting/burning. Sure your Grandpa's "Oldtimey 1880" worked back in the day with sopping wet wood, but to gain the efficiencies the EPA requires, dry wood is critical. I have lived through wet wood and God willing, never again. If you have wet wood, look for "Bio Bricks" (compressed sawdust logs) found at Menards, TSC, etc. that you can buy to get some dry wood in the firebox.
2) A top from someone out here. SuperCedars! They are also compressed wood pucks with a binder to keep them intact. They look like reddish hockey pucks, but break off a chunk of a SuperCedar to start a fire and they really perform. Beats blowing on some embers or a twig or two to make the magic happen!
3) As you peruse the forum, you will see countless references to other stoves and adherents to particular wood stoves (the analogy between "Ford" and "Chevy" drivers could be a good comparison). If your stove generates heat for your home and family and meets your needs, then that's all that really matters. The bragging about burn-times that approach being measured in days compared to other stoves, can lead to "Boy, I sure wish I had that 'InfernoDream 999' stove..." type of thinking. Sure - there are prettier, more powerful, long-lasting, efficient stoves, but you picked a well-known stove. You can look for the reviews of your particular stove model by actual wood burners that will help you in feeling good about this investment.
As you learn your stove, you will find the "stickies" on the top of the page to help you in working through any issues you may come across as as a wood burner. Read these while you watch your stove perform is a nice way of learning in a very comfortable setting.
After three years, I finally came around to the fact that "top-down" fire starting really works! These helpful documents such as "how to start a fire" will guide you in running your stove as best as you can...
Three things I come away from reading countless posts on these forums.
1) Dry wood (a moisture meter is needed) is absolutely critical if you want nearly hassle-free starting/burning. Sure your Grandpa's "Oldtimey 1880" worked back in the day with sopping wet wood, but to gain the efficiencies the EPA requires, dry wood is critical. I have lived through wet wood and God willing, never again. If you have wet wood, look for "Bio Bricks" (compressed sawdust logs) found at Menards, TSC, etc. that you can buy to get some dry wood in the firebox.
2) A top from someone out here. SuperCedars! They are also compressed wood pucks with a binder to keep them intact. They look like reddish hockey pucks, but break off a chunk of a SuperCedar to start a fire and they really perform. Beats blowing on some embers or a twig or two to make the magic happen!
3) As you peruse the forum, you will see countless references to other stoves and adherents to particular wood stoves (the analogy between "Ford" and "Chevy" drivers could be a good comparison). If your stove generates heat for your home and family and meets your needs, then that's all that really matters. The bragging about burn-times that approach being measured in days compared to other stoves, can lead to "Boy, I sure wish I had that 'InfernoDream 999' stove..." type of thinking. Sure - there are prettier, more powerful, long-lasting, efficient stoves, but you picked a well-known stove. You can look for the reviews of your particular stove model by actual wood burners that will help you in feeling good about this investment.
I was reluctant to do a top down fire, probably out of stubbornness but after trying one this year I'll never go back.
Nice looking stove, keep us updated on your progress.
Nice looking stove, keep us updated on your progress.
Finished the break-in. Loving the stove. My one nitpick is the blower. It looks like the same low-quality hardware I’ve seen on lower priced stoves and it is fairly noisy.
To measure temp I’m shooting the ”gun” into the hot air outlet, with the blower off, and this seems to yield stove top readings. Haven’t gone much over 425 so far.
-dan
To measure temp I’m shooting the ”gun” into the hot air outlet, with the blower off, and this seems to yield stove top readings. Haven’t gone much over 425 so far.
-dan
The good news: last night we let the fire die down around 9:30 pm and when I went to clean the glass this morning at 7 am, things were surprisingly toasty warm. Stove top was at 93; back of firebox 130. Cast iron for the win. The bad news: if I had left it switched on, the blower would have run all night. It turned itself off when the stove top was down around 80-something.
Does anyone know what the temperature specs are for the snap switch?
-dan
Does anyone know what the temperature specs are for the snap switch?
-dan
they are usually on the bottom of the stove which gets covered in ashes which insulate so it varies. Large ash bed will keep it warm and the fan will stay on longer at the end of a burn. Will also make it take longer to kick on if stove is cold
Tonight it's supposed to get down to 14F, so first real workout for the insert. Given that the fans seem a bit noisier than I'd like, thought I'd dive in and see why. First, some of the sheet metal pieces were not tightly fastened. Second, the motor bushings looked dry as a bone. So I put a few drops of oil in the lube tubes and tightened all the 10mm fasteners when I put the fan assembly back in the stove. Testing to commence in a few hours.
I know that motor oil threads in the motorcycle forums I hang out in are to be avoided like the plague, but I'll take a chance here and ask what people are using for motor bushings. I went with what was in my oiler, which I think is Castrol GTX 20W50. ;-)
I know that motor oil threads in the motorcycle forums I hang out in are to be avoided like the plague, but I'll take a chance here and ask what people are using for motor bushings. I went with what was in my oiler, which I think is Castrol GTX 20W50. ;-)
I have been bad-mouthing two-sided see-through fireplaces, but after some weeks of having the Jotul insert burning, I have to say two things:
The back of the stove is not that ugly and is barely visible anyway if I close the glass doors on the dining room side of the fireplace, and...
With the glass doors open, I get a fair amount of heat off the back of the stove, which helps it find its way to other parts of the house.
It used to be a useless, inefficient, smoky mess as an open fireplace. But that's history.
-dan
The back of the stove is not that ugly and is barely visible anyway if I close the glass doors on the dining room side of the fireplace, and...
With the glass doors open, I get a fair amount of heat off the back of the stove, which helps it find its way to other parts of the house.
It used to be a useless, inefficient, smoky mess as an open fireplace. But that's history.
-dan
I have a double sided fireplace that Ive been toying the idea of putting a stove in, problem is the opening is rather small, 25 x 30, but there are some stoves that size that interest me. Glad yours is working for you.
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