Hearthstone Mansfield on it's way

[Flame]

I am still waiting on the Mansfield. It is scheduled to be installed next week and I am getting excited!! The wife says she is tired of being cold so make sure we have plenty of wood for it when it gets here I have about 3.5 cords now ready and waiting to feed the beast. I am hoping this wil be enough to make it through the rest of the winter. I have a 1900 square foot cape. I have read that the newer stoves use about one third less wood then the old ones. Has that been the case for you mansfield owners ? Also could someone please explain to me what the secondary burn is. Is this a fire up in my burn tubes ? How do I achieve a secondary burn ? I am also wondering what the best log length is to use with this. The book says 21 or 22". Is that realistic ? I have 18 and 19"s now. Is it not good to have the wood leaning against the inside of the fire box or very close to it ? I seem to recall that on my old cast iron Timberline. Any Mansfield tips would be helpfull.
Thanks,
John

 

[jpl1nh]

I don't have a Mansfield though I think they are great stoves, beautiful too. Guarantee you have enough wood to get through the rest of the winter with that stove. Secondaries come about when your firebox temp gets good and hot so the wood is gassifieing readily. When the primary air is shut down quite a bit, the secondary air coming in the tubes provides an oxygen source for those hot gases to burn near the top of the firebox. Very cool to watch and exceedingly efficient way to burn wood thouroughly. With the Mansfield, (and all soapstone stoves) you'll need most if not all the first load to get the stove warm since the soapstone is cold to begin with and will absorb a lot of heat. Once the stove is up and running, it will be quicker for your load to get the firebox up to temp so you can back off the primary and enjoy the secondary burn. Other Mansfield owners will chime in soon with more explicit directions. Congratulations, you and your wife will love your stove.

 

[Flame]

Thanks jpl1nh,
I never new what the guys here on the forum were talking about with the secondary burn. I am surprised it is not mentioned in the Mansfield Manuel. I have a lot to learn on operating the newer wood stoves. I have forced air heat so at least I can keep that on until the soapstone gets warmed up and takes it over. I plan on burning 24/7 so my old furnace can RIP through the winters (good bye oil truck $$$). I hope to hear more from Mansfield owners on other questions.

 

[Rich L]

Good Day Flame,I do have the Mansfield.Had it since November and this machine keeps surprizing me with it's output.The break in fires are important,small firess for the first few burns as stated in the manuel then the big burns.Only problem I had to resolve was the Mansfield not being able to shut the draft down enough with it's air shut down valve.I have a very strong draft so I put in a pipe damper and now I'm getting overnight burns otherwise the stove will gobble up your wood if your draft is too strong.I'd put in a pipe damper if I were you just in case you need it.Some say they dislike their Mansfield due to it not radiating the heat and not burning long enough.The two I spoke to who experienced this hadn't put in pipe dampers which will allow the heat to radiate more into the interior and less up the chimney and it will allow the wood to burn slower.My stove is in the cellar and now heats so well that once it gets going I open the cellar door leading to the kitchen and the heats just flows up the steps into the kitchen without a fan.I have a Pacific Energy Summit stove at the front of the house on the first floor which some say can out heat a mansfield however my experience it's just the opposite the Mansfield kills the Summit.I wouldn't dare put the mansfield on the hearth where the Pacific Energy is now.The Mansfield is much too powerful for that space.You'll run into a lot of info on this forum as other forums however at times it's difficult to know what is information or mis-information though my account is actual facts.

 

[Flame]

Thanks for the tips Rich L,
When talking with my installation guy I insisted on getting the additional damper installed in my stove pipe after reviewing earlier posts here. Not only for possible over draft problems but also for emergency shut down. From what I have read you can't close off the wood stove damper completely (I don't know why they designed it that way??). I say insisted because the installation guy said "the wood stove will have a damper already in it" ! LOL, I thought to myself N S. I had a pipe damper in my old Timberline years ago and it worked great to keep from losing heat up the stack. Being that you put yours in the basement, I am wondering what square footage you have and if I will have a problem locating my Mansfield on it's hearth in my living room. Do you think that it will cook me out of that room or first floor ? My old Cast Iron was in the basement because of that and that is why I chose the soapstone this time (besides it's looks). Can you tell me what size logs (how long) work the best with this stove ?

 

[Highbeam]

"From what I have read you can’t close off the wood stove damper completely (I don’t know why they designed it that way??). "

You are correct. You can NOT shut air off to this stove by shutting the OEM dampers. This was mandated by the EPA so that we could not smolder a fire and pollute with the smoke. I agree with the reasoning to a point but wish that there was some better logic involved with determining the lowest possible setting. You'll be glad that you had that flue damper put in should you ever have a chinye fire or runaway stove. So far my soapstone has behaved.

 

[struggle]

Flame everything you have for info is spot on so far. Now that you are getting a dampner also make sure to order MOnday morning first thing a candor flue gass thermometer. It is a very valuble tool to figure out the balance on your flue temps verse stove temp.

What I have found is if flue temps are running high I then start closing down the pipe dampner before shutting the stove air down. It works very well to balance warming the stove up and keeping a good enough heat out the flue for a clean chimney. I have an exterior clay 8X8 chimney that I lined with a flex 5.5 liner and this is the first full year with this stove I am not doing amid season cleaning as last year after burning the second half of winter I only knocked down a small pile of dust when I brushed the liner. SO the balancing between flue temps and stove temps keeps a liner very happy and safe.

You will find if you have a strong draft the dampner will be worth every penny and many more to have it in place. I can hit 600 very easy on our stove but I do not have a blower on it. When I see it creeping up over 550 I have a tower fan that oscillates to cool it down a bit.

Here is a pic of the thermometer

Picture of secondary burn in a Mansfield (mine)

A picture more at the baffle and tubes secondary

DO make sure you follow the break in fire procedure every year

 

[Flame]

Thanks Struggle and Highbeam for more great tips !
I plan on getting that Thermometer first thing. This was exactly what I had stuck by magnet on my old Timberline. I plan on getting two, one for the stove top and one for the pipe itself. Do you know if they make one that sits upright with the sensor still at the base so you can set it on the stove top and read it straight on ? I will follow the break in procedures. I am purchasing their floor model that was only burned twice or so. Hopefully they were small fires or that they followed the proper break in procedures and nothing is damaged. It is in their ware house so I can't inspect it. Do you guys have your stove on your first floor ? Will it get too hot there? My installation is scheduled for tomorrow morning so I want to be sure I don't need to move it in the basement. That would be sad since I went with the soapstone to have it in my living space and enjoy watching those flames. Last question is what size logs (length wise) work best with this stove, and should I avoid having the wood against the inside of the firebox areas? I think keeping it from being to close to the tubes is something I read before on the post. Thanks again for all of your tips !!

 

[struggle]

The one on the pipe is goes into the pipe and reads the inside temp as it is called a probe thermometer. Just so you know it is not a magnet type. The magnet types can actully get to hot and fall off chiping the stone on top when it hits it.

Probe thermometer was one of the best investments I have made in getting the stove dialed in. After you get used to the stoves operation/learning curve it will be very stragith forward to you on operation.

Get the probe style thermometer for the pipe sans the heat range colors on it.

Model 3-19 is the one I have
http://www.condar.com/meters.html

 

[Highbeam]

I wish they made a thermometer that read the temp of a horizontal surface but the dial was vertical. That would save me from getting up to check on it as often.

I have my heritage right in the living room of the main floor where we sit with it nearly all the time. It won't roast you out. In fact, the coziest place is laying on the floor right in front of it. I wouldn't think of putting a room heater in a basement unless the basement was the primary place of sitting. Put it in your main living space so you can enjoy it and expect that room to be warmer than the rest of the house.

I try to always load to fill the box. Up against all sides except the glass and I am very careful not to touch the roof. The baffle above those tubes is fragile and I don't want to bust it. All four other sides are fair game.

Your wood is cut so you will get to see if you like what you have. A huge benefit of the mansfield is that you can load it EW or NS or even crossways if you need to.

 

[Rich L]

Hi Flame,it's good to here from you.My cellar is about 800 sq.ft.The Mansfield is located at the rear of the house in the basement under the kitchen.My 1st floor hearth is located on the first floor at the front of the house on an enclosed front porch which is about 250 sq ft.I had a woodstock classic woodstove where the mansfield is now.I plan on putting the woodstock on the first floor to replace a Pacific Energy Summit which is not performing as well as I expected though the Canadian owners say they love them.However I like to use splits about 18" long in the mansfield even though it'll take larger splits.The smaller ones fit in the stove better.When the stove gets up to heat shut down range I'll reload with rounds and splits and close it down for the overnight burn.I like woodstock's stove top thermometer which I used for my woodstock to know when it was best to shut it down so the Catalytic will kick in.The thermometer states the different temperature ranges and for the woodstock it says the best temperatures to engage the Cat. is between 250 - 675 degrees.When this thermometer hits 575 or above I damper it down.The thermometer says 675 or above is the overfire range.I use this thermometer on my mansfield with excellent results.----You know since your stove was fired in the store it may be somewhat broken in.Your woodpile looks great and should get you through this burning system and then some.Keep in touch

 

[Flame]

Thanks once again Highbeam, Rich L and Struggle !-(love those pictures!),
I really do appreciate all the help. Learning more every day. I will be sure and get the probe style on the flue. I'll check out my local wood stove shop before attempting to order. One question - should I install this above or below the Pipe Damper or does it matter ? If all goes well I should have the installation complete tomorrow night. From there I still have to get it all inspected "before" firing it up. It will be tough waiting on that with the stove being here and having the wood ready and all. I'll bring a couple of loads in to dry out good and work on getting the Thermometers, Tool set and Wood Rack a while. It sure will be nice to be back in the swing of burning wood again. Love those Flames

 

[struggle]

My dampner is about 15" above the stove and the probe thermometer at close to 24"...

I figured I would rather read the temps above/after the dampner than below it as then you can see what temps you run after closing the damnper down.

 

[DriftWood]

Also could someone please explain to me what the secondary burn is. Is this a fire up in my burn tubes ? How do I achieve a secondary burn ? I am also wondering what the best log length is to use with this. The book says 21 or 22". Is that realistic ?

To really get a stone stove going it is going to take some learning. This video will set you straight on the handling of a secondary burn tube stove.

This video helps kick the heat out.

http://www.ec.gc.ca/cleanair-airpur/default.asp?lang=En&n=8011CD70-1

 

[swestall]

All I can add to all of this is that you have a blind date with the most beautiful one in the world....enjoy it!

 

[Flame]

Thanks again guys for all the help. Driftwood, that is a great video ! swetsall, my blind date really is a beaut. I have her installed now and she is sitting in the living room waiting for me to light her fire !! Struggle, tomorrow I go for the temp probe and all of the other fun paraphernalia. I can't wait for the inspector to give her the OK ! Again I can't thank you all enough for all of the great knowledge and tips I have received. This is a great site !

 

[struggle]

Awesome, Glad to hear it is on place. Remember we need pictures or our help was wasted ;-)

 

[Flame]

struggle,
I am sad to say that the Inspector for my permit showed up and rejected the stove installation. His reason was that it does not have a clean out installed in the flu pipe. He wants the installer to come back, move the stove forward so he can install a 90 elbow off of the stove top then to a "T" that has a cap at the bottom for a clean out. He quoted the page etc to the installer that states that all chimneys must have a clean out. The installer researched it a long with the place that I purchased the wood stove from (Enchanted Fireside). They found that that rule only refers to Masonry chimneys. After re-contacting with the Inspector he stated that "all chimneys must have a clean out. Does not matter weather it is Masonry or Pipe, public safety demands it". The place that I purchased the stove from is getting a letter from Hearthstone themselves stating that this stove does not need a clean out installed. Hopefully soon I will know if that will be OK for him. Other wise it's back to getting the installer to come back out again.
Patiently waiting to get that break in fire going. :- (

 

[begreen]

What a jerk. If there's a telescoping pipe connecting to the stove, there's your clean out. Sounds like you need Elk to beat some common sense into this inspector.

 

[DriftWood]

I like Ts on the bottom of stove vents. Sweeping is easy. I just tape a paper bag to the cold open bottom of the T and sweep. Works great top down with rods sweeping or bottom rope pull down sweeping.

 

[carpniels]

Hi Guys,

Looks like you guys like your Mansfields. Isn't that the largest stove Hearthstone makes? Then why buy that for a 1900 sq ft house? Won't that be overkill?

I am bringing that up because I have always heard that it is better to run a medium stove full bore than a large stove dampered down. Also, that is how I got my Quadrafire Isle Royale. A guy bought it for his 1300 sq ft house with vaulted ceilings. He is on the lake and thought the wind of the lake would make his house extra cold and therefore he would need the extra capacity. BIG MISTAKE. He couldn't stand the heat even after dampering it down. Hence it was for sale and I got a great deal on a 4 month old stove.

Carpniels

 

[struggle]

That seems very odd to me as witha stove you can remove the pipe to sweep it as it should be. As someone else pointed out Elk would know the correct code on this and he is on another forum now. Can someone hook this guy up with him to get the correct info to the inspector.

Where I live there are no inspections and it shows in some of the installs I have seen.

Keep us updated on the outcome of this.

 

[struggle]

Hi Guys,

Looks like you guys like your Mansfields. Isn't that the largest stove Hearthstone makes? Then why buy that for a 1900 sq ft house? Won't that be overkill?

I am bringing that up because I have always heard that it is better to run a medium stove full bore than a large stove dampered down. Also, that is how I got my Quadrafire Isle Royale. A guy bought it for his 1300 sq ft house with vaulted ceilings. He is on the lake and thought the wind of the lake would make his house extra cold and therefore he would need the extra capacity. BIG MISTAKE. He couldn't stand the heat even after dampering it down. Hence it was for sale and I got a great deal on a 4 month old stove.

Carpniels

It does not seem to be overkill when it gets to -20 below around here at night. It is very easy to regulate the heat on this stove by just letting it stay in the coaling stage longer if one does not want as much heat. Hearthstone now makes an even bigger stove now called the Equinox.

I think the to big rule really applies more to cast and steel stove as they have I guess you would call a different heating curve in the operation of them.

 

[Highbeam]

The cleanout is the front door on the firebox. You sweep right into the bloody thing and cleanout through the front door. Was the inspector young? Perhaps doing some chest thumping? Sounds like he would fail every liner installation connecting to an insert.

 

[swestall]

Perhaps the installation company could talk to the inspector's supervisor?