Help Us Solve Our Country Striker 160 Mystery!

[Caliderby]

We have tried everything but do have a unique set up

Our Country Striker S / SA 160 is not getting hot/heating the living space it should at all (700-1400sf). We cannot get a fire to the recommended burn range - even if it looks like it's raging. Our facts/efforts/set up are below. (I did search these forums with no new leads and did try to provide all the info asked for as noted in other questions below). Questions welcome - I will also add a few noteworthy items:

I searched high and low for this specific look and the reviews on this wood stove are very high! All input is welcome!

Noteworthy:

• This is our 2nd home with a wood burner. We are not pro's but experienced. I grew up loading the stove at home and the cabin and friends owned a wood stove store! I know the heat and feel of homes with wood stoves! We do have a unique set up (below) but something must be wrong.
• We had a Pacific Energy "Fusion" stove in the first home. It was higher efficiency and intended for a bigger space but with MUCH taller ceilings (twice standard /cathedral) and despite we had excellent heat in main living/open areas from wood stove burning. It was not centrally located (a last minute idea). Our blower was the first item to go so we used a commercial floor fan and ceiling fans to push heat and it worked excellent! The house was big and open and it roasted.
• We Use WELL seasoned - split, dry, wood.
• The wood burns faster than it should despite any setting (not heating as it should as it burns fast ARGH!).
• We did buy this Country Striker used (but so were both my dad's stoves). We have not been able to get this to perform even moderately or anywhere near the last one or any that I've lived around.
• We did put new fire brick, a door gasket and get a new fire blanket.
• We do have a three story home, 24' triple wall chimney (+ 3' of double wall from the stove).
• Last - I know this is a sore spot on the forums but we do not have a blower on it. As in the past, we do use floor fans to push the heat and keep our ceiling fans going to move the heat

Common Questions:
1) What is the specific make, model, & year of your stove? Country Striker S-160
2) How long have you had the stove? Used - One Year in Use (dated on back Feb 11, 1997)
3) How old is your house & how well insulated is it? Full Remodel - Open Cell Spray Foam EXCELLENT Insulated.
4) Where is your stove located in your house [diagram if possible]? Centrally located on first level (about 1100 sf each floor/three floors). We want it to heat level 1 with residual going up stairs.
5) Moisture content on your wood & what kind of wood are you burning? Various, good mix and very well seasoned.
6) How high is your chimney? 3' Double wall + 24' Triple.
7) What are your outside temps right now? 30 Degrees
8) Does your stove have an OAK [outside air kit]? No

Random Questions:
Do the baffles go bad?
With this tall of a chimney (and I can hear and see the flame affected by wind) do we need something special?

PICS of SET UP:

 

[claydogg84]

You say the moisture readings are various, but good - What are they? Are you using that thermometer in that position? That one in particular is known to give inaccurate readings.

 

[jatoxico]

Really cool looking space. Just knee jerk reaction from looking at the fire brick and glass I would say the wood is at least OK but keep in mind that's always a potential source of trouble.

Would like to know what your stove top temps are. Forget for now "burn range" lets keep any discussion of temperature to actual temps on the stove top or flue pipe. With the flue pipe the temps can be difficult to interpret depending on the type of pipe (single wall, dbl, trip) so please be very specific about that if/when asked.

The wood burns faster than it should despite any setting (not heating as it should as it burns fast ARGH!).

Does the air control have any effect on the fire? Could it be disconnected in some way? You should be starting the fire then closing the air control in stages. Can you describe how long it takes to get a fire going and how you are running the stove.

Where is your stove located in your house [diagram if possible]?

What is overhead of the stove? Is there an old flue or is that all cosmetic? Is there a chance all your heat is being lost or trapped there?

 

[BrotherBart]

Bears keeping in mind that "160" in the Strikers name stands for 1.6 cubic foot firebox.

 

[Rabbitone]

Sorry to hear you are having trouble. I am Long time viewer of the hearth. Just joined. I live in Michigan also and have had 3 different stoves and a fireplace insert.

One item that caught my eye is “…we do use floor fans to push the heat…” There are a number of excellent threads in this forum that have suggested that we do the opposite or push the cold air to the stove /insert.

I push cold air toward my PE Alderlea T5 insert in SE Michigan either using a floor fan blowing down the hall way toward the T5 or setting my forced air furnace to continuous fan with heat off. Both ways keep the house at an even heat in our ranch house. I recently read a number of threads where people blew air from the second floor down to the first. The idea I am told is to create convection by moving the heavier cold air toward the stove/insert so the warmer air can take its place

 

[Caliderby]

You say the moisture reading are various, but good - What are they? Are you using that thermometer in that position? That one in particular is known to give inaccurate readings.

Please tell me if I can do something to get a better data set to help problem solve here. Regarding Moisture: When I read the moisture question, it's in regards to the wood. The wood we use is dry, very dry. Seasoned minimally a year plus pushing two. Prior to planned use for the season, we bring it in to cover to keep dry (after summer/weeks before use) after it was sitting. So, if there is something I can do to help get data on moisture readings, please fill me in so I can rule this out. Over all, our wood is a mix of hard woods and pine and has been split and stacked for two years plus.

Regarding thermometer: We have moved it around in trial and error. Even if we put it on the side of the burner, it still doesn't get above 250F/Creosote zone! While on it, what is the experts suggestion for thermometer locations? I know the double wall will be inaccurate (that was a summer picture to show set up). But a great question for all these reasons! Example - today it's on the side of the stove - still not in burn zone.

 

[Caliderby]

Sorry to hear you are having trouble. I am Long time viewer of the hearth. Just joined. I live in Michigan also and have had 3 different stoves and a fireplace insert.

One item that caught my eye is “…we do use floor fans to push the heat…” There are a number of excellent threads in this forum that have suggested that we do the opposite or push the cold air to the stove /insert.

I push cold air toward my PE Alderlea T5 insert in SE Michigan either using a floor fan blowing down the hall way toward the T5 or setting my forced air furnace to continuous fan with heat off. Both ways keep the house at an even heat in our ranch house. I recently read a number of threads where people blew air from the second floor down to the first. The idea I am told is to create convection by moving the heavier cold air toward the stove/insert so the warmer air can take its place

This is VERY interesting. I'm going to the shop to get my additional fan to help test this theory while we press on. Thanks for the out of the box. I will give this a try for a few days and monitor results. I can't help but wonder on the length of the chimney - it was terribly windy in SE MI yesterday (on Lake Erie!) and the wind was literally moving the flames around in the wood burner!

 

[Caliderby]

Really cool looking space. Thank you! Labor of Love - this house was condemned when we bought it! Just knee jerk reaction from looking at the fire brick and glass I would say the wood is at least OK but keep in mind that's always a potential source of trouble. Indeed - and we are hyper-cautious. Incidentally, the wood is from a 120 granary in Chelsea MI. The flour was still impacted in the tongue and groove and took us 6 weeks to install with hand hammered nails finishing it. So - yes.. always mindful and appreciate the concern.

Would like to know what your stove top temps are. Forget for now "burn range" lets keep any discussion of temperature to actual temps on the stove top or flue pipe. With the flue pipe the temps can be difficult to interpret depending on the type of pipe (single wall, dbl, trip) so please be very specific about that if/when asked. Clearly this is important and the first item asked. I need to get hip quick - I'll get this data over the next couple of days in the correct fashion. I'll have to do some educating via Google - more to come on that one. I did note above, when putting the thermometer on the side of the stove in full roar, it doesn't break 300 - 325F on the FIRE BOX after a full day of burning the death out of it. But in my hopes to fix this (I love this stove) I want to collect some clear examples.


Does the air control have any effect on the fire? Could it be disconnected in some way? You should be starting the fire then closing the air control in stages. Can you describe how long it takes to get a fire going and how you are running the stove. It actually does seem to take longer to start a fire in this stove than any my memory-especially to heat up and really get going. As in HOURS. We do keep the air control fully open then start to reduce it after we finally have a good fire which is usually burning through an oven full to get a hot bed of coals. it takes nearly all day of keeping it wide open and restocking several times to feel warmth on the main level.



What is overhead of the stove? Is there an old flue or is that all cosmetic? Is there a chance all your heat is being lost or trapped there?

This is all 100% brand new. Out of the stove is double wall. We have 2 sets of 45 degree elbows in the setup - the second just at/above the stone arch to get it straight up to the new/triple wall chimney. But according to the installation instructions, the two 45's are just fine but does takes away about 5' of draft. In addition to we still have at least 14' to the roof (from the ceiling point here in this picture) which is 2 more feet than required without the double wall pipe included. We have about 24' of pipe-ish total. My fear is that it is so long, it's actually sucking all the heat out here. there is no old flue.

 

[brad wilton]

I would do a dollar bill test around the door gasket to make sure it's sealing properly.looks to be an 8"flue from the picture and with 24' of pipe it might just be you have to much draft, you did say your wood is burning pretty hard and fast.say's 6"flue on site but yours looks to be 8"?

 

[Caliderby]

I would do a dollar bill test around the door gasket to make sure it's sealing properly.looks to be an 8"flue from the picture and with 24' of pipe it might just be you have to much draft, you did say your wood is burning pretty hard and fast.say's 6"flue on site but yours looks to be 8"?

Thank you! I put it on the list to try - post fire of course. It is a 6" - pulled receipts to be sure.

 

[brad wilton]

When you shut down the air is there a difference in the fire?.

 

[begreen]

The Striker is a capable heater. Its burn time might not be the longest, but it does throw out the heat. The first thing I wonder about is how much heat is going up the chimney in that large alcove fireplace? It's hard to tell whether this is a real fireplace or a faux fireplace/alcove. In the least it looks like a heat trap. Is there a blower on the stove?

The other thing I wonder about is too much draft. A flue thermometer reading would be helpful here. The stove may need a key damper it draft is too strong. Last note - The Striker requires an 84" ceiling clearance for alcoves. This installation has much less.

 

[jatoxico]

We have about 24' of pipe-ish total. My fear is that it is so long, it's actually sucking all the heat out here. there is no old flue.

This is why I'm asking for a stove top temp.

 

[kennyp2339]

Here's the manual for your stove.. http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...8JW8d92dM5pmtXbG4X4VJQ&bvm=bv.110151844,d.eWE

A couple of questions - when the fire is lit, what kind of smoke do you have coming from the chimney cap? Is your baffle together all the way? Is there a ceramic blanket on top of the baffle brick? Can you take a picture of the inside of your fire box, focusing on the upper portion? After the fire has been established do you adjust the air control in?

 

[claydogg84]

Please tell me if I can do something to get a better data set to help problem solve here. Regarding Moisture: When I read the moisture question, it's in regards to the wood. The wood we use is dry, very dry. Seasoned minimally a year plus pushing two. Prior to planned use for the season, we bring it in to cover to keep dry (after summer/weeks before use) after it was sitting. So, if there is something I can do to help get data on moisture readings, please fill me in so I can rule this out. Over all, our wood is a mix of hard woods and pine and has been split and stacked for two years plus.

Regarding thermometer: We have moved it around in trial and error. Even if we put it on the side of the burner, it still doesn't get above 250F/Creosote zone! While on it, what is the experts suggestion for thermometer locations? I know the double wall will be inaccurate (that was a summer picture to show set up). But a great question for all these reasons! Example - today it's on the side of the stove - still not in burn zone.

You can buy a moisture meter from Amazon, Lowes, or even Harbor Freight. As for the stove temp, see if the manual gives direction as to where to place it. If not, I'd try one of the top corners. As I previously stated, that particular thermometer has been known to be inaccurate. Condar makes a pretty good one that actually has stove top temp ranges. The one you have is ranged for stove pipe I believe.

 

[brad wilton]

It could be that the stove is just to small for the area 1.6 is not very large.i had the same problem with my other stove just to small switched over to the monster no problem heating were talking over 4 cuft a large difference from my dovre.basically all your heating is your brick surround.

 

[English BoB]

We have tried everything but do have a unique set up

Our Country Striker S / SA 160 is not getting hot/heating the living space it should at all (700-1400sf). We cannot get a fire to the recommended burn range - even if it looks like it's raging. Our facts/efforts/set up are below. (I did search these forums with no new leads and did try to provide all the info asked for as noted in other questions below). Questions welcome - I will also add a few noteworthy items:

I searched high and low for this specific look and the reviews on this wood stove are very high! All input is welcome!

Noteworthy:

• This is our 2nd home with a wood burner. We are not pro's but experienced. I grew up loading the stove at home and the cabin and friends owned a wood stove store! I know the heat and feel of homes with wood stoves! We do have a unique set up (below) but something must be wrong.
• We had a Pacific Energy "Fusion" stove in the first home. It was higher efficiency and intended for a bigger space but with MUCH taller ceilings (twice standard /cathedral) and despite we had excellent heat in main living/open areas from wood stove burning. It was not centrally located (a last minute idea). Our blower was the first item to go so we used a commercial floor fan and ceiling fans to push heat and it worked excellent! The house was big and open and it roasted.
• We Use WELL seasoned - split, dry, wood.
• The wood burns faster than it should despite any setting (not heating as it should as it burns fast ARGH!).
• We did buy this Country Striker used (but so were both my dad's stoves). We have not been able to get this to perform even moderately or anywhere near the last one or any that I've lived around.
• We did put new fire brick, a door gasket and get a new fire blanket.
• We do have a three story home, 24' triple wall chimney (+ 3' of double wall from the stove).
• Last - I know this is a sore spot on the forums but we do not have a blower on it. As in the past, we do use floor fans to push the heat and keep our ceiling fans going to move the heat

Common Questions:
1) What is the specific make, model, & year of your stove? Country Striker S-160
2) How long have you had the stove? Used - One Year in Use (dated on back Feb 11, 1997)
3) How old is your house & how well insulated is it? Full Remodel - Open Cell Spray Foam EXCELLENT Insulated.
4) Where is your stove located in your house [diagram if possible]? Centrally located on first level (about 1100 sf each floor/three floors). We want it to heat level 1 with residual going up stairs.
5) Moisture content on your wood & what kind of wood are you burning? Various, good mix and very well seasoned.
6) How high is your chimney? 3' Double wall + 24' Triple.
7) What are your outside temps right now? 30 Degrees
8) Does your stove have an OAK [outside air kit]? No

Random Questions:
Do the baffles go bad?
With this tall of a chimney (and I can hear and see the flame affected by wind) do we need something special?

PICS of SET UP:
View attachment 170322 View attachment 170323 View attachment 170324

Very pretty set up.
Is that an air damper on the left of the stove ?
Are there any other dampers in the stovepipe ?

It sounds to me like the wood is good but burning to fast because you have no control over keeping the heat in the box.
As there is no blower to move the radiant heat you need to create an air current - cold air in the bottom and warm air out of the alcove. Failing that you can also sit right in front of the stove.
A lot of heat going up the chimney ?

bob

 

[rwhite]

A lot of good suggestions but regardless where the heat goes you have to solve the problem of creating heat first and figure out why it won't go above 250. It's gotta be either a super strong draft that is sucking all the heat out or poor wood. Even with the stove wide open if it has good wood it should be hitting 4-500. That is if the baffle is in. If everything is put together correctly I would insure wood is good and possibly install a pipe damper.

BTW: that is one of the prettiest setups I've seen.

 

[begreen]

Just read the comments inserted into jatoxico's query.
I did note above, when putting the thermometer on the side of the stove in full roar, it doesn't break 300 - 325F on the FIRE BOX after a full day of burning the death out of it. But in my hopes to fix this (I love this stove) I want to collect some clear examples.
-> The temp needs to be measured on the stove top, not the sides. This is a jacketed convective stove, the sides will never be strongly radiant, they are shielded.
It actually does seem to take longer to start a fire in this stove than any my memory-especially to heat up and really get going. As in HOURS. We do keep the air control fully open then start to reduce it after we finally have a good fire which is usually burning through an oven full to get a hot bed of coals. it takes nearly all day of keeping it wide open and restocking several times to feel warmth on the main level.
-> Needing the air wide open is an indication of partially seasoned wood. Like the PE Fusion you should be able to turn down the air and the stove should continue to get hotter as secondary burn increases. It doesn't sound like that is happening.

The setup is nice, but it looks to be a heat trap and with inadequate ceiling clearance above the stove.

 

[rwhite]

Just read the comments inserted into jatoxico's query.
I did note above, when putting the thermometer on the side of the stove in full roar, it doesn't break 300 - 325F on the FIRE BOX after a full day of burning the death out of it. But in my hopes to fix this (I love this stove) I want to collect some clear examples.
-> The temp needs to be measured on the stove top, not the sides. This is a jacketed convective stove, the sides will never be strongly radiant, they are shielded.
It actually does seem to take longer to start a fire in this stove than any my memory-especially to heat up and really get going. As in HOURS. We do keep the air control fully open then start to reduce it after we finally have a good fire which is usually burning through an oven full to get a hot bed of coals. it takes nearly all day of keeping it wide open and restocking several times to feel warmth on the main level.
-> Needing the air wide open is an indication of partially seasoned wood. Like the PE Fusion you should be able to turn down the air and the stove should continue to get hotter as secondary burn increases. It doesn't sound like that is happening.

The setup is nice, but it looks to be a heat trap and with inadequate ceiling clearance above the stove.

I am sure leaning toward the wood. I would also say to get the stove to heat properly then worry about how to move the heat. Which as pretty as that set up is may not happen without a blower to keep from trapping it in that alcove.

 

[jatoxico]

I agree guys, I'm with you about wood, draft, stove size and all of it. But if the OP could simply tell us what the stove top temp is (not what the "burn zone" says) we (I ) could move on. If the OP is running wide open through loads of wood to get the thermo into the "burn zone" while it's placed on the stove side and never shutting air to get some secondaries going then it's being run wrong. Sorry, a little cranky tonight.

 

[Squisher]

If it doesn't have proper clearances though that can be if not already properly reduced with shielding isn't everything else somewhat irrelevant? I mean is there any sense in sorting a setup if it isn't meeting properly clearances? It would seem something would have to change, more than likely the stove?

 

[rwhite]

If it doesn't have proper clearances though that can be if not already properly reduced with shielding isn't everything else somewhat irrelevant? I mean is there any sense in sorting a setup if it isn't meeting properly clearances? It would seem something would have to change, more than likely the stove?

IDK it looks to me like clearance are good. With double wall pipe it requires 72" from floor to ceiling. It may be close but it sure looks like that opening will go 6'. I have no idea how tall it is inside.

 

[Squisher]

Ok I was visually measuring off of the 84" alcove clearance that Begreen mentioned for an alcove installation. It would maybe be safe to say that clearances should be confirmed?

 

[begreen]

Good catch on the double-wall. The stove is 27.5" tall and the space looks to be about 2.5 stove heights tall. I think this is the first time I've seen a ceiling height reduction for double-wall.