My two cents - small insert owner

[JCass]

First, I thank everyone who posts/replies on this forum. Without the info I found here, I wouldn't be as warm or as budget friendly this winter.

We installed a PE vista insert (1.3 cf firebox) about a month ago and have been experimenting with it on the colder days and nights. We just had our first major winter storm this past weekend (lows in the teens and 14" of snow since Friday morning) and I knew that I would want to burn it 24/7 this weekend.

I have become fairly proficient in getting the stove up to temp quickly and letting it cruise at 575-600 degrees. I let it burn until stove top temp hits 300-325 degrees and reload (75-100% full). I repeated this process throughout the day averaging anywhere from 5-7 hours of good heat (stove top temp still above 200 degrees). Kept the stove room between 70-76 degrees.

I am very pleased with this little stoves performance. We had three overnight burns (~10pm - 5am) this weekend and each morning I had no problem getting the stove going. Through on a few pieces of kindling and a small split and off it went. It was 17 degrees this morning and still 65 in the living room without the aid of the furnace, which is set at 60.

It is suppose to warm up this week into the 50's. So, as soon as the snow melts of the roof, I plan on checking the liner, which is SS flex run down an exterior chimney. I have a poly brush to give it a cleaning and I have been burning very clean with smoke only apparent at start-up and reload.

I couldn't have imagined how fun it could be to have a woodstove in the house. Not only heat, but ambiance. Good stuff!

 

[begreen]

Good to hear that it's working well for you. Heat and a great light show are a treat that's hard to beat.

 

[etiger2007]

Better times than I could do with my little 1.3, great job.

 

[Beer Belly]

Not sure if you're expierenced at Chimney cleaning.....one of the best tips I got was, when adding rods and while brushing up and down...always rotate to the right (clockwise) to keep the darn thing together....don't want it to unscrew apart in the Chimney

 

[JCass]

Not sure if you're expierenced at Chimney cleaning.....one of the best tips I got was, when adding rods and while brushing up and down...always rotate to the right (clockwise) to keep the darn thing together....don't want it to unscrew apart in the Chimney

Wow, great tip!

 

[Bocefus78]

The vista was my choice as well. I'm always amazed at the heat that little thing puts out. It sounds like you have some good dry wood too! What are you burning to get your overnighters?

 

[JCass]

The vista was my choice as well. I'm always amazed at the heat that little thing puts out. It sounds like you have some good dry wood too! What are you burning to get your overnighters?

It's a great little stove.

My overnighters go like this:

At 9pm (with stove at around 300 degrees), I load it full of mix of blue spruce and lodgepole pine. I know a lot of people on the forums do the "rake the coals forward" method, but I found that leaves me with a large smoldering log in the very back of the stove. This has happened to me every time I have tried the coals forward. Instead, I leave a small monolayer of coals on the floor of the stove with a small mound raked forward. Then load large splits EW from front to back. Since the length of my splits are usually only 3/4 of the stove EW, I also load a few shorter, thick splits NS to fill the remaining 1/4 of the space. I stuff the firebox absolutely full.

After loading, the stove top temp has usually dropped to around 275. I leave the air open wide until the stove top reached 400 then step it down to half way. Wait until the top reads 500, and close the air down to 10-25%. Stove top usually gets up to 600 then cruises between 575-600. Off to bed I go.

Also, I turn the blower on high.

I know people on here will say otherwise, but through experimenting, this procedure is what gives me the cleanest, longest burns with MY stove so far. But, I am also learning that there is some many variables that can change stove operation.

 

[James02]

I loved my Vista...Buuuut, had the Summit put in late in the burn season earlier this year....Glad you're doing well.

 

[JCass]

I loved my Vista...Buuuut, had the Summit put in late in the burn season earlier this year....Glad you're doing well.

Yeah, the vista is about all we could handle. The living room would be unbearable with a bigger stove.