Ordered a new PE Summit insert today!

[4500]

Ordered a new PE Insert today. We are at 4500 feet elevation above Twain Harte Ca. It's a 47 year old ski cabin, 1050 square feet, that we live in full time (4 of us, two teenagers who like to be warm in the morning).

In a normal winter, we get lots of snow.

I have attached a photo of where it is going. I finished the scratch coat on the bottom. I need to finish the mortar and stone work before the summit gets here.

Any tips on running the summit? Any one using thermometers on the surface? How about a small kettle on top?

Thanks

 

[BrotherBart]

Search on Summit and you will be reading for days.

Welcome to the forum and the wood heating addiction.

 

[begreen]

Congratulations and welcome. Connect the stove to a full stainless steel liner and check that the chimney is tall enough. Make sure your wood stash is fully seasoned before burning. If oak, that means a couple years after it's been split and stacked.

 

[Dix]

Welcome to the forums

A real welcome to being toasty warm

How's your fire wood supply?

 

[Jags]

A summit in 1050 sqft? Yer gonna be warm for sure.

And take heed to the folks preaching dry wood. That summit likes dry wood.

 

[Jags]

A little correction to the pic:

 

[4500]

Thanks for up righting that picture.........long time lurker, first time poster.........

My cheap source of wood is pine and fir. I have a cord from last year and a cord of pine cut in February.

My living room/dining room has 18' ceilings with three bedrooms on the other side.

My thought was with snow on the roof, high ceilings (2 floors), drafty doors and windows and burning pine, I should be ok.

 

[Jags]

With 18' ceilings if you don't already have, you will want fans up there. Without the ability to move that air, you will end up with massive stratification (and very hot ceilings).

 

[begreen]

Yes, I think the main issue will be heat stratifying at the high points of the ceilings. If this is an A frame with an upstairs loft, it will be extra warm upstairs. A ceiling fan or two or other method will be a necessity to help equalize temps.

 

[Grisu]

Congrats! I have the Summit's smaller brother: the PE Super insert which my family loves. I am sure yours will like the Summit. I suggest to get more than two cords of softwood for the next winter. When you want to heat with wood most of the time you will probably need more like 4 to 5 cords if not more. If possible try to find some hardwood for overnight burns or your teenagers will be a bit disappointed in the morning. Pine makes for hot fires but they are rather short-lived compared with solid hardwood. While I get burn times of 8 to 10 hours from hardwood with the Super, the pine I am burning lasts at most for 5 hours.

Given your elevation, is the flue tall enough? And don't forget to put a hearth extender/stoveboard in front of the fireplace. I doubt you will even have the required 16" in front of the Summit and with the carpet you want to be extra careful.

 

[begreen]

If you have seasoned doug fir and split it fairly thick, (7-8") it will provide a good overnight burn. It's my favorite softwood. There are two 9" splits burning in my avatar shot. Use thinner splits to fill the voids between the larger splits.

 

[Hogwildz]

Definitely split that soft wood thick. Small pcs of that loaded in will make for a fireball of nuclear proportions.
You may want to think about extendible the hearth out a bit more.
Guessing the ash lip of the summit to be at the mortar joint between the middle short course of brick and the long course.
You will have more heat than you can think of, so think of some ways to move air around.
You're going to love the Summit.
Congrats

 

[4500]

I attached photos of my chimney, ceiling fan and one of my wood piles. Next I will learn how to upload them correctly!

My cheap source of wood comes in pretty big chunks, 18" by 5 or 6 ".

Oh by the way, Sheetrock is going up next month .........as well as finishing the exterior paint.

 

[Dix]

I attached photos of my chimney, ceiling fan and one of my wood piles. Next I will learn how to upload them correctly!

My cheap source of wood comes in pretty big chunks, 18" by 5 or 6 ".

Oh by the way, Sheetrock is going up next month .........as well as finishing the exterior paint.

Good, can't wait