PE Alderlea T6 first fire & break in period?

[FIRECONCRETEWOOD]

My wife and I just built a new house. We have a brand new Pacific Energy Alderlea T6 stove and about 6 cord of seasoned and split oak, maple, and ash. We have read the owners manual cover-to-cover however we have a few questions. What is a good guideline for the first fire and subsequent break-in fires? We have three children including one infant. We understand that the odor and vapors given off from the first couple fires are obnoxious and potentially harmful. We also purchased a stove-top type thermometer to keep an eye on our stove fireing temperatures. Any suggestions, hints, etc...? This is our very first wood burning stove. Thanks in advance.

And before you ask, yes the stovepipe and outside air ducting are now connected.

 

[FIRECONCRETEWOOD]

Our stove top thermometer

 

[FIRECONCRETEWOOD]

Our homemade wood stove tools. Rebar, plate steel, railroad spikes, and a reclaimed ash shovel.

 

[BrotherBart]

Welcome. Nice job on the tools. The gang will be along shortly to help you get that beauty dialed in and keeping you warm.

 

[BrotherBart]

Just look for some kidding on the PBR.

 

[begreen]

Congratulations, nice stove . The T6 doesn't need a lot of babying, but it's generally a good idea to dry out retained moisture in the firebrick. Make the first fire a small one mostly out of kindling and a few thin (2") splits. Let it go out and the stove cool down a bit. Then go ahead and build a decent fire with the firebox at least half full of wood so that you get the stove top up to 500+ degrees. That will bake in the paint. It helps to open a nearby window and put a fan in it pointing outdoor to exhaust the paint fumes.

 

[madison]

Regarding the moisture in the fire brick. Don't be alarmed if there is a small puddle of moisture under the stove on the first couple burns.

Also check the fit of the door, (search dollar bill test), the door may or may not be squared up - depending on who did the installation.

Your son will quickly learn that he will not be able to pose for the picture with his hand on the trivet with the stove burning

Our T6's trivets get used heavily during the holidays as a staging place to keep the turkey, mash potatoes and stuffing warm.

Happy Holidays to All

 

[Belcain]

I actually just got a T6 as well. I'm burning now and this is my 6th fire I think. the burn in on mine was one long first fire and then maybe a tiny bit of smell on the next two fires. I went with the instructions that came within the stove. It was a sheet from the paint manufacturer. I think they said burn at 450 for about 45 minutes then go up to 650 for another 45 - 60 minutes. I did that and then some. I did have windows open and a ceiling fan going but I didnt see any smoke and the smell did not bother me. I dont think its really bad, they just have to CTA in case somebody gets ill or is really bothered by it. Just run the stove, it will put off a smell but you'll be fine with a few windows open.

Good luck

 

[FIRECONCRETEWOOD]

Excellent advice. Thank you everybody. As I paged through the owners manual, I read that the stove is to be loaded end-wise (north south). Is this how this stove is to be operated? Can it ever be loaded east west? Do you guys use a stovetop thermometer to keep track of the stove temperatures?

 

[begreen]

Yes, you can run the stove E/W without problem. I find it slows down the burn a bit so I sometimes load E/W for a longer burn like overnight and the N/S for a quicker morning warmup. Typically though we burn 80% of the time N/W. It has the advantage of no worry about a log rolling up against the glass. Ours is the first generation T6. If the new generation has the new Summit baffle then burn patterns will be slightly different. Experiment and try both ways.

 

[FIRECONCRETEWOOD]

Thanks for the info. How will I know if it has the new summit baffle? Mine was tagged built if late 2013.

 

[begreen]

If it has multiple secondary holes 1/4 across, instead of just down the middle and across the front. I think hogwildz posted a picture of the new baffle when he got his new insert.

 

[Cynnergy]

x2 on puddles from moisture in the firebrick. And a very difficult to light fire for the first fire. Beautiful stove!