Where do I take the temperature of a wood insert?

[KaptJaq]

Smoke starting creeping out from around the door (which it has never done before) for about 30 seconds, then stopped.

Was the smoke coming from the door gasket or the primary & secondary air inlets? If it was from the inlets then it is only the cold flue. If it was the door gasket, was the door completely closed and latched when the smoke leaked out? If the smoke can leak out, air can leak in and make it hard to control the stove once hot. If so you should do the "dollar bill" test. When the stove is cold put a dollar bill between the door and the frame. Close and latch the door and pull on the dollar. If it slides out easily the latch needs to be tightened as per the manual. Repeat several times around the door. Do not over-tighten the latch. If it cannot be easily adjusted call your dealer to check it out.

Is it the low moisture content of the bricks that make them bad for the stove?

If the bricks are all wood, no glue or other binding agents, then it is the low moisture content. If there is too much air they will burn very hot. I only use them when I have marginal wood that needs to be moisture balanced.

Maybe one of the pro's can pipe in and let us know what burn time they get with the Montpelier with Envi's vs. cordwood.

I have never burned just Envi blocks. With a full load of well seasoned hardwoods I get 8 hour burns. At the end of 8 hours the stove is still giving off a good amount of heat from a nice bed of coals. There are enough coals to put some splits on and re-start the fire. I think 10 hour burn is a marketing number. After 10 hours I am sure I will find some hot coals but not enough to generate any real heat or to re-start the fire easily.

There seem to be a lot of Long Islanders on this forum!

I was wondering why the competition for free firewood was getting so bad.

KaptJaq

 

[EnviBurn]

Hi EnviBurn, thanks for taking the time to reply.

What temps to do you get on your stove? I was going to buy Envi-blocks from the Log Splitter also but was advised that they are too dry and might burn too hot. I've already made some mistakes (as you might have figured from my previous posts) so I need all the tips and advice I can get. Burning exclusively with the Envi8's how many tons did you need to make it through the winter?

The reason we got the Montpelier was because of the advertised burn time. I didn't want to have to wake up every few hours to babysit the stove at night. Maybe the Envi's burn faster because of the low moisture content, and the cordwood burns slower because it has a relatively higher moisture content and that's why you're not getting the full 10 hours out of it. Just a guess. Maybe one of the pro's can pipe in and let us know what burn time they get with the Montpelier with Envi's vs. cordwood.

PartView, I go thru about 2.5 tons/pellets per winter. I think the blocks do gets too hot, that's why I only do up to 5 blocks. I have a magnetic thermometer that I stick to the top arch of the door...right in front of the glass I think. With 4 blocks, the temp can reach 375 and 5 blocks will kick it up to 450. With 5 blocks...the box is only half full. I am scare of add more than 5 blocks...so I think the trick to get to the magical 8 hours burn is to add regular cord wood in the mix, this way, I get the box fully filled without getting too hot....adding more envi blocks is probably too risky beyond 5.

The guy who sell the Envi Blocks is also an Envi burner himself...you can just give him a call and ask for advice as well.

 

[seabert]

Hi,

I going to assume you are another LI burner. Welcome to the group.

The problem with inserts is it is so hard to find a place to take the temperature. The best place is the top of the firebox but, on an insert, you cannot see it. Any metal you can see on your insert has some air moving by it or under it. The temperature in these spots is lower than the actual top of the firebox. The only time I get accurate readings on my Montpelier is with the surround off. Then I can see the top of the firebox near the outlet collar. The numbers you give look good for normal burns. They are a little high for first burns but I have found the insert to be well built and it can take a little heat.

The best way to deal with it is to get used to how your stove burns and the temps you get in the spots you can check. They will vary relative to the actual firebox top temp. If you see those temps rising above normal you know the firebox is above normal also.

KaptJaq

 

[seabert]

For temperature I used an infrared Thermal Imager just to see what it would read. Hot spot measured 550-560 with 3 four inch splits burning strong. I used a Fluke TI-25 which is really expensive as it is a commercial grade unit. Ask around and if you know someone in a local Fire department they may actually have one. What is really cool is the images really tell you a lot about how well the insert is performing as well as you home to see where you have cold spots.
I use mine for machinery inspections and also to check friends homes.
My Montpelier is great and heats beautifully.

 

[KaptJaq]

If you can please post the thermal image of the stove at work...

KaptJaq

 

[Bluezx636]

Parkview. Check out (broken link removed).

I am a new wood burner also on LI. I am interested in learning the ins and outs of wood burning and hope to get an overnight burn eventually.

Good recommendation! I purchased 2 cords of wood from Dunright Landscaping based off reviews from lifirewoodreview.com for $320 and it looks like it should burn without a problem.