First Break-In Fire Hampton HI300...have some questions?

[jscs.moore]

So I completed my first break-in fire with my Hampton HI300 last weekend even though it was warm (65 degrees), since I wanted to get the curing process out of the way. I followed the instructions in the manual and kept the fire small using mostly kindling and a few small (Kiln dried) splits as my cord wood isn't seasoned enough yet. I have a SS, preinsulated, liner (Olympia) and my chimney is approximately 28ft tall. The I kept the air intake open (all the way to the left) for the first 25 to 30 minutes and the fire looked great...I think I even saw some secondaries shooting out of the baffles after about 45 minutes (but I'm not sure if that's possible with a smaller fire). Anyway...I then followed the manuals instructions and started to close the air intake after the fire was established and burning well. However, I noticed that after closing the air intake to app. 75% closed...the flames would pretty much die out? I would then open the air intake after a short time and it would start burning with flames again? My question...is this normal for the flames to go out when the air intake is only 75% closed? Or could be the warm weather creating a poor draft in the firebox? This is my first time not using an open fireplace, so maybe my expectations lean too far toward the hot dancing flames...when closer the air intake is what's supposed to create the real heat you want?? The stove did through out good heat as far as I can tell...although I did have the windows and doors open. I also didn't notice the paint curing stink everyone talks about on this site? Thanks for the feedback!

 

[velvetfoot]

That's pretty normal. Perhaps if you kept it a while at 75% closed and then pushed it in a little at a time you could go more closed. It also could be that your wood isn't that dry.

 

[edge-of-the-woods]

I have a stove from Regency that's very similar to yours. Here's three things I wish I knew right off the bat.

1) Even if you're using kiln-dried wood now, definitely get yourself a moisture content (MC) meter immediately. You're going to need it, and when you do, it's better to have one on hand and be able to check the MC of your wood right away, instead of having to order one and wait. You want to be using wood with a MC of 20% or less.

2) Also, get a Condar catalytic thermometer, and get it installed ASAP. Without something to give you hard numbers on how hot your fire/unit is burning, it's all timing and guesswork. , and I was banging my head on the wall before I got this thing added.

http://www.condar.com/Catalytic_Thermometers.html

3) Lastly, do the dollar bill test* as you keep using your stove. Follow the directions on pg 27 of your manual to tighten up the seal on your door as time goes on.

You can try and learn how dry your wood is and when to open/close the cat by trial and error, or you can do 1 and 2 and take the guesswork out.

* With a cold stove, close the door on a dollar bill so half of it is inside the stove and half is outside the stove. If you can easily pull the dollar out without resistance, you can probably remove a set of washers and tighten up your seal.

 

[jscs.moore]

That's pretty normal. Perhaps if you kept it a while at 75% closed and then pushed it in a little at a time you could go more closed. It also could be that your wood isn't that dry.

Thanks Velvetfoot...your posts on this site have always been helpful! So what's the deal...you can pretty much expect a roaring fire with dancing yellow flames during the first half hour or so when getting it going (air intake fully open). Then after you tamp down the air intake, expect a very low/slow buring fire without much flame? Again, I guess I'm used to open fireplaces so please excuse my ignorance here

 

[velvetfoot]

Thanks Velvetfoot...your posts on this site have always been helpful!

Well, thank you. This only hold true for things I actually know about though.

When you close down the air and the wood is fully charred (to use the manual's term, lol), you should expect some flames and secondaries coming off the tubes. Perhaps having to open the air some as the burn proceeds. Is your wood dry?

 

[jscs.moore]

Well, thank you. This only hold true for things I actually know about though.

When you close down the air and the wood is fully charred (to use the manual's term, lol), you should expect some flames and secondaries coming off the tubes. Perhaps having to open the air some as the burn proceeds. Is your wood dry?

Thanks...yes, wood is dry (Kiln dried) and I checked it with a moisture reader to make sure (most read 17% to 18%). So should I basically be closing the air intake to 3 quarters closed after the fire is burning strong and established? Is this the most efficient way to burn and produce heat from the insert?

 

[jophysx]

If the flames disappear early in the cycle, it's a sign that you closed the air off too much. Draft may be weak this time of year with relatively warm temperatures. Plus this was a break-in fire. When you are running the stove "for real" you should get several hours of flames. See below.

Here's what you should experience when you are done with the break-in period and running full loads.
1. You should have yellow flames during startup while the unit is getting up to temperature.
2. Once the fire is well established and the firebox is getting pretty hot, start closing down the air a bit at a time. Each time the fire may die out a bit, but it should come back strong and the temperature should continue rising. Eventually secondaries should kick in.
3. Keep closing it down a little at a time and waiting for the fire to recover. Eventually you should reach a point where you are happy with how the stove is cruising, or you can't close the air down any more without the firebox temperature dropping off significantly.
4. Now that you have reached your cruising condition, you should see yellow flames disappearing in favor of bluish secondary flames floating above the logs and beneath the secondary air tubes. The secondary air tubes will probably be glowing red at least a little. The stove should cruise along like this for an hour or two at least before you eventually reach a stage where there aren't many flames, just hot coals. There is no need to adjust the air controls at this point. There should be minimal (ideally none) visible smoke coming out the chimney.

The key to getting the most heat out of each load is to keep the firebox hot enough for secondary combustion until you reach the coal stage. The firebox is constantly losing heat to the room (good) and up the flue (bad). You have to maintain a high enough burn rate to replace the heat that is being lost. Otherwise the temperature starts dropping. If the temperature drops low enough that the secondaries go out prematurely (i.e. when the wood is still in the "burning" stage where it is still giving off volatile gasses and smoke that could be burned) the firebox temperature will really drop off fast and you will have a lousy, smoldering burn. The burn rate is controlled by the air supply. It's quite a balancing act, but easily mastered with practice and attention to how your stove likes to run.

Congrats on the HI300. I really like mine.

-Jim

For lighting off the secondaries as early as possible in the burn cycle, I recommend the "top-down" method for starting fires. There are many posts about it on hearth.com.

 

[jscs.moore]

If the flames disappear early in the cycle, it's a sign that you closed the air off too much. Draft may be weak this time of year with relatively warm temperatures. Plus this was a break-in fire. When you are running the stove "for real" you should get several hours of flames. See below.

Here's what you should experience when you are done with the break-in period and running full loads.
1. You should have yellow flames during startup while the unit is getting up to temperature.
2. Once the fire is well established and the firebox is getting pretty hot, start closing down the air a bit at a time. Each time the fire may die out a bit, but it should come back strong and the temperature should continue rising. Eventually secondaries should kick in.
3. Keep closing it down a little at a time and waiting for the fire to recover. Eventually you should reach a point where you are happy with how the stove is cruising, or you can't close the air down any more without the firebox temperature dropping off significantly.
4. Now that you have reached your cruising condition, you should see yellow flames disappearing in favor of bluish secondary flames floating above the logs and beneath the secondary air tubes. The secondary air tubes will probably be glowing red at least a little. The stove should cruise along like this for an hour or two at least before you eventually reach a stage where there aren't many flames, just hot coals. There is no need to adjust the air controls at this point. There should be minimal (ideally none) visible smoke coming out the chimney.

The key to getting the most heat out of each load is to keep the firebox hot enough for secondary combustion until you reach the coal stage. The firebox is constantly losing heat to the room (good) and up the flue (bad). You have to maintain a high enough burn rate to replace the heat that is being lost. Otherwise the temperature starts dropping. If the temperature drops low enough that the secondaries go out prematurely (i.e. when the wood is still in the "burning" stage where it is still giving off volatile gasses and smoke that could be burned) the firebox temperature will really drop off fast and you will have a lousy, smoldering burn. The burn rate is controlled by the air supply. It's quite a balancing act, but easily mastered with practice and attention to how your stove likes to run.

Congrats on the HI300. I really like mine.

-Jim

For lighting off the secondaries as early as possible in the burn cycle, I recommend the "top-down" method for starting fires. There are many posts about it on hearth.com.

Thanks JIm...great breakdown of the burning process for the HI300. This will be very, very, helpful to me when I really start to get into the burning season this winter. I am printing your post to keep handy in my Hampton file for future use. I am really excited about learning how to use the HI300 in the most effecient manner to keep my house toasty warm and knock down my electric heapt pump bills!! Thanks again.

 

[velvetfoot]

You'll love it!
It sounds like both of you guys don't get that severe winters. If you're trying to maximum heat out the insert, the long slow coaling stage doesn't put out much heat at the back end, and you're left with big clunky chunks of coal that prevent the stove from being reloaded to the max. There are several strategies that you guys undoubtedly have read about already. It always amazes me when I let the stove burn completely down, how small a volume of ashes remain.

 

[cableman]

So far ive only had 5 splits max and maybe i havnt turned it down quick enough but once its closed man the thing gets hot! Im almost scared to load it full, feel like its gonna run too hot. But even with my ir pointing at the exhaust through the vent ive only been up to 600 maybe. You guys have more secondaries on back air tube? My glass on both sides has been a little dirty but middle is clean...

 

[velvetfoot]

This is turning into a little users group.

I don't recall if there are more flame on the back tube, I'll check at some point, though the weather has been beautiful here.

You have the fan running, right? If you're thinking that things are getting too hot, you can always bump up the fan speed to high.

 

[cableman]

Yes fans on auto low, i only shut it when opening door. I dont think i have any door leaks either, i used 4 washers, might try dropping one on the latch

 

[velvetfoot]

If it passes the dollar bill test, I wouldn't bother. Do the [big] flames go down when you push the rod in? If so, I think it's behaving as it should.

 

[cableman]

Yeah they go down but not like i could snuff it out if i wanted too unless its a small fire and just getting going. Theres no air intake mods on these like ive read on others right?

 

[cableman]

Think i had a door gasket leak!
Ripped into it a little to see how it breathes, with the latch closed there is a little cutout that doesnt get covered. There is also a small hole on the right side in the same spot as if the air control rod was on that side. I stuck a bolt in that, fixing the door leak though id imagine should give me the most improvement.