trying to break in our new Shelbourne...help!

[NYCPrincess]

Hi there,

I am a city slicker, born and raised. Moved to the suburbs a few years ago and discovered this apparatus called a "wood stove". After much research and a brutal winter last year (oil consumption through the roof), we decided to buy one.

Saturday we installed our brand new Shelbourne. She is beautiful! So we've been breaking her in but not sure we are doing a good job. First fire we ended up burning about 2 logss (as instructed by the installers). Heat maybe cracked 200. Second fire we used about 3 logs--heat reached about 400, but rather quickly reached 250ish. Last fire we started with about 3-4 logs and then added another 2. Temps reached about 450and air vent/control was fully open the whole time.

I believe im suppose to reach 600 for it to be considered broken in, but cant seem to get it up there with these few logs.

Should it reach 600? For how long? When do I close the vent? Surely im not supposed to run it fully open the whole time. Thoughts? Advice?

Any words of wisdom are greatly appreciated.

 

[webby3650]

It sounds like you've pretty much got it. To get up to the 600 mark, try using smaller pieces of wood. Once it hits 600 shut the air down to maintain that temp for a short time.
Did you read the directions in the manual? I thought all the hearthstone break in procedures had outlined only 1 break in fire now. The traditional break in fires won't hurt at all though.

 

[unhdsm]

I wouldn't expect to see 600f (measured in the middle of the stovetop) until you reload over a hot coal bed. You're in good shape expect maybe over thinking a little From here on out, every time you get it hotter than before you can expect the paint to smell.
I ran the same stove for 3 years, it is a good heater.

 

[Grisu]

Those new EPA stoves work a bit counterintuitive. Closing the air does not necessarily reduce the stove temps but may increase them. What it does is reducing the amount of heat that goes up the chimney and to increase the burn of the combustible wood gases in the top of the firebox. Thus, I would try shutting the air some in a stepwise fashion (like a quarter every 5 to 10 min). You should see flames in the top of the firebox coming from the burn tubes there. Stove temps should further climb until you reach ~600 F. If closing the air leads to smoldering, your wood may be too wet. It needs to have an internal moisture content of less than 20% to burn well in an EPA-stove.

 

[NYCPrincess]

Thanks so much. I'll keep at it. Of course, we will see temps of 70 degrees this week, so no need to turn on the oven a least for this week. I'm sure I'm over thinking it. Totally trying to be cautious. This is all very new to me and would hate to make a bad mistake. @Grisu that is great insight. I had no idea. Will test that out next time.

Greatly appreciate your feedback.

 

[DanCorcoran]

Thanks so much. I'll keep at it. Of course, we will see temps of 70 degrees this week, so no need to turn on the oven a least for this week. I'm sure I'm over thinking it. Totally trying to be cautious. This is all very new to me and would hate to make a bad mistake. @Grisu that is great insight. I had no idea. Will test that out next time.

Greatly appreciate your feedback.

In my experience, you won't get secondary burning on a first load from cold. Your first load should produce a bed of red coals, then load up the stove. When the stovetop temps get into the "good" zone, then starting cutting back the primary air. If you don't have really dry wood, the secondaries won't last...they'll gradually die after 5-10 minutes.

 

[cableman]

600 is a high burn for that stove, ive had it there but most of the time it likes 4-500 then settles down to 350 a while later.

 

[NYCPrincess]

It sounds like you've pretty much got it. To get up to the 600 mark, try using smaller pieces of wood. Once it hits 600 shut the air down to maintain that temp for a short time.
Did you read the directions in the manual? I thought all the hearthstone break in procedures had outlined only 1 break in fire now. The traditional break in fires won't hurt at all though.

I read the manual, but we had gone with the instructions from the installer--3 small fires, each time adding more logs. This is all so foreign to me. But totally loving it. Looking forward to the colder weather. Thanks again for your advice.

 

[webby3650]

I read the manual, but we had gone with the instructions from the installer--3 small fires, each time adding more logs. This is all so foreign to me. But totally loving it. Looking forward to the colder weather. Thanks again for your advice.

What did your manual instruct you to do?

 

[NYCPrincess]

What did your manual instruct you to do?

Manual said as follows:

It is imperative that your stove is "broken in" slowly. ... [no specifics]

BUILDING A BREAK IN FIRE
1. Open the door and ensure the ash grate is in the
closed position. Place five or six double sheets
of tightly twisted newspaper in the center of the
firebox. Arrange kindling in a crisscross pattern
over the newspaper. Kindling should be
approximately ten pieces, 1/2" (13 mm) in
diameter and 10" to 18" (254 mm to 457 mm)
long.
2. Fully open the primary air control by pulling the
lever to the front of the stove.
3. Light the paper under the kindling. Leave the
door slightly ajar momentarily until the kindling
has started to burn and draft begins to pull.
4. Close the door and allow the fire to burn. Keep
the door closed and ash pan tightly inserted
while the stove is in use.
5. CAREFULLY MONITOR YOUR STOVE to
maintain a steady, low-heat fire. Your break-in
fire should make the stove warm but not hot to
the touch. At most, add a few small chunks of
wood to the fire to reach safe break-in
temperatures. [BUT DOESN'T ACTUALLY SAY WHAT TEMPS ARE]
6. Once the stove is warm but not hot to the
touch close the primary air control and allow the
fire to die out completely.
7. Let the stove return to room temperature.
Your patience will be rewarded by a properly
seasoned stove.

The packet left behind also included a flyer by "stove bright" with the following suggestion:
1) Slowly bring the stove to a medium burn, about 400F, for about 45 mins.
2) Increase the burn temperature to a hot burn, about 600F, for an additional 45-60 minutes [no explanation on how to do that]

Hope you can understand the confusion. 3 very different directions. We opted to go with the installer.

 

[webby3650]

The instructions you need to follow are from hearthstone. The instructions from stove bright are for the paint only. The paint doesn't care what stove it's on.
The installers recommendation comes from experience. Most cast stoves call for 3 break in fires, progressively hotter. Heartstone only recommends 1 break in fire on all their stoves as of lately. Doing the traditional 3 break in fires isn't a bad idea at all.

 

[DanCorcoran]

I did three and we all survived. Even now, because the stove is used only every few weeks, I always do a small warm-up fire first, before loading the stove. After four seasons, still no "crazing" of the majolica surface. I'm happy.

 

[fossil]

I think you're over-thinking this and that you can simply proceed with nurturing your budding relationship with your new stove now that the seed has sprouted. It's not at all likely that you're going to damage it, as careful as it seems you are to watch the temperature. There's no better teacher than experience. Enjoy your stove. Rick

 

[begreen]

Is this a painted or a porcelain enameled stove?

 

[NYCPrincess]

Is this a painted or a porcelain enameled stove?

It's painted black matte. it's more rustic and earthy that way

 

[begreen]

OK, then try a full fire next and get the stove over 500F. It will stink for a short while as the paint bakes in. Open some windows and put a fan in one if possible. This should complete your break-in. There may be a little bit of hot paint smell the next time but it quickly goes away once the stove has run at full operating temperature for a bit.