Getting Ready for First Burn with Hampton HI300

[jscs.moore]

Okay...I recently had a Hampton HI300 installed in my Center Hall Colonial (app. 2,00 Sq. Ft.) I will be getting ready for my first burn very soon. My question is...does the curing process take 1 to 3 SEPARATE small fire burns or can I accomplish the break in/curing process by running the insert on one long burn with windows open, etc.? I've picked up a lot of great info on this site and I know I'm not supposed pack the wood in and get a roaring fire going until after the break in/curing process. I also not ready to run the insert 24/7 yet...so initially it will be for supplemtal heat. I plan on using kiln dried firewood initially as the cord wood I have is not fully seasoned yet.
Finally, I've read alot on this site about the negatives of over firing a stove and definitely don't want to do that...so any advice in that department would be greatly appreciated!

 

[jophysx]

I did mine in three separate small fires, gradually building up to a full load. But I don't see that there would be any harm in a continuous fire with three loads, reaching successively higher temperatures.

-Jim

 

[begreen]

Break the learning curve down into steps. Hold off overnight burning until you've practiced on weekends during the daytime. That will give you a chance to get acquainted with the stove operation and the wood supply. Note that as the weather gets colder the stove will burn more vigorously. This is because of increased draft. You will probably find yourself turning down the air further which is completely normal.

 

[jophysx]

Before you get started, do the dollar bill test on the door gasket to make sure you have a good seal. It's adjustable via some washers, but it's kind of a pain. Probably it's fine, but worth a check. I had to make an adjustment after 3 years as the gasket compressed over time.

 

[jophysx]

There are two common scenarios that lead to overfiring.
1. Leaving stove unattended during startup with air wide open and forgetting about it. Don't do this!
2. Reloading a full load in a stove that's too hot. Let the burn cycle run it's course and let the stove drop back down to around 300F before reloading.

-Jim

 

[jscs.moore]

There are two common scenarios that lead to overfiring.
1. Leaving stove unattended during startup with air wide open and forgetting about it. Don't do this!
2. Reloading a full load in a stove that's too hot. Let the burn cycle run it's course and let the stove drop back down to around 300F before reloading.

-Jim

Thanks. I don't have a thermometer to read the stove temp, and wasn't sure if it's absolutely necessary to have one? I don't plan on running it fully packed with wood with the air wide open...and plan to be very careful as I acquaint myself to this whole process of operating an insert. If a thermometer is absolutely necessary, are there ones that you don't have to stick on the door, etc.?

 

[Nick Mystic]

I think part of the reason it is recommended to burn three break in fires with each being a bit hotter than the previous one has to do with the expansion and contraction of the various pieces of the stove as they heat and cool. Therefore, it is necessary to let the stove cool down near room temperature before burning the next fire. You want the pieces of the stove to make relatively small moves as they get settled into place, rather than one big move with a continuous fire.

As for thermometers, if you don't like the idea of using a magnetic thermometer on your stove you can purchase an IR thermometer for around $25 - $30. I got mine at Lowe's. Whichever option you select make sure you read your owners manual to find out where the manufacturer recommends taking your temperature readings because if you read at a spot different from the design of the stove you will likely get readings that are different. For example, if your stove calls for taking temperature readings on one of the top corners of the stove, as one of my stoves does, and you instead take a reading from the top center of the stove you can be off by as much as 200F.

 

[jophysx]

A thermometer is not absolutely necessary, but they are cheap and mine gave me great reassurance that I was operating the stove safely when I was first starting out. Without it I think I would have run the stove too cool.
Jim

 

[jophysx]

The magnetic ones don't work well on the hi300 because you have to put them directly on the firebox inside where the air from the blower comes out, and they are at an awkward angle to read in that position. I have both but I rely 99% on the infrared thermometer. I measure the temperature of the glass door and calibrated all my burning habits off that reading.

 

[orenn89]

The magnetic ones don't work well on the hi300 because you have to put them directly on the firebox inside where the air from the blower comes out, and they are at an awkward angle to read in that position. I have both but I rely 99% on the infrared thermometer. I measure the temperature of the glass door and calibrated all my burning habits off that reading.

What temperature do you go for on a reading on the glass. This is my first season with my hampton and i was checking with my ir gun and am very curious what i should be going for.

 

[begreen]

If using a gun I think I would aim at the door frame and not the glass.

 

[BrotherBart]

Yeah. IR guns are useless on reflective or transparent surfaces.

 

[jophysx]

IR guns are useless on transparent surfaces for sure, but most glass is NOT transparent to the infrared wavelengths used by an IR thermometer. You can get a very good temperature reading by pointing an IR thermometer at the glass door of a Hampton HI300. I do it all the time and it works just fine.

My stove likes to cruise with the glass temperature around 600-700. I also have a standard Rutland thermometer mounted on the firebox. Once the insert is up to a stable operating condition, the IR thermometer and the Rutland track each other pretty accurately. I have said this many times before, the important thing is that the measurement is easy, reproducible, and highly-correlated to the temperature of the firebox, and the glass temperature reading fits the bill nicely.