Supreme Fusion 24 Issues

[Andasibe]

Headline... Did I make a $7k mistake???

In October I had a Fusion 24 installed. Since then I have been doing every possible thing I can think of to get any real effect from this unit...

The unit is just not heating the room past a 5 foot radius, and in total after 10 hours of steady burn the space only increases a degree, yes 1 degree.

Here is what I have tried....
- Wood is at 13% moisture level
- Fire is built according to directions, reloads have gone from just one log to several with no change
- supplemented airflow with fans (both small and large) pointed at unit to force hot air into the room
- IR is showing in range of 600 about two hours into burn
- damper is set the mid level, in the slow level no real "fire" on the fast level results don't improve and I'll burn though a firebox of 8 logs in about an hour

I had the unit installed, but they didn't insulate around the unit. There are gaps between the sidewalls of the unit and the masonry bricks. Unit was supposedly installed with an insulated liner.

Would appreciate anyone's thoughts on what could possible be the issue.... I have reached out to the installer, but sometimes y'all have feedback I didn't think about!

 

[stoveliker]

How tall is your chimney

Your wood is unlikely 13%. Did you measure that on a piece that was at room temp and then resplit, with the pins pressed in the freshly exposed surface (deep and parallel to the grain)?

Do you have a block off plate?

 

[Andasibe]

How tall is your chimney

Your wood is unlikely 13%. Did you measure that on a piece that was at room temp and then resplit, with the pins pressed in the freshly exposed surface (deep and parallel to the grain)?

Do you have a block off plate?

30 feet is chimney height.

Wood has been tested in several environments, straight from the covered rack and and at room temp using a thermoworks tester, we have even resplit some (because of size issues) and it reads between 12 and 17%. 13% is our average, but the range has been from a crumbly 10% to 18%...

I am going to take the front off tomorrow and look around, but I paid for one so assuming there is one in place...

 

[kborndale]

30 feet is chimney height.

Wood has been tested in several environments, straight from the covered rack and and at room temp using a thermoworks tester, we have even resplit some (because of size issues) and it reads between 12 and 17%. 13% is our average, but the range has been from a crumbly 10% to 18%...

I am going to take the front off tomorrow and look around, but I paid for one so assuming there is one in place...

So you are saying that moments before testing your wood you grabbed an ax and resplit the wood and tested the freshly split surface? And this was on a piece of wood that had been sitting at room temperature for a day? This is the only way to get a correct measurement of wood moisture and any other measurements are not accurate.

 

[stoveliker]

30 ft is so tall that likely you're sucking a lot of heat up the flue.
You need a key damper.

 

[Andasibe]

30 feet is chimney height.

Wood has been tested in several environments, straight from the covered rack and and at room temp using a thermoworks tester, we have even resplit some (because of size issues) and it reads between 12 and 17%. 13% is our average, but the range has been from a crumbly 10% to 18%...

I am going to take the front off tomorrow and look around, but I paid for one so assuming there is one in place...

Yes, that is exactly what I am saying. We have been trying to find a resolve for this since October. Learked here for months trying other solutions that have been recommended to others.

 

[Andasibe]

30 ft is so tall that likely you're sucking a lot of heat up the flue.
You need a key damper.

Interesting thought. I just did a quick search, and wonder if this is even possible in the masonry chimney. There is no access to the liner once the insert is set, but I'll ask my installer if he has any ideas.

 

[stoveliker]

@EbS-P did the same I believe.
There have been others. It's hard but not impossible, generally.

Such a tall flue will draft (suck on the insert) so hard that it could also easily overfire.

 

[begreen]

First thing, the dealer should verify the activator control is closing properly. If the stove is new it probably is, but it should be checked off the list.

A probe thermometer in the liner above the stove top would tell you what's happening but that's hard to negotiate with an insert. A digital probe works best here. In lieu of that, the odds are heavy towards a too strong draft resulting in high flue temps and low stove body temps. Getting the draft under control will help, but it takes a good installer to work this out. It should start a draft strength reading via a manometer test on the liner with the stove burning strong. If it's >0.1" then the draft needs to be reduced, ideally down to something about .06". From that point the options are limited. Sometimes restricting the flue by choking it down to 5" at the cap can help, but usually the best solution is to figure out how to rig a working flue damper at the stove adapter to the liner with an extension on the handle through the surround.

 

[EbS-P]

I was able to add a damper by drilling a stock appliance adapter. A quick look in the manual shows a non stock appliance adapter is available. Do you know what you have installed. Take a picture with the surround off.

With a flush insert you will need the blower running all the time. Does this have an automatic temp sensing switch? I find mine turn on way to late and off way to early. I need a manual mode do you have one?

How accessible is the top of the chimney?

 

[mellow]

5" liner, interesting. Was this installed into an exterior facing masonry fireplace?

 

[EbS-P]

5" liner, interesting. Was this installed into an exterior facing masonry fireplace?

So the installer is trying to correct for the 30’ or…..

 

[begreen]

5" liner, interesting. Was this installed into an exterior facing masonry fireplace?

Where did the OP say this?

 

[stoveliker]

I think he was referring to your remark:

sometimes restricting the flue by choking it down to 5" at the cap

 

[begreen]

Ah, could be. I wasn't suggesting replacing the liner, just putting a reducer at top.

 

[mellow]

I guess I was the only one that looked at the specs for that insert.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
Heat Capacity: 500 to 2,000 sq. ft.
Total Maximum Heat Output: 75,000 BTUs (based on a 20 lb load of wood)
Heating time: 5 to 10 hours
EPA Firebox Size: 2.94 cubic feet
Chimney: 5 inch liner
Emissions: 1.54 g/h EPA 2020 Certified
Glass Dimensions: 22" 3/4 X 12" 1/4
Log Size Up to 21” Recommended 18”

 

[begreen]

I guess I was the only one that looked at the specs for that insert.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
Heat Capacity: 500 to 2,000 sq. ft.
Total Maximum Heat Output: 75,000 BTUs (based on a 20 lb load of wood)
Heating time: 5 to 10 hours
EPA Firebox Size: 2.94 cubic feet
Chimney: 5 inch liner
Emissions: 1.54 g/h EPA 2020 Certified
Glass Dimensions: 22" 3/4 X 12" 1/4
Log Size Up to 21” Recommended 18”

Thanks, you're right Mellow. I get so used to 6" standard that I missed that. It would be good to know if the 5" spec was followed or if it got connected with a 5.5 or 6" liner? If it's on a 5" flue liner then a 4" cap would be the reduction step.