NorthStar heat output?

[newflame]

I just had a northstar installed and had some questions. I have been burning good size fires and don't seem to be getting the heat output I'm expecting. It sits inside a 350sq/ft room and it barely gets hot. The fire temp reads 500-600. What am I doing wrong?
Could there be a defect?
Please help

 

[North of 60]

Do you mean stove top temp was 5-600? How dry is your wood? How long was it seasoned? IS this a free standing stove or insert? If an insert do you have a block-off plate? What is the model # of your unit?
No more questions your honour.

 

[North of 60]

I think I answered a few questions myself. Its an insert and its from heat-n-glow. So if your getting a surface temp of 500, are you running your fan/blowers otherwise it looks like all you will or mostly get radiant heat out of it. Was a block off plate installed as this will make a difference to keep the heat in. All of things are factors, but if your getting those temps and the room is 300sq the fan should more than do it. Answer the questions and the rest will surly chime in. :cheese:

 

[newflame]

Yes the fan/blower are running on auto. It starts up when the temp hit a certain degree. A block off plate was not installed. What exactly is that and is it ok for this unit.
This is a heat n glo unit.

Also it looks as if the chimney air kit was not installed. It this something I should be worried about?

 

[73blazer]

You should be worried the chimney air kit was not installed. It is what keeps the air between the walls of the chimney cooled. It is mandatory with the SL300 pipe, and the SL300 pipe is the only pipe authorized for use with this fireplace. I even asked HeatNGlo, because this unit is so similar to the Quadrafire 7100 whose manual says can take triple wall Simpson Dura-plus chimney pipe, but HeatnGlo said, nope, SL300 and thats your only choice for the NorthStar (Quadra-fire and HeatnGlo & Heatilator are all under Hearth&Home;technologies company).

So effectively it is mandatory and is somewhat dangerous without it. I'm not sure if its related to your heat output woes, but you should call whoever installed it and demand they fix it immediately, which won't be such an easy task with the chimney already installed, and at their total cost. Read the manual, it states at least twice that the CAK4A air kit is mandatory and must be installed. There is even a sticker on the box saying that as well, and if you saw the fireplace when it was unpacked, there was a hanging laminated piece of paper inside the unit saying it again. You should also report that dealer to HeatNGlo. And also check to ensure your installer used SL300 pipe (there are stickers on the pipe if you can get a look it, you should see part numbers like SL348 or SL336 SL324 SL312)

I know, I'm in the middle of a retrofit and am installing a North Star right now.

And this is exactly why I'm installing my fireplace myself. After 1 dealer told me he wanted to install simpson dura-vent (not the same as dura-plus), and another dealer was trying to line my existing chimney with a liner to the northstar (not sure how either of these guys would have connected to the northstar because the collar on the unit will only connect to the SL300 pipe), it became obvious to me that alot of these dealers don't know what their doing and can't read a manual. I reported these dealers to HeatnGlo and actually got a response from a regional rep asking me for more info. I'm no expert for sure, but I can read, have done smaller remodling projects and built pole barns, and looking at what some of these dealers do, they aren't right.
Another example, the unit I just tore out, didn't have ember strips, didn't have the required clearance in the back ,didn't contain the insulation in the chase, didn't have the firestop installed properly in the chase, didn't have the requied hearth extension, rolled up 20' of romex right next to the fireplace...and the list goes on..so many bad installers it seems. I'm sure there's good ones, but you have to watch these people like hawks. That goes for almost anything though, car repair, home repair...you name it...

 

[73blazer]

Actually I was just looking at my CAK4 air kit instructions, and it is installed after the first section is installed onto the fireplace. So you can easily put it on if you can get access there to do it. I hadn't looked at it in the previous post, I thought it would need to go on first, then the chimney, it doesn't. YOu place the first chimney section on then install the CAK4 kit.
But it is mandatory. THere's huge sticker right on the top that says "CAK4A (Chimney AIR kit) is REQUIRED. Failure to install can result in overheating of chimney and fire."
I'm sure they are overstating things to err on the side of safety, but I think it's best installed.

 

[ALLTHEGROSS]

i have a northstar in a very large room with 30 ft celings and a celing fan. It heats the whole down stairs with no problem. i do notice that it does take over an hour to to get really heating. but i get plenty of heat. You really want to get a good bed of coals going to get the best heat. I can load it at 10pm and have it nice and warm at 6-7 am. the coals are still hot enough to fire it right back up again

 

[newflame]

thank you very much for all your feedback. I did call my builder and he told me that it was only needed in Canada. I told him I spoke with Heant n Glo and they recommended that I not run the fireplace. He will be by in two weeks to rebuild the chase. Thanks again for your help. Hopefully this will assist with heat production, at the same time I'll add insulation into the chase which was not done b/c it is not code in NY.
I'll keep you updated