PE Alderlea T5 - Intro and two questions I couldn't find answers to

[BirthofSerpents]

Firstly, I want to say a huge 'thank you' so much to everyone on this forum, especially begreen and hogwildz whose advice I found particularly helpful when it came down to choosing between the BK and PE (and almost the Quadrafire if they hadn't quit making the Explorer). I've been lurking on and off for over maybe a decade...since I used to burn wood in an old smoke dragon that was in a townhouse I rented around 2010.

Just had a PE Alderlea T5 Classic LE in antique white installed, and have two questions I can't find answers to by searching:

1. I followed PE's "first fire' instructions closely: opening doors and windows, fire size for the 3-4 hours of use, etc....except I was loving it so much I just sort of kept having a fire for the next two days straight, and I don't think it's been completely cool since last weekend. I think I missed the part where you're supposed to have a series of small fires first. Is this something I should be concerned about?

2. Does it matter where I place my STT? I put it just left of the flue so I can keep a pot in the middle with the trivets open.

Included a pic just cuz.

 

[weatherguy]

can't answer but cool cats, is that a Bengal?

 

[Woody Stover]

begreen and hogwildz whose advice I found particularly helpful when it came down to choosing between the BK and PE....Just had a PE Alderlea T5 Classic LE in antique white installed, and have two questions
1.I was loving it so much I just sort of kept having a fire for the next two days straight, and I don't think it's been completely cool since last weekend. I think I missed the part where you're supposed to have a series of small fires first. Is this something I should be concerned about?
2. Does it matter where I place my STT? I put it just left of the flue so I can keep a pot in the middle with the trivets open.

PE vs. BK? To me, that choice is an easy one. When I picked my SIL's stove, it was gonna be a T5 or a Woodstock AS, High Style. In the end I went with the KISS principle.
The series of fires is something we did, but I don't think you could have hurt anything by not doing that..
That position for the stove top meter should be fine. On my SIL's, we have it pretty much in front of the flue, off to the left where we can see it through the slats if the top is closed.
I'm sure you've read the posts that say they run 'em with a flue meter, which reacts faster than the stove top to changes in the box. Some use probes, if they have double-wall connector pipe. We have single-wall so we use a surface meter at about 15" up.
If you want, I'd like to hear the details of your install; Chimney height and configuration, sq. ft. and layout of the house, insulation and air-sealing level, etc.
That stove looks almost light gray..is that just the pic? Other colors look pretty true..

cool cats, is that a Bengal?

All the cool cats love a PE.

 

[mark cline]

With my Mansfield, I always burn 3 successively hotter fires at the start of the season . I guess it’s to drive off moisture from the soapstone and firebrick .On a new cast iron stove there is a good amount of expansion and contraction going on as it heats up and cools down. I would think that it allows the stove to condition itself for the expansion and contraction.

 

[BirthofSerpents]

can't answer but cool cats, is that a Bengal?

Yup. They pretty much haven't moved since we got than thing.

 

[BirthofSerpents]

PE vs. BK? To me, that choice is an easy one. When I picked my SIL's stove, it was gonna be a T5 or a Woodstock AS, High Style. In the end I went with the KISS principle.
The series of fires is something we did, but I don't think you could have hurt anything by not doing that..
That position for the stove top meter should be fine. On my SIL's, we have it pretty much in front of the flue, off to the left where we can see it through the slats if the top is closed.
I'm sure you've read the posts that say they run 'em with a flue meter, which reacts faster than the stove top to changes in the box. Some use probes, if they have double-wall connector pipe. We have single-wall so we use a surface meter at about 15" up.
If you want, I'd like to hear the details of your install; Chimney height and configuration, sq. ft. and layout of the house, insulation and air-sealing level, etc.
That stove looks almost light gray..is that just the pic? Other colors look pretty true..

All the cool cats love a PE.

I can get you details tonight, I'm at work now. But yes, the stove is light gray. It's been our only slight disappointment, though nothing to get worked up about. We called PE and they said that's accurate. They're antique white is almost light gray.

 

[BirthofSerpents]

With my Mansfield, I always burn 3 successively hotter fires at the start of the season . I guess it’s to drive off moisture from the soapstone and firebrick .On a new cast iron stove there is a good amount of expansion and contraction going on as it heats up and cools down. I would think that it allows the stove to condition itself for the expansion and contraction.

After reading about the multiple small fires, I'm finally letting the stove get fully cool for the first time since last Saturday. Fingers crossed I didn't mess anything up. I was just so happy with its output.

 

[mar13]

Below is the part of the manual talking about the first fires. I think you're perfectly fine as long as the odors didn't get to you. (The smell of mine reminded me of somebody cooking popcorn -without burning the popcorn - in an oiled pan.) Theoretically, you may even be better off since you avoided one less cycle of expansion/contraction by having the stove not go cold-warm-cold-warm.

I place my STT in the same place as you (eco-fan in the center). My personal opinion is that the thermometers aren't super precise and they're more of a relative guide that you adapt to as you learn your own stove & conditions, so exact location (within reason) isn't critical.


From the manual:

"Curing of the Paint Finish
When burning your stove for the fi rst 2-3 times it is very important that the room
be well ventilated. Open all windows and doors. Smoke and fumes caused by the
curing process may cause discomfort to some individuals."

 

[BirthofSerpents]

If you want, I'd like to hear the details of your install; Chimney height and configuration, sq. ft. and layout of the house, insulation and air-sealing level, etc.

I had this installed, so I'm not 100% certain, but I think it's double-walled pipe, there's 6' 8" from the stove to the ceiling, the ceiling to the roof is another ~ 1.5' and the stove appears to stick out 2' - 4' above the roof. It's got two 45 degree bends in it right before the ceiling (which I'm not too stoked about because I chose the location specifically because I wanted a straight pipe from stove to chimney and he said that was fine), but he said once he cut the hold in the ceiling there was a crossbeam preventing that. I don't know if there was a way to figure that out ahead of time so fine I guess.

So, 10' - 12' feet of chimney? It seems to draft pretty well but 31 degrees is as cold as it's been outside since I started burning. I've just moved in and need to buy a ladder long enough to get up there to really inspect it. I've only got 7' right now.

Oh, and I got it to heat a 2200 square foot Ranch style manufactured home, which thus far it's done. Pretty air tight and amazing insulation. Huge great room, open to a dining and family room. One thing I was planning on is using the central heating fan only to move heat around but so far, I can only get the fan to work while the furnace is on. I think it needs a new controller or rewiring but that's a project for another day.

 

[thunderhead]

Congrats! Nice install. Just installed a new T5 here too... except ours is black and we only have 1 cat sprawled out in front

I did a few curing fires and the only thing i noticed was the smell, slowly decreasing over time.

 

[Woody Stover]

One thing I was planning on is using the central heating fan only to move heat around but so far, I can only get the fan to work while the furnace is on. I think it needs a new controller or rewiring but that's a project for another day.

I'd try a 8" desk fan on the floor in the area you want to move heat to, blowing cool, dense air along the floor toward the stove room door. Run the fan on low. This will boost the natural convection loop that's already happening, cool air moving in the bottom of the stove room doorway, with the lighter warm air forced out the top of the stove room doorway. You can stand at the stove room door and hold your hand in the top of the doorway to feel warm air exiting. You want to boost what is already happening by adding the fan. This approach works very well, and should boost temps in the far reaches by five or more degrees.