PE Super LE nitpicky questions

[FireUpTheChainsaw]

I've been using my PE Super LE for a couple of seasons now with no issues. I'm a pretty seasoned burner. I've used the Blaze Kind Princess and Vermont Castings in the past (both cat stoves), so I'm relatively new to non-cat. I had a few questions that I can't quite find answers to.

1. How important is the insulation to the side of the baffle? What exactly does it do?
2. I can never quite get those long burn times everyone keeps raving about. The longest I have gotten was 5 hours and that was some solid dry oak. As soon as I turn the air control too low, I get smoke up the chimney (I have a camera pointing outside, so I can monitor it and my yard from the first floor). And yes, this is after the wood is fully engulfed and the fire is going strong. I don't want to smoke the neighborhood out, so I've generally not gone below 1/3 on the air control.
3. Does anyone else have a really hard time putting the baffle back? Every time after I clean my chimney it takes me an unreasonable amount of time to line the baffle up with the secondary air tube. There's no warping anywhere, just some rust on the baffle and rails.
4. More of a general question, not PE related, but if I run the stove fan for long enough where the stove top becomes cold (say 100-150F), but the wood is still burning a little can that cause problems?

 

[Todd]

I don’t have the same stove but as far as burn times go do you monitor flue temps? A flue probe helps the timing of the turn down and may give you longer burns. I also like to rake most of the coals forward during reload to promote a slower front to back cigar type burn.

 

[FireUpTheChainsaw]

Good point, I only monitor the stove surface temp. I do have a flue thermometer, but only pay attention to it if it gets really hot. Sounds like I should be monitoring that more closely.

 

[begreen]

I've been using my PE Super LE for a couple of seasons now with no issues. I'm a pretty seasoned burner. I've used the Blaze Kind Princess and Vermont Castings in the past (both cat stoves), so I'm relatively new to non-cat. I had a few questions that I can't quite find answers to.

1. How important is the insulation to the side of the baffle? What exactly does it do?
2. I can never quite get those long burn times everyone keeps raving about. The longest I have gotten was 5 hours and that was some solid dry oak. As soon as I turn the air control too low, I get smoke up the chimney (I have a camera pointing outside, so I can monitor it and my yard from the first floor). And yes, this is after the wood is fully engulfed and the fire is going strong. I don't want to smoke the neighborhood out, so I've generally not gone below 1/3 on the air control.
3. Does anyone else have a really hard time putting the baffle back? Every time after I clean my chimney it takes me an unreasonable amount of time to line the baffle up with the secondary air tube. There's no warping anywhere, just some rust on the baffle and rails.
4. More of a general question, not PE related, but if I run the stove fan for long enough where the stove top becomes cold (say 100-150F), but the wood is still burning a little can that cause problems?

Sorry, I didn't catch these questions earlier.
1) Very important. They prevent flue gases from leaking up around the sides of the baffle.
2) What are the flue temps in this case? Has the wood been tested for interior moisture content?
3) It's heavy so it helps to anticipate this weight. When putting it back in I lift it up at an angle, move it to the rear, center it, then set it down. One trick that may help is to scratch an alignment line below the locking pin hole. That way when the baffle is all the way back you can center the tab on the hole and it should drop right over the tube.
4) Not really. The stovetop would be around 200-250º with the fan off. Turn it off before reloading so that it doesn't suck smoke out of the stove.

 

[FireUpTheChainsaw]

Sorry, I didn't catch these questions earlier.
1) Very important. They prevent flue gases from leaking up around the sides of the baffle.
2) What are the flue temps in this case? Has the wood been tested for interior moisture content?
3) It's heavy so it helps to anticipate this weight. When putting it back in I lift it up at an angle, move it to the rear, center it, then set it down. One trick that may help is to scratch an alignment line below the locking pin hole. That way when the baffle is all the way back you can center the tab on the hole and it should drop right over the tube.
4) Not really. The stovetop would be around 200-250º with the fan off. Turn it off before reloading so that it doesn't suck smoke out of the stove.

Thanks begreen!

2. I honestly did not pay too much attention to them. I got myself a flue thermometer for this season. Since you also have PE, what height from the stove do you place your thermometer? The wood was seasoned for 2 years, so I assume it was good to go, but I will make an effort to test it this year. So you're implying that it may have been on the wetter end? Assuming your wood is well seasoned, do you get smoke out of the chimney when you burn at 2/3 air control open with your PE?
3. Dam, thanks for the tip! Will definitely do that when I do my next cleaning.

 

[begreen]

Assuming your wood is well seasoned, do you get smoke out of the chimney when you burn at 2/3 air control open with your PE?

Quite honestly I have been too lazy to go out and check recently, especially when it's rainy and wet. Frequently our draft is strong enough that I have to close down the air almost all the way, if not all the way, in order to keep the flue temps from taking off towards 800º. That's new behavior. I need to do the dollar bill test on the door gasket the next time the stove is cold.

 

[Draughts15]

I've been using my PE Super LE for a couple of seasons now with no issues. I'm a pretty seasoned burner. I've used the Blaze Kind Princess and Vermont Castings in the past (both cat stoves), so I'm relatively new to non-cat. I had a few questions that I can't quite find answers to.

1. How important is the insulation to the side of the baffle? What exactly does it do?
2. I can never quite get those long burn times everyone keeps raving about. The longest I have gotten was 5 hours and that was some solid dry oak. As soon as I turn the air control too low, I get smoke up the chimney (I have a camera pointing outside, so I can monitor it and my yard from the first floor). And yes, this is after the wood is fully engulfed and the fire is going strong. I don't want to smoke the neighborhood out, so I've generally not gone below 1/3 on the air control.
3. Does anyone else have a really hard time putting the baffle back? Every time after I clean my chimney it takes me an unreasonable amount of time to line the baffle up with the secondary air tube. There's no warping anywhere, just some rust on the baffle and rails.
4. More of a general question, not PE related, but if I run the stove fan for long enough where the stove top becomes cold (say 100-150F), but the wood is still burning a little can that cause problems?

I have the Super Classic. I've only removed the baffle once and this was after a professional cleaning. It took me about 20 seconds to get it in and lined up but could see how it could be tricky. I plan on cleaning the flue in the next week or so and hopefully I won't have any issues.

2) How tall is your flue? I'm single story and I gradually turn mine down based on the flue temps. When I'm ready to set it for good it's about a 2/3-3/4 all the way shut. Maybe about an inch and a half from the far right. If it's really going and super hot I'll close to about a half inch and generally doesn't get above 650 at that point and end up opening it up a little more once the fire slows. If I close it all the way the fire will eventually go out I think.

 

[FireUpTheChainsaw]

I have the Super Classic. I've only removed the baffle once and this was after a professional cleaning. It took me about 20 seconds to get it in and lined up but could see how it could be tricky. I plan on cleaning the flue in the next week or so and hopefully I won't have any issues.

2) How tall is your flue? I'm single story and I gradually turn mine down based on the flue temps. When I'm ready to set it for good it's about a 2/3-3/4 all the way shut. Maybe about an inch and a half from the far right. If it's really going and super hot I'll close to about a half inch and generally doesn't get above 650 at that point and end up opening it up a little more once the fire slows. If I close it all the way the fire will eventually go out I think.

For #2 made another post here with this problem: https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads...-smoke-if-the-air-control-is-below-50.195270/

Turns out my flue is waaaay too short at 10ft. No wonder my secondaries have not been working right. I have a company coming to install an extension.