Production Woodstock IS

I've seen one BK in person, a Princess, and have used that used that line. It did look much better in person. Not bad at all.

 

At this point I really have no interest in doing that. I only have occasional fires with a little bit of heat pump. I might try it once just to see how it does.

 

I can understand that, if I had a cheap heat source for the warmer weather I'm not sure I'd mess with the stove. A load a day isn't much trouble though.

 

I started burning firewood because the heat pump couldn't keep up in the harsh winter. This time of year it gives optimum performance for next to nothing. It's probably cheaper for me to use that then spend the time and gas searching for free wood.

 

According to the manual, there are eight gaskets / seals in the stove.

Not quite yet on the 24 hour burn but I am not loading the stove full anymore either. Still too much in the way of temperature swings for a low enough burn to go a full day. Another couple of weeks and then it will be possible to go on one loading a day.

Brian

 

Sounds like what Mark Twain said about Wagner's music: it is not as bad as it sounds.

Brian

 

Two nights ago, I loaded it full - not stuffed but full with small stuff. Yesterday it was a piece or two every several hours just to keep the fire going without putting too much heat. Last night I placed two ugly splits on a small coal bed. Let them get going for 5 minutes with full air and then turned it down to hash mark 1 or 2. This morning both pieces of wood were recognizable. They hadn't totally coaled down!! 10 hours on two splits with plenty of relighting coals!!!! I am running a small hot fire this morning to burn off some creosote.

 

It's pretty chilly today. Low 40s and windy. I found some leftover locust. Things are going to get toasty real fast in here

I've been doing slow burns for the last month or so. It's always nice having a reminder of how much fire power this thing has.

 

Well folks, I figured out why I've been having draft and smoke issues. The elbow to the flue was 3/4 plugged. Now I'm back in the game. Next year I'm going to try and get some insulation in behind the liner to avoid this kind of buildup. It's an outside chimney.

Just a friendly reminder to do your chimney maintenance. This time of year starting fires more often creates more buildup.

 

A good friend near Albany NY got his new Ideal Steel home from Woodstock and installed last weekend. He's very happy with the stove so far. He chose a Crusaders shield theme and just sent a pic of his andirons illuminated by the flame:

 

I certainly look forward to getting ours in and set up for next season

 

I know some people think hybrids are unnecessary, but I really enjoy the ability to sit in front of that awesome fire show. That's important to me.

 

Although the Fireview is not a hybrid, I very often (as in almost every fire) had awesome secondary displays for a good part of the burn, and seldom had the stovetop hotter than the mid-400's.

 

3/4 plugged is a bit scary. I installed a damper in late Dec and have been burning (very successfully) with it fully closed except on start-up. I am going to remove the damper and inspect it as soon as we have consistent nighttime temps near freezing. I'm a bit anxious to see if there is build up on the damper. I figure that it is the most likely place to be a problem, as I always have had the most (little as it is) soot in the chimney at the 30's where the pipe angles back to enter the chimney. I think any obstruction creates some accumulation.

 

You SEEK the HOLY GRAIL ?!?!?
(Sorry, Brian - I just could not resist myself).

 

I know its been discussed many times but I just dont understand the BTU ratings from the stove makers, the progress hybrid has a higher BTU (max) rating then the IS but why so, is it because the IS was tested by EPA and the Progress was tested in house?
My Summit had a high BTU rating but the Drolet puts out way more heat but the Summit had a case of the ash.
Looks like IMHO the advantage of the IS over my Drolet would be a cleaner burn and the better low burn capability but as far as heat on the top end I think my Drolet would put out as much heat.

 

me too burn time over 3 hours

 

Lol you in that same boat as us!! We are getting like 5~6hours now that it's not soo cold

 

nope nc-13 has a 1.8 cubic foot firebox if ya don't fill it every 4 hours it burns out and a cold relight and that's with both a stove damper and flue damper.

it's still 15 degrees here I dream of 6 hour burns on sugar maple so it's get a bigger better stove or move south of 45 parallel, maybe both! watching my friends and I figured out if ya are gonna relocate you have to do it before grand children daughter is 10 so I better have 10 years or I will be doing this