Progress owners, give me a hand here!

I don't think people who haven't heated with one understand just how much heat e PH can put out on a 2/3 load of wood. This is a very efficient heater. The angle of the fireback and the large window make it throw a great deal of heat as soon as there is heat in the box. It is designed with a back angle like a Rumford fireplace. Very little heat is lost up the chimney. The difference between this stove and other stoves is like the difference between a Rumford fireplace and a standard fireplace. So many people insist that if the firebox size is the same, the heat put into the home is the same. Not so. Try the PH, or, for that matter, the Ideal steel, which also has the angled fireback. There is a reason that the PH tested at 72,000 BTU with Doug Fir dimensional lumber in the EPA tests, versus maybe 50,000 for the BKs, 46,000 or so for the Fireview. PH firebox maybe 2.8, Fireview 2.2? 26 percent bigger firebox, greater than 50 percent more heat. I've heated with both stoves, and on fairly full loads in each, this is what actually happens. BB, I do not believe that any of your stoves puts out nearly the heat the PH does. Wish I could lend you mine for the day. Conservatively, with dry hardwood, Woodstock puts the optimal BTU output of the PH on a standard burn at 80,000.

Compare the optimal figure on EPA burns for your stoves, with the optimal figure for the burn in the PH. They are comparing apples to apples when they do those tests. They don't tell the entire story, but it is just plain foolish to insist they tell nothing. The PH is an extraordinary heater. Look at Charlie. A Fireview couldn't touch satisfactorily heating his home, even with an Esse Ironheart heating as well. The PH can. Without a full firebox. And without making he stove room uncomfortable. And without a blower. Nuff said.

At some point, I'll do your burns for you, with hardwood.

 

No creosote in my chimney...get maybe a cup or two of light stuff each year.

I trust Woodstock when they make suggestions about burning in their stoves. If they say its OK, its OK.

And the Fireview DOES get secondaries burning routinely..beautiful ghost flames darting around the firebox. I didn't realize when I was heating with the Fireview that those WERE secondaries. I never had a fire in the Fireview without those secondaries going at some points in the burn. The PH is just capable of doing it for longer, or for a large part of the burn if you wish, or at any time you wish. Secondaries on demand.

 

I need to know how controllable the stove is on a full load. I can get the room with the 30 and the Defiant to 90 degrees if I want. I do not need more heat. I NEED the capability to take a large stove and run it at a lower temp when the weather calls for it. I would like to purchase a Progress if this stove can consistently do that.

I do not care about the EPA tests or the angled firebox or how the claimed max BTUs compare to BK stoves. I need to know how controllable the stove is and how long it will burn.

I am very glad all Progress owners are happy with their stoves. You do not need to convince me that it is a good heater or that it produces a lot of heat. I need to know how this stove runs on a full load while running as low as possible. Can it do it? For how long? Do the secondaries kick in and the temps climb? These are things I need to know. Can a low burn be done consistently? These are the things that other potential buyers need to know.

 

See above. Good but not ideal. House was built just before modern sheathings were in use. Just before gas filled windows were available. Lot of heat loss through the windows, which are mostly Pellas. Well insulated for when built.

When I use large splits, for a long burn, as here, I mean large: as large as I can get in the door, rounds and splits. Top splits are smaller because large will no longer fit though the door. Used 16-18 inch length splits, cut for my previous stove. This stove can take 22 inch. Don't know if you would get a longer burn, but you'd sure get more heat in the same time if you had longer wood.

 

BB: I don't think you understand. These stoves burn at a low temp all the time. The stovetop rarely gets above 450. Common to have it between 350 and 450. Just stays there for hours and hours and hours. Throws a soft consistent heat that keeps your entire house really comfortable. Doesn't matter whether or not the secondaries are burning. You have to make a concerted effort to get the stove to burn with a stovetop temp of 500...like leaving the air more open. I would venture that most of us with PHs are burning all the time the way you want to burn.

 

Dang, I gotta side with BBAR. I'd like to know too.
Everyone agrees its a great stove, can make a ton of heat, goes ~12+hrs easily on a partial load.
The reluctance to stuff it to the top leads me to believe it would over heat the home of every PH owner we have here. If that's true, so be it. Just say it. It would still produce awesome fire power for probably 16+ hours. Everyone knows it was not designed for a smolder.

 

OK, well for some reason that post didn't work, BB. I did answer all your questions, but only the last one came through.

Won't try answering each in your post, will try to remember the exact order of questions.

I reloaded into a cold stove, on purpose. probably about 125 degrees (this burn was a year ago).

Reloaded as Woodstock suggested. This was the reason for my burn. It was an experiment. Loaded the stove with large sugar maple and ironwood splits and rounds...as large as I could get through the door. Smaller splits on top, again, biggest I could get in. No attempt to fill spaces between logs, or jam the firebox. 16 - 18 inch lengths, nmot the 22 the stove is capable of handling.

Peak temp about 450. Mostly hours and hours of burning between 350 and 425.

Reloaded on a large coal bed sometime after 18 hours. Reload temp about 300. Could have burned the coals down, but I had learned what I wanted to know: I could get really long burns, and I could start the stove the way Woodstock suggested, if and when I wanted longer burns than the twelve hour I usually get during serious heating weather.

I built my house 1976 -1978. Zone 5/marginally 4. Over 3600 sq feet, three floors (top under roof with large dormer), plusfull uninsulated (except under slab) unheated basement, 1472 sq feet, 5 feet of which is below grade. Maintains a dry 50 degree temp year round.

Construction is 2x 6 Doug Fir, 12 inch insulation in walls. Built just before house wrapping was available. Just before modern gas filled windows. Lots an lots of heat losing windows. Cedar shingle sheathing. Lot of mass in the house. Floors area 3/4 in plywood, two layers, topped by milled hardwood wide board flooring...white oak, maple, cherry or teak. Attic floor has 12 inch fiberglass insulation.

 

And, BB, what I meant in my earlier post was that I think you could heat your home with one PH, loaded every 12 hours, rather than having to load three stoves, so I think the need for an 18 hour burn does not exist if you are using the PH. Wish I could magically lend you my stove for a few hours.

Listen to Charlie when he tells you of the difference in heating with the Fireview and PH. It's real. The PH is not overheating his stove room. But it is heating his entire house. The Fireview did not overheat his stove room. But it could not begin to heat his entire home. Even WITH an Esse Ironheart helping.

 

Well, that's more like it. Thank you Sherwood. It sounds like the PH went 18hrs easily, WHILE carrying a large heat load.

 

Sounds great, so fill the stove up full and tight and have it burn at 350-450 and let us know how long the stove burns for.

What were the previous stoves that you owned and how did it compare to the Progress?

 

I am not saying the stove is not good or it does not offer a lot of heat. I am saying, again, that I need low steady heat with long burns for shoulder season in the 20 hour range and I want 12-15 of higher output during colder temps.

There is absolutely no way possible I can get by with one stove. My home and layout does not allow for it. That is not a knock against the Progress. It is just the cold, hard fact. I have 9 cu ft of fireboxes. 215,000 BTUs of claimed heat potential. I have MORE than enough heat. I need longer burns. Please understand me. I know what I need. I know what my home requires. I absolutely need more than one location for heat production.

Please, I'm begging you, the point of this thread is to load a Progress up full with hard wood and burn it low and let us know how long the Progress can produce heat, what the peak temps were and what temps you decided to do a reload at. I would greatly appreciate this as long burn times are very important to me and others.

My floor plan:

 

BBAR, I'm burning in a Beta stove that's going back to the factory at the end of this burning season, and was told to use and abuse it.

Honestly, if I owned this stove, I wouldn't have stuffed it full to the gills with very dry dimensional oak and lit it off, for fear of overfiring it or otherwise damaging it. If I owned a Progress, I'd be reluctant to do likewise.

 

Thank you. What type of wood were you using for this burn?

Now, I would like at least one or two other Progress owners to try this as there have been very different reports as to the length of burn people have been getting with partial loads.

 

I understand your hesitance with a new stove. But, no stove owner should fear filling their stove full once they are familiar with their stove. Filling your stove will not damage your stove.

 

There were times I packed my Fireview full of kiln dried oak ends and lit it off and ... Regretted it. Way too hot too damm fast.

I'd never even consider doing that with this new stove that I don't even own.

 

What were the peak temps and did it damage the stove?

 

Peak temps got into the red (725?) and I had to open the bypass and the door to let cool air in and let the heat out of the firebox. No damage.

 

OK, I filled the stove with some 22" lumber as follows:

1 4x8" fir
1 4x6 cedar
2 4x4 cedar
2 4x4 fir logs- nice and square
3 2x4 pine

stove was @150*F with a few coals @ 11:55, full air ands a 1/4 super cedar to get it going
12;10 PM 250* with full air
12;15 275 air open just about 1/4"---engage the cat
12;20 285 shut off air
12;30 300
12;40 350
1;05 400
1;30 400

The fire is flaming on the top, glass is black on the bottom.

 

Thank you for doing this. I appreciate it.

 

BB, if you have the finances, I think the stone mass of the PH would go a long ways in giving you usable heat long after the fire dies down... I too think one at each end of your place would take care of you. One in the Living room and the other in the Summer kitchen... I'd be surprised if two stoves didn't take care of you... but your the one who has to make the final call.. Maybe talk to Woodstock and show them you floor plan... I know they wouldn't want to see you juggling more stoves around after a winter trial period, not at 700 lbs..