Picked up my Englander SSW02 (Big madison)

[Chas0218]

So my first impressions of this thing is holy crap it looks a lot bigger in my house than at the store. I currently have a Vogelzang Defender that I use at my cottage and I thought that was decent sized but this thing is just big. I noticed n some of the finishes aren't quite as nice as other stoves.

So the bad:
There is a little welding slag on the pedestal which is much thinner metal than i figured it would be. The air intake on the back wasn't deburred at all and still very sharp with pieces hanging off it. The advertised 6" flue is about a 1/16 smaller in diameter making it almost impossible to properly fit a 6" dura vent (brand recommended on the side of the box) single wall pipe. The air damper spring contacts the door everytime you open or close the door.

Now the good:
This thing is built like a tank all 435lbs. worth. The stove is built with 1/4" plate or bigger is a heavy duty stove and should service my family for many years. Moving this by myself took some serious thought and ingenuity being i had lowes load it into my pickup bed. The viewing glass seems to look sealed nicely but i haven't checked the actual door gasket yet. I was looking for something with a big firebox that will put out some BTUs and i think i found it. The firebox is 3.25 cu.ft. according to the specs on the stove. It's big enough i could probably fit the whole top of my defender inside the fire bricks. Another nice thing about the stove is that it fit thru my doorway. It's 27" square if you include the front catch tray.

All in all I'm pleased with my purchase so far and didn't expect to get the attention to detail a $2000 stove will have. I needed something functional on a budget and this stove seems to fit the bill. After i do the break in burns and get this thing going i will comment back about the performance of the stove. I'm looking forward to the heat and money it is going to Save me compared to the fuel oil.

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[begreen]

Do you have a crimping tool? Try it on the stove pipe male end to deepen the factory crimp. That should help the stove pipe fit into the stove collar.

 

[Woody Stover]

Looking forward to the reports! Don't dally...spring is drawing nigh.

 

[edyit]

I purchased the smaller version of this from Lowes and am just waiting for it to get shipped there so I can pick it up. Would love to hear what you think of how it runs especially the AAS feature.

 

[Chas0218]

I purchased the smaller version of this from Lowes and am just waiting for it to get shipped there so I can pick it up. Would love to hear what you think of how it runs especially the AAS feature.

I am actually really looking forward to trying the AAS feature and see how good it works. I am hoping that I can teach my wife how to use the stove so if she is there she can operate it no problem using the AAS. She grew up around wood heat but unfortunately never ran a stove before.

I was further inspecting the stove last night and did notice a slight air gap in the door seal on the hinge end with the door completely closed off. I might have to get a hold of Englander about this. It is a slight gap but enough I can slide a folded index card through no problem.

 

[Woody Stover]

did notice a slight air gap in the door seal on the hinge end with the door completely closed off. I might have to get a hold of Englander about this. It is a slight gap but enough I can slide a folded index card through no problem.

That's no good. I'm guessing that if you tried to run the stove like that, it might be uncontrollable.

 

[Highbeam]

air leaks on a noncat are not nearly as big a problem as on a cat stove. There are many full throttle, unregulated, intentional, air "leaks" built into the noncat stove. Uncontrollable by design to a point, the additional leak can be too big.

 

[Woody Stover]

I guess much would depend how tall the stack is and how strong the draft is to start with.

 

[begreen]

I guess much would depend how tall the stack is and how strong the draft is to start with.

Correct. Air leaks in a non-cat can dramatically affect performance. I've seen it several times on local stoves, a couple times on my own stoves and many times here on hearth.com. Even a small air leak in the wrong place can be quite disruptive. We had an air leak in our F3CB with just a short chimney and the stove burned like crap until it was fixed. An air leak like the OP is describing should be fixed right away.

 

[Easy Livin’ 3000]

I am actually really looking forward to trying the AAS feature and see how good it works. I am hoping that I can teach my wife how to use the stove so if she is there she can operate it no problem using the AAS. She grew up around wood heat but unfortunately never ran a stove before.

I was further inspecting the stove last night and did notice a slight air gap in the door seal on the hinge end with the door completely closed off. I might have to get a hold of Englander about this. It is a slight gap but enough I can slide a folded index card through no problem.

Does this seem like a quality control trend to anyone? I've read about this gap around the door gasket at least a couple of times here. If this is the first year on this model, any chance they are still working out the kinks?

 

[Chas0218]

Looking at it a little closer definitely a gap. Going to write an email tomorrow and see what the deal is.

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[beatlefan]

Would like to see photos of the installation when complete.

 

[Woody Stover]

Looking at it a little closer definitely a gap. Going to write an email tomorrow and see what the deal is.

I would just get an OEM replacement gasket, install it correctly (not stretching it,) and be done with it. Can you tell if they used gasket cement or silicone?
If I had spent 3K on the stove, I might be inclined to point it out to them. OTOH, you wouldn't think a gasket would be hard to install properly...but @ED 3000 says it has been mentioned by others.

 

[Easy Livin’ 3000]

I would just get an OEM replacement gasket, install it correctly (not stretching it,) and be done with it. Can you tell if they used gasket cement or silicone?
If I had spent 3K on the stove, I might be inclined to point it out to them. OTOH, you wouldn't think a gasket would be hard to install properly...but @ED 3000 says it has been mentioned by others.

The other thread mentioned buying a larger gasket as a solution. I'll see if I can find the thread and link it up to this one.

It's mentioned on the thread titled:

50-TRSSW02 Large Smartstove heats up to 2400 sq ft

But that thread refers to another one. The last thing I want to do is disparage by heresy, so please take my comment with a grain of salt, and don't even count it as a data point. Englanders are on my short list should I need an upgrade!

 

[Chas0218]

I would just get an OEM replacement gasket, install it correctly (not stretching it,) and be done with it. Can you tell if they used gasket cement or silicone?
If I had spent 3K on the stove, I might be inclined to point it out to them. OTOH, you wouldn't think a gasket would be hard to install properly...but @ED 3000 says it has been mentioned by others.

It looks like it has some sort of sealant and also looks like it was pulled pretty tight when installed. I emailed Englander I'll see what they recommend doing.

The other thread mentioned buying a larger gasket as a solution. I'll see if I can find the thread and link it up to this one.

It's mentioned on the thread titled:

50-TRSSW02 Large Smartstove heats up to 2400 sq ft

But that thread refers to another one. The last thing I want to do is disparage by heresy, so please take my comment with a grain of salt, and don't even count it as a data point. Englanders are on my short list should I need an upgrade!

I remember seeing a post about an englander stove but couldn't find it when i searched again. I'll try it from the computer and see what the remedy was.

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[Highbeam]

The Englander gasket on my NC30 is very high density, I don't think you could bunch it up or stretch it. Door gasket was installed with black silicone. If I set a straight edge on the stove right below the door, I too have a gap. I don't bother trying to leak test or dollar bill test this gap because who freaking cares? Right inside the door is a dime sized hole feeding full throttle unregulated air into the fire from the doghouse.

Seriously, it's a non-cat. Full of holes. Swiss cheese from the factory.

Perhaps you could pull out the gasket, clean the door channel, fill it with a bunch of RTV, reinstall the gasket, then shut the door to set the gasket to the proper depth which will be held out to touch the door in this area by the RTV. Kind of a form-a-gasket approach to better matching the irregular stove body. At the factory I'm not so sure that the gaskets aren't installed on the door without the benefit of the matching stove to do this.

 

[begreen]

Lots of folks care. Very few run their stoves pedal-to-the-metal to heat a large shop. Runaway fires are no fun and leaks are a good way for them to get out of hand. Some folks even block off the doghouse boost air to achieve better control. The amount of air one provides the fire depends on the individual stove (not all non-cats have boost air), the wood burned, time of the year, the space being heated and how strong the draft is.

 

[Highbeam]

Lots of folks care. Very few run it pedal-to-the-metal to heat a large shop. Runaway fires are no fun and leaks are a good way for them to get out of hand. Some folks even block off the doghouse boost air to achieve better control.

They shouldn't care so much unless they actually run into a runaway stove scenario. Control of the fire with a non-cat is mostly an illusion.

Why do you keep saying that I run it pedal-to-the-metal? I run my stove within the operating parameters of the instructions. Sure, I aim for 700-750 on the stove top but I always have to throttle my draft down to keep it from getting too hot, in other words, despite all the swiss cheese of the non-cats they are still controllable on the top end.

Blocking off that doghouse hole would be a violation of federal law. It is an emissions device and the stove is tested for emissions with that hole open.

 

[begreen]

You keep comparing one stove in one location with the vast universe of non-cat stoves in a very large variety of installations. We have exactly the right control over our stove. A friend that lives up north heats year round with just their non-cat Summit. They have never had an issue with control either. Both our houses stay at the temperature we desire with surprisingly little swing in cycles. Never skirted a regulation out of common sense? As soon as one puts in a part like a cat that was not EPA lab tested one is possibly varying the emissions standard.

 

[Chas0218]

I just got off the phone and they are willing to work with me to get it all corrected they said it is most likely just a gasket. I'll put a straight edge on it tonight just to make sure it isn't a warped door. If it is the door I might see if they have a thicker gasket or if they want to replace the door. Either way they are willing to make it right.

 

[Highbeam]

I just got off the phone and they are willing to work with me to get it all corrected they said it is most likely just a gasket. I'll put a straight edge on it tonight just to make sure it isn't a warped door. If it is the door I might see if they have a thicker gasket or if they want to replace the door. Either way they are willing to make it right.

Be sure to also lay that straight edge across the face of the stove in the gasket area. My door is flat but the stove body is not. The way they bend the front and sides of these stoves up out of a single sheet of steel makes it hard to keep the bending isolated to just the corners.

 

[Highbeam]

You keep comparing one stove in one location with the vast universe of non-cat stoves in a very large variety of installations. We have exactly the right control over our stove. A friend that lives up north heats year round with just their non-cat Summit. They have never had an issue with control either. Both our houses stay at the temperature we desire with surprisingly little swing in cycles. Never skirted a regulation out of common sense? As soon as one puts in a part like a cat that was not EPA lab tested one is possibly varying the emissions standard.

Huh? Non-cats are great heaters. I've owned several. I have always had great control too, that is, great control within their very limited range of available outputs.

 

[bholler]

They shouldn't care so much unless they actually run into a runaway stove scenario. Control of the fire with a non-cat is mostly an illusion.

I can control mine just fine on a 35' chimney I don't know why you think there is no control. And the air coming in the dog house is regulated in mine it is the air going to the tubes that is unregulated and most tube stoves are that way.

Be sure to also lay that straight edge across the face of the stove in the gasket area. My door is flat but the stove body is not. The way they bend the front and sides of these stoves up out of a single sheet of steel makes it hard to keep the bending isolated to just the corners.

They should be flat or really close to it if it is not the stove is defective.

 

[Highbeam]

I can control mine just fine on a 35' chimney I don't know why you think there is no control. And the air coming in the dog house is regulated in mine it is the air going to the tubes that is unregulated and most tube stoves are that way.


They should be flat or really close to it if it is not the stove is defective.

I never said you have no control, just that it is small. If you think you have control then load your stove to the roof on top of a fresh bed of coals and just hold 250 stove top temp for the next 25 hours. I don't think you can do it. I know I can with a cat stove but a non-cat with all of the swiss cheese is not like that. You can only choose between hot and really hot which is just fine if your home needs that amount of heat. This is by design to keep emissions low of course as only a hot fire can burn up the smoke.

The OP is using an Englander stove very similar to the NC30 that has zero regulation on the doghouse air. Perhaps his doghouse air is regulated and a couple of brands are smart enough to even regulate the air going to the tubes as well. Most aren't.

Defective but apparently pretty common. It's not an airtight stove anyway so not too important.

 

[bholler]

If you think you have control then load your stove to the roof on top of a fresh bed of coals and just hold 250 stove top temp for the next 25 hours.

no but a stove top temp of 250 wouldn't make a dent in my heat demand. I can load it completely full of small splits on a hot bed of coals and hold it at about 600 stove top temp for 5 hours or so then it starts to taper off. The low and slow thing means nothing to me at all it would not fit my needs. Yes there is unregulated air but that air is directed exactly where the stove designers want it. If you have extra air leaking in where they don't want it it will cause problems. Like uneven heating of the stove body which can cause the stove body to warp. Or just poor performance and short burn times.

Defective but apparently pretty common. It's not an airtight stove anyway so not too important.

Your cat stove is not air tight either. Unless you can put the fire out by closing down the air it is not air tight. And honestly I check every door I work on with a dollar and I can get most to seal just fine. It is not that common.