Picking up my Nova 2 next week. This will be my review thread

[Ajcoxen]

Erb’s Stove Center ordered 3” legs and I should be picking up the stove Jan 10th. It’s being installed on 1st floor of a 1700sq ft 2 story. Supplemental heat source.

Installed 21’ of class A chimney and working on a raised insulated hearth.

Provia Hearth stones for the hearth pad. 2 layers of 1/2” concrete board on a 2x4 frame. Provia castle rock ridge cut below the heart stones

I’m going to install and run the stove to make sure it’s far enough from my walls. Right now it’s 13” to the combustibles in the corners. So before I mortar everything in I want to make sure it doesn’t get the combustibles to hot.

After this winter I’ll finish the hearth walls with an air space, concrete board and Provia Castle Rock ridge cut. But my window sills are still close enough I want to make sure the stove location is good.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

No pics of the stacks of wood to be burnt?

5 more days until light off!

 

[Ajcoxen]

No pics of the stacks of wood to be burnt?

5 more days until light off!

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Excellent! That wood looks like it’s been drying for a while! I hope you have more! It’ll go fast!

 

[Ajcoxen]

Picked up my stove. Love the size of the viewing glass. Tried to burn the paint smell off it outside but it still stinks. It’s installed. Burned a smaller fire and it’s 40° outside. Stove seems tight had to keep door pretty cracked to get it going.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

A little bit of singlewall would have made it easier to do the outside burn. Looks great!

 

[Ajcoxen]

After last night and this mornings burn I’m happy with there 9” corner clearance. My wood paneled walls felt warm but that’s all.

Started on the hearth, used Mapie large format tile mortar. Had 6 Provia hearth stones inside, went out to my pallet and the other 3 are different colors 😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫. The correct color should be here the 20th.

 

[Ajcoxen]

Starts easy. Closed the bypass about 10min in. This load lasted about 3hrs. It was kindling, 2 sawdust bricks and 2 smaller ash logs.

 

[Ajcoxen]

Doesn’t seem to let me open the door if there are active flames inside it’ll pour smoke out. It’s real warm here about 50° and raining.

I put this locust in at 2pm.

 

[moresnow]

Keep up the report.
Active flame means smoke rollout on several modern designs it seems. Learn to burn appropriately sized batch's to match your heat requirement and acceptable reload timing.
When your down to just enough coals to restart you reload after cracking the door open for a minute and then very slowly opening the loading door.
Some variant of this plan may help. Enjoy your new heater!

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Remember to open the primary air a bit before reload too.

Depending on the stove design, a baffle board can ride up to the front and need to be nudged to the back. This can help with smoke rollout.

 

[bundy150]

I don't think this stove has a primary air control.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

It’s a fill it and forget it stove?

 

[bundy150]

Single burn rate stove.

 

[Ajcoxen]

It single burn rated right though that wood. Down to coals 4hrs later. It was weird it was slowly burning just perfect, stove was plenty hot, then all of a sudden it took off with a full firebox of flame. I installed a flue damper hoping it would give me some adjustments but honestly it seems the same with it open or completely closed.


Here’s the new load. Locust and a round ash piece



I’ve been standing here in front of it with the flue damper shut. Fire doesn’t change.

 

[Ajcoxen]

Started this morning with hot coals.

Used some kindling and smaller splits to get it going. At 9am that was burnt up and I loaded it as full I could and immediately engaged catalyst. I’m guessing it was more a smoldering fire because my glass is noticeably dirtier. Heat was in middle of engage catalyst thermometer when I returned at 1pm.
Went pheasant hunting

It’s pretty Smokey into the house. I can open the door about 4” and the chimney takes care of the smoke but any further and it comes into the house.

 

[Ajcoxen]

Stove was crazy hot last night. Timed it wrong and was only able to get 2 large splits in before bed. Layed them on a huge bed of coals and woke up 8hrs later to it basically out. There was coals, but needed kindling and was slow to start. If I shut the door completely it wouldn’t have lit. We’ll maybe it would have in a few hrs after smoldering and producing no heat. Basically started this morning from scratch I even used my torch to help get it blazing so my house would be warm. Ran it with the door open for atleast 30min trying to get it hot

 

[Ajcoxen]

Timed it better last night for a overnight burn. Cut my logs to 20” and kept the splits bigger. Stove was packed and I am happy with the amount of coals this morning.

I am thinking about getting an air quality meter to measure the damage of reloads.

 

[EbS-P]

Timed it better last night for a overnight burn. Cut my logs to 20” and kept the splits bigger. Stove was packed and I am happy with the amount of coals this morning.

I am thinking about getting an air quality meter to measure the damage of reloads.

View attachment 307768

From my experience it goes down if you can smell a reload. But cooking really sends it down. One skillet making anything has a bigger effect. If you are getting smoke roll out just wait longer. If it’s just coals there I usually can’t smell it.

 

[Ajcoxen]

From my experience it goes down if you can smell a reload. But cooking really sends it down. One skillet making anything has a bigger effect. If you are getting smoke roll out just wait longer. If it’s just coals there I usually can’t smell it.

Thanks. I ordered a air quality meter from Amazon.

 

[Ajcoxen]

I should have added this from the beginning but when I installed my stove I laid it down to install the legs and the combusted swing door plate fell out and I didn’t know what it was. Wasn’t in the manual.
I emailed MFFire and they got back to me yesterday to tell me what it was. I took off my chimney and installed it through the flue.

It’s like a flap behind the combuster to divert the air down then into flue.

I believe this is a critical part to the design of this stove because stove top temp is now higher with a smaller fire. It seems to burn slower and less raging inside. Or the wood I used this AM is just wetter. To many variables.




Does anyone think it’s worth 100$ to add 36” of chimney? It’s just a shot in the dark.

 

[Ajcoxen]

Chimney cap was slowing down my draft. It’s 45° here and if I run it with the door open I could overfire the stove I believe. It drafts 100x better now. When the chimney is hot at least. It was slow going this morning but it’s warm out. That’s a negative of an outdoor chimney I guess.

This is a big box store chimney system. Supervent.

 

[EbS-P]

Chimney cap was slowing down my draft. It’s 45° here and if I run it with the door open I could overfire the stove I believe. It drafts 100x better now. When the chimney is hot at least. It was slow going this morning but it’s warm out. That’s a negative of an outdoor chimney I guess.

This is a big box store chimney system. Supervent.

View attachment 307905 View attachment 307906 View attachment 307907

Are you lighting top down with lots of kindling?

 

[Ajcoxen]

Are you lighting top down with lots of kindling?

therewas enough coals I used kindling then a split on top of that.

Are you lighting top down with lots of kindling?

There was enough coals I used kindling and a split laying on top.

 

[bundy150]

How are you doing with learning to get longer burn times and more control over the heat output? Have you resolved the smoke roll out issues?