First burn of the 2023/2024 season

[mtnbiker727]

I started the stove this morning, for the first time this heating season. I ran it for about 2 hours on room temp igniter disabled.

Our lows have been in the 40s or 50s (although it was 36 one day last week) with highs in the 50s and low 60s.

I know quite a few of you are colder than here, so when was your first burn of the season?

 

[bogieb]

I started up my main floor stove last week (Monday night). I'd been using the mini split for 7-10 days prior. Although not really cold, it has been extremely overcast for weeks (actually months ) so the house hasn't received any solar gain during the day. Nights in 30's and 40's, 40's and 50's during the day (although we may hit 60 later this week).

I run my stove off a remote thermostat so it cycles on and off as needed to keep my office at 68*.

 

[Heat Maxx]

34 degrees this morning but great fall weather during the day

 

[Tonyray]

usually here in Eastern Pa middle of October is our 1st burn.
Harman P61A. just about right as we fired up the last couple nights for few hrs.
burning hardwoods for 1st time in 7 yrs due to pricing is bit too much for the top stuff.
Hamer Hots & Barefoot this season along with few tons of doug firs & Super Spruce
from past purchases in the basement for those single digit nites..
Be dealing with more ash this year but small ash vac next to the stove so about 20 seconds to suck out the burn pot
and other ledge areas there to keep it civil. no problemo..

 

[Washed-Up]

Monday October 9th was the first burn. Stripped, painted and installed a new updated board, noticeable difference in the burn and efficiency. Runs for a few hours in the am and comes on maybe once overnight. Still sitting on a ton of laCrete softies from last winter. -3 is as cold as we’ve seen in the mountains here.

 

[Tonyray]

Monday October 9th was the first burn. Stripped, painted and installed a new updated board, noticeable difference in the burn and efficiency. Runs for a few hours in the am and comes on maybe once overnight. Still sitting on a ton of laCrete softies from last winter. -3 is as cold as we’ve seen in the mountains here.

Stripped, painted and installed a new updated board...... like to know how and why..

 

[Washed-Up]

Stripped, painted and installed a new updated board...... like to know how and why..

Well, last May the stove quit, no LED’s and the fuse was good so I figured the board had succumbed to a new igniter I had installed in the fall. Ordered a new board and igniter w/cradle. Pulled the stove out to the shop, it had the dreaded white-ish grey ovals on the sides so I stripped the paint off to paint it. I decided to plug it in anyways just to make sure..the LED’s came on and it was fine in test mode…turns out the harness had slightly pulled away from the plug in at the board and the esp was slightly unplugged. Mulled it over and decided to put the new board in after I finished painting it…very impressed with the updated board…The old board will be used as a back up. Keep in mind that this stove only cost me 200$ in 2020…didn’t hurt at all to spend a bit on it.

 

[masterofsense666]

Last week. Nights in the low 40's.Harman P-43-c . Ran for 3 hrs till house was too warm.
Sold the Castle Serenity last week for $500. It had worked flawless for 3 seasons !

 

[Tonyray]

Well, last May the stove quit, no LED’s and the fuse was good so I figured the board had succumbed to a new igniter I had installed in the fall. Ordered a new board and igniter w/cradle. Pulled the stove out to the shop, it had the dreaded white-ish grey ovals on the sides so I stripped the paint off to paint it. I decided to plug it in anyways just to make sure..the LED’s came on and it was fine in test mode…turns out the harness had slightly pulled away from the plug in at the board and the esp was slightly unplugged. Mulled it over and decided to put the new board in after I finished painting it…very impressed with the updated board…The old board will be used as a back up. Keep in mind that this stove only cost me 200$ in 2020…didn’t hurt at all to spend a bit on it.

got it...
ya know speaking of, had ignitor that would not shut off last year.. wondering why our electric bill jumped so high one month!!
the board had a bad triac or that component i may be spelling wrong...ignitor was just heating away 24/7 for about a week till it gave out..
agree the new updated board I Had to buy was a plus.. Harman P61A.....

1ST real repairs in 8 yrs.... have new burn pot on the way as the heat from the ignitor being on for so long made couple holes a bit larger and thought it was time to replace. put a meter on one ignitor wire in the back with the stove OFF and it was pulling lots of power.
Drove me nuts for a while trying to figure where this extra juice was coming from..
blaming the wife for running dryer too long , ..oven on too long etc...stuff like that before i decided to check the stove..

 

[Washed-Up]

Ouch…yeah that would be aggravating! I also put an inky fuse on the igniter this time just as a safety

 

[Northwoodneil]

I've been bumping the stove on for a little over 2 weeks. I've only ran it overnight twice so far. I'm working on my third bag of pellets.

 

[hockeypuck]

I have done about 1 bag over the past week. We have an L shaped ranch and the pellet stove is in the smaller section. A heat pump does the main house very well during the early heating season. I am not running the pellet stove at night. That happens when the real cold sets in... hopefully not for another month.

 

[BigJohnfromCT]

Fired my MVAE up on the 21st. Not really that cold here but we spend most of out time in an unheated sunroom and we love having the stove run. Sun warms us during the day and the stove takes the chill off at night.

 

[shtrdave]

I have not fired mine up yet temps have been some 30's over night and in the 40-50s heat wave this week up to the 60's.

Been using the heat pump for over night, I like cooler temps so it is set at 67, the GF is not a 67 person, so I will fire up the kerosene heater a little before she gets home and run it on a lower setting for the evening. With some cooking and stuff yesterday it was 78 in here, she was happy.

I usually try to hold off on the pellet heat until it stays colder sometime in November. When I lived alone it would be in to December before I fired it up.I have pellets ordered for the second week of November, still have a little over a ton from last year.

 

[shtrdave]

I have a small section of the gray area on the outside, it seems to only be in the left side and top corner, even the side shield has some gray.

Not sure why it is just that one area.

Did you use a paint stripper or use a sander? And what primer and paint did you use for the finish?

I have thought about redoing it, I need to figure out how to move it, probably also replace the door gaskets when I do it.

Thought about one of these, as my stove is about 10" off the floor. The place I bought it from had an 8" riser built to put the pad on.

500 lb. Capacity Hydraulic Table Cart

Amazing deals on this 500Lb Hydraulic Table Cart at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.

www.harborfreight.com

 

[ABusWrench]

First burn last night. Got down to freezing. Ran one bag thru it. According to the extended weather forecast, next burn will be the end of the month.