Low burn temps with new Hearthstone Phoenix

[jajasoon]

I'm new to the wood-burning world, having had a Phoenix installed into our fireplace this fall (insulated liner running 1 1/2 stories up & out the main chimney). Looks great, and the draft seems fine (never get smoke backup with opening the door). But I can't get the stove to really heat up - packed firebox & flames twinkling, and the top stones don't go past 250! With the cast-iron front, I assumed that a raging fire would make it near impossible to stand next to the stove, but it's perfectly comfortable. Needless to say, this is not doing much to heat my house.

I'm thinking wet wood might be my main trouble, as I've had some creosote buildup on the glass and most of my logs don't show signs of being totally dry - typically the logs take awhile to catch. Anything else I might be on the lookout for? Is unseasoned wood enough of a problem to cause this level of underperformance?

I've been scouring the forums here, but apologize if there are answers to be found that I've missed...

Thanks!

 

[Bill]

Welcome to the forum, that's fine if a question gets asked more than once, or what would we talk about? Green wood creates creosote and burns cooler because of the moisture content. Not knowing anything about your setup or chimney, I might suggest that you get some dry wood. Then start a fire with lots of kindling, small splits, get a nice coal bed and then add bigger splits. After the splits are charred start cutting back the air, every 5 minuets or so. There is always a learning curve with a new stove. It's ideal to have two year old split and dry wood. So start planning for next year. Good luck

 

[rob bennett]

How far in your fireplace is it? If it is IN the fireplace even with good dry wood it might be hard to get that radiant heat out of the surrounding brick.

 

[Highbeam]

When I've had to make due with wet wood I found that splitting it extra small and loading it loosely helped the wood to combust with more heat output. You'll go through more wood this way but you won't freeze. When you have good dry wood you can begin to really tune your methods. The most important thing I learned is that the stove gets hottest when the air control is shut most of the way.

The phoenix is an attractive stove. It will work out.

 

[Timber Wolf]

I have a question for anyone who knows hearthstone stoves .
I found one used 3 times for $250 .
Used it most of last winter in my basement ,which has quite alot on concrete to absorb heat .
But I just couldnt get a great deal of heat from it
area in the basement is about 800 sqr ft maybe 1000 tops

seemed like it was starving for air.
looked the slider at the bottom over .
when it is running i get a funny smell kinda like fiberglass burning.
Is this the soapstone ?

Oh its a Phoenix model

 

[Highbeam]

When my soapstone was breaking in and when I reseasoned it this year and water was expelled the smell that comes from it is like a hot pancake griddle to me. Not a burning paint of burning dust but like a hot rock. I've never been able to burn fiberglass try as I might so I am not sure wht it would smell like.

The phoenix has a blanket on top of the baffle that is made of ceramic and looks like fiberglass. Make sure it is in there right since it can move during transport and cleaning.

The soapstone stoves are radiant stoves so they will have a particularly tough time heating a house from the basement and especially when the walls absorbing the radiant heat are looksing it through the concrete. Concrete is a terrible insulator.

 

[Timber Wolf]

Ok some of that baffle is missing,as I see now.
As far as fiberglass burning ,not insulation but like whats in a Vette
Also what do you mean when you say reseasoned ?
Just basic cleaning or sometime more?

 

[pyro68]

a soapstone stove needs the break-in fires every season. The stones will absorb moisture and need to be "cured" before burning. Build 3 small kindling fires getting the stones warm / hot to touch and let them cool down before the next fire. After the third fire you can go ahead and burn the stove. I never recommend burning a raging fire from a cold stove, better to take them up slow even after the break-in. Be sure and do the break-in at the beginning of every season. If you don't have a manual I you can access one at www.hearthstonestoves.com Take time to read it, soapstone needs to be treated differently than steel or cast iron. If you are not getting the stove above 250 you do not have a "raging fire" May be shutting the air down too soon, you can get higher temps by reducing the primary air, but stove needs to be hot when you do that. The Phoenix does not have a blower option, but some small fans mounted in the back corner of the fireplace may help move heat out away from the stove. Wet wood is always a killer, but even more so with a soapstone. Good Luck

 

[colsmith]

We have a Phoenix and it heats our ~2000 sq. ft. house pretty well. When it is in the single digits outside we need to turn the furnace on once a day or so to boost the heat and keep the basement from being so cold. But most of the time, the house is heated totally from our stove. We are in WI, so it gets plenty cold here for a long time We have a lot of dry but so-so wood, lots of box elder and junk wood like that since we are scroungers.

I can't recall what our stovetop gets up to, we don't have a good thermometer for that purpose. Like someone else I am wondering why you chose soapstone for inside a fireplace? I would think the fireplace brick/stone/whatever would serve the same purpose. But try some really nice dry wood, and see how it goes for you. You will need a few consecutive loads to really tell. We were unhappy with our burn time (the times in the manual are just a dream evidently) and our fireplace store gave us a bundle of dry oak to try. Would hate for you to have to buy those $4 bundles in the store, maybe somebody would give you a little?