Heading down to the dealer to pick up a PE super 27, it will be my first EPA stove. Any advice in breaking in or operation?
Pulling the trigger
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Congrats! I am sure you will like it. The Super is really easy to operate and very forgiving, IMHO.
For the first break-in fire just load maybe 2 to 3 small split, some kindling, and let it rip without closing the air. Let it go cold and then do two more, each with more wood. Each one should hit a higher stovetop temp. If you have, use some really dry wood like lumber scraps as the firebricks already contain some moisture that will need to be driven out.
Here is my procedure for normal operation:
For my start-up fires from a cold stove I fill my similar sized firebox about 1/3 full and burn it about 20 min with the air fully open, then close it to about 1/2 and let it burn down to mostly coals for about another hour. The goal is to get the stove and flue warmed up sufficiently. Then I rake the coals forward, drop 2 to 3 short splits East-West (=sideways) behind the coals. Then I load more splits N-S on top of the short splits and the coals up to about 1" under the baffle. With the door slightly ajar I wait until the wood has caught fire, close the door and let it burn for a few minutes until the wood is burning well. Then I close the air in increments over the next 10 to 15 min: Close air until flames become slow moving ("lazy"), wait a few minutes for the fire to pick up again, then reduce air again some more and so on. At the end my air is usually fully closed and I have strong secondaries in the top of the firebox. With good hardwood I don't need to touch the stove for another 6 to 8 hours then (or 10 to 12 hours for an overnight burns with still plenty of hot coals in the morning). Stovetop temps usually peak at about 700 F without the blower on.
For the first break-in fire just load maybe 2 to 3 small split, some kindling, and let it rip without closing the air. Let it go cold and then do two more, each with more wood. Each one should hit a higher stovetop temp. If you have, use some really dry wood like lumber scraps as the firebricks already contain some moisture that will need to be driven out.
Here is my procedure for normal operation:
For my start-up fires from a cold stove I fill my similar sized firebox about 1/3 full and burn it about 20 min with the air fully open, then close it to about 1/2 and let it burn down to mostly coals for about another hour. The goal is to get the stove and flue warmed up sufficiently. Then I rake the coals forward, drop 2 to 3 short splits East-West (=sideways) behind the coals. Then I load more splits N-S on top of the short splits and the coals up to about 1" under the baffle. With the door slightly ajar I wait until the wood has caught fire, close the door and let it burn for a few minutes until the wood is burning well. Then I close the air in increments over the next 10 to 15 min: Close air until flames become slow moving ("lazy"), wait a few minutes for the fire to pick up again, then reduce air again some more and so on. At the end my air is usually fully closed and I have strong secondaries in the top of the firebox. With good hardwood I don't need to touch the stove for another 6 to 8 hours then (or 10 to 12 hours for an overnight burns with still plenty of hot coals in the morning). Stovetop temps usually peak at about 700 F without the blower on.
Awesome thanks! Sounds slightly more time consuming then my current stove, not a big deal, I'll just have to wake up a little earlier to get her stoked up before work.
If the stove is still warm and you have coals you can go right away to the reload procedure. That only takes about 20 min while you have your coffee. 
I'm sure it'll take me a little to get it dialed in, the worst part of it all is I've been cutting my wood to about 20", and the super takes a max of 18". I've got a lot of cutting down to do...
That's too bad. 19" also works but 20" is pushing it. The max diagonally is 23" but then you cannot fill up the firebox.
If the weather stays like this I shouldn't need to fill it up, I'll burn what I can diagonally and set aside the shorter stuff.
Find an old chop saw, or electric miter saw, 10 to 16" blade. Take those splits that are 20" and cut off 2". You can make quick work of a cord or two. Foamit UP
I just installed a new Super 27 this summer and am REALLY enjoying my first year with the stove. I think I tell my wife everytime I reload the stove how much I like it. For breaking in I just built small fires for a few days in a row gradually stepping up the heat and I will tell you we had hardly any foul smell off the stove. The stove is so simple to operate and gives great burn times. I burn mostly Doug Fir and Big Leaf Maple and frequently have coals 10-12 hours after reloads.
That's good to hear, I picked up the 27 a couple days ago, waiting for the rest of the chimney to get here, should have it up and running Saturday. I burn a lot of maple and cherry with a little oak and locust, I hope to achieve the burn times you're speaking of, but right now with my current set up I can only load 2 splits or the stove gets too hot, so I'm loading the thing every 2-3 hours, any thing longer then that would make the purchase worth it!
1) You made the right choice.
2) IMO, the PE stoves have the mildest learning curve of modern EPA stoves - my transition was near seemless
3) It requires no break in, so burn away.
I've had a PE Summit, its bigger brother I guess, for a few years now. The biggest learning adjustment I had to make was making sure I was using dry wood or seasoned wood of two years (for most species). After I recognized that I was the problem and was trying to feed it something it just didn't like, we got along great. I haven't had the need to fire it up this year as I have been using my little Jotul. I too cut a lot of wood 20 inches....now its 16-18 so I can burn it in either stove.
I wish I could see temps of 700 on my stove. I know my wood is not properly dried I will have to work on getting a few years ahead so I can have that but right now I don't. I have only seen temps close to 500 and that is only for a short time I can never keep my stove there. It does have firebricks across the top perhaps that is making a difference. I'm just learning about how to load it but getting better ...
jigger47
Member
- Feb 3, 2014
- 60
I bought a PE Super 27 earlier this year and posted some photos and had a thread going. https://www.hearth.com/talk/index.php?threads/New-install-PE-Super-27.136103/
I followed the owners manual for
The first couple fires stove top 450 or 500 I can't recall then 650 ish I think. It's all in the manual. I found that it took about a week for the bricks to fully dry out. Then I started getting longer burns. Burning 15-18% birch. I rake the coals forward and reload n-s let the fire roar until I see 400 or so. Cut it back to half way. Let it re establish then turn the air all the way off. Then just a touch open. With a bed of coals I can get it rocking again in about 15-20 minutes then let it be. At first I was cutting the air back to soon and not
Letting the temps get up prior to shutting it down. Dry wood makes huge differences. I can tell when I get the odd piece of wet wood it really shows in the stove top temps.
That's awesome, I'll be picking up the rest of my chimney tomorrow, did you put a damper in your stove pipe? I'm so used the the old stove I have and it needed one to control it, or are these stoves not meant to have one?
jigger47
Member
- Feb 3, 2014
- 60
No damper for me. Again these stoves are really simple to use. I watched a video on YouTube about running these stoves. I'll see if I can find it and post.
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![[Hearth.com] Pulling the trigger](https://www.hearth.com/talk/data/attachments/149/149308-db0086522eb3484e334bdae95128166a.jpg?hash=6C_Xpx5hpO "[Hearth.com] Pulling the trigger")
here is what I have to work with after my last reload last night. This is a 10 hour burn of Doug Fir and Maple.
![[Hearth.com] Pulling the trigger](/talk/data/attachments/149/149339-12f664bc6fd7fa6c80315c061e35a1c1.jpg?hash=M_f3D5PpNH)
jatoxico
Minister of Fire
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