Looking for Advice on wood burning insert in the basement

[Newbiestove]

Hi everyone,
We recently installed a Pacific Energy Super LE wood-burning insert into a masonry chimney that exits through the outside wall in our basement. We’re new to wood burning and still figuring out what’s normal, so I’m hoping to get some advice.

Right now, the basement only heats up to about 23°C, and that’s with the thermometer sitting about 5 feet from the insert. The basement is a large rectangular space, and the stove is located at one end on an exterior wall. Because of that, the far end of the basement stays noticeably cooler.

The main floor warms up to around 18°C when it’s about –1°C outside.

This seems lower than what I expected from the insert, so I’m wondering if I’m missing something. We burn about 12–15 pieces of firewood a day. I’ve also ordered a proper wood stove thermometer, which should arrive soon, so I can check whether I’m burning in the right temperature range.

To help move heat, I’m using a fan to push cold air toward the stove, and our HVAC fan is running 24/7 to circulate air through the house.

I’m also concerned that I might be losing a lot of heat through the exterior chimney.

What can I do to improve the heating performance? Any advice would be greatly appreciated

 

[begreen]

Need more information. How many sq ft is the basment and house? How well insulated are the basement walls? How well insulated and sealed is the house in general?

What species of firewood is being burned and when was it split and stacked?

 

[Newbiestove]

Basement is about 600sqft open space. I do not know how well it is insulated as we moved into this house not long ago. I would say somewhat insulated but probably not so much. Lots of draft in the house.

Not sure about the type of wood just bought facecords this fall and stacked inside my shed.


I just got stove thermometer and tested stove. I think my wood is not very dry. Tried with store bought wood today and I was finally able to increase stove temperature upto 480-500F but it quickly looses heat if I turn on blower even at low setting. Is this normal?

 

[EatenByLimestone]

The blower removes heat from the stove, so it’s normal for it to drop the temperature of the stove down. It’s transferring that heat to the room.

I agree that it sounds like the wood isn’t dry. There are a couple remedies for this. Finding actual dry wood is probably going to be difficult. Pallets can often be found for free. They are usually pretty dry. Look for untreated pallets. You can also find compressed sawdust logs. Look for the ones without any binders like wax.

Wood can take years to dry depending on the species. Wood dries best when it’s in the sun and air can move through it. A good rule of thumb is 2 years of wood to have on hand. As you have seen, wet wood is frustrating to burn.

I don’t think you are putting enough wood in the stove. Fill it up at least half way.

Uninsulated basement walls really suck the heat out. You can lose as much as 30% of that heat to the outside. It’s worthwhile to make sure they’re well insulated. You mentioned drafts. That’s probably around the sill plate/rim joist area. A few tubes of caulk or spray foam should really cut that air leakage down. Insulation up there is important too. Any heat you can keep from leaving the house is a win.

Also check the stove’s installation. Is your liner insulated? An insulated liner is less likely to build up creosote. This is especially important with wet wood. It also might be necessary for fire code compliance. Additional rock wool insulation can be stuffed around the bottom of the liner to keep heat from around the stove from rising up into the chimney. Lastly, a sheet metal block off plate can be installed to further block that heat from going up the chimney.

 

[kborndale]

Not sure about the type of wood just bought facecords this fall and stacked inside my shed.

Here is your biggest problem. Buy next years wood now and next year you will be much happier with the stove. Wood bought in the fall is almost never ready to burn that winter. Go get a bundle or two of wood from the supermarket or home depot and see how that wood burns for a comparison.

 

[begreen]

With the odds being that the wood is not fully seasoned, one option is to bring it indoors in the heated space. Stack it in boxes or totes. After a few weeks it will shed several ounces of water. At the start, weigh a few pieces and write down the weight on each split. Then compare the weight loss in 2-3 weeks. Depending on the wood species and it's current moisture content, this can make a notable difference.

If you know a place where you can get some boxes of dry construction 2x4 ends and cutoffs, that can be mixed with the face cord wood for better performance. Untreated and unfinished wood flooring scraps are also good.

 

[brenndatomu]

I agree that it sounds like the wood isn’t dry.

I don’t think you are putting enough wood in the stove

Uninsulated basement walls really suck the heat out

Additional rock wool insulation can be stuffed around the bottom of the liner to keep heat from around the stove from rising up into the chimney. Lastly, a sheet metal block off plate can be installed to further block that heat from going up the chimney.

This ^ ^ ^ all pretty much sums up my thoughts here too...

 

[EbS-P]

Don’t mess with wet wood. Go buy some bio bricks or compressed sawdust logs. These are meant to be burned for heat. Many of us made that mistake the first winter. Then never again. I just add the cost of a pallet of bio bricks to the install cost. Then you won’t be thinking how expensive they were.