Insert was installed yesterday in a Heatilator EC36 ZC firebox with 25' of 5.5" insulated liner to the top of the chimney. As my luck would have it, 70* temperatures accompanied the install so the initial burn to cure the paint turned the place into a sweat box.
I know from my searches that many of the threads mentioning HI200 are largely related to its big brother 300. Hopefully this one gets comments that help others down the road (and me now).
For all the research I did on small box inserts, there will still be a huge learning curve. Here is where I'm at so far:
1) Small fire with with kindling and small shorts to heat up unit slowly and get some coals. The wood I used is from a downed Bradford Pear tree that checks under 20% MC. Once it had been burning for 30 min or so I closed the door completely. I was surprised to see that the fire was quickly damped to almost nothing and that the small secondary burn there was lasted only a few seconds. That kind of bothered me but I figured it was just because it was such a small load and not hot enough. I cracked the door again, and the flames immediately came back strong. I kept the door cracked and put the old screen in front to let it go to coals. Paint smell wasn't bad. Windows were open more to cool things off than to vent fumes.
The chimney draws well and it was under bad conditions. Our prevailing breeze is out of the west. Yesterday was warm and humid with a damp breeze from the east. These conditions sometimes make it hard to even have a fire pit because the smoke just lingers.
2) I pulled the coals to the front, and planned to load three splits to try for a real fire. I immediately touched the burn tubes trying to place the first split in the back and then touched them again trying to place a split on top of it. I will be getting gloves. This is a small firebox and something those of us with no choice have to manage.
Those two burns and one minute later the load was engulfed in flames. I let it burn for 5 minutes and then shut the door.The fire disappeared. There was a very short secondary burn and then that disappeared as well. I moved the draft lever from fully open to fully closed and back with no change. I chalked it up to the fire not being hot enough, opened the door a crack and the flames jumped back into action.
After another 5 minutes the fire was roaring and I could almost watch the wood being consumed. Figuring it HAD to be hot enough now, I closed the door. The fire immediately went down but stayed lit for about 30 seconds. I played with the draft control again to no avail. I figured I'd leave the door closed with full draft air and see what happened.
3) Ran out with stove in condition above to get an IR thermometer. Returned home to find the temp rising in the house but no flames in the firebox. I slowly opened the door and the flames sprang back. The glass is now covered in creosote.I close the door again, the flames disappear again. The wall opposite the insert (15' away) is 80*. The now black glass on the insert is 560* but I'm not sure what the reading means. There is still no visible flame.
4) Closed stove back up, told wife I was letting it burn out and went to watch UFC.
Came home to a really warm to the touch stove, embers in the firebox, black glass and the glue-on "Hampton" logo off the stove from the heat. I can't imagine that I burned it too hot. There was no fire in the firebox.
5) Called dealer today to mention the draft air issue. I still believe this is operator error, but I can't for the life of me think what I'm doing wrong. More, I *think* the draft air enters the stove at a small hump in the bottom front of the firebox but when I slide the the lever I see no brightness change in the coals from closed to open. Dealer said he'd mention it to tech people and call me Tuesday.
That is all for now.
I know from my searches that many of the threads mentioning HI200 are largely related to its big brother 300. Hopefully this one gets comments that help others down the road (and me now).
For all the research I did on small box inserts, there will still be a huge learning curve. Here is where I'm at so far:
1) Small fire with with kindling and small shorts to heat up unit slowly and get some coals. The wood I used is from a downed Bradford Pear tree that checks under 20% MC. Once it had been burning for 30 min or so I closed the door completely. I was surprised to see that the fire was quickly damped to almost nothing and that the small secondary burn there was lasted only a few seconds. That kind of bothered me but I figured it was just because it was such a small load and not hot enough. I cracked the door again, and the flames immediately came back strong. I kept the door cracked and put the old screen in front to let it go to coals. Paint smell wasn't bad. Windows were open more to cool things off than to vent fumes.
The chimney draws well and it was under bad conditions. Our prevailing breeze is out of the west. Yesterday was warm and humid with a damp breeze from the east. These conditions sometimes make it hard to even have a fire pit because the smoke just lingers.
2) I pulled the coals to the front, and planned to load three splits to try for a real fire. I immediately touched the burn tubes trying to place the first split in the back and then touched them again trying to place a split on top of it. I will be getting gloves. This is a small firebox and something those of us with no choice have to manage.
Those two burns and one minute later the load was engulfed in flames. I let it burn for 5 minutes and then shut the door.The fire disappeared. There was a very short secondary burn and then that disappeared as well. I moved the draft lever from fully open to fully closed and back with no change. I chalked it up to the fire not being hot enough, opened the door a crack and the flames jumped back into action.
After another 5 minutes the fire was roaring and I could almost watch the wood being consumed. Figuring it HAD to be hot enough now, I closed the door. The fire immediately went down but stayed lit for about 30 seconds. I played with the draft control again to no avail. I figured I'd leave the door closed with full draft air and see what happened.
3) Ran out with stove in condition above to get an IR thermometer. Returned home to find the temp rising in the house but no flames in the firebox. I slowly opened the door and the flames sprang back. The glass is now covered in creosote.I close the door again, the flames disappear again. The wall opposite the insert (15' away) is 80*. The now black glass on the insert is 560* but I'm not sure what the reading means. There is still no visible flame.
4) Closed stove back up, told wife I was letting it burn out and went to watch UFC.
Came home to a really warm to the touch stove, embers in the firebox, black glass and the glue-on "Hampton" logo off the stove from the heat. I can't imagine that I burned it too hot. There was no fire in the firebox.
5) Called dealer today to mention the draft air issue. I still believe this is operator error, but I can't for the life of me think what I'm doing wrong. More, I *think* the draft air enters the stove at a small hump in the bottom front of the firebox but when I slide the the lever I see no brightness change in the coals from closed to open. Dealer said he'd mention it to tech people and call me Tuesday.
That is all for now.
