I have had this Absolute Steel since they first came out. I am far from an expert and would like advise/thoughts from people who know more than I. The stove has been burning well all season, with the pipe temp around 300 and the stove top temp usually reaching around 500. Recently, the pipe temp has been climbing to around 350 and the stove top temp maybe stayed the same or maybe climbed slightly to 525-550. I don't know why the change. I am a bit paranoid because this stove warped and was repaired a few years back (there was a gap between the metal and the gasket that seals the bipass flap). I don't see any warping, but maybe need to inspect it further. I wonder if maybe there's air leaking in from the firebox to the top section of the stove where cat is housed? Thanks for any help.
I had the same thing happen to mine, even though I never overfired it. After the thin metal around the cat housing warped, and cracked I took it out and welded it up solid. The door gasket was a tiny bit worn, so after replacing that the flue temp was ok. I found I had to replace the gaskets 2 a year, but my burn season is from sept to end May. Let it cool down and clean, and check it very closely. It is built very light duty inside. Good luck. Let us know what you found.! p.s. I had to remove the AS from my house. I just straight burn with it in my garage. I really like the big glass.
I'm cooling it down now and will clean it good and inspect it carefully. I'll let you know if I find anything. Could it just be that the gaskets around the cat and around the bipass flap need to be replaced? How do I tell?
I contacted Woodstock and they suggested, since it seemed like I had an overdraft, that the problem would be more likely on the downstream side, so suggested to check the ash pan door gasket. I used a dollar bill and checked the ash pan door gasket and that seemed tight. I took off the door, kind of adjusted the door gasket, and checked that with a dollar bill, and that seemed good. Then I noticed the channel that the bypass flap gasket sits in seems to be broken at one of the corners and when I look underneath where it's tack welded, it has come free from the weld and is hanging down a little bit. I can't imagine that's good. I restarted the stove with a small load of wood, and the pipe temp again seemed to climb to almost 350. I really do like Woodstock and have had nothing but good experiences with them, but I'm kind of discouraged right now.
I agree with the woodstock customer service. Very personable and will help you the best they are able. You probably won't get much help here as woodstock is sort of infallible here. I welded up mine, checked everything close, but the bracketry where the cat sits in just won't stay. I even drilled out all the cracks so they wouldn't travel further. The thing is there is so many gaskets, that it may take you a while to figure out where the leak is coming from. Have you installed a key flue damper? I'm not familiar with your laws and regs on wood burning stoves, but am aware that you are in occupied territory. I would suggest at this point to get another stove with a six inch pipe. I picked up a woodstock fireview for free, and have found it to be outstanding, and much better made. Sorta like a old truck, vs new plastic computer thingy. Good luck. I know it is sickening. At least this isn't happening at the start of winter.
