I purchased a house this summer and it has a Napoleon Oakdale EPI3 insert. I've lite it 4 times now and it doesn't appear that wood last very long. I've had 3 other Napoleon woodstoves over the years and they are excellent at long burns with minimal wood . It seems to throw decent heat with the blower but none without it. The stove is in brand new condition but it won't stay here long if I can't get it sorted out ! Anyone have experience with these ? Any inserts that you can recommend ?
Napoleon Oakdale insert
- Thread starter kubotamike
- Start date
-
Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.
We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.
We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil.
Inserts will run differently than a freestanding stove. What model(s) Napoleons were run previously? Were they loaded N/S?The EPI3 is a decent insert, but it primarily loads E/W which means you can't load it as fully without worrying about a hot log rolling up against the glass. So in comparison to say the 2 cu ft Napoleon 1402, the EPI3 may only be able to be loaded with 1.5 cu ft of wood loaded E/W. It's also flush so the heat radiating off of the stove body need the convection fan to get it out into the room. Inserts that project out onto the hearth permit some radiant heat from the sides which helps them work heat ok without the blower running in milder weather.
Is this fireplace on an exterior wall? If so, heat is further lost through the cold exterior back of the fireplace and up the chimney. This can be addressed by installing a block-off plate to seal off the damper area and if there is room, putting a layer of insulation behind the insert. Doing this can make a significant difference in heat output.
Is this fireplace on an exterior wall? If so, heat is further lost through the cold exterior back of the fireplace and up the chimney. This can be addressed by installing a block-off plate to seal off the damper area and if there is room, putting a layer of insulation behind the insert. Doing this can make a significant difference in heat output.
Burnin Since 1989
Member
Sorry no experience with this specific insert. There could be more than a few different issues. Do you have the manual? That's always a good starting point. Here it is if you don't have it:
Has the stove and chimney been inspected by anyone? If not, as a minimum you should check it over really good and make sure the chimney is clean and not obstructed by anything.
Welcome to the forum and good luck getting this sorted out. There are a lot of quality wood burning inserts on the market.
Thanks for the reply,
All of the stoves I've had were are 1100 napoleon's which are absolute work horses and yes they were all N/S loading. I spoke to the installer and there is a block off plate and it's properly sealed off but it is on an outside wall . I really don't want to but a new stove ,but 3 fairly large pcs of maple burnt up in 1.5 hrs with the draft mostly closed. It still produced heat for another 2.5hrs with enough coals for the next load but it will never run through the night .
All of the stoves I've had were are 1100 napoleon's which are absolute work horses and yes they were all N/S loading. I spoke to the installer and there is a block off plate and it's properly sealed off but it is on an outside wall . I really don't want to but a new stove ,but 3 fairly large pcs of maple burnt up in 1.5 hrs with the draft mostly closed. It still produced heat for another 2.5hrs with enough coals for the next load but it will never run through the night .
Thanks, Yes I've looked and the manual and I'm doing everything right. I cleaned the chimney and it wasn't blocked and wasn't the dirty . The stove was install in 2019 and looks brand new. I'm burning 2 year old dry maple so the wood is dry and good quality.
21.5 feet? If so, that's fine. If it was more like 25-30' then I would be concerned about too strong draft.
An experiment to consider is cutting some wood down to 12" and try a full load N/S.
What species of wood are you burning?
An experiment to consider is cutting some wood down to 12" and try a full load N/S.
What species of wood are you burning?
Sorry I thought you meant the top of the insert, It's around 18' to the top of chimney from the stove. I'm burning all 2 year old Dry Maple. I do have some short wood that I can try loading straight in .
I tried loading it N/S and still no different, Also the door on it really gets black quick even with the draft open on it.
That could be a sign of air leaking by a door gasket needing replacement. Try the dollar bill test around the door to check.
Similar threads
