My 1st insert is being installed today. I need some tips.

[jimdrea]

Well I'm like a little kid on Christmas eve. I've waited 5 weeks in the worst winter in 30 years for my insert. It is a Napoleon 1402. I have a 2500 sq foot house that is drafty. I know I need to season the stove first. I've bought a thermometer, I noticed on the instructions that it said don't place on stove initially because the paint when heated will get wet. How long should I wait to place the thermometer on? Also from reading info on this great site the break in period is about 30 hours. Luckily in Boston its 29 degrees and will continue to be cold for a while. Any tips would be greatly appreciated.

 

[DanCorcoran]

Best tip I can offer is to read the owner's manual from cover to cover and do what it says. Sounds like you've already read it, so you're off to a good start. Next, do a search on this forum for "seasoned wood". Insufficiently dry wood will likely be the biggest problem you'll face. Good luck, and enjoy!

 

[begreen]

Congratulations. The insert paint will bake in with the first hot fire that takes the stove body up to 500F. The paint won't get wet, but it might soften a bit before that. Do a couple small break-in fires first, then go for a decent sized fire that gets the insert up to temp.

 

[jimdrea]

Thanks, a little initial panic after the insert was installed.The first fire produced all my smoke alarms going off. My house is old but hard wired.What I figured out was that I did not open a window during the first burn and a very strong chemical smell came from the the insert. Well after reading the directions this is normal. I am at 4 hours of a solid burn and my downstairs roughly 1400 sq feet is at a comfortable 73 degrees. I'm happy with the insert and looking forward to many years of warmth.

 

[Mellery]

Congratulations! Is this your first wood stove?

Second winter here with our insert- the learning curve was long. Everything became so much easier after I read all the articles by subject here on this site Heck, I didn't even know what a secondary burn was!! Thankfully we had an awesome dealer, installation and well-seasoned wood.

 

[Ram 1500 with an axe...]

Keep burning every day and ask lot of questions so you can learn all that you can, after your third or our the breaking fire you should be good to goto open her up......enjoy

 

[smokedragon]

Best tip I can offer is to read the owner's manual from cover to cover and do what it says. Sounds like you've already read it, so you're off to a good start. Next, do a search on this forum for "seasoned wood". Insufficiently dry wood will likely be the biggest problem you'll face. Good luck, and enjoy!

A moisture meter is your best friend.