hi everyone, im new to the site, i purchased a hampton hi300 december past and am having some difficulty with it. is there a thermometer available for this unit?. i have an IR but am not sure where to take an accurate reading. what should the cruising temp be?. what is the average burn time? any help would be appreciated
hampton hi300 insert issues
- Thread starter bobby magee
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Wolves1
Minister of Fire
(broken link removed to http://www.woodlanddirect.com/Electronic-Digital-Catalytic-Monitor?gdftrk=gdfV23673_a_7c1677_a_7c8224_a_7c1080017&gclid=CK6L35iL28gCFYeRHwodGS0G8w)
This will help it's a must have to get the insert to work correctly. Look around may find it cheaper.
This will help it's a must have to get the insert to work correctly. Look around may find it cheaper.
This is not a catalytic stove. Is the suggestion to use this probe in the liner attached to the stove?
bobby macgee, what issues are you having with the insert? If you take an IR thermometer reading off the door above the glass what do you see?
bobby macgee, what issues are you having with the insert? If you take an IR thermometer reading off the door above the glass what do you see?
I use a Rutland thermometer for my Harman H300i. What I typically do is tart a fire and get the fire to approximately 600 on the Rutland, which is right near overfire on the gage. During that process, you should have already established a nice coal bed. I would then load up on the wood in the firebox and let it burn for a few minutes then closr the damper, while leave the air full. I leave that on full for 15-20 minutes then go to half notch, after another 15 minutes or so I adjust the air flow down until the flame barely dancing. Check the flue outside, should see no smoke and you're good to go.
With a full box and air flow at 1 and 1/2 notch, I get about 14 hours of slow burn and with coal left. Probably could stretch that coal another hour or two.
Let me know what kind of problem you're having and I'll be more than happy to assist.
With a full box and air flow at 1 and 1/2 notch, I get about 14 hours of slow burn and with coal left. Probably could stretch that coal another hour or two.
Let me know what kind of problem you're having and I'll be more than happy to assist.
I use an IR thermometer on the glass. It works fine. Stove likes to cruise between 500 and 675 on the center of the glass.
You should be able to get 8 hours of good heat and be able to reload and start right back up again. If you have very good wood and you pack the stove full you can stretch it to about 10 hrs of decent heat and maybe 12 hrs where you still have coals for an easy restart.
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wow, that's not very good burn time if you're only getting 8-10 hours. Load it full get it stuffed.
Talk stove top temp not "decent heat". I fart decent heat. A non-cat with 250 or so stove top after ten hours is doing really well. And coals to reload.
I don't measure the stove temperature regularly after an overnight burn, but I think 250 on the glass and the steel firebox body (not on the enamel surround) after 8-10 hours is possible with this stove. I know I am very happy with the burn time I get out of mine.
@NewHarmanOwner: Are you sure we are talking about the same stove? 14 hrs seems a little long for a 2.3 cubic foot firebox, non-catalytic. The HI-300 only has a single air-control rod, no damper control (although maybe you had one installed separately in your flue? If so, is that the secret to your extraordinary burn times?), and no "notches". Your description of the operation sounds more like a catalytic unit of some kind.
@NewHarmanOwner: Are you sure we are talking about the same stove? 14 hrs seems a little long for a 2.3 cubic foot firebox, non-catalytic. The HI-300 only has a single air-control rod, no damper control (although maybe you had one installed separately in your flue? If so, is that the secret to your extraordinary burn times?), and no "notches". Your description of the operation sounds more like a catalytic unit of some kind.
Wolves1
Minister of Fire
hi there, at the top center of the door the IR will read 250-320,also if i take a reading of the outlet pipe neck through the vent it will read 300 -400. the center of the glass will read 700-800
i forgot to ask how much wood should i be using in the firebox,ive heard several pieces to stuffing it full.
Be careful when you get up around 800F. That's pushing the limits, and the fire can easily get away from you running there. At 700-800F my HI300 puts out a LOT of heat. If you need to run that hot to get the heat you want, I would check to make sure you aren't losing heat up the chimney or through the masonry.
Is the insert installed in an interior or exterior chimney? Do you have a block-off plate installed? In my experience, a block off plate plus some insulation in the fireplace makes a big difference. It allowed me to run the stove at lower temperatures and still get plenty of heat and longer burn times. If you are sure you aren't losing heat up the chimney or elsewhere, then I would recommend a bigger firebox like 3.0-4.0 cubic feet. That would be safer than pushing the HI300 so hard.
Jim
Is the insert installed in an interior or exterior chimney? Do you have a block-off plate installed? In my experience, a block off plate plus some insulation in the fireplace makes a big difference. It allowed me to run the stove at lower temperatures and still get plenty of heat and longer burn times. If you are sure you aren't losing heat up the chimney or elsewhere, then I would recommend a bigger firebox like 3.0-4.0 cubic feet. That would be safer than pushing the HI300 so hard.
Jim
I have not experienced any issues with stuffing the firebox as full as I can get it. As long as you are not stuffing it with a bunch of tiny splits it should be fine. Just keep in mind that when it's stuffed full, you've got a lot of fuel in there. Don't stuff it full on top of an already hot bed of coals. Let the burn cycle run its course and let the temperature drop back down to below 400F for sure. Below 300F is better. If you stuff it full on the hotter side, watch it close and cut back the air supply quickly to keep things under control.
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so you think the 700 plus reading on the center of the glass is too much,so where should i be on that reading/.?. the other readings are ok??
cableman
Minister of Fire
i noticed that you have a hampton hi300 as well....im that confused with it that its not even funny anymore. in my neck of the woods no one i know has one of these inserts,so i cant get any info there, what can you tell me about the correct way to operate it
#1: read the manual.
Me:
Stack stove full of wood, from front to back.
Place a firestarter square at bottom, in front of air inlet 'doghouse'
Put hand at top: if breeze is felt, there is downdraft, crack open window, put some crumpled up newspaper in stove
Air open all the way, fan on automatic
Light firestarter, light newspaper
Close door
After newspaper finishes burning, close window
Crack open stove door
Leave door cracked open until wood starts burning
When all wood is charred, push in rod a little
If fire continues to burn well after a while, push in rod a little again
Repeat until rod is 1/4" -1/2" open, even more is possible if things are burning well
If more heat desired, put fan on high and open rod a little
That's all I can think of.
Me:
Stack stove full of wood, from front to back.
Place a firestarter square at bottom, in front of air inlet 'doghouse'
Put hand at top: if breeze is felt, there is downdraft, crack open window, put some crumpled up newspaper in stove
Air open all the way, fan on automatic
Light firestarter, light newspaper
Close door
After newspaper finishes burning, close window
Crack open stove door
Leave door cracked open until wood starts burning
When all wood is charred, push in rod a little
If fire continues to burn well after a while, push in rod a little again
Repeat until rod is 1/4" -1/2" open, even more is possible if things are burning well
If more heat desired, put fan on high and open rod a little
That's all I can think of.
thats very helpful.......what kind(s) of wood are you burning? and what is your average burn time?
And this is how I reload my insert after the startup fire described by velvetfoot above:
Rake most/all the coals forward towards the door, drop ~2 splits E-W behind the coals (wearing welding gloves!) creating a level surface with the coals, load more splits on top of the wood/coals until it almost hits the baffle. The tighter you can pack it the more control you should get and the longer your burn times will be. With the door slightly ajar I wait until the wood has caught fire, then close door. Let the fire establish, then start closing the air about a quarter every 5 min (your stove may differ). After every adjustment the flames should be slow moving ("lazy") but when you wait a few minutes they should get vigorous again. If they don't recover just open up the air a bit and wait for the fire to establish itself again. After 15 to 20 min air is in the final setting (maybe a quarter open to fully closed depending on your draft and wood), secondaries are blasting, stove will climb to 650 to 700 F over the next 30 min. I won't touch the stove for at least 6 hours; it will still be putting out heat and have hot coals after 10 hours. Plus, coals will be manageable as the old ones burn down with every reload.
Check with your IR thermometer the hottest spot on the black front. In my case that's in the center just above the door where it reads about 50 F less than stovetop. Get also to know the distance to spot ratio from your manual. You may need to get fairly close to the insert to get an accurate reading. I use mine from about 3" away.
Rake most/all the coals forward towards the door, drop ~2 splits E-W behind the coals (wearing welding gloves!) creating a level surface with the coals, load more splits on top of the wood/coals until it almost hits the baffle. The tighter you can pack it the more control you should get and the longer your burn times will be. With the door slightly ajar I wait until the wood has caught fire, then close door. Let the fire establish, then start closing the air about a quarter every 5 min (your stove may differ). After every adjustment the flames should be slow moving ("lazy") but when you wait a few minutes they should get vigorous again. If they don't recover just open up the air a bit and wait for the fire to establish itself again. After 15 to 20 min air is in the final setting (maybe a quarter open to fully closed depending on your draft and wood), secondaries are blasting, stove will climb to 650 to 700 F over the next 30 min. I won't touch the stove for at least 6 hours; it will still be putting out heat and have hot coals after 10 hours. Plus, coals will be manageable as the old ones burn down with every reload.
Check with your IR thermometer the hottest spot on the black front. In my case that's in the center just above the door where it reads about 50 F less than stovetop. Get also to know the distance to spot ratio from your manual. You may need to get fairly close to the insert to get an accurate reading. I use mine from about 3" away.
Well, I'm burning hardwood pellets right now. 
I'm not good at wood identification, but the wood that is on the top of the stack now is oak, which I wish was down lower for winter.
I don't really know what my average burn time is. I just do a full load, put in the air rod, like above, and let it go for as far as it goes.
Sometimes there are too many coals when it's cold out and you want to put in another load-there are threads on this and I try different things to burn them down.
I'm not good at wood identification, but the wood that is on the top of the stack now is oak, which I wish was down lower for winter.
I don't really know what my average burn time is. I just do a full load, put in the air rod, like above, and let it go for as far as it goes.
Sometimes there are too many coals when it's cold out and you want to put in another load-there are threads on this and I try different things to burn them down.
As noted above a hoe is helpful.
Last year I got a machete (!) to move the coals to the left or right.
Last year I got a machete (!) to move the coals to the left or right.
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