Two questions on Pacific Energy Summit Insert

[PistolPeets]

Good morning all. A couple more newbie questions:

It appears I have a draft issue. A few days ago, I couldn't light a fire without filling the house filling with smoke due to a cold flue. Yesterday morning, I used the top down fire method and established a proper draft. All looked well. I had the door cracked a bit to allow more air flow to the start of the fire until everything lit well, then closed the door. There was no smoke in the room at all! After the first load burned down to coals, I opened the door VERY slowly to add a couple more logs and it seemed like all of the air in the room was being sucked into the stove and out the pipe! The coals started glowing as they received all the air and it was a very uncomfortable situation. Same thing happened later during another refuel. I think there is a wicked positive pressure in this house... Any ideas on how this could be corrected?? I'd hate to think what would happen if there was an emergency situation requiring me to open the stove while it's in the middle of a hot burn.

Also, I purchased an infrared thermometer to record stove temps. My thought process was to point it at the top of the insert between the stove top and the opening for the surround to monitor the pipe collar to ensure the flue temps weren't too crazy. However, this temperature never got above 190F. I took more measurements around the face of the stove and it appears that just below the door was the hottest (around 700 at it's hottest). I just want to have safe burns and not go over temperature since I'm new to this all. I was getting some excellent heat with leaving the primary air damper in the half position.

Thank you everyone. I tried searching for posts with similar issues but could not find anything. I apologize if there are already threads somewhere addressing this issue.

 

[PistolPeets]

This is an image of the insert

 

[Hogwildz]

Seems normal to me. Open door , more air, more fuel mixture. I see nothing you have shared that is cause of concern.

 

[PistolPeets]

Thanks for the reply. That's good to know. It's just a bit scary when it happens! The temperature looks okay as well?

 

[vwmike]

I have a free standing summit and yes once everything is up to temp and good and warm they will pull lots of air through them. Once you get more comfortable with it won't bother you, plus generally you won't need to open it when it's that warm as you should be waiting till it dies down and is just coals with a stove top around 200-300 to reload.

 

[PistolPeets]

I have a free standing summit and yes once everything is up to temp and good and warm they will pull lots of air through them. Once you get more comfortable with it won't bother you, plus generally you won't need to open it when it's that warm as you should be waiting till it dies down and is just coals with a stove top around 200-300 to reload.

That's good to know that I'm not the only one seeing lots of air passing through the stove! Do you think my temperature readings are coming from a good spot? Using IR gun in the center below the door. Highest temp from burn yesterday was 690.

 

[BlueMule]

I have a Summit insert as well. The first concern you put forth is just normal stuff. The smoke backdrafting into the room when the upwards draft through the stove is very slow at the beginning of you starting a fire is normal. Opening the door slowly will help mitigate this. A full fledged fire's strong draft will suck all the air in as the door opens and no smoke will backdraft into the room. As for opening the door during a full blown burn, generally you shouldn't be opening the door till the first load has burned down to coals. But, should I start a fire at 4-6pm and want to reload the stove before bed at say 9-10pm, then I just open the door and put more wood in. (Pro tip; wear welding gloves). As for checking the temp, aim your IR gun at the top corners of the stove box. Right above the top corners of the door.

Here's a "safe" process that I learned through personal experience as well as here on Hearth that you can use with your Summit insert; with well-seasoned wood, I start a burn with 5-6 splits of quality hardwood. I leave about 2, maybe 3 inches between the baffle and the top of the splits. Start with air control completely open. Once your temps measured at the top corners of the stove box hit 350, shut the air control to completely off. Your fire will cruise along for 6-10hrs. If after you shut the air control off and you don't get a satisfactory burn, i.e. the secondaries don't kick in right away or after a few minutes, open the air control back up and try going up to 400 and then shut the air control off. I don't like going above 400 before shutting the air control off as with a good burn, the measured temps of the stove are going to rise up to any where from 500-600. Wood species, split size (lenght & diameter) will determine the longevity of the fire and the heat omitted.

Seasoning your wood is important for a good burn. I live in the woods and my stacks get no sun. I tarp my stacks from beginning to end.

 

[PistolPeets]

Pointing the IR gun at the top corners above the door yields some low readings. Less than 200F during a hot burn. The highest temps come from the center below the door. Not sure why that is.

**Edit:

I'm now getting these temperatures you've described at the locations you described. The IR gun was new to me and I was unaware that you had to get between 12" - 20" away from the spot you're trying to measure. Once I got to the correct distance, my readings look more like yours at the same locations. Center above the door seems to be the hottest, but the top left above the door isn't far behind it. Thanks again for the assistance.