Man it's cold up here!

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DannyL

Member
Oct 27, 2015
12
Quebec Canada
Ok I’ll try to make my story brief…..

I purchased TimberRidge 55-TRPAH two years ago to replace my Regency wood stove because my cheap wood supplier was gone. I did some research and decided on the TimberRidge because it
was on sale at Canadian Tire and the store was close “in case”. I bought it and installed it at the end of December 2015 and noticed a gap at the top of the door weeks later, sent an e-mail to TR and they sent me a thicker door gasket that I installed It. It however it didn’t solve the problem and a gap remained that was larger than their measuring method. With winter in full swing I wasn’t to go without the stove. so I let it slide and would do it in spring. To be honest I really loved this stove, large capacity NOT 3 bags (but closer to 2 ¼), but low hopper made it easy to load by my wife and kids (yes I do it too..). I bought 2 pallets of “Satisfaction” brand wood pellets and this sucker put out great heat. Well spring, summer and fall came and went and the stove wasn’t returned, so I fired it up for the 2016 season. I did contact Timber Ridge and let them know the problem persisted, but since the stove is guaranteed for 5 years I would replace it during the 2017 summer.
I went to Canadian Tire and explained that TR would gladly take back the old stove to give me a new one, but they had to “check” to see if they could do that. With the e-mails and info I supplied they finally agreed to order me a new one. A week late got the call and headed out with my old stove to get the “new” stove. After watching 3 guys wrestle my old stove off and my new one on my flatbed trailer, I decided to pull the box off and see how this door was…. WORSE than my old one. So I told them to keep mine and take back the worse new one, I’d contact TR to see what we do now.

I called up TR to tell them what happened and during the discussion it popped up that the 55-TRPAH stove had “issues” with their doors. Since this stove is no lightweight I wasn’t about to get a third “issued” stove. I asked if there was a way of knowing thru serial numbers which stoves were the new improved ones. I was told in the “in and around serial number….”. Now Canadian Tire is a pretty big retailer up here in Canada, I assume they sell a lot of stoves. I asked if it was possible for them to check the stoves they have in stock at the main warehouse. I was told they would try but no promises.
I didn’t get a call back so I headed to the store and they said it wasn’t going to happen. So I was left with a dilemma, take a chance on the same model OR pick another model, a reimbursement was out of the question due to the date of the original purchase.
So with time ticking and fall arriving quickly, I decided to replace it with a model 55-TRPIP. Even though the sale price was higher than what I paid for my original stove (at the time) they didn’t charge me the difference between the two, for all the trouble I had been through. I have to add that during this whole adventure the staff at CT were nothing but friendly and helpful, great service all in all.
The new stove arrived and I had to tweak my piping a bit for the new stove, but pretty easy to do. First thing I noticed when we filled it for the first burn was the hopper is NOT 2 bags but rather 1 ¼, ok so we’ll have to fill it more often. No biggy except this stove is really tall and the hopper door is rather small, ok we can live with that too. I’m burning the remaining pellets I had bought the year before that are stored in my heated (winter) and humidity controlled basement. While the specs of the new and old stove are almost identical as far as heat, that is far from the truth. I don’t find it heats anywhere as much as the old one and numerous times the burnpot is clogged despite daily cleaning. Way more soot and ashfly as well. I’m disappointed to say the least, but I’m hoping there could be a remedy.
This post is not to bash TimberRidge products, but rather to have an opinion, are my remaining pellets could be the cause, incompatible? I know often some people have success with certain types of pellets and other hate them.
Second question is, I have to replenish my pellet stock and found two brands on sale. LG wood pellets (softwood) and Ambiance hardwood pellets. Both are the same price at $5 cdn ($4.05USD) per 40 lbs.
I read some good reviews on the LG’s and not so good on the Ambiance….

So fire away, let me know what you think!!
 
I would get 10 bags of each and do a test and see which ones work best then buy bulk
 
Ok I’ll try to make my story brief…..

<huge snip>

So fire away, let me know what you think!!


As posted above I have this same stove and it will burn dirty if you try to idle it for long periods of time. I use mine in on/off mode with a remote thermostat as when I tried to use high/low with a thermostat the stove would take ages to drop to idle burn overheating the house and once it did the ash/clinkers volume increased dramatically.

Make sure your stove exhaust is vented properly (not too many elbow or T's) and that the stove gaskets (all of them!) don't leak. Hopper gasket, ash drawer gasket, door glass gasket and door gasket itself. Also check pellet hopper seams especially where the augers are connected! Mine were not sealed (use high temp silicone) and leaked like a sieve. You could see light through them. Also my gaskets leaked from new and once corrected the performance improved significantly.

What are your bottom fuel and air settings? They should be 4 for fuel, 4 for air and 1 for air on temp. I had to raise my low air to 5 and I dropped my feed to 2. I have a small well insulated house and with that setting I can run the stove in on/off mode with remote thermostat on heat level 5 and get good heat and the stove stays clean for days. Use about a bag of pellets in two days normally but with the brutal cold we have been having I use about a bag and a half a day. I keep the house at 23c.

Paste from https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/englander-25ip-55-shpip-55-trp-ip-settings-and-notes.165619/
*****
What are the Factory Settings and how do you change them? 4 - 4 -1 or in other words the Fuel feed rate is at 4 (the left bottom button) the Air Rate is also at 4 (middle button) and the Air on temp (right button) is at 1 (this button tells when the heat exchanger fan kicks on and starts blowing warm air into the room. Adjusting these press the button you want to adjust and it will show what that setting is ….then press both up arrows at the same time to adjust that up or both down arrows to adjust down Very easy. I wouldn’t go changing these before cleaning your stove and the exhaust as well as making sure there are NO LEAKS from faulty gaskets. These adjustments have less effect the higher the setting but still do effect them (according to C.S.) I was also told it’s fine to adjust these.
*****


If you can post pics or even better video of the flame while the stove is running would be helpful too.
 
Don't go with Ambiance pellets. Unless we start to get a milder winter, they are not keeping my house warm at all in this -30 weather we are having. I was an idiot and bought 1.5tonnes before I tried them...based on reading they were a really good pellet (yup lesson learned....) i've had to buy cubex for the past few weeks that we have had this weather......I find the LG's ok....although they burn dirty and leave clumps of ash in my burn pot.

I'm almost to the point i'm looking at different heating sources for my house -_-
 
Where
Don't go with Ambiance pellets. Unless we start to get a milder winter, they are not keeping my house warm at all in this -30 weather we are having. I was an idiot and bought 1.5tonnes before I tried them...based on reading they were a really good pellet (yup lesson learned....) i've had to buy cubex for the past few weeks that we have had this weather......I find the LG's ok....although they burn dirty and leave clumps of ash in my burn pot.

I'm almost to the point i'm looking at different heating sources for my house -_-

Where do you get cubex pellets? I have never tired those.
 
2 0r 3 years ago I bought Ambiance pellets to use in shoulder season
to say the least I was not impressed . I always buy Cubix at least 3 ton
but normally 4 1/2 ton (3 skids) . Around here the supplier is Furgson energy
Always good always clean and always HOT
Where do you get cubex pellets? I have never tired those.
Here is the dealer page your closest dealer is a far drive
http://www.lauzonwoodpellets.com/dealers/
 
According to that I would have to go to Orangeville. Does Ferguson deliver for you?
 
With Ferguson the price of a pallet includes delivery
I believe he now has 4- 5 ton trucks on the road all year long
I buy my pellets in the spring special they store them all
summer and i have mine delivered in September
https://www.fergusonsenergysystems.com/
 
That Frankville location is near my sisters. Next time I am up that way I will grab a few bags to try.
 
Curious as to the set-up of your venting.
 
Ambiance are fine for the warmer winter days -15 and above with no wind (lol) anything colder and I need a better pellet. Cubex, get mine at the local stores (even Canadian tire was carrying them last yr) I got my Ambiance (delivered) from Ferguson's. My nxt load will be a ton of Cubex.....