Finally installed my Baby Countryside...I see I need a couple of mods

[davidmancuso]

Hello All,
I got a Baby Countryside DC multi fuel model four years ago at an auction but never used it. With my new house I needed to install it. I'm reading the forums here to see what I need to to for best performance of this sucker. Here's what I see so far?

I made a hearth pad with plywood topped by cement backer board and then ceramic tile on top (I've never done tile laying, but it went well).

I put the stove vent through the wall (I got a Duravent 3" vent kit), but I've already made one mistake. I put it horizontally through the wall and then vertically outside. I see from the forum that I misread the manual--the outside vertical run is not recommended. I hope it's OK, at least for now. I would rather think about fixing this in the spring—I'm not looking forward to dealing with the wall thimble hole I have now if I redo it as an inside vertical run (I live in Pennsylvania, not arctic cold but not at all warm).

Figuring out the control panel is interesting--there don't seem to be cohesive instructions anywhere. This forum is the best resource--especially since the magnumheatforum is gone now?

I got good flame burn (or I thought so until I see some of the pics here--wow)--it doesn't seem to matter how wide I open the air intake, I get good burn, but I'll watch and do fine adjustments.

I saw the air wash trick and I'll do that. I have a full firepot within about a day with unburned pellets, so I need to work on the firepot. I'll try closing off the top two rows of holes on the inside back wall of the firepot and leave the front (near the door) holes alone to see if it helps pull the flame away from the door? I'll buy the cast iron pot if I need to, but I bet I won't.

I hooked up a thermostat and I'll keep working on fine-tuning it.

The blower seems pretty loud, so I'm not sure what to do about that. It's never been used, so maybe it needs to wear in? be replaced? I'll have to see which one it is when I get home.

So hopefully I'm on the right track? You folks are amazing--thank you for sharing your work with these stoves.

 

[Lake Girl]

Congrats on the pellet stove. It is OK to have the vertical run outside (sometimes preferred as less joints to leak inside) just check your clearances - windows, doors, air inlets from other appliances. Surge protection in place? Did you install an OAK?

Can't help with fine tuning that stove but hopefully other owners will chime in.

Enjoy the heat

 

[davidmancuso]

Thanks! I used hi temp silicon sealant on the vent pipes, but I'm going to top that with foil tape too. I hadn't put in the OAK, but I think I should. I just have to get a 3 inch hole saw and be careful. The vertical vent is close to a window, but the window is permanently closed, so the manual says it's OK...
I got a much better burn with taping over the air wash slot (I put five holes in it). I taped over the firepot top two rows of holes, but the tape fell down a bit in operation. I don't have access to a welder, so I'll try the 2000 degree caulk. But the burn is much more complete now, and the firepot doesn't fill up anymore like it did.