Wood stove purchase help

[bcrtops]

There have been times that I've wished for a damper. I have a really good draft, even though the chimney is minimal, though straight up. I have got accustomed to using the stove a bit different than most to avoid over-firing. I never fully load the stove in the sense some do -- like filling up all the voids with small splits. On the other hand -- I like dropping my cleaning brush all the way through from the top -- a damper would just be another point to clean more or less by hand -- though the old Fisher damper never got in the way much.

Just go slow at first, learn your stove, & I think you'll be fine w/o a damper.

 

[eastcoastcanada]

There have been times that I've wished for a damper. I have a really good draft, even though the chimney is minimal, though straight up. I have got accustomed to using the stove a bit different than most to avoid over-firing. I never fully load the stove in the sense some do -- like filling up all the voids with small splits. On the other hand -- I like dropping my cleaning brush all the way through from the top -- a damper would just be another point to clean more or less by hand -- though the old Fisher damper never got in the way much.

Just go slow at first, learn your stove, & I think you'll be fine w/o a damper.

Let's hope the stove is engineered to run really low. Even with the lever set to low, there's still a fairly large opening in the air feed. The dealer suggested that I first run the stove with the 4" rear knockout left in place but I may knock it out as per the instructions and use the slug to fab up a magnetic cover just in case of an emergency.

 

[Squisher]

I can't imagine why he would recommend to run with the knockout on. You don't have or are planning a OAK connection do you?

I actually lit my summit with the knockout on and had a few minutes of panic thinking I had a dud. Knocked the disc out and it was off to the races.

Fwiw, neither of my stoves have modded air intake at all.

 

[eastcoastcanada]

I can't imagine why he would recommend to run with the knockout on. You don't have or are planning a OAK connection do you?

I actually lit my summit with the knockout on and had a few minutes of panic thinking I had a dud. Knocked the disc out and it was off to the races.

Fwiw, neither of my stoves have modded air intake at all.

I'm using room air. Mine has the pedistal base and far as I can tell, it would only be able to draw air from the tiny slit that the adjustment lever goes through so it would starve for air on anything but low. IMO, the knockout has to go regardless of outside air supply or not.
I think maybe the guy was more salesmen then he was a source of information.

 

[Squisher]

If memory serves with an oak you leave the knockout on but without one you definetly need to remove it.

 

[eastcoastcanada]

**Update**
I know this has been a long time coming but tonight I just fired my Pacific Energy Super 27 'Heritage' for the first time. It's not even cold outside right now but it's as good a time as any to test it and burn off the paint.
I'm extremely impressed with the geat output, blower, clean burn and ease of lighting.
So...it's 12°C outside, 39 kph sustained NE winds with gusts to 60 kph. Humidity is 100% and it's absolutely pouring outside. Chimney is a 6" Supervent prefab with wall tee and straight up 20' to the included deluxe cap, nothing special. Drafting is excellent despite the wind and the stove responds to small adjustments of the damper. On medium low or almost shut down, it maintains 600°F as indicated by an Imperial flue-gas probe thermometer and the heat in this house is enough to drive us out. We arrived home today after work with all our digital thermostats reading 18°C while it was 12°C outside and the same wind conditions as above. Lit the stove at 6:30 pm and 3 hours later every thermostat was above 21°C. The basement recroom where the stove is located was reading 32°C with windows open to evacuate the paint smoke. By 11 pm, the entire 2200 sf home is above 23°C.
Very impressed with this stove. Now I just have to gain enough confidence to leave it unattended at night.
As this is not an open concept home, the recroom us excessively hot right now at 36°C so I need to figure out how to get that heat distributed elsewhere via blowers or something.

 

[BrotherBart]

For the folks down South. At 36 degrees C his rec room was at 97 degrees F. Kinda like mine when I test a new stove.

 

[begreen]

Sounds like the wood is dry. Congrats on a great start to the season. Until it gets below about 5-7ºC try partial loads of fuel. Maybe 3-5 splits. That will still burn a long time and will get the house warm without baking you.

 

[eastcoastcanada]

Sounds like the wood is dry. Congrats on a great start to the season. Until it gets below about 5-7ºC try partial loads of fuel. Maybe 3-5 splits. That will still burn a long time and will get the house warm without baking you.

Will do, good advise. I'm going to try and get over the initial excitement of this and check everything over thoroughly later this evening.

 

[eastcoastcanada]

So it's 6:30 am and the stove has gone out a while ago. I didn't stoke it up last night because I need to learn to trust it. Though my dad burned wood when I was a kid, it's my first stove. I swore I would never get one because off all the work I had to do as a kid but the uncertainty of rising electrical rates has forced my hand.
Last night just before 11pm, I threw a 7 incher in on top of the red hot coals and shut it down. This morning it's still 12°C outside but the winds have droped to 23 kph. I'm happy to report that the entire house is at 22°C with the recroom a degree warmer at 23. I know that heat loss is not much of a factor at 12°C but we would likely be waking up to a 17 degree house this morning and firing up the mini-split heat pump to take the chill out so I'm very pleased.
FYI, that great first burn took place last night with the outside air source plug still in place. I don't know how the stove got all,its air but it worked great.
Thanks to all of you for suggesting the Pacific Energy brand and thanks for all the advise along the way. I started this journey around this time last year but didn't have any seasoned wood, this year I'm ready to rock and roll and I'm looking forward to drastically cutting that electric bill.
I'll keep you updated as the season progresses and I'll try and answer any questions I can. I'm sure I will continue to draw on this crowd for guidance along my way.
Thanks!

 

[WayneN]

For the folks down South. At 36 degrees C his rec room was at 97 degrees F. Kinda like mine when I test a new stove.

Lol we have all been there. I think I broke 100f testing mine last year lol. I keep the house at 80 and only half load now. Reloads at 6 -8 hrs depending on the wood type. Best investment ever!

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

 

[eastcoastcanada]

Lol we have all been there. I think I broke 100f testing mine last year lol. I keep the house at 80 and only half load now. Reloads at 6 -8 hrs depending on the wood type. Best investment ever!

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

We've had extremely favorable weather this year and there's still no sign of snow but the temps are holding at 3°C to 5°C during the day and dipping to around -3°C during the night. Running the stove in the 'optimal burn zone' even with just a split or two still produces too much heat and we end up opening the windows on both floors just until we go to bed.The stove is in a 16x20 recroom in our basement and with the door left open, it sets up a powerful current that sends hot air out the top of the door and cooler air rushing in the bottom of the door. In just a couple of hours the entire house, top to bottom, are at an excessive 25°C with the recroom much hotter.
What is the creosote risk if we let it run lower then optimal with dry wood? Just curious.