new wood stove break in

[perry]

i believe i read some where on this site about burning your new wood stove outside before bringing it in the house. prombaly a good idea uh?. any tips on breaking in a new englander 13 ?. i havent read the manual yet but will tomarrow. just seeing if you guys have any tricks or advise.

they sure arent easy to move by yourself are they :gulp: ?. had to transfer the stove from the minivan to the a trailer. hopefully will have some help this weekend and get'r installed

 

[STOVEGUY11]

Have 3 small 5 minute fires. Just use a little bit of wood. Let the fire die out completly before you repeat the step two more times. This is to get the moisture out of the stove, and also begin the curring process of the stove.

P.S. Open the windows

 

[BrotherBart]

With a steel stove I just sit it in front of the garage, stick a few pipe sections in the top of it and fire it up. Multiple small burns are the ticket for cast iron stoves but they don't do squat for a steel one. Burn it low for a little while and then pour the coals to it. Cruise it around five hundred for a little while and it will cook the smellies out of it.

Then get that sucker into the house and start makin heat!

 

[BotetourtSteve]

Awesome tractors! And nice stove too!

 

[tkirk22]

Awesome tractors! And nice stove too!

Yes.....but.... I'm wondering what's underneath the cover? There's always something nice under the cover right?

 

[pearsall]

There was a fair amount of stink when I installed my Englander 13. Just keep the windows open. Whatever the smell it can't be good for you. It took about a week for mine to clear out.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

I Purchased my 13 from Home Depot on M-24 South of Lake Orion there.....

I Payed $479.00

Where did you buy yours, Auburn Hills?

 

[perry]

I Purchased my 13 from Home Depot on M-24 South of Lake Orion there.....

Where did you buy yours?
I Payed $479.00

What did you pay?

same place, same price picked it up monday night. i am 1 mile east of the palace.

 

[stoveguy2esw]

kool beans!! welcome to the family. one helpful hint , see that blue stuff on the trim , pleaseeeee peel it off before you start the first fire. its a (*&^(*%* to get it off when it gets hot. other than that , like stated drop a couple lengths of pipe in the top and cook her out outside if ya want , might start a little slow with a short pipe in it , but it will work if you are pacient. make sure you post pics when you get it in and fired up.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

I Purchased my 13 from Home Depot on M-24 South of Lake Orion there.....

Where did you buy yours?
I Payed $479.00

What did you pay?

same place, same price picked it up monday night. i am 1 mile east of the palace.

Cool.....But I thought I got their Last one a week before you....hmm?
Was yours New in the Box?

Mine was on the Pallet and Not in Box.
But no issues.
It is New.
But when I got mine they said it was their last one.......Weird.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

Let me know where you get your Pipe, and what brand.
I was looking at this.................
http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/category_6970_770342+766991

Let me know Perry...
Thanks!

 

[cmonSTART]

I echo the nice old tractors comments!

Beer consumption, preferably a nice local micro brew, make the break in process go more easily.

 

[perry]

last one eh :-S . i went there and they had this one and a 12 in the box on the pallets. they told me that they had no more in the back room. watch and we'll prombaly see more there for a even lower price,.... maybe?.

you missed out on the cheap chimneys. i was buying selkirk metalbesto pipe at northern wholesale on brown rd & joslyn. luckly i bought and installed my chimney last year. they are now bought out by a bigger distributer and the good deals are gone. i went back to return a pipe i did'nt use and the new owners would,nt return it. but they offered to sell me what they had in stock. they wanted to get rid of it. so you may want to check just to see.
i bought both my house and garage chimney threw the old owners. each cost me around $500 from the stove to the cap. the house is 6" galva temp and the garage is 8" stainless steel both selkirk brand. it was a awsome deal. most the fire place stores around us want around $1000 for a complete chimney. check with TSC in lapeer or romeo for chimney pipe. also the ACE on joslyn rd in gingerville sells wood stove stuff. i have been from waterford to port huron searching wood stoves and assesorys. good luck, and let me know what you find. and dont mix brands.

also check here for selkirk:
(broken link removed)

 

[jadm]

Back to stove break in. I just did 4 break in fires in my new Jotul insert. The manual said to start with a small one first, a couple of pieces of kindling, and then let insert cool completely and then next fire go bigger. I used pine for first fire. Second I added 2 small pieces of hard wood. Third more hard wood added to the pile - same with fourth. The fires were not hot. First didn't even register on my thermometer on the door. Second one got it to 100*. Third got it to 200* and fourth got it to 300*. I didn't know how else to judge it other than to use the therm. and I can't remember what I did with my old insert or even if I did break in fires.

Question is - how do I know if I have broken it in with the fires I built? I'm ready to build a 'big' fire and see how this new insert heats things up here.

Another question - Just what is it that is creating the smell? Luckily our weather has been warmer so I opened windows and used a fan to clear it out as much as possible but know I am in for more smells each time I take it to a new temp. Just hope it doesn't kill any of us!! So far I am the only one getting headaches....

 

[begreen]

Burn a medium sized fire next. Take her up to about 500. After that consider break in done.

The smell is from the painted surfaces and oils that are outgassing and burning off as they heat up.

 

[jadm]

BeGreen- You think a medium fire is 500*?!? That is when I am standing ready with the fire extinguisher in hand waiting for a melt down. Hate to see what you consider a hot fire!! I might have to bring the hose into the house for one of those. Guess I'd have to thaw it out first.

Good to know it's just paint and oils. Guess I can put away my will and let the kids know I will be around for awhile longer.

 

[perry]

[quote author="Hayabusa Rider" date="1203662230"]I Purchased my 13 from Home Depot on M-24 South of Lake Orion there.....
I Payed $479.00

did you find a fan/blower for one of these ?.

 

[begreen]

BeGreen- You think a medium fire is 500*?!? That is when I am standing ready with the fire extinguisher in hand waiting for a melt down. Hate to see what you consider a hot fire!! I might have to bring the hose into the house for one of those. Guess I’d have to thaw it out first.

Yes, It needs to get hot enough to maintain secondary combustion. Get a good starter fire going then add about 4-5 medium sized splits, let char. Once the splits are fully aflame, reduce the air about 50-60% and see how the stove really performs. Normal temps will be in this range. Fully loaded and pushed a little, I wouldn't be surprised if the stove reached 650-700. This is a big serious heater. If it is run all the time at 300-400 it will be a creosote machine.

 

[jadm]

BeGreen - Thanks for replies. Yes, I agree this is a serious heater. What a difference from my old insert. I will have to get comfortable with the higher heats and I'm sure that will come in time. Have read enough here to know many of you burn at those temps and are fine. I know to stop when I see red Hopefully that never happens. It would be too much excitement and, at my age, it could cause serious damage, not only to the insert, but to me as well!

I look forward to learning how this unit performs. The Napoleon was a good breaking in tool. It got me started on my love of wood burning and for that I will always be grateful.

P.S. I am assuming that when you refer to temps. you are stating firebox temps and not flue temps. My therm. is mounted on the door right above the handle. My flue is covered by the surround and there is no way I can get that off. It weighs a ton and took two very strong men to install it on it's hooks on the insert.

During the curing fires I noticed that by comparison with my Napoleon the therm. registered lower temps. for the size of fire I had going. ie. If I had built the same size fire in my Napoleon it would have registered at 400*. On the Jotul it was 300*. Again, I am making an assumption that The Jotul takes more to heat it from a cold start do to it's size and the amount of cast iron it is heating compared to the Napoleon. That I am dealing with more cold mass. Going on this assumption, is it fair to assume that once it is heated the temps will be comparable to what I got on the Napoleon....or should I throw out all of my assumptions????

 

[soxfan13]

be green-

Both perplexed and I have the jotul rockland insert. The thermometer is placed above the handle on the cast iron of the stove. My question is how does a reading there on an insert compare to a reading on a stove top? Do you believe that 500* on the front of an insert would be comparable to 500*-600* on a stove top. Is there a way to tell without taking off the surround and just placing a thermometer on top to check.


I am new to an insert so I don't want' to overfire it!! My dad has an avalon rainer free standing stove and the thing heats up quick and throws a ton of heat. He has the thermometer on the top of the stove and it gets to 600*-700 no problem. I guess I am trying to compare that stove and my knowledge of it with this new bigger insert.

Thanks for your help.

 

[begreen]

It could be that the thermometer is not making good surface contact with the door. This is where an IR thermometer can help. Is the plate directly above the door on the left side cooler than the door itself? I suspect you'll have to experiment to find the best location for the thermometer. Be sure to wear leather gloves when moving it around on the hot stove.

As to running the stove, you're the first kid on the block with this baby. If you have specific operational questions, best to start a new thread that can draw in C450 users. I just wanted to point out that you are now past breakin and ready to rock and roll.

 

[jadm]

BeGreen - I just remembered a topic posted by NoYa awhile ago and his readings were that the flue temps measured 200* higher than his door temps. which make sense to me now that I have started burning in this. Last night door therm. (Yes, it is right above the door. Can't get it working on the door due to rounded surface. It has a lot of cast iron under it and I'm thinking that the air flow in the box somehow effects it too..)read 325*. The fire bricks were clean as a whistle and the flames were a steady blue and the coals were burning white hot. From my very limited experience with the Napoleon that box was a whole lot hotter than 325*.

As everyone says this will just take some getting used to. Soxfan13 has his up and running too so I know I am not the only one out here riding this new learning curve.

Today I'm posting a flue temp. question to find out what flue temps should be to keep things clean.

What is an IR thermometer?

Trying to measure the flue temp. on this unit is hard due to the heftiness of the surround. There is no way I can get it off so I am just going to have to learn how to deal with the door temps. and consider them relative...

So far I am really pleased with this unit. The construction is amazing. Simplicity at it's best. :coolsmile:

 

[jadm]

P.S. to above entry. What is a C450? I'm guessing that it is the Jotul 450?

 

[begreen]

yes C450 is the mid-sized brother of your C550. IR= Infrared, do a search for several threads on IR thermometers.

OK, the 300 degree temp makes sense. The plate you have the thermometer on is a cover plate over the actual stove box. It will be cooler than the stove body. An IR thermometer or remote flue probe may be the best bets.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

I Purchased my 13 from Home Depot on M-24 South of Lake Orion there.....
I Payed $479.00

did you find a fan/blower for one of these ?.

I have not pursued that yet.

Thanks for the Tips.........I will keep you informed on my progress ....all be it slow.