Pacific Energy Super Insert - new install

[Twozeroone]

I recently had a Pacific Energy Super Insert installed by a professional chimney sweep who has installed this stove before. We had a tight fitment and wanted to keep the mantle/wood work so this stove was for us. I have a couple of quesitons.

1) The blower is blowing air out from under the top lid of the stove, then it hits the valance part and the air is directed straight down across the door instead of out into the room. Is it supposed to do this? I feel like the air isn't circulating throughout the house well with the air being blown straight down into the floor and the floor in front is getting hot (it's brick so OK I guess).

2) The metal plate inside the stove on the top, the Baffle, doesn't seem to push flames out of it. I thought it was supposed to? Am I burning the stove incorrectly perhaps? I'm on my 2nd cord of wood through the stove. I don't have a moisture meter so I can't say how seasoned the wood is. The supplier says its 1-2 years seasoned.

Thank you for your help!!
Scott

 

[MDWOOD]

I cant tell you about air flow. I have a free standing super 27.
so we have the same fire box.

Having dry wood is really key with the stove getting hot enough to shut down the air control and getting good secondaries firing off.
you should test your wood properly for moisture.

How are you running the stove, did you follow directions in the manual

When do you start to close down the air? (lever all the way to left is open, right is closed)

how full do you fill the box?

With good wood you can get this stove cooking shut all the way down

 

[Twozeroone]

I cant tell you about air flow. I have a free standing super 27.
so we have the same fire box.

Having dry wood is really key with the stove getting hot enough to shut down the air control and getting good secondaries firing off.
you should test your wood properly for moisture.

How are you running the stove, did you follow directions in the manual

When do you start to close down the air? (lever all the way to left is open, right is closed)

how full do you fill the box?

With good wood you can get this stove cooking shut all the way down

Thanks MDWOOD. I did try to follow the instructions with moving the lever all the way to start each time I add wood and leaving it there for a while the first time I start it to get it up to temp. It could be a wood issue for sure. If I add some pine scraps along with some seasoned wood, I can get the wood lit up very good, but when I dampen it down the temp does drop a bit.

If I am around the house I will typically add 2-3 pieces of good size wood and keep the daper about 60-70% open. For overnight burns or while I'm at work I will fill up the stove as much as I can and damp it down to about 5-10% open. Before doing this I try to get a really hot burn going first. I can get about 7 hours of burn with this type of load before the fan shuts off automatically. Then there are still embers that I can get going again after adding wood about 8 or so hours later (think 10pm to 6am).

I also have a very high ceiling in the room where the stove is. Roughly 15-17 feet high with a peak. There is a ceiling fan at the top that I keep on medium speed on reverse while the stove is going.

Thanks for your help!

 

[weatherguy]

What temps are you getting?

 

[MDWOOD]

Cause I have a free standing stove i have a stack gauge.

you be surprised how soon i start closing down the air.

I go to half closed initially, let it build a bit, close down a 1/4 and so on till i HAVE to shut her down.
I have a fairly tall chimney and good draft.

The wood im burning now is also dry.

I guess you cant have a stack gauge cause its an insert? correct??

 

[MAD MARK]

Thats correct.

Need either a remote location reader like an Auber or put a STT on the insert somewhere around the door frame. Probably top middle.

Nice insert and install.

 

[Twozeroone]

Cause I have a free standing stove i have a stack gauge.

you be surprised how soon i start closing down the air.

I go to half closed initially, let it build a bit, close down a 1/4 and so on till i HAVE to shut her down.
I have a fairly tall chimney and good draft.

The wood im burning now is also dry.

I guess you cant have a stack gauge cause its an insert? correct??

Thanks everyone. Last night I had a good fire going through the evening (again nothing reburning from the baffle though??). Still don't have a temp guage yet so I can't tell you the temp, but it was very hot. I'll pick a guage up today. Just before bed, I packed the stove just about full, as much as I could fit. Kept it wide open for about 10 minutes and then shut it down almost all the way for the long burn. It burned for just about 6-7 hours. In the morning there were some hot coals and the auto fan was still running, just enough to put some kindling on and relight. the issue I have is that the house was cold. When you do an overnight burn does it keep your house warm? I'm starting to think that I'll have to keep the stove at least 50% dampered and refill 1/2 way through the night to get the heat I need?

 

[Twozeroone]

I got a temp gauge. It’s consistently running around 300-350. Sometimes less and rarely more. I do see some creosote build up just inside the door.

I feel like it’s getting air but maybe not enough? Or I suppose it could be my wood. Typically I’ll throw some pine scraps in on top to get it going hot. This lasts for a while but once the pine is out the oak/maple won’t keep the stove above 300-350.

Any ideas on getting it a little hotter more consistently?

 

[weatherguy]

I got a temp gauge. It’s consistently running around 300-350. Sometimes less and rarely more. I do see some creosote build up just inside the door.

I feel like it’s getting air but maybe not enough? Or I suppose it could be my wood. Typically I’ll throw some pine scraps in on top to get it going hot. This lasts for a while but once the pine is out the oak/maple won’t keep the stove above 300-350.

Any ideas on getting it a little hotter more consistently?

Drier wood but it may be too late for that. You could mix in bio bricks.

 

[kennyp2339]

Wet wood dude, your stove top temps should be in the 500's, your burning to low.
Pick a cheap moisture meter at lowes or HD, there like $30.00, take a room temp split, resplit it and test the fresh face, seasoned wood has a moisture content of <20%.
FYI on the baffle, it may appear that flames are shooting out of it, but it just super heated room air that causes a remix / turbulence in the firebox that reburns the unburnt volatiles that the primary fire missed, this usually occurs when internal fire box temps hit just under 1,100deg f.

 

[saydinli]

Sounds like wet wood. Do you have a moisture meter?


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[jatoxico]

I got a temp gauge. It’s consistently running around 300-350.

Where are you measuring? The door is typically a poor place and will show a cooler reading than you would get from the stove top.

 

[Twozeroone]

I’m measuring right on top of the door area. I don’t think I have any other spot to measure on this stove? The very top is not connected to the firebox. The blower pushes air under the very top so it doesn’t get that hot.

I’m thinking you are all correct about the wood. Tough to find good seasoned wood where I am. Just south of Boston.

 

[saydinli]

Try some bio bricks (or the like) . That’ll tell you for sure if its your wood. Should be able to get some at Lowes or Home Depot.

While your at it grab a moisture meter too and test your wood. Want it 15-20%.



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[MDWOOD]

Two,

I have some wood we tried burning recently , I thought it was dry, stacked for a year, but same deal as your experiencing.
takes forever to get hot, have to keep the air open some.
When you have to keep the air open the heat just goes up the chimney.

 

[Twozeroone]

Two,

I have some wood we tried burning recently , I thought it was dry, stacked for a year, but same deal as your experiencing.
takes forever to get hot, have to keep the air open some.
When you have to keep the air open the heat just goes up the chimney.

Thanks! I know this sounds really silly but I guess I didnt realize that the more you open the air the more heat gets lost. In my mind I’m thinking that it’s making the stove hotter.

I bought a wood tester. I have 2 different stacks of wood. One stack is almost 2 years old. It is reading 15-18% and burns really good. The cord that I just got delivered is measuring 22-23%. I’m guessing that is why I’m having trouble getting it hot and keeping it going with that wood.

One thing I’m still struggling with is getting the stove up to the temps folks are saying it should be at. I still read 350-400 max on my thermometer, even with the good wood.

Either my stove doesn’t have a good spot for the thermometer and it really is at the temp we want, or I’m still doing something wrong. The stove is hot and puts off pretty good heat when it’s 350-400 but I’m sure it could be better if I could get it closer to 450.

Any thoughts on getting the temp higher?

P.s. I did try bio bricks and they burned really well but again top temp got to about 400 according to my thermometer.

 

[Twozeroone]

Thanks! I know this sounds really silly but I guess I didnt realize that the more you open the air the more heat gets lost. In my mind I’m thinking that it’s making the stove hotter.

I bought a wood tester. I have 2 different stacks of wood. One stack is almost 2 years old. It is reading 15-18% and burns really good. The cord that I just got delivered is measuring 22-23%. I’m guessing that is why I’m having trouble getting it hot and keeping it going with that wood.

One thing I’m still struggling with is getting the stove up to the temps folks are saying it should be at. I still read 350-400 max on my thermometer, even with the good wood.

Either my stove doesn’t have a good spot for the thermometer and it really is at the temp we want, or I’m still doing something wrong. The stove is hot and puts off pretty good heat when it’s 350-400 but I’m sure it could be better if I could get it closer to 450.

Any thoughts on getting the temp higher?

P.s. I did try bio bricks and they burned really well but again top temp got to about 400 according to my thermometer.

Ok. I think I figured it out and everyone was right about the wood quality. I’ve been burning the 15-18% wood all morning. It lights almost immediately then I put it down on low as far as it can go and it stays burning perfectly. The baffle is flaming too. The temp is now at just over 500.

Looks like I’ll be buying 3 cords 1 year ahead and doing some aging myself for next year! Thanks everyone.