Year #2 Lopi Liberty and still not sure what is normal

[Deppizzymo]

So this is every night with our Lopi Liberty. We've had a late start to winter so we haven't had too many "stuff it full" overnight burns but it's finally starting to get pretty cold at night. Last year this was also pretty much every night. The thing blazes like crazy regardless of how early you shut it down. Tonight I had the air fully shut down @ 400 on this Condar probe and it is still burning like this. I've seen it dip into the red on this Condar probe. Last year we were for sure there were issues with this stove and the tech came over and found that both the door gasket and ash pan gasket cement had failed and the rope was just loose and could be pulled right out. They replaced both and I thought this year we might be in good shape. If it's not stuffed, you can generally keep it in the 600 range but overnight burns are frustrating because we light the stove, the house becomes hot enough to sweat but by morning the house is cold. Before they replaced both gaskets I questioned our draft but the flue itself is only 24 feet so it's not super tall. I have wondered if we maybe needed a damper but they said absolutely not/do not do that/these stoves were not designed for something like that. I am just kinda not sure if this is just normal or if there's something wrong. I hate to keep crying wolf to the installer because I know everyone's time is valuable and time is money. They are good people and if this is just how a stove functions I want to leave them alone, but if I should have more control over this thing I would also love to figure out how. I did the dollar bill test and I was able to pull it out with a little resistance. The Lopi has a knife edge type door/gasket seal design. I adjusted the door hinge to make it tighter tonight and it's still no different. This picture of the fire and Condar probe is a full 45 minutes after it ignited and at least 30 minutes since I tamped it down @ 400 degrees. I've also heard Condar probes read higher so I just have no idea what to think. I really appreciate any insight.

 

[begreen]

That looks like a loose load with a lot of air space between the splits. This allows the fire to burn hot. Packing it tighter slows down the fire. That said, it's not terrible, just a lot of quick heat. Double check the ashpan seal to make sure addtional air is not leaking there.

24ft is on the border of being a tall flue. It's going to draft strongly. A key damper is being recommended more and more by stove companies to tame strong draft when this is the case.

 

[Deppizzymo]

That looks like a loose load with a lot of air space between the splits. This allows the fire to burn hot. Packing it tighter slows down the fire. That said, it's not terrible, just a lot of quick heat.

Well I typically load them east to west on overnight so it's hard to get a good idea from the picture but it was pretty well stuffed tonight. Some of it was probably lesser quality maple but it still seems to just go up in no time and leave nothing but a hot pile of coals after a couple of hours.

 

[thewoodlands]

So this is every night with our Lopi Liberty. We've had a late start to winter so we haven't had too many "stuff it full" overnight burns but it's finally starting to get pretty cold at night. Last year this was also pretty much every night. The thing blazes like crazy regardless of how early you shut it down. Tonight I had the air fully shut down @ 400 on this Condar probe and it is still burning like this. I've seen it dip into the red on this Condar probe. Last year we were for sure there were issues with this stove and the tech came over and found that both the door gasket and ash pan gasket cement had failed and the rope was just loose and could be pulled right out. They replaced both and I thought this year we might be in good shape. If it's not stuffed, you can generally keep it in the 600 range but overnight burns are frustrating because we light the stove, the house becomes hot enough to sweat but by morning the house is cold. Before they replaced both gaskets I questioned our draft but the flue itself is only 24 feet so it's not super tall. I have wondered if we maybe needed a damper but they said absolutely not/do not do that/these stoves were not designed for something like that. I am just kinda not sure if this is just normal or if there's something wrong. I hate to keep crying wolf to the installer because I know everyone's time is valuable and time is money. They are good people and if this is just how a stove functions I want to leave them alone, but if I should have more control over this thing I would also love to figure out how. I did the dollar bill test and I was able to pull it out with a little resistance. The Lopi has a knife edge type door/gasket seal design. I adjusted the door hinge to make it tighter tonight and it's still no different. This picture of the fire and Condar probe is a full 45 minutes after it ignited and at least 30 minutes since I tamped it down @ 400 degrees. I've also heard Condar probes read higher so I just have no idea what to think. I really appreciate any insight.

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We've had a Lopi Liberty since 2008 or 09, we have magnetic thermometer on the stovetop and pipe. On the stovetop we have one on the right and one on the left, I watch all three when I decide to close the air down.

I learned on here that with the Liberty or with any stove you can control your stovetop temps by how much firewood you put in. If I loaded up the Liberty with a full load of beech or sugar maple, you might hit the 800 stovetop temp.

I heat our house differently from when I started burning. Two smaller fires early will heat our house better than one long burn that I always tried when I first started.

 

[thewoodlands]

Well I typically load them east to west on overnight so it's hard to get a good idea from the picture but it was pretty well stuffed tonight. Some of it was probably lesser quality maple but it still seems to just go up in no time and leave nothing but a hot pile of coals after a couple of hours.

I would buy two magnetic stovetop thermometers, maybe start shutting it down on what temps they're at. Loading up on a nice bed of coals with ash and two splits of ironwood tonight, I start closing it down at 300 (stovetop) and then watch what the flame does, adjust accordingly.

 

[Todd]

Is the pipe and chimney straight up 24’ or do you have some elbows? These stoves are tested at 15’ in ideal conditions. Try a pipe damper.

 

[Sealcove]

So this is every night with our Lopi Liberty. We've had a late start to winter so we haven't had too many "stuff it full" overnight burns but it's finally starting to get pretty cold at night. Last year this was also pretty much every night. The thing blazes like crazy regardless of how early you shut it down. Tonight I had the air fully shut down @ 400 on this Condar probe and it is still burning like this. I've seen it dip into the red on this Condar probe. Last year we were for sure there were issues with this stove and the tech came over and found that both the door gasket and ash pan gasket cement had failed and the rope was just loose and could be pulled right out. They replaced both and I thought this year we might be in good shape. If it's not stuffed, you can generally keep it in the 600 range but overnight burns are frustrating because we light the stove, the house becomes hot enough to sweat but by morning the house is cold. Before they replaced both gaskets I questioned our draft but the flue itself is only 24 feet so it's not super tall. I have wondered if we maybe needed a damper but they said absolutely not/do not do that/these stoves were not designed for something like that. I am just kinda not sure if this is just normal or if there's something wrong. I hate to keep crying wolf to the installer because I know everyone's time is valuable and time is money. They are good people and if this is just how a stove functions I want to leave them alone, but if I should have more control over this thing I would also love to figure out how. I did the dollar bill test and I was able to pull it out with a little resistance. The Lopi has a knife edge type door/gasket seal design. I adjusted the door hinge to make it tighter tonight and it's still no different. This picture of the fire and Condar probe is a full 45 minutes after it ignited and at least 30 minutes since I tamped it down @ 400 degrees. I've also heard Condar probes read higher so I just have no idea what to think. I really appreciate any insight.

View attachment 321939 View attachment 321940

Third season with my Liberty Nexgen. My chimney is a bit taller than yours with about 8’ of double wall leading to 20’ + of class A (I forget my total length, but around 30’). I quickly added a key damper my first season with the stove, as certain burns I had too much draft was taking the stove to the edge of over firing. I don’t usually need to use the damper, but it has been helpful on occasion with certain loads of wood and draft conditions. My dealer also tried to talk me out of putting a damper in, but the reality is that every install is different. With double wall to class A, I have had zero issues with creosote so far. I form a tiny bit right at the chimney cap, but the entire length of my stack produces less than a coffee cup of very fine soot when I clean it.

As discussed already, playing with loading will have a big impact on how the stove burns. On a reload over a bed of coals, I start with a north/south layer of small splits (2” square range) to help get things moving, but the big splits above are all east/west. The extra airflow under the wood from the bottom north/south layer only lasts long enough to start getting things hot, and the rest of the load usually burns more moderately once it settles down.

Lastly, I have no idea what my flu temps are. I manage the stove only with a thermometer on the lower stove top. I try to get that into the 600F range before slowing down, and usually keep it 500F-650F+ for a good chunk of a burn.

 

[KILN DRIED]

I feel your pain. Have a LOPI Insert and what a useless piece of garbage. Had a Hearthstone for almost 20 years and wish I had it back. Great burns. Great heat . The LOPI needs CONSTANT attention and adjusting, and we are talking 7-8% oak here.
The thing I love is with the LOPI, there is NO WAY to talk to anyone. No phone numbers on their website nor in their manual. Sent an email and got a response over a week later that said, "CONTACT YOUR DEALER.”
Hope all works out. Will be following to see how you do.

 

[Sealcove]

I feel your pain. Have a LOPI Insert and what a useless piece of garbage. Had a Hearthstone for almost 20 years and wish I had it back. Great burns. Great heat . The LOPI needs CONSTANT attention and adjusting, and we are talking 7-8% oak here.
The thing I love is with the LOPI, there is NO WAY to talk to anyone. No phone numbers on their website nor in their manual. Sent an email and got a response over a week later that said, "CONTACT YOUR DEALER.”
Hope all works out. Will be following to see how you do.

I have called Travis a couple of times and was able to get someone to answer questions. It is right on the contact page on their site:

425-609-2500​

 

[KILN DRIED]

I have called Travis a couple of times and was able to get someone to answer questions. It is right on the contact page on their site:

425-609-2500​

Thanks much. Will try.