Hey guys, So, I have a pacific energy super 27, a new install, and I can't seem to get it up to a "reasonable" stovetop temperature of 500+. The highest I've had it at was about 460 or so. When I start it up, I can get the fire going hot quickly but the pipe temperature shoots up really high and I'm having a tough time balancing stove temp and pipe temp. Below are 3 photos of one example where the pipe temp is way, way higher than it should be and the stove temp is way below. The stove is rated for 1900 sqft and our home is about 1800sqft and it's warming the place somewhat ok, but we're nowhere near the cold times. I'm a bit concerned. Not sure how much I can load the stove because If I put more than say, 4 splits in, the pipe temp skyrockets. I can close the vent the whole way and if the temperature goes down, often the fire will almost completely dissipate, making me open it back up again. Any thoughts or suggestions?
The above suggestion is good, I don't think you would have those stack temps if your wood wasn't seasoned. I am not especially familiar with that particular stove, but they are all basically the same. You could try and add some of that metal tape to the air inlet at the very back of the stove, this will reduce the air coming in and may allow you to control the temps a bit better.
Currently, I just checked and these are the numbers. Stove's been running for about an hour with 4 splits Stove Glass: 725 Stove Top: 460 Front of Double Wall Pipe, just under probe: 250 Pipe Probe Temp: 780
I believe it's about 18' or so. Straight up to the ceiling, through the short section of the attic and through the roof.
Have you tried closing primary air once the stove hits about 400? Once I do that, stove temps climb. How long does it take to see those temps? If you're closing air and the fire dies, the wood is suspect.
Stove glass shows about the same as the pipe, but the stove top shows much lower? Am I reading that correctly? I'd try and get another reference point for stove top if possible. Shut it down sooner and see if you can maintain secondaries and good heat output.
When you say stove hits about 400, you're talking about the stove top correct? The temps I mentioned at the top of the post were, I believe after about 20 minutes The temps I took this evening: "Stove Glass: 725 Stove Top: 460 Front of Double Wall Pipe, just under probe: 250 Pipe Probe Temp: 780" were after about an hour or so. The wood's been stacked since may and is burning clean. I'm in a very windy area about 200 meters from the coast. I feel the wood is good. Moisture meter averages it at around 15% or so.
Stove Glass: 725 Stove Top: 460 Front of Double Wall Pipe, just under probe: 250 Pipe Probe Temp: 780 Yup, the stove top has yet to hit 500 degrees even though the probe has shown up to 1200 degrees till I close the damper on the stove. Driving me nuts, honestly. I was just aiming the temp gun at the top of the stove. I didn't take multiples and average it, I'll try that!
Do you turn the air down in stages? Some stove are easily unsettled by a change in primary air. Most "tube" type stoves respond well to being turned down in quarters...3/4, give it 5 minutes, 1/2, give it five minutes...so on and so forth. Once the air is turned down and the fire is on "cruise control", the stove top temp will go up, the pipe temp will drop...the drier the wood is, the lower you can set the primary air and still maintain flame, long term
Yeah I do turn it down in stages and I don't have too much trouble with wood going out if I let it burn hot long enough first but the problem is the pipe gets so darn hot in the process of waiting. I've only slammed it down in one shot if I forgot to be watching it and come into the room and it's a good portion over the 1000 "ok" mark.
A couple of thoughts- First for the wood, I know I'm not using fantastic wood yet, I'm sadly a year or two away from that happening, so perhaps take a piece, split it down the middle and then take a moisture reading, there's a chance the center content could be a little higher. Not saying it absolutely is, just saying look to rule that out. Second- also having a new stove in my house, it took me some time to figure it out.... and I still am figuring it out, so I'm not a pro by any means regarding what the stove I have can do, so I'd say give yourself some time with it and see what comes of some tinkering and observations. Different woods give you different results, and while I'd take anything, I do notice different woods give me noticeably different outputs. Can't really say a whole heck of a lot about your stove top temp, but I will say that my stove performs significantly better after a few days of burning hard and the coals are built up, so perhaps that will come into play? When the temps do start to drop on you folks and you get it running hard to keep up, perhaps it will start to really become its true self. Next- holy smokes- killer view of the water! Is it possible that you're getting some winds off the water and are experiencing heat loss that way? That wouldn't do hardly anything to the stove top temp, but my house used to be so very drafty- now its only... very drafty. That stuff also could make an impact. Stove looks great! I hope you get some info to help you out, and just from my own experience- you're in a beautiful part of the world!
This probably will not help, but a couple pictures of my temp gauge. I'm almost at the end of a burn cycle. Gotta tell my wife to dust sometime soon.
