Looking at purchasing PE super insert

[Tony D]

I am looking into installing a super insert in my house this fall and was wondering if anyone has any experience with this insert. What kind of burn times are you getting, any maintenance issues, had any issues with the blower? Things lik that... I just moved out of a house that had a VC defiant encore model 2150(i think), i burned non stop from november until april ( most years) and loved the simplicity of a wood stove. The PE seems to have real good reviews,but its all new technology to me so i thought i would see what you guys think. Thanks!

 

[begreen]

The Super is very well made and reliable. We have several owners here that have the 2 cu ft line of PE stoves. The firebox is the same as in the Super 27, Spectrum, and Classic and the Alderlea T5. Burn time is excellent for a 2 cu ft stove as is ease of use. The main things that will make it happy are a good liner for good draft and dry wood.

How tall is the chimney? Is it interior or exterior? How is your wood supply?

 

[Huntindog1]

Whats the size of your house your heating?

What part of the USA are you located in?

 

[Tony D]

My chimney is full masonary roughly 20ft in height and on an exterior wall(i think thats what your asking).The house is an 1886 sqft tri level and the fireplace is at the lowest level. I am located in east central wisconsin. As far as my wood pile goes i have a few cords of hard maple that i cut that was standing dead with no bark on it. I dont have a moisture meter but it seems plenty dry.

 

[begreen]

The height is good. With an exterior chimney I would go for an insulated liner and would install a damper sealing block-off plate for the best performance.

 

[Tony D]

I didn't know you could buy an insulated liner for a masonry chimney, with the bends in it. Do you just use insulated pipe for the straight part? And as far as the block-off plate goes is that something that gets installed at the top of the chimney?

 

[Hogwildz]

The liner choices are a flex liner all the way up, or just flex at the lower portion to get through the smoke shelf to the first straight flue tile, then rigid the rest of the way up(the set up I used). I went with insulated double wall rigid(pre-insulated between the shells) and am very glad I did.
There is a top plate that seals off the top, and most of us make a bottom block off plate(no pre-made available) that closes off the bottom at the damper area of the old fireplace.
This keeps the heat in the home and not going up and bleeding out the masonry to the outside environment. Also keeps cold drafts from the masonry chimney from coming down and into the home.

 

[Tony D]

I never thought of running insulated pipe down to the bend... How do you hang the pipe from the top plate? Do they sell something for this application or is it something that has to be fabricated? I could see how you would get a better draft with insulated pipe and the idea of having corrugated pipe for a chimney bothered me a bit anyways, with all those grooves for creosote to hold on to.

 

[Hogwildz]

The rigid runs through a top plate at the top, and has a clamp set up that clamps around the pipe, then rests on top of the top plate.
The clamp set up also helps hold the top plate down & keeps the the top portion of liner from wobbling around up there.
The storm collar then rests over the clamp set up.

The insulation keeps the pipe hotter with less heat loss, the hotter the pipe, the better the draft.
As far as the small spiral corrugations, they really do not collect a lot of soot, unless you burn wet wood or don't burn hot enough(smoldering fire).
I would say 95% of liner users use the flex line(spiral corrugated). I have it on the bottom 5' through the smoke shelf of the old fireplace, and have no issues with it.

 

[Grisu]

First, I have the PE Super insert myself and can really recommend it. Great stove with good burn times (although I usually don't reach the 12 hours some people report here; ~10 hours with enough coals in the morning for a quick relighting seems more like it if you don't have oak or black locust). Nevertheless, I don't think you will be able to heat 1900 sqft in your climate. If you want to heat the whole house with a stove you should look for something bigger; at least a firebox size of 2.5 cu ft. would be my advice. The PE Summit for example or the Enviro 1700 series. What are the dimensions of your fireplace? Any chance of getting something bigger in there?

+1 on the recommendation of an insulated liner and a block-off plate.

 

[stayfitz]

I am looking into installing a super insert in my house this fall and was wondering if anyone has any experience with this insert. What kind of burn times are you getting, any maintenance issues, had any issues with the blower? Things lik that... I just moved out of a house that had a VC defiant encore model 2150(i think), i burned non stop from november until april ( most years) and loved the simplicity of a wood stove. The PE seems to have real good reviews,but its all new technology to me so i thought i would see what you guys think. Thanks!

Are you ruling out catalytic based stoves? If not, Blaze King Princess might be an option ((broken link removed to http://www.blazeking.com/EN/wood-princess-insert.html)). Also, for non-catalytic, look at the Osburn 2400 ((broken link removed to http://www.osburn-mfg.com/en/heaters/model-OB02401-description))!

 

[Tony D]

Im not to worried about this insert being able to do the job because of where it is in the house and how the house is laid out. What i am worried about is having to much stove for the house. Ive seen how constantly choking back a fire can affect a stoves performance. I had not looked at the blaze king before you suggested it. 27 hr burn times... that seems like crazy talk, until i called a dealer near green bay and she said she heats her 4000sqft show room with one and has gotten 29 hrs out of it. I really don't know how its possible but it must be.

 

[begreen]

Both stoves can run on partial loads of fuel to control the heat output. The Princess is larger, but does what it advertises. The Super has earned its name. It is a great insert or freestanding stove.

 

[Tony D]

Thanks for the input guys it is much appreciated! I have learned a lot! The insulated pipe makes a lot of sense and will be what i install, now just to decide to go big or not...

 

[Hogwildz]

Go big, easy to have smaller fires when needed. Harder to make a stove run harder to put out more heat if full to the gills, and still not giving what you need.

 

[Dix]

The PE is an excellent heater, loves dry fire wood.

Going into season 5, and just now replacing my original door gasket.

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