Heatilator Constitution Zero Clearance

[robertmcw]

Well, it has been a while since I had been here. About three years ago the state knocked down my old house for an overpass. I got paid for it and some of the cash we used to buy a replace home. The replacement house was built in 1991 and the where the fireplace is to go was not installed.

So, this year we decided to put a new Heatilator Constitution zero clearance unit as it fit in the space where it was to go. At the old house, I had been using an Olympic Wood Fireplace Insert by Avalon. That thing was a monster and kept out 1200 sq ft home toasty just fine.

The new unit has been installed and the job has been done and the shop here I got it said it is OK to use it now but we will need to wait for the stone as the installer is swamped with the Hurricane Harvey as about 200,000 homes were underwater
.

Now with the few fires I have had since I got it, I am happy. As the season goes, I will find if it will heat the whole house or not – it is a two story about 1600 sq ft home. I did get the forced air for one of the second story rooms.

But the question today I have is how is can you know how hot is the unit getting? With the Olympic I had a stick on magnetic thermometer dial and you knew how hot it got as the steel was just there. It seems with the Heatilator, it seems there is a space between the face and the firebox. When THREE splits of oak, I use the infrared gun, the glass goes to about 600 – 650 and the frame in the middle of the gun says it is about 500 – 550. The face (just the middle of the two doors) says it goes about 320 – 350 where the dial is. With those three spits last for over two – three hours and the dial keeps it at 350 or longer. There is room for more wood, but I do not want to over fire it.

BTY, I have about 10 cords of wood or more I cut myself in 2013 and 2014 before the move and it has been cut, spilt, stacked and covered so the wood is OK and has less than 20% moisture and I am in OK that department.

I really do not want to over fire it, so what is the right temperate to run it? Or better yet, where to point the gun to know what the ‘right’ temperate is? Do I check the glass, the frame where the two doors meet, at the face of the top of the doors, or any other spot to get a true reading?

Thanks, Robert

 

[bfast250]

I am a newbie, but my research on this topic is you want to hit the stove body and not the glass or inside the firebox itself. On my FP30, I was able to get a condar magnetic thermometer right above the door on the body of the fireplace itself. Hopefully someone with your fireplace or more knowledge will chime in.

 

[begreen]

Use the IR gun to measure the hottest location above the door and place the most accurate thermometer there.

Is the red warning material a removable skin of plastic? If so, has it been removed since this picture?

 

[robertmcw]

The red stuff seems to bonded to the material and does not appear to be plastic.

 

[begreen]

Interesting. It certainly catches the eye which is the intent.

 

[robertmcw]

Once I found the sweet spot with the Olympic Wood Fireplace Insert by Avalon, it would cruise at 500 - 550 degrees all day.

1, Would a 500 - 550 degree temperature be OK with the Heatilator Constitution?
2. What is too hot?

 

[begreen]

Can't say never having burned in one. The door face temp will be a bit lower than the top of the firebox so it may be better to use visual guidance. If things start glowing red, back off.

 

[73blazer]

Well, it has been a while since I had been here. About three years ago the state knocked down my old house for an overpass. I got paid for it and some of the cash we used to buy a replace home. The replacement house was built in 1991 and the where the fireplace is to go was not installed.

So, this year we decided to put a new Heatilator Constitution zero clearance unit as it fit in the space where it was to go. At the old house, I had been using an Olympic Wood Fireplace Insert by Avalon. That thing was a monster and kept out 1200 sq ft home toasty just fine.

The new unit has been installed and the job has been done and the shop here I got it said it is OK to use it now but we will need to wait for the stone as the installer is swamped with the Hurricane Harvey as about 200,000 homes were underwater
View attachment 201189 .

Now with the few fires I have had since I got it, I am happy. As the season goes, I will find if it will heat the whole house or not – it is a two story about 1600 sq ft home. I did get the forced air for one of the second story rooms.

But the question today I have is how is can you know how hot is the unit getting? With the Olympic I had a stick on magnetic thermometer dial and you knew how hot it got as the steel was just there. It seems with the Heatilator, it seems there is a space between the face and the firebox. When THREE splits of oak, I use the infrared gun, the glass goes to about 600 – 650 and the frame in the middle of the gun says it is about 500 – 550. The face (just the middle of the two doors) says it goes about 320 – 350 where the dial is. With those three spits last for over two – three hours and the dial keeps it at 350 or longer. There is room for more wood, but I do not want to over fire it.

BTY, I have about 10 cords of wood or more I cut myself in 2013 and 2014 before the move and it has been cut, spilt, stacked and covered so the wood is OK and has less than 20% moisture and I am in OK that department.

I really do not want to over fire it, so what is the right temperate to run it? Or better yet, where to point the gun to know what the ‘right’ temperate is? Do I check the glass, the frame where the two doors meet, at the face of the top of the doors, or any other spot to get a true reading?

Thanks, Robert

I have a HeatnGlo North star, which is the exact same unit as this. I find, it really can't be overfired. While that may seem irresponsible to say, it's never the less the truth. I filled mine with hard maple and fell asleep only to find coals, inspect it the after it cools and find nothing wrong with it or the flue. That has happened twice in almost 10 years with it now. I do have cheap magnetic heat meter I stick on the hard steel pipe behind the top cosmetic/heat output plate , usually I let it get to 550-600 or so is where it seems happiest and then close off the air. But it has occasionally gotten away from me and pegged out the meter, with no damage. They are built really well.

 

[robertmcw]

Follow up of Heatilator Constitution

We bought the Heatilator Constitution last year and had it installed in October, 2017. I was worried it would not keep the house warm so installed the forced air unit as the house is a two-story home (with about 1700 sq ft). We live in the Houston area so it does really not get THAT cold in the winter but last year it got cold a few times in the low 20’s. Most of the times it is in the 40’s during the day and in the low 30’s at night.

Now I had cut, split, stacked and covered about 10 cords in 2013-2014 when I was using my old house and as the ‘new’ house did not have a fireplace. The ‘new’ house had built with a place for one but it was not installed. That was changed in 2017 and bought the Heatilator Constitution as it fit the hole.

My wood is 99.9% oak (but and one sweet gun found in the stack) and is very dry.

The only complain I have is that it works too well.

I have three stick on temperature gauges and they all read about the same.

I put three spits and start it with one Super Cedar Firestarters and most of the time is it. Once the first set of three spits about half gone, I need to add one spit a time or it gets too hot in the house. We do have a few box type fans to move the heat around but even the coldest days (or nights) the whole house is warm. I used about a 1/3 less wood than I did with the old Olympus Insert last year and that was a 3 cubic foot insert.

You need to add a spilt about every hour to keep the temp constant.

The cruse temperate in the face of the fireplace holds the house at about 300 – 350. More than 350 you need to open a window.

If it is over than 60 outside, you cannot use the fireplace as it is too hot. This year, I plan to cut some special splits (like about 1/3 size) too see I can use small, small spits and use it in the 60’s outside as we do like the fireplace in the winter.

So, I am very happy with this fireplace and plan to enjoy it as long I stay there. I do have some land for sale and if that sells, we will sell this ’new’ house and move again and then the next owner will be vey happy to have it.