Olympic or Summit, Help

[Jfk4th]

Hi all, I have had an Avalon Pendleton for about a year now and I have it in my Florida room. The size of the room is only 19 x 14 but here is the kicker. 75% of the room are windows, good double hung windows too boot. I am trying to sell my Pendleton as we speak for about 950.00 and I would like to upgrade to either an Olympic or Summit Stove with the pedistal and ashpan. I don't have a blower which I should have bought but the firebox is too small, plus without the ashpan I get dust all over the room. I can easily open the main door and I have small fans to blow the heat to other rooms. I am not looking to heat my house in Buffalo, NY but I would like a bigger firebox, blower, and ashpan. My Pendleton puts out a lot of heat but when it is out, the room gets cool quickly. I want a longer burn and I like the Summit EBT and the Olmpic large firebox
I would like any advice you experts out there have out there between the Olympic and Pacific Enery Summit Stove.

 

[Roospike]

Both good stoves , both bigger stoves , both are going to give you longer burn times.

I dont know a lot of detail about the Olympic but i could answer almost any question on the Summit.

The Summit has an awesome ash pan clean out system and i get no dust in the house from cleanout.

You can see the different film loops in my Signature at the bottom of my post on new load burns , secondary burn and also the ash clean out system.

The Summit has the EBT system (Extended Burn Technology) to automatically help control the burn times. You can read about it here --> (broken link removed to http://www.chimneysweeponline.com/hoebt.htm)

The Pacific Energy Summit has the Lifetime Warranty to cover 90% of the stove
(except for firebricks and such.)

 

[Roospike]

Just noticed you being a new member.

WELCOME to hearth . com JFK

 

[Jfk4th]

Thanks Roospike,
I Love my Avalon stove but it is just too small of a firebox. I have looked at your links at the burn is sweet, plus yur stove is a real beauty! How many pieces of wood do you put in for a night burn? I just bought a Rutland Burn Indicator to go on my chimney pipe to make sure I am burning hot enough or not too hot. Any experience with this burn indicator, I think it is magnetic. Have not received it yet from Amazon, but a guy that has a 15 minute video of his Olympic Stove burning had one, thought it was a good idea. I leaning towards the Summit, but Avalon is a great brand.
Thanks again for the reply Roospike, I love this website, all of the experience here and advice for woodstoves is truly remarkable.

 

[Roospike]

Thanks Roospike,
I Love my Avalon stove but it is just too small of a firebox. I have looked at your links at the burn is sweet, plus yur stove is a real beauty! How many pieces of wood do you put in for a night burn? I just bought a Rutland Burn Indicator to go on my chimney pipe to make sure I am burning hot enough or not too hot. Any experience with this burn indicator, I think it is magnetic. Have not received it yet from Amazon, but a guy that has a 15 minute video of his Olympic Stove burning had one, thought it was a good idea. I leaning towards the Summit, but Avalon is a great brand.
Thanks again for the reply Roospike, I love this website, all of the experience here and advice for woodstoves is truly remarkable.

TKS JFK ,

Night loading all depends on how cold it is outside. Pictured below is a sample of home i will load for the night around 20° and lower. Kinda hard to tell how big the slpits are by looking but the bigger splits and rounds will give you longer burn times than a buch of small splits.

The round show is about 7.5" -8" across X 17"-18" long to give you an idea of scale.

I think the video you talk about is from out member roosterboy that bought the Olympic. Didnt hear much from him after that so i dont know much more of his input.

The burn thermometer can go on the stove pipe or on top of the stove. Thermometer is made for single wall pipe and not double wall.
The temps on the pipe will change faster than if on your stove top and the burn temp all will depand on how much heat you will need in your home. it can range from 300°-600° .

 

[Jfk4th]

Looks good, thanks for the pic of the night burn. Looks like you pretty much stuff 4 big logs in, a little room left in firebox correct. Do you have stove completely closed, I mean do you have it all the way to "L" on your Summit Stove?
My brother in Law plans on installing a damper when I get either a Summit or Olympic to save more heat. Good idea in your opinion?

 

[Roospike]

Looks good, thanks for the pic of the night burn. Looks like you pretty much stuff 4 big logs in, a little room left in firebox correct. Do you have stove completely closed, I mean do you have it all the way to "L" on your Summit Stove?
My brother in Law plans on installing a damper when I get either a Summit or Olympic to save more heat. Good idea in your opinion?

The old damper on the pipe trick was kinda old pre-EPA stove kinda thing , normally a damper flap is not needed unless you have extreme draft that would let yuou control the fire.

We would have to know your set up like chimney height , full liner ect...

When i run an all night burn and having a good coal bed and after the wood is chared then yes i can turn the Summit all the way down to "L". On the Summit with the EBT it controls air input to not let the wood smolder and also opens up air to keep the fire going correct , whe the fire goes down and the stove starts to cool the EBT opens up the air a little and set the correct combustion air for the coal stage of the burn. ( as shown in the link posted above )

So if your looking for a extra damper just to slow down the burn to get longer burns time it can end up biting you and letting the load of wood smoke and when you dont burn the smoke you loose your efficiency.

Your get longer burn times with larger splits and rounds . Not all my wood is large splits/rounds but for longs burns is when i will load this way.

Looks like you pretty much stuff 4 big logs in, a little room left in firebox correct.

The load is just for picture purposes with no caol bed , lots of room for wood and good coal bed and smaller splits can be added if needed. Pictured is not stuffed by no means.

 

[Jfk4th]

I just noticed you have small pieces of wood underneath the big 4 pieces in your picture Roospike, does that just start the burn quicker?
What do you use to start the fire besides small pieces of wood, I have tried just about every firestrarter out there, fatwood, Duraflame, newspaper, lamp oil that I soak on a circular stone.

 

[Roospike]

I just noticed you have small pieces of wood underneath the big 4 pieces in your picture Roospike, does that just start the burn quicker?
What do you use to start the fire besides small pieces of wood, I have tried just about every firestrarter out there, fatwood, Duraflame, newspaper, lamp oil that I soak on a circular stone.

The blocks of oak shown in the pic i do use to help start a new coal but i would never start this size load from scratch. also smaller pieces to get a coal bed going first.

In the pic i just put some oak blocks down to keep the logs out of the ash to take pictures.

To start a fire I'll use oak blocks , a few small 1/4" pieces of a slice of Duraflame log and some small kindling and or small splits. If your wood is properly seasoned it should light with no problem just as show in the secondary burn in my signature. This fire was started from scratch with no already hot coals.

 

[Gunner]

The summit is very popular around here...I have one and like it very much.

There is a member named roosterboy that has the Olympic, has a nice video of it too.


From his signature:

Avalon Olympic Free standing Wood stove: (broken link removed)
Video Of my wood stove 15min long : (broken link removed to http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5023102542340318874&hl=en)
McCulloch pro-mac 650
McCulloch TimberBear


IMO the biggest difference between the two is that if you go with a "classic" model summit (ie porcelian enamel) you are getting a double walled stove. By that I mean you have the steel plate then air space then the outer steel which is enameled. This makes for a very even heat that is unlike any other steel stove. I could not believe the difference compared to regular plate steel and cast stoves I have sat infront of. Just look to clearences as to how comfortable a stove will be to sit next to...corner install on a summit with doublewall pipe is 4"to combustibles. Floor only requires ember protection, no micore or wonderboard etc etc.

 

[Jfk4th]

Thanks for the Reply Gunner, I am leaning towards the Summit because of the 4 inches to combustibles, actually a single wall connector is only 4 inches also, unless I am reading the charts incorrectly. This would fit nicely to replace my Pendleton stove, plus I would have 4 inches to spare on the corners, doubling the minimum clearance needed to be safe.

 

[Jfk4th]

Gunner and Roospike or anybody else, how did you guys get such a good picuture next to your name. I consider myself a computer guy but I can't get a large clear picture of my stove. Are you using a particular picture editor?

 

[Henz]

I ahve a question for you, do you load with the split ends out or side to side?? It looks like they are out? Why is this? dude to firebox dimensions or the way the air will circulate better? I am currently having a problem with my Olympic. I really can load that puppy up and get it going really well, however, come morning or after burning for awhile I notice that the wood in the back of the stove is like 1/2 burnt? Why would this be?
I first purchased the Avalon rainier and loved it. It sounds like that rainier would be ideal for your sized room thre JFK..You can get it with the big ashpan too.
I think the olympic may be alittle too big

 

[Roospike]

I ahve a question for you, do you load with the split ends out or side to side?? It looks like they are out? Why is this? dude to firebox dimensions or the way the air will circulate better? I am currently having a problem with my Olympic. I really can load that puppy up and get it going really well, however, come morning or after burning for awhile I notice that the wood in the back of the stove is like 1/2 burnt? Why would this be?
I first purchased the Avalon rainier and loved it. It sounds like that rainier would be ideal for your sized room thre JFK..You can get it with the big ashpan too.
I think the olympic may be alittle too big

I read you post a few time ................ i dont actually see how you load your stove.

Side to side or front to back ?

 

[Henz]

I load it side to side..My stove will take a 24" split, I usually ahve 20" splits. I load them width ways..I see some people load the sticks front to back meaning the position of the splits. I was just curious if this is a betterway to load and in the end getting a better burn?

 

[carpniels]

HI Guys,

I asked a similar question in my post about the PE summit. Do yo u guys load left otrigh tor frint to back? and most importantly WHY?

Carpniels

 

[Henz]

I am trying to get the answer but nobody seems to want to bite.. Like I said, I load sideways becasue of the dimensions of my firebox..The only thing is that at times, the farthest in splits dont seem to burn down evenly like the rest of them do..I know that the airwash in the front of the stove has alot to do with it

 

[Hogwildz]

Summits are loaded front to back. With the air coming from front, IMO it burns better due to the air flowing back between the splits. Rather than if they were sideways and creating a barrier or dam for the combustion air to hit. Prolly the reason your back splits are buring less.

 

[Henz]

Hmm. I will have to test that theory out..My airflow is the same must be..air comes in and hits the glass and then washes back..How long of splits can you handle loading front to back?

 

[Hogwildz]

Hmm. I will have to test that theory out..My airflow is the same must be..air comes in and hits the glass and then washes back..How long of splits can you handle loading front to back?

I think your confusing air wash from the top for the glass, with combustion air which on the Summit comes from the front bottom. The air wash on the summit comes from heated air from top of stove. The combustion air at bottom come from external air from room.
I can squeak 20" logs in that just fit, but do fog up the glass. I cut my logs to 16"-18" so I have room both in fromt & back for air/flame to circulate. And its keeps the glass from fogging/hazing. Roo's cave style loading works very well. 3 medium splits loaded front to back. 2 just on each side of the combustion air entrance point with a third split diagonally across the bottom two. makes a cave or air chamber front to back for the air & fire to work on. Last a couple to 3 hours. Burns good & hot. Keeps from having too many caols also.

 

[Henz]

well, I guess my determination is that I need to experiment with loading my new Olympic.

 

[Hogwildz]

well, I guess my determination is that I need to experiment with loading my new Olympic.

You should be able to load that Olympic front & back, try it and see if it performs any better.

 

[Henz]

I will...thanks Hogwildz.

 

[Roospike]

The owners manual for the Summit states front to back loading. I also load front to back.

Looks like Hog answered most all the questions on loading so I'll just sit back and put in a silly smiley-----------------> %-P

 

[Hogwildz]

The owners manual for the Summit states front to back loading. I also load front to back.

Looks like Hog answered most all the questions on loading so I'll just sit back and put in a silly smiley-----------------> %-P

I'm still too new to be doing all this work. After all I am only a Neanderthal. Now git to work Roo!
BTW, I just love the new Geico commercial