new burner needs help

[[email protected]]

This is my first year burning with my new Fpx 44 elite in a new home built my me.
I bought a magnetic temp meter and so far the best I have gotten up to is 400 deg. Where should I be putting this on the face? I know I should be 650 or above right ?
I have tried it on the upper part of the door and up my the flue control on the face plate. Lack of temp maybe due to the quality of my wood but after finishing the house I had limited time to scrounge wood for this year.
I believe I am getting good draft as the stove wants to suck the doors closed. I hear a whistling sound down by the bower control when I have the air shut down. Is this normal ?
I insulated the chase or at least the first floor portion of it 14ft up to the block off plate 3/4 plywood with a stainless steel plate surrounding( no insulation). Should I knock into the 2nd story portion and insulate/drywall.
If I was going to jump into the wall this summer can I surround the portion of the insert inside the chase with un faced batts to further insulate. I was also thinking of wrapping the air and outside blower pipes around the od.
Any thing I should /should not do while I am in there?

 

[Doctuh]

Most likely the wood. I had some "seasoned" wood delivered last year and am finding it hard to get up to temp. Lots of hissing and steaming from it.

 

[Heem]

sounds like your draft is not the problem. Try buying a bag of kiln dried wood at the hardware store, see how it runs. Then you'll know if it's the wood.

Also, try possibly splitting your wood a bit smaller.

 

[[email protected]]

I have bought wood from home depot that says kiln dried and it hissed and bubbled more than the wood I have.
I have a good 4 cords in the back bucked up just waiting for weather to warm so I can split and stack it. I just need to build a new home for my wood pile. So I may have to write off this year. What is the best way to get a temp reading on a insert should I go pick up an Ir gun ?
The good news is that even running the 44 elite at 350-400 deg it was heating my 4400 sqft house with out a problem
just going thru a lot more wood than I thought I would again un seasoned wood = low stove temp,more wood consumption,and short burn times 3-4 hr max. Right ?

Will breaking into the wall and insulating help
Does any one get an over night burn with a fpx 44 elite or 33?

 

[[email protected]]

TTP

 

[Jags]

Adding insulation will only help, but by how much in your situation, I cannot say. You may want to just chalk this year up to "learning". If I were a bet'in man, I would bet that next year with properly seasoned wood, you will have better performance and may not need to do anything.

Note: knowing that your wood is questionable, and being a studious wood burner, I'm guessing your keeping a close eye on that stack....right???? ;-)

 

[[email protected]]

I had no clue that this thing was going to have such a learning curve. Who would have though that a little research into
buying a decent insert installed when I was building my house would now find me with a few saws and looking at tree's in a totally different way. I do enjoy having a $120 Ng Bill and a house that is toasty warm.
I am hoping that next year I will take it to the next level and start burning 24/7 if it's possible with this insert.

I keep a close eye on the stack and have invested in a brush.

I bought a 361 a month ago and now my wife hates me as I now want to buy a 660

 

[Backwoods Savage]

44 elite, when you get to the point where you have at least a year's supply on hand in the spring, you will see a huge difference in the efficiency of that insert. Better still is a 2 year supply.

 

[[email protected]]

That's what I was thinking
Think I have about 1 cord oak( dead on the ground when cut) been split since december 08 and 2 cords of Elm (not split but been in rounds for over a year). I don't relly know what to shoot for so I am just going try to gather as much as I can and try to get ahead of the game. I am going to build a lean to open faced and latticed back with a clear poly roof when the ground thaws so I can get the 4x4 in the ground. Thinking of building it to fit about 5 cords ( 2 years supply ?)
Should I build bigger ?
I am only burn at night and all weekend and heating a 4400 sqft house that is insane insulated 2x6 walls and closed cell foam insulation.
It's been heating it fine considering now learning I am about 300 deg off of where i should be running this thing at. Wife will be running around naked next winter