The new EQ will get her first taste of wood tonight. Not planning on heating just following the instructions. I'd rather not wait until we need it, plus I want to see it work and make sure everything is O.K..
I will do a break-in fire tonight, my wife is not happy
- Thread starter FireWalker
- Start date
-
Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.
We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.
We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil. -
Super Cedar firestarters 30% discount Use code Hearth2024 Click here
- Status
She is sensitive to air quality issues. She won't be home until after 9:00, I'll light her up by 6:00 and leave all the windows open. I'm planning on doing this more than a few times before I let any real heat out. The manual says break it in easy, easy it will be.
I wasn't as gentle with my new Honda, they like to be broke in hard.
I wasn't as gentle with my new Honda, they like to be broke in hard.
Indoor or outdoor quality? If she is worried about the air in the house, I would say make sure you at least get one good full-temp run done when you can open windows...seems like some 'smell' always bakes off every time a new temp is reached. As for outdoor air, about the best you can do is tell her that it's burning as clean as possible and at least any carbon you're putting up the stack was pulled from the air recently, anyway. You could go on about CO2 actually being a plant fertilizer and how even up to the late 70's scientists were pouring coal on glaciers because they feared a coming ice age so global warming will probably pass its prime soon anyway.
Other than that, bring her in from the cold, set her down in front of a nice warm, crackling fire on a cold winter night and serve up some hot chocolate (or something with more 'kick' if you prefer!) and hopefully she'll forgive you.
Other than that, bring her in from the cold, set her down in front of a nice warm, crackling fire on a cold winter night and serve up some hot chocolate (or something with more 'kick' if you prefer!) and hopefully she'll forgive you.
Regarding the full temp run, yes I would like to do this and be able to have the whole house open. But then with this stove I think we will have windows open all winter!
Firewalker, I have had several break in fires in mine. Pretty much doing what they advise - get the stones warm and then shutting her down. The second one I ran a little bit hotter so the stones were hot but not frying anything. I didn't catch a wiff of anything yet. Maybe because there is just a little cast or maybe because this puppy hasn't been turned loose yet. Either way I think you will be fine tonight. Do you have a stove thermometer installed? If so where did you place it? Enjoy the view.
Got mine installed over the weekend
(broken link removed to http://picasaweb.google.com/dquicksix/EquinoxOutsideAirKitInstall?authkey=LoZNfodyj7I#5243773716713323202)
(broken link removed to http://picasaweb.google.com/dquicksix/EquinoxOutsideAirKitInstall?authkey=LoZNfodyj7I#5243773716713323202)
I've been reading some of these to my wife and she recommends that you offer to do something for her that she doesnt want to do herself but needs to get done, you know like a trade! maybee clean the bathroom? and then pray hard!
Our break in was done first with just putting in some kindling and lighting it and let it burn itself out. Second one was kindling with 2 very small sticks of wood. The third one was done with kindling and 3 logs. After that it was all ready for winter. We noticed very, very little odor and only cracked a couple of windows.
One other thing you can do is to light a candle or two near the stove. That will take out any smoke and/or odors.
About your wife not being happy, that I just do not understand, nor does my wife!
One other thing you can do is to light a candle or two near the stove. That will take out any smoke and/or odors.
About your wife not being happy, that I just do not understand, nor does my wife!
I don't need no stinking cold weather, had two break in fires when the stove was first installed in April / May and supposed to get in the forties tonight it's now sixty-three close enough so got'er cookin' but had a bear of a time getting it up to 300, it's now just a pile of glowing awsomeness. House is up to 79 though. The wife says I have "issues" but I'm proud of it!
Thanks for all the replies folks, this place is the best.
Now that I'm back at the computer, I'll report in. Monday afternoon I burned a good handful of kindling and let it go out, no drama here. Yesterday morning I did the same but added two splits and got a sniff of something that smelled kinda sweet. At about 6:30 last evening I made a fire that burned all night. Great success! nice secondary burn and lots of btu's.
I've not seen this type of secondary burn before, when you look up at the burn tubes and let the air to a good fire they light just like my webber gas grill just bigger flames. I expect this is normal. I do not yet have a stovetop thermometer but I will get one today.
Did I say plenty of heat! It got down to 40 last night and the stove ran beautyfully at about 10% throttle with 3 good sized honey locust splits on top of 2 nearly burned red oak woodpile chunks. I added the locust at 10:30 and hung around for an hour then turned in. At 6:45 the stove top was too hot to keep your hand on and I could see a good coal bed which I left to go out.
One thing that I noticed, this stove throws a lot more heat down than my DW. My hearth is 12x12 tile over that 1/2" fire board stuff over plywood subfloor and the tile heated right up to temps the DW rarely produced. I think a fan will be needed, something quiet and low volume. I'm open for suggestions here.
My wife is still jabbing me, not wanting me to be too dissapointed when our new stove won't keep up when it gets really cold. I wanted to really crank it up to show her but I just told her "I'm not worried at all". I tried to explain to her that we were barely using the stoves potential but she wasn't interested in watching the burn tubes or hearing about secondary burns.
Now that I'm back at the computer, I'll report in. Monday afternoon I burned a good handful of kindling and let it go out, no drama here. Yesterday morning I did the same but added two splits and got a sniff of something that smelled kinda sweet. At about 6:30 last evening I made a fire that burned all night. Great success! nice secondary burn and lots of btu's.
I've not seen this type of secondary burn before, when you look up at the burn tubes and let the air to a good fire they light just like my webber gas grill just bigger flames. I expect this is normal. I do not yet have a stovetop thermometer but I will get one today.
Did I say plenty of heat! It got down to 40 last night and the stove ran beautyfully at about 10% throttle with 3 good sized honey locust splits on top of 2 nearly burned red oak woodpile chunks. I added the locust at 10:30 and hung around for an hour then turned in. At 6:45 the stove top was too hot to keep your hand on and I could see a good coal bed which I left to go out.
One thing that I noticed, this stove throws a lot more heat down than my DW. My hearth is 12x12 tile over that 1/2" fire board stuff over plywood subfloor and the tile heated right up to temps the DW rarely produced. I think a fan will be needed, something quiet and low volume. I'm open for suggestions here.
My wife is still jabbing me, not wanting me to be too dissapointed when our new stove won't keep up when it gets really cold. I wanted to really crank it up to show her but I just told her "I'm not worried at all". I tried to explain to her that we were barely using the stoves potential but she wasn't interested in watching the burn tubes or hearing about secondary burns.
FireWalker said:
When it's 10F outside with a wind and you crank it up... Daddy gonna look like a friggin hero
Have shiraz at the ready
I cant believe she didnt want to hear about the secondary burn tubes. That is good stuff. My wife loves to hear me ramble on about that stuff. I thought all girls loved that topic. Maybe you should make some kind of agreement now about how she is going to cater to you after it is -20 degrees outside and the house feels like Miami beach. Maybe you should agree that when that happens she listens to 1 full hour each day of intense stove talk with a high degree of interest. Just an idea. Not neccisasarily a good one.
I am always amazed when I think about inside/outside delta T around here. In summer not a biggie maybe 90 out 73 inside, 17 degrees. Come mid winter we can see -10, -15 and even -20 or more, thats a temprature difference of 90 degrees F at -20, if indoor air is 70!
Bring on that -20 day and yea, we will burn a few splits and even some oil to keep the basement from freezing but I won't have that sinking feeling when turning off the lights for the night knowing it's going to be colder than a witches teat outside and I'll need to get up twice in the night and hope for low 60's in the morning.
No shiraz, she drinks the cab. and marlot.
Bring on that -20 day and yea, we will burn a few splits and even some oil to keep the basement from freezing but I won't have that sinking feeling when turning off the lights for the night knowing it's going to be colder than a witches teat outside and I'll need to get up twice in the night and hope for low 60's in the morning.
No shiraz, she drinks the cab. and marlot.
I also took my equinox for a spin last night though I don't think I got her where you were. I just wanted to get the stove up to temp and engage the secondary burn and get a feel for how quick this thing heated up and how much heat it threw, as well as see if there was some burn off of the paint/cement (there was - nothing too toxic though). After burning some kindling and a few small splits (2-2.5 in) to get things warmed up, I threw in three cherry 3.5 inch splits let them burn for about 10 minutes stove hot up to about 350 on metal plate on the top. Shut the stove air down 90% and she coasted right along at 350 for a few more hours. It raised the overall temp in the whole level about 8 degrees. I took some IR readings around the stove and I didn't see too much heating on the sides or underneath (up 10-15 degrees above room) some of the stone above the fireplace got warm(about 100) and the soapstone itself was about 225 when the metal plate was reading 350. Mine is up on a hearth so there is almost 16 inches of air between the front glass and the hearth extension, so there is a lot of opportunity for dissapation but this area definately where I felt the most heating. Is this where you felt your pad heating up Firewalker. I would imagine if this was on the hearth extension directly this front part would have gotten pretty warm. Overall pretty impressed - the fire was out by 11:30 just coals but the stone was still warm to the touch (not hot though) this AM and the house held temp ON even with the outside temp at 36. Wife was very impressed with the cozy downstairs. :coolsmile:
I noticed the hot floor while walking around my stove barefoot. My hearth is a 3 sided alcove which is about 7'-0" wide 5'-6"deep with a ceiling at about 7'-6". I slipped my hand under the stove from the back and felt the tiles were good and warm, not hot enough to burn but hot enough to notice. I'll be keeping an eye (and checking with a thermometer) on this but don't think I have a problem.
Will one of these fans that run on heat work at all if placed on the floor behind a hot wood stove?
My main floor plan. Note I do not have the masonry thermal wall behind my stove just wood stud walls.
(broken link removed)
I have also infilled the carport area with living space, new master bedroom on left side and a new entry/mudroom/laundry room/basement access. I also removed the closet to the right of the wood stove and relocated the basement stairs so where the first run down is shown here, this is now a hall coming from the back room. the second run down is now our pantry.
our 2nd and 3rd floor.
(broken link removed)
(broken link removed)
Will one of these fans that run on heat work at all if placed on the floor behind a hot wood stove?
My main floor plan. Note I do not have the masonry thermal wall behind my stove just wood stud walls.
(broken link removed)
I have also infilled the carport area with living space, new master bedroom on left side and a new entry/mudroom/laundry room/basement access. I also removed the closet to the right of the wood stove and relocated the basement stairs so where the first run down is shown here, this is now a hall coming from the back room. the second run down is now our pantry.
our 2nd and 3rd floor.
(broken link removed)
(broken link removed)
Lunch time update. Just went home for a snack and the stove is still good and warm - last wood added 10:30pm last night. Heat life as advertised can easily be 16 hours!
Sounds like you got to what I call 'mode 1' of the secondary burn. The tubes do look like a gas grill - each one having an individual flame shooting out (actually smoke combusting around the oxygen being introduced). When you get to 'mode 2' the whole top of the firebox will be a shimmering / dancing ball of flames. This is the 'really high heat' output mode. My stovetop temps can easily hit 800-900F. Then you know you're burning every last speck of smoke!
Thanks for the updated chronicles Firewalker.It's thrilling to see that the Beast has been taken from it's lair and secured on your hearth.Your rationing it at 10% of it's appetite it roars back with an overnight burn,that must be bliss.The wife still can't see the power in her midst however that will be short live once the monster is fully fed.Just prepare yourself for her comments of "can you please turn it down,Now".FireWalker said:
- Status
Similar threads
