PE Summit insert damper and wind noise

[donmac]

Have a Summit- series C insert installed in existing masonry fireplace lined with 6" stainless liner wrapped with insulation. Smoke shelf and old damper area packed with Roxul and block off plate installed.
I rely on room air for combustion and the intake box cover has been removed.
When windy, I hear the secondary combustion damper flutter and was told that is normal. Also when really gusty, there is a whistling noise caused by air coming down the liner into stove. This does not happen very often.
My question: Are these normal to the Summit insert and is there anything to adjust or alter to try to address the noises.

 

[Hogwildz]

All normal. The flutter you hear, is the flapper in the EBT opening & closing due to air pressure changes. The whistling you're hearing is more the air going up or down the stack. You'll also notice the flapper flutter when you load the stove cold, and get first get the fire blazing and shut the door. You may also hear it when you open & close the door. Easy way to hear it, is open & close the door quickly when stove is cold. If will flutter each time you open & close the door when cold. You will also hear the flutter on very windy days.

Although you may think a ton of air is going up the stack, it is actually a very small amount.

 

[donmac]

Thank you Hogwildz, any other operating tips I may need. From my research, you seem to be a very experienced Summit user. Thanks again for your experience and tips.

 

[Hogwildz]

I'm going on burning season 11. The best advice I can think of, is it takes a few years to really realize the performance you can get from the stove. I started burning 3 loads per day, every 8 hours, almost timing it. Then I realized I was impatient, and could deal with some temp swings in between loads, and have been loading 2x per day the last several years.
Dry wood really make a huge difference. I am always 3 years ahead, and at 3 years, the burn is noticeable. Cleaner, hotter, easier.
I have had the A series & now have the B series. The C is even slightly more different, as they are designed for the heated air to flow under the top plate and out.

These stoves run themselves. They will always run up to 700+ on a full load that is in the secondary stage, blazing away.
The one thing I did not like about the B model, is they changed the inside ceiling protection plate. They make it narrower(less protection up top) and added wings that force the fire around and then up the flue. The original plate was wider and no wings. I found with the newer plate, the top looked like it was getting too hot, so I switched it out with the older plate I have from the old Summit which sits in my barn now. That is the only thing I changed. If you see the top getting red around the outlet area, you may want to consider making a new wider plate. IMO, this is going to be issues in the future, and hopefully they remedy that. They may have even changed it again from the B to C bodies, to correct that. I don't know. I have never seen a C body up close.

The temp will climb quickly, so don't think you have to wait real long to cut the air back. anywhere from 350-400 is my cut back point depending on the load and wood. After that., she runs her course. Anything over that, with a good load, she will blaze like the fires of hell.

These stoves love large splits for long & overnight burns. As long as the wood is dry, stuff her full, and you will get a good, warm nights sleep. The same can be said of daytime burns, which I load similarly, but I also use up the ugly, irregular shaped splits during the day, as daytime is usually less demand for heat and is good opportunity to get rid of those fugly bastages. Typically, I used large & medium splits. Typically anywhere from 6 to 8 splits is my overnight burn routing. That gives a fairly good idea of how large the splits are.

I highly suggest not loading the stove with a bunch of puny little splits, or keep a couple pairs of shorts changes with you.
Sweep every year, and you should find about 1/2 to 1 coffee can worth of cleanings from the flue. I leave that right on the bottom of the stove and load the new season's first load right on top of them.

Take the front vent panels off and clean the fan(s) every couple years. An old toothbrush & vacuum works great there.
Vacuum under it as best as you can reach at pre-season cleaning time. Take the front boost manifold out, and vacuum the front boost holes out also at pre-season cleaning. When sweeping, after baffle is removed, have a new baffle gasket ready, as the factor ones only last 1 year. I ordered ceramic blanket off ebay and make my own. It held up soso, but will need replaced after 2 seasons I'm thinking. I am still trying to figure a viable alternative that will last 5+ years, as I found with the old style gasket on the A model.
Also after removing baffle for before sweeping, stuff a rag in top of the rear vertical baffle supply channel. You do not want sweepings falling down in there. I stuff a rag and also made an angled plate to temp cover it with, that spans past the stove outlet on both sides, so when I sweep the stack, the crud just falls onto the plate and falls onto the stove floor.

As time goes by, you will love burning this stove more & more. And burning better and better as your burning habits hone.
Any questions, just ask or PM me.

 

[kruger]

Great info. I was running a quick search on the insert damper/wind noise and found this right away. Installed over the last week and ran my low-temp fire last night and my medium-temp fire this morning.

I have a question: I have always used an infrared thermometer on my stoves and shot the top plate. On the Osburn 2400 that was a steel plate directly built into stove. Outside shell. On this Summit insert, it's a removable cast iron decorative plate. I can shoot the steel face right above the door or that cast top. Wildhogz, where do you take your temp readings you mentioned in the above post? The design of this stove won't allow a clean shot to the flue or collar.

Thank!