FHC Exclusive! Long low oak burn in the new Ideal Steel stove

I appreciate the thought, just keep in mind I am toasty and comfortable over here. No need to rush things. In the next two to three years the Progress, Steel, and King will all be located under one roof.

I've learned that things tend to come together quicker than I plan on it. So, maybe it will happen sooner.

Also, between now and then more insulation will take place. That will just result in longer burn times.

 

It is interesting to hear about a new stove and what it does

 

Oh yeah.. I forgot about that, but hey.. we're due for a return visit.. we'll all have cabin fever pretty soon and need a reason to do a road trip.

 

I was simply implying that the ghost flames that you saw in the video were the reason you smelled smoke the other day (not the day of the video). When the air is turned down too low it allows the wood to gas off faster than it is burned creating immense pressure and when it ignites poof the pressure pushes out everywhere it can and thus the smell of smoke. And your right with your current setup there obviously isnt enough draft to operate at that low setting but it would be nice to be able to run the stove that low if you were taking a day trip and returning late the next night. I hope you wrote that event up in your report Carry on good work!!

 

sorry, I may have caused the confusion.. no back puffing, tis good!

PS maybe when it gets colder the settings at closed way down may work better.. I'm sure we may know more pretty soon, the cold is supposed to get here this weekend.

 

Reckless, those ghost flames are really gentle..ethereal...there is no phooshing, no significant pressure, no smoke out of the stoves or smoke smell...the stove is designed for that to happen. Happens with all the Woodstock stoves, and I'm sure many others, at intermittent times during the cat burn...the stove is hot enough and there is enough smoke and air to get secondary burning for a second during the cat burn. It is beautiful, and not at all a scary or non-scary backpuff. You can get backpuffs in the right (wrong) scenario, but that's not what they are getting in this setting.

 

It was just an idea of why he was getting smoke smell the other day. I own a VC2550 cat and I am too familar with ghost flames and the pressure they can cause when the air is set too low. And you're right when the air is set just right can be a real sight to see like in my youtube video of them

I am interested in purchasing this stove upon its release and just wanted to through some ideas out there as to why the smoke smell he mentioned the other day, not to attack the stove or anyone here.

 

Thanks for your input reckless. When I got the smoke smell there was no visible activity in the firebox at all, just a dull glow. There were no primary or secondary flames, no huffing or puffing. It had been on a very low smolder all night, and this is known to cause smoke smell in the house with many different brands and models of stoves from what I've read. I discussed this with Tom at Woodstock by email and over the phone. He said:

We may shut off the lowest part of the damper adjustment (last one or two pencil marks on your stove). However, we are already testing a more flexible density gasket for the top lid and the door. If you were getting a leak in one of these two places we would like to know (it’s also possible on a very, very low burn to get odor leaking out the main air intake, or possibly the cat air, though that is less likely).

I may send you some substitute gasket in a few weeks after we have some more experience with it.
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Unfortunately I did not check to see where the odor was coming from at the time. Regardless, Beta testing helps them work out this kind of issue in differing installations and flue heights and weather patterns prior to a new stove going out to the public.

 

That's why real world condition field tests are so valuable. The products (regardless of what they are) will get put through all sorts of conditions that the development/mfg team had not anticipated.

Extremely valuable information.

 

Woodstock gave us a nice link back on their blog today.

Under the Hood 12: Ideal Steel Hybrid Burn Times

How long will the Ideal Steal Hybrid burn? It's an important question that many people will ask. We have designed the Ideal Steal Hybrid to achieve easy overnight burns, and we will likely advertise burn times of 12-14 hours because this is both conservative and completely validated by our independent EPA and efficiency testing, our lab experience, and the firebox size of the Ideal Steal Hybrid.

Will it burn longer than 14 hours? The answer is yes. Historically we've been conservative in stating the length of burn time for all of our woodstoves, to account for varying wood quality and user inexperience. An experienced woodburner with quality seasoned hardwood will be able to achieve longer burns.

One of our beta testers, Brian in PA, knows what he's doing and has been experimenting with ultra long burns. Below are his pictures and videos showing the stove throughout a 24 hour long burn!

If you are interested in seeing Brian's full postings about his 24 hour long test burn, please visit the Firewood Hoarders Forum, where he's been keeping an in depth log. Below is a picture of Brian's fuel load for the 24 hour burn, and four very short videos taken at 10 hours, 17 hours, 19.5 hours and 21 hours. This link has a detailed discussion of his long burn.


3"x6"& 4"x6"oak blocks seasoned since Feb 2012,
with lengths ranging from 8"-14".
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I would also suggest you did that burn under real world conditions. What you did have going for you was the wood source, shape and type and dry. But the temp was mild, not real cold, with colder temps you may have been able to turn down the draft more and let the draft of the stove work to give you a better burn. But perhaps that's for an upcoming test.

Need to do a few of those to get some averages, I would think.

PS Great to see Woodstock be so forthcoming with your results.

 

AWESOME!! Firewood Hoarders is on the map!!!

Old Hippie, I plan on it one day (Road trip). Probably on one of my many ski trips up that way, I'll plan a stop by at Woodstock. I'm thinking of getting a Woodstock soapstone counter top for our kitchen (to go with my stove and soapstone clock!) one day, so I want to discuss that...

 

Cool! Let me know, I'll meet you.

PS, an avid skier.. I used to call myself an expert skier, but since my knee replacement I call myself a NON-aggressive groomer skier. ... to old to be breaking anymore bones, but love it too much to quit.

I ski Okemo, Stratton, Mt. Snow, Sugarbush, just about anything on 100. Killington isn't my favorite but is nice mid week. (aren't they all).

I haven't been to Magic or Mad River Glen in a long time. I like the groomers.. like I said.

 

Killington's my favorite VT mt. I like to stay off the groomers! I just turned 50 and have been skiing since age 7. The funny thing is, I was never an "aggressive mogal/glades/cliff... skier", until recently. For some reason I got hooked on bumps and glades a few years ago. Bad timing, but what the heck! Whistler, Vail and Heavenly are my favorite places to ski, in hat order! Whistler is the best kept "secret", amazing place!!

 

Hey, enough of the technical stove talk! This is a SKI forum!!

 

That's what I was trying to say and relating it also to mild outside temps as well, but you said it much better.

 

Hey Brian, How's the steel doing? Did you get that locust you were waiting for ?

 

I haven't been able to hook up with Scotty yet to pick up the locust. We had planned on meeting today but several of my family members are sick this weekend so we didn't make the trip over to me parents' home today, which isn't far from Scotty's.