New Install Hamptom HI300 ---- Have Questions

[Bills330i]

Finally got my insert last Thursday after a 4 month wait. Installed Thursday evening and had my 1st fire Thursday night. So after burning this past weekend i have a few questions.

1. Where is the best place on this stove to measure the temp. Most of the surrounding cast iron is isolated so i don't think you gat a good measurement. I checked the glass and the infrared thermo read about 600 degrees.

2. Damper control: full open I can get a nice hot fire and the blower realy throws out the heat but the wood burns fast as expected. Has anyone found an optimal point for blower speed, stove temp and damper setting. For example it seems that if you damper down the stove and run the blower the stove runs cool.

3. So if I run the stove with damper full open and blower on high to get max heat i burn a lot of wood. What is the average amoutn of split logs one burns in a day. I would say this past weekend I burnt about 20 splits per day combo white oak and hickory. Does this seam resonalbe

4. Ceiling fan: i have one in the room. is it best to run it fast or slow and air up or air down?

Any other HI300 insert owners please share your knowledge as to achive max efficieny.

Thanks, Bill

 

[cocey2002]

Hey nice install. Some of us went through these same questions last month. Check this thread out.
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/28785/

Top shelf in the middle about 4 inches back. Max temp I had her up to was 375. That was very hot. This is my first year with the Hampton and I'm operating it much like you. I start off with the air wide open and fan on low. I let it get to around 375 and close the air down some and turn the fan on high and leave it there. I'm using around 20 splits a day and night. Heats my downstairs to 83 and upstairs to 73. 2200sqft house built two years ago. You are correct that when you close the air down it cools pretty quick. Feeding it is the only solution. I'm happy though.

 

[Adios Pantalones]

I have the same stove. I set the fan to automatic, and hi-speed. Get a fire going with a few small pieces, and load it up when it's going well. I leave the door ajar for a couple minutes and then leave the air open for maybe 15 minutes or more. At some point it's going well enough that you can shut the air right down and the secondaries will keep burning. In fact, it feels hotter to me, maybe because there's less air cooling it off. You'll have to learn what that point is when you can close air- try closing 1/2 way first, let it stabilize, then close it some time later.

# of splits depends on size of the splits. With oak I get maybe 6 hours of good heat with the unit jam packed. I find that I get better secondary action when it's loaded right up.

 

[cocey2002]

I run my ceiling fan on low. Every house is different. Mine is extremly easy to heat. It doesn't get real cold here either. In the eight years I lived here it has never hit 0.

 

[cocey2002]

It seems like I can't close the air down to below 25%. The temps drop pretty fast and the fire is almost gone. Not sure why.

 

[burntime]

Your wood may not be seasoned enough? I put the thermometer on the top shelf and have barely broke 350. I have a 15 foot chimney, interior and insulated with a block off plate. I can choke mine down all the way. Get it good and hot and choke it down. The sooner you choke it down the more heat stays in the room vs up the chimney.

 

[cocey2002]

Nope meter says 15%. The only way I can choke it down is to stuff it to the max.

 

[burntime]

I don't know then, I have a short chimney so I theoretcally (sp) should have less draft? I do pack mine full?

 

[Bills330i]

Thanks for the replys. I'll play around with it more over the holiday. I measured 600F on the glass door with an IR thermometer. I'm amazed someone is heating a 2200sqft house to 83 degrees down stairs. I gues the floor plan has a lot to do with it because my 2400 sqft house cant be heated with just the insert. Temp continues to drop. I will try to run it full steam over the holiday and see how it does. Ahh, i guess i could get to 83 degrees if it was 40 degrees outside, but a 0 in CT the past few days the insert is not cutting it. Although im sure im still saving some oil.

Thanks Again

 

[kd460]

Bills330i, hang in there. Keep playing around with the insert. It is just a learning curve. Don't be afraid to experiment. Assuming your wood is really dry, try smaller splits, more air, less air, turn down air later, turn down air sooner etc.

I personally like to run my fan at medium speed, but, I let the stove temps dictate how fast I run the blower. Slower when the temps are not as hot, faster when the stove temps are really up there. The stove actually performs better when you reach a certain temp and keep it there. When you figure out what that temp is, then it will be more forgiving, allowing you add larger splits, maybe some splits with a little higher moisture than optimal, etc. It will eventually come to you.

Also move some of the cooler air to the stove/insert room. A small fan or two on the floor moving the cool air will really make a big difference. KD

 

[mskif]

I have a fan in the same room as the stove. Once the fire is burning real hot with secondary burn, with the heat all rising the fan starts to move on its own. I then turn it on low to disperse the heat throughout the house. The heat seems to disperse throughout the house when I have the fan running.

 

[burntime]

Put it on medium and it moves much more air. I set mine to pull up and that way it does not blow on me and still move air.

 

[mskif]

Put it on medium and it moves much more air. I set mine to pull up and that way it does not blow on me and still move air.

I have the fan pulling air up as well. I fist tried blowing down but we definitely didn't like the air blowing down on us. I'll give medium a try.

 

[stejus]

I finally had my HI300 installed last Tuesday. I've been buring small hot loads to keep the stove temp somewhat low in order to bake in the paint. Last night I finally went out and bought a Rutland thermometer. I tried the door but found better readings on the top shelf. Make sure you turn off the air blower to get a better reading.

10:30 AM - I loaded up the stove chuck full with oak splits.
Let her rip from 250 degrees to about 450 degrees until 11:30PM. I noticed the stove pipe started to glow so I shut down the damper fully at this point.
Room temp was about 75 degrees and outside air was about 20 degrees.
7:00AM - Stove temp was 250 degrees with a nice thick bed of coals and the room temp was 64 degrees.
7:30AM - Repeated the cylce and brought the stove temp from 250 degrees to 450 degrees in about an hour.
Room temp 1.5 hours later is 68 degrees and stove temp 475 degrees (no blower running).

I am very pleased with this stove so far other than a missing part with the surround. This is why the surround is missing in the pic.

 

[iceman]

I finally had my HI300 installed last Tuesday. I've been buring small hot loads to keep the stove temp somewhat low in order to bake in the paint. Last night I finally went out and bought a Rutland thermometer. I tried the door but found better readings on the top shelf. Make sure you turn off the air blower to get a better reading.

10:30 AM - I loaded up the stove chuck full with oak splits.
Let her rip from 250 degrees to about 450 degrees until 11:30PM. I noticed the stove pipe started to glow so I shut down the damper fully at this point.
Room temp was about 75 degrees and outside air was about 20 degrees.
7:00AM - Stove temp was 250 degrees with a nice thick bed of coals and the room temp was 64 degrees.
7:30AM - Repeated the cylce and brought the stove temp from 250 degrees to 450 degrees in about an hour.
Room temp 1.5 hours later is 68 degrees and stove temp 475 degrees (no blower running).

I am very pleased with this stove so far other than a missing part with the surround. This is why the surround is missing in the pic.

you either have a really open floor plan, or maybe the stove is in the basement ... but i think you might have a little insulation issue
to lose 11 degrees in a 9 hrs just a heads up but come spring check you insulation and caulk windows... it seems like you got that stove cranking and if it is still at 250 i don't get why your temp dropped so much??? but after your post i am now going to reconsider the h1300 for my basement

 

[cocey2002]

Do you have the enamel finish? Wow- 450 is high. Most I ever tried was 375 and I thought that was about as high as I should go. I hope you like yours. We love ours and it heats our whole house.

 

[burntime]

cocey, if you look he does not have the surround on and it is sitting on top of the firebox. I bet your 375 on the top shelf was warmer than the 450 on top of the firebox. You are measuring discharge air not firebox

 

[stejus]

I finally had my HI300 installed last Tuesday. I've been buring small hot loads to keep the stove temp somewhat low in order to bake in the paint. Last night I finally went out and bought a Rutland thermometer. I tried the door but found better readings on the top shelf. Make sure you turn off the air blower to get a better reading.

10:30 AM - I loaded up the stove chuck full with oak splits.
Let her rip from 250 degrees to about 450 degrees until 11:30PM. I noticed the stove pipe started to glow so I shut down the damper fully at this point.
Room temp was about 75 degrees and outside air was about 20 degrees.
7:00AM - Stove temp was 250 degrees with a nice thick bed of coals and the room temp was 64 degrees.
7:30AM - Repeated the cylce and brought the stove temp from 250 degrees to 450 degrees in about an hour.
Room temp 1.5 hours later is 68 degrees and stove temp 475 degrees (no blower running).

I am very pleased with this stove so far other than a missing part with the surround. This is why the surround is missing in the pic.

you either have a really open floor plan, or maybe the stove is in the basement ... but i think you might have a little insulation issue
to lose 11 degrees in a 9 hrs just a heads up but come spring check you insulation and caulk windows... it seems like you got that stove cranking and if it is still at 250 i don't get why your temp dropped so much??? but after your post i am now going to reconsider the h1300 for my basement

Yes to open floor plan. I forgot to mention the upstairs was at 65 degrees in hallway and about 60 degrees in the bedrooms. I also have a small fan at the bottom of the stairs pushing cold air towards the stove. I think this is sort of like a cold air return to help move the heat upstairs.

I know I am loosing some heat to the great outdoors. My chimney is external and the liner is sealed at the top. I don't have a block off plate yet so my chimney is taking some of my heat The sweep who installed the stove is coming back in the spring to insulate liner and close off damper.

 

[stejus]

cocey, if you look he does not have the surround on and it is sitting on top of the firebox. I bet your 375 on the top shelf was warmer than the 450 on top of the firebox. You are measuring discharge air not firebox

burntime - the thermometer is sitting on the top cast iron shelf all the way back.

 

[bjkjoseph]

i have that stove,seasoned wood is a must.only have air fully open to start the fire,or the heat will just go right up the chimney.after i get a good fire going i shut the air way down,you will feel the heat blast you in your face because its not flying up the chimney.i made the same mistake when i first got mine,i don't use a thermometer on this stove,to be accurate it would have to be on the top of the stove,not happening.just don't operate with air fully open.if you have to,your wood is no good,i have a feeling that's the case.you will know when its over firing,if i fully loaded my stove with my wood and the air all the way open i think the stove would melt.try some nice seasoned wood,you will like it its a good stove,you made a good choice also did you get a full liner?and did you insulate above the insert and if it is an out side chimney the liner must be insulated.

 

[stejus]

Do you have the enamel finish? Wow- 450 is high. Most I ever tried was 375 and I thought that was about as high as I should go. I hope you like yours. We love ours and it heats our whole house.

The fact the oil heat hasn't kicked on since Tuesday evening would be one reason I am thrilled. The other is knowing I am generating heat instead of loosing it in my fireplace burning wood! It's the black metallic finish.

From what I've read, it's best to get the stove up to temp before closing down the air. Someone mentioned when the flue collar starts to glow, it's time to shut down the air. Last night I learned this stove can overfire very quickly with the stove loaded and the air wide open. This morning I took it nice and slow to build up the temp to reach the 450 and shut her down as soon as I saw the flue collar getting red. Nearly 4 hours after reaching 450 degrees, its around 300. There's a lot of wind today so it may be drafting more than it should?

 

[bjkjoseph]

whoops i did not see your last post. the manual says if you have a full liner you don't need a block off plate,but you need to insulate above the insert, i put regular old fiberglass insulation shoved it right up there,been there for 3 years,you don't need special insulation just take the paper backer off.

 

[stejus]

whoops i did not see your last post. the manual says if you have a full liner you don't need a block off plate,but you need to insulate above the insert, i put regular old fiberglass insulation shoved it right up there,been there for 3 years,you don't need special insulation just take the paper backer off.

No issues with this insulation burning or smelling?

 

[burntime]

cocey, if you look he does not have the surround on and it is sitting on top of the firebox. I bet your 375 on the top shelf was warmer than the 450 on top of the firebox. You are measuring discharge air not firebox

burntime - the thermometer is sitting on the top cast iron shelf all the way back.

OMG, I have hit 350 tops, you win, I guess I can cook this thing a little hotter No more worrying if I can get past 400 :bug:

 

[bjkjoseph]

nope i don't know what this stuff melts at but i cant do it.also the stove guy near me has been using it for years never had a problem,i had the stove out and it was in perfect condition