New Clydesdale owner and new to boards!

[7kids1hotmama]

Hi! So happy to be here. You don't know it, but your info and all these posts helped me choose my Clydesdale to replace my puny Drolet 1400 Escape. The installers were awesome, and its beautiful--and quite a relief, considering it was a calculated risk to buy it without exact inner dimensions of my fireplace. (The Drolet was here when we moved, so i just shoved my tape around it, said a prayer and ordered!!)

Did I break it in right? I did a small (10 min) kindling fire, another 15 minute fire, and a third fire for a half hour or so. Then I tried to do a small start to a normal fire, which burned for an hour but then went out because my son pushed the damper in. So I technically got a few fires in to break it in. And then I lit a good fire with four 4" nice logs 22"'or so. And as it lit up and heated up, I got nervous...but I'm sure its fine. Im gonna let this one go to cooler coals and then light it up good for the night and see what it looks like in the morning. I had to load that Drolet up every 3-3.5 hours, so I'm sure I wont be disappointed! The paint smell is pretty bad. Moved the finches to the laundry room for the night. But I expected that.

So give me some guidance on keeping a thermometer on the fire...we burned full loads of locust in that old one, just to get enough heat for the coldest days and nights. Now we have hickory, cherry, and oak, split and stacked in May this year, and some that was split and stacked in August this year (which I doubt I'll need this season). It may not be fully seasoned, but it's what I have. Is that OK? And how/why do i keep track of my fire temps. I never knew you could "burn up" a wood stove...what do I want to avoid??

Thanks...and I'm so glad for you and the resource this community is!! Merry Christmas

 

[BrotherBart]

Congrats. A great insert. I was a day away from buying one in 2006 when I discovered the 30-NC and that it would fit in my fireplace. Had always had an insert and wanted to try a free stander in the fireplace.

Not much chance of a decent thermometer reading on that insert. Just go by the look of the fire and the heat produced. Readings on the face would just be kidding yourself.

 

[BrotherBart]

That insert and hearth is gorgeous. I should be in a sales brochure.

ETA: Makes it even better that you live in Harman.

 

[begreen]

Welcome. That is a great insert. It should give you many years of great heat. I'm concerned however about the wood. Oak and hickory typically take 2 years to season after splitting and stacking. Wood stacked in May could need another year unless it was a dry year and we're talking ash and birch.

 

[7kids1hotmama]

Thanks for the kind comments and wood info. It was split and stacked in May, but harvested in fall '13 if that makes any difference. And it's never a dry year--i live in a rainforest, it's just not tropical. The person who previously handled our wood cut it way too long for our old setup (by 4-6"...for many reasons I am glad he is gone, but that is one). He also split it into 2' long toothpicks, so these are super skinny slivers of wood--not your normal looking split logs. Anyway, that said, I really should get this next load of logs thats sitting outside cut and stacked. Had no idea it took so long. And this means ordering 2 triaxles this spring again, since I'm ordering 2 seasons ahead. Thanks again!