Hearthstone Manchester

[DMB]

Moved into my house nearly two and a half years ago. The basement fireplace had an unusual setup to say the least. A three-sided open fireplace. Only had one fire in it...it was terrible as I suspected but I couldn't resist. I knew in the back of my head that I could make some changes and really take advantage of this unique fireplace. Well its finally done. Stumbled across this forum and used it extensively to get info and opinions...so for that I wanted to say thanks to everyone on here.

I decided to go with the Hearthstone Manchester for quality and good looks (wife and I both kept coming back to the cast stoves.) Had our first fire this weekend and couldn't be happier!

 

[BrotherBart]

Welcome. That stove and hearth are just flat beautiful.

 

[DMB]

Welcome. That stove and hearth are just flat beautiful.

Thanks alot! I was a little worried how the stove would look in that space, but the worrying is over. Now comes the fun part. I'm usually not this exited for cold.

 

[Adkjake]

Welcome. That stove and hearth are just flat beautiful.

That is a cool looking setup, very unique. This is my 3rd year burning a Hearthstone, I've been very happy with it

 

[teutonicking]

Moved into my house nearly two and a half years ago. The basement fireplace had an unusual setup to say the least. A three-sided open fireplace. Only had one fire in it...it was terrible as I suspected but I couldn't resist. I knew in the back of my head that I could make some changes and really take advantage of this unique fireplace. Well its finally done. Stumbled across this forum and used it extensively to get info and opinions...so for that I wanted to say thanks to everyone on here.

I decided to go with the Hearthstone Manchester for quality and good looks (wife and I both kept coming back to the cast stoves.) Had our first fire this weekend and couldn't be happier! View attachment 116746

Nice job. Welcome to the forum and to the hobby.

 

[DMB]

That is a cool looking setup, very unique. This is my 3rd year burning a Hearthstone, I've been very happy with it

Considered the Shelburne, but wanted a larger stove. Plus the side loading door on this thing is such a positive feature.

 

[olddawgsrule]

I own the Shelburne.
I am very happy with it as I believe you will as well with your choice!
I'm 9 yrs in with mine, should have said.. I'm 9yrs happy with mine!

Now, if you're as strange as I, tune it while you have a good burn going..
The Dancing blue flames off the re-burn are rather cool!
Yes, I've stared into too many fires...

Enjoy your stove!

 

[DMB]

I own the Shelburne.
I am very happy with it as I believe you will as well with your choice!
I'm 9 yrs in with mine, should have said.. I'm 9yrs happy with mine!

Now, if you're as strange as I, tune it while you have a good burn going..
The Dancing blue flames off the re-burn are rather cool!
Yes, I've stared into too many fires...

Enjoy your stove!

Oh yeah, my wife has already called me obsessed once. I learned quite a bit just in 48 hours of how to tweak or "tune" this thing. The air control adjustment is really precise. Moving it just a 1/16 does make a difference.

Love showing this off to friends and family. Not many people are familiar with these EPA stoves. Several people have said "it's gas right?" Just because the fire is so clean and the way the flames dance. Mesmerizing really...

 

[NH Sweeper]

Moved into my house nearly two and a half years ago. The basement fireplace had an unusual setup to say the least. A three-sided open fireplace. Only had one fire in it...it was terrible as I suspected but I couldn't resist. I knew in the back of my head that I could make some changes and really take advantage of this unique fireplace. Well its finally done. Stumbled across this forum and used it extensively to get info and opinions...so for that I wanted to say thanks to everyone on here.

I decided to go with the Hearthstone Manchester for quality and good looks (wife and I both kept coming back to the cast stoves.) Had our first fire this weekend and couldn't be happier! View attachment 116746

Is there a class a chimney above that stove? is that a real chimney or just vaneer stone, i have some serious structure issues with this, i'm a certified sweep and just wanna make sure your good for the long haul, if you could let me know what it's constructed of that'd be great

 

[NH Sweeper]

is that a beam going in to the structure over head that you can see in the photo? was it a factory built fireplace that your uninstalled?

 

[izzyq]

very cool set up. Glad you are loving the stove. Mine is arriving hopefully this weekend.

 

[DMB]

Is there a class a chimney above that stove? is that a real chimney or just vaneer stone, i have some serious structure issues with this, i'm a certified sweep and just wanna make sure your good for the long haul, if you could let me know what it's constructed of that'd be great

This was a masonry chimney from the start...just covered it with the manufactured stone. The original clay tile runs up right above the stove. There is a small section of single wall black pipe and that is connected to ss ventinox flex liner the rest of the way up (about 20ft in total). The old damper was sealed off and insulated. I had the chimney professionally inspected before install and there were no problems

 

[Woody Stover]

Welcome, DMB. Beautiful setup you have there.
Nice to see another Manchester coming on line. I'm looking forward to reading the reports as people familiarize themselves with its operation. I'm considering what stoves I could suggest to a friend of mine who is thinking of putting one in next year. The Manchester has definitely got my attention. From what you are saying, it is very controllable. Really got my attention now.... What can you tell us about your setup; Chimney type and height, sq. footage to be heated, floor plan layout? Looks like the stove might be downstairs....
I'm in your neck of the woods and they had a brown one in a local stove shop, but one of the guys told me they sold it a few months ago. I want to look it over again but I'll have to wait until they get another one out on the floor. From what I saw last year, this stove appears to be a contender. I love the looks and features.

 

[DMB]

is that a beam going in to the structure over head that you can see in the photo? was it a factory built fireplace that your uninstalled?

As for the beam...when the fireplace was originally constructed they used it for support, which I realize is wrong. Chimney should have been constructed on a footer and the house essentially built around it. This was a problem for me since I really didn't want to have to put supportive beams back in. Originally there were two round steel beams that sat on the old hearth (the hearth was about a foot off the ground). There is an I beam that sits on a steel plate on the top of the brick (the I beam is only about 7 feet long). I replaced the old steel pipes with these cast iron columns that are bolted into the concrete floor and bolted on the angle iron underneath the top section of the fireplace. I constructed the new hearth around the columns since i figured it would look better and give me the ability to secure them to the concrete underneath.

Obviously there were a lot of things for me to consider when I did this project, which is why it took me so long to complete. I even had a friend of mine that is a structural engineer look at (informally) to determine if my plan was solid. Ultimately I think I approved the situation; however I wish that I beam was never there . Hope that answers your questions.

 

[DMB]

Welcome, DMB. Beautiful setup you have there.
Nice to see another Manchester coming on line. I'm looking forward to reading the reports as people familiarize themselves with its operation. I'm considering what stoves I could suggest to a friend of mine who is thinking of putting one in next year. The Manchester has definitely got my attention. From what you are saying, it is very controllable. Really got my attention now.... What can you tell us about your setup; Chimney type and height, sq. footage to be heated, floor plan layout? Looks like the stove might be downstairs....
I'm in your neck of the woods and they had a brown one in a local stove shop, but one of the guys told me they sold it a few months ago. I want to look it over again but I'll have to wait until they get another one out on the floor. From what I saw last year, this stove appears to be a contender. I love the looks and features.

Well first things first this is my first stove...so I don't have the years experience that some guys have on here and I can't speak for any other stoves.

I had the chimney relined with ss ventinox flex liner. I've got about 20ft of draw which has been excellent. I believe the minimum chimney height recommended for this stove is only 10ft. My house is about 3600 sq feet. It is a quad level and this stove is in the very bottom level facing the stairs coming down. The basement level is only about 800sq but he heat definitely swirls up the stairs (to a certain extent). Realistically I see this stove only being able to heat around 2000sq of the house. Also, the blower on this thing is great. With the fan on high I can get my kitchen (up two floors) over 70 degrees.

The brown enamel is beautiful, but I was steered away by the extra cost and the delicacy of the finish.

 

[USMC80]

love that stove

 

[DMB]

I also wanted to add that at this point I have decided not to use the ash pan. doesn't seem like it would help much and I really don't want to put wear and tear on that door and especially the gasket. With the front and side door cleaning it the old fashion way is really easy. I might change my mind some day I guess but I doubt it. Do most people on here use their ash pans if they've got them?

 

[Papa-Yankee-Romeo-Oscar]

Awesome setup! Good to see someone else with the Manchester. You can see more info on my setup here---> https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/hearthstone-manchester.108690/

 

[Woody Stover]

I've got about 20ft of draw which has been excellent. I believe the minimum chimney height recommended for this stove is only 10ft. My house is about 3600 sq feet. It is a quad level and this stove is in the very bottom level facing the stairs coming down. The basement level is only about 800sq but he heat definitely swirls up the stairs (to a certain extent). Realistically I see this stove only being able to heat around 2000sq of the house. Also, the blower on this thing is great. With the fan on high I can get my kitchen (up two floors) over 70 degrees.

The brown enamel is beautiful, but I was steered away by the extra cost and the delicacy of the finish.

I couldn't believe that 10' chimney minimum when I saw it in the manual. If you're still able to control it well, that's the best of both worlds. The Quad Isle Royale is supposed to be an easy breather as well, but likes to run hot. You never know what you'll get in our area when winter comes. If it's mild, it's nice to be able to burn low and conserve wood. That's one reason I've stuck with the cat stoves over the years.
My buddy that's talking about putting in a stove has quite a bit of square footage as well. Living room is a few steps down and has a low ceiling and a huge opening into the rest of the first level. I'm thinking that with the fins on the top of the firebox, he may get plenty of heat for that level without even running the fan. The second-level bedrooms have their own heat zone but quite a bit of heat may be able to make its way up there. BTW, is the fan fairly quiet?
I think the Jotul Blue Black finish is supposed to be pretty durable, but I guess the jury is still out on the Hearthstone enamel.
As far as the ash pan, this crowd seems to be divided. I consider having a good ash system (with a grate) preferable for the ease and cleanliness of dealing with the problem. There are a lot of folks here who are vocally anti-ash pan. Maybe the particular stove they liked didn't have a good ash-handling system, and they are engaging in a little self-hypnosis with regard to their (forced) preference for shoveling 'em out.

 

[DMB]

I couldn't believe that 10' chimney minimum when I saw it in the manual. If you're still able to control it well, that's the best of both worlds. The Quad Isle Royale is supposed to be an easy breather as well, but likes to run hot. You never know what you'll get in our area when winter comes. If it's mild, it's nice to be able to burn low and conserve wood. That's one reason I've stuck with the cat stoves over the years.
My buddy that's talking about putting in a stove has quite a bit of square footage as well. Living room is a few steps down and has a low ceiling and a huge opening into the rest of the first level. I'm thinking that with the fins on the top of the firebox, he may get plenty of heat for that level without even running the fan. The second-level bedrooms have their own heat zone but quite a bit of heat may be able to make its way up there. BTW, is the fan fairly quiet?
I think the Jotul Blue Black finish is supposed to be pretty durable, but I guess the jury is still out on the Hearthstone enamel.
As far as the ash pan, this crowd seems to be divided. I consider having a good ash system (with a grate) preferable for the ease and cleanliness of dealing with the problem. There are a lot of folks here who are vocally anti-ash pan. Maybe the particular stove they liked didn't have a good ash-handling system, and they are engaging in a little self-hypnosis with regard to their (forced) preference for shoveling 'em out.

I do feel like the fan is fairly quiet. With it on medium or so it puts out a pleasantly low hum. That plus the heat is a recipe for a nap. On high it moves a ton of air. It has two air intakes on either side. Not sure what the CFM is for it, but on high it moves a lot of air and is on the loud side. I got my blower for free (I think that is fairly typical) but the price for the blower was pretty high. Like $330...just an FYI.

 

[Oldbarn70]

I never use the ash pans....to messy. I have a Manchester. Love the stove, but my house is very well insulated (blown in BATS), so this is very...almost too warm....I don't like 80 degrees. I could start smaller fires but I don't think it's a good idea to have a bunch of small-medium fires. And if I build a regular sized fire, it's so hot I don't build another until temps are back down to 70 (that takes about 14 hours). I may sell it and buy a Jotul Greenville. It's for a smaller home (up to 1500 sq') and has north-south front load. Everyone says open some windows, which I have been doing, but that sort of defeats the purpose.

 

[4BigFish]

Greetings,
I've had my new Manchester burning for a week. It replaced a 25 year old Treemont. I couldn't be happier. Great looking stove, nice burn time. Not sure it is going to burn half the wood of my old stove as the salesman "promised", but it definitely puts out more heat. It sits underneath my return air vent in the basement which circulates warm air throughout the house.

 

[remy59]

Hello and I am new,
I just recently bought the manchester. I have burning it for about 1 month and have already gone thru 1 cord of wood. The facts of my house are as follows because I know that matters for the answers. I own a bi- level modular home that was built in 1984. The house blueprints state r13 in the walls and pink foam board under the siding. Anderson Windows and overall a solid house. The stove is in the lower level family room. I have 2 ceiling fans going, 1 in the room and 1 at the top of the bi level stairs to draw the air up. The fans are going the proper direction to draw the air up. In my previous house I owned a regency f2400 insert and it was very hot and effective. I have a 4 ft section,then 90,then 4 more feet to a tee, then 17 feet of stainless steel liner inside a masonry chimney. I just can't seem to get as much heat out of the stove as I have read others claim. I did not have th luxury of my own wood as I just moved and got the stove installed. The wood is claimed to be seasoned, however I cannot say how long either down or split. I did what the manual states, as far as the Times to open the air control. I do not have a temp gauge to know if I am at the proper range. Any guidance on getting the most out of this stove would be greatly appreciated. And my pregnant wife would love the responses also. Haha. Thanks again for any info.

 

[BrotherBart]

Welcome. Hang in and folks will be along shortly to help you get some heat out of that good looking heater.

 

[Papa-Yankee-Romeo-Oscar]

I've been burning the Manchester since the beginning of this season and it's having no trouble heating about 2300sf of a 3100sf drafty old farmhouse.

Edit: So far I've used just over a cord in about 3 months time.

First thing I would do if I were you is buy a moisture meter to test your wood and an IR thermometer to get a good temp reading on the top of the stove.