Fireview Thoughts

A few thoughts on the Fireview after two months of burning:

• Holding overnight fires is so nice! (6 pm @ 71 to 6 am @ 69 last night 250 STT at reload).
• No smoke spillage on reload. Funny thing is that after 25 years of being forced to burn down to coals before reload, it has now become the routine. I did some hot reloads without spillage, but it is a benefit that I will not use often.
• Loading door is small. Being used to a slightly larger load door took some adjustment.
• Firebox is easy to fill. Old stove had some obstructions in front and rear that would not permit filling the box. Beveled firebox does handle 16 inch best, but have been pleased to be able to load pieces up to 19 inches with 18 inch pieces easily fitting in the middle of the firebox.
• Love the tall and closely spaced andirons. Old stove had very short nearly worthless andirons and wood on the glass happened too often; don't expect that problem now.
• Air control is good, but wish it were easier to get the same setting each time. Air adjustment tool of choice is a flashlight that allows me to read the scale and move the hot adjustment lever at the same time.
• Have not loaded box completely. Maximum stove top temp so far is slightly over 550; wondering what it takes to get near red line at 700.
• No ash pan, no problem. Empty ashes every two weeks after letting stove go out (allows me to make sure furnace still functioning).

After paint curing was complete, I detected a leak (smoke/combustion gases) coming from either the door or top lid of stove near the door - could not tell at that time. Mike @ WS sent me gasket kits for top lid and door in the event it was due to gasket leaks. Eventually determined bottom of door was slightly concave . Talked and sent photos to Mike and he sent out new gasket kit with additional packing gasket material until the new door could be painted, tested and shipped. Got the new door yesterday (everything covered under warranty); fit is much better and don't expect any issues, but will verify after paint seasoning complete.

So far, so good. Looking forward to real winter to give the stove a proper test.

 

Nice review.
Sounds like you're getting it dialed in pretty well. Yep, winter has yet to rear it's cold snowy head. Might happen in January.

 

I love my BK but stories like this have me second guessing. The BK dealer network is a hassle compared with factory direct service.

 

great review, always found Woodstock to be so helpful!

 

I've been burning mostly black cherry mixed with a bit of silver maple or oak. The long burn I had last night was a 6 inch white oak round, two black cherry splits and several 3x3x8 chunks of oak pallet wood. It was my biggest load so far. I have never actually loaded any wood stove full and I'm not sure I will do so with the Fireview; yes, I'm rather odd about some things. Lot of heat coming off the stove at 550, near 700 must be impressive.

 

Woodstock service is great. But, I see the stove as the cake and the service as the frosting. If the cake doesn't meet your wants/needs, doesn't matter how good the frosting is. The BK holy-trinity of extreme long burns, thermostatic control and convective heating is just not available in any of the Woodstock stoves. Sounds like you love the BK cake. If the cake is good enough, no frosting is required. For me, the Woodstock cake and frosting are great ... of course if I were the baker, I'd add a helping of t-stat to my Fireview cake. Did I mention I like cake?

 

Here you go

 

HarvestMan I too was torn but the 8 inch chimney required after I had built a 6 and twice the money settled it. Moreover, have family in Woodstock so there you go... my stove room is 90 oops Answer bobdog2o02, for a short timer you get a thumbs up for great posts and sense of humor

 

thanks Canadian border VT

 

Thimble height and need for rear draft severely limited my options. I really got lucky with the Fireview. Above all, I like the natural beauty and nature of soapstone. I wanted a cat stove so Hearthstone was out. Couldn't go IS (if I could give up soapstone) as the center line was too high. That left me the PH with short legs or the Fireview. Fireview seemed like the right size for our home.

I really like the BK t-stat concept (simple and non-electrical). Really enjoy radiant heat; never experienced convective wood stove heat; don't like fans. So, I'm more a fan of BK's long burns and t-stat control. Love the air control on the new Franklin (48 audible clicks) - wonder if there is a way for WS to retrofit that on a Fireview - I could go for that; would let me ditch the flashlight and do things like closed plus 5 clicks.

 

Nice review HarvestMan. There is still a loyal following to this stove even though the buzz has been around the IS, Progress and the new Beta. Sure there maybe other stoves out there, but your are getting a hand crafted piece of art with top notch customer service. The wife will not let me buy the IS for the living room because she loves the fireview so much.

I Would not worry too much about hitting 700 degrees. You could hit that temp if you had an all cat burn with the air cut wayback but the rest of the stove would be really cool in comparison. I've experimented with that style of burn but I prefer to run with a bit of flame in the firebox. Highest temp I have hit was 650 stove and the sides in the mid 500's burning a full load of bone dry Iron wood rounds and splits.


If you do some reading from previous years posts you will find some good temp averages to expect on the fireview, especially when the polar vortexes were going on.

I traced a paint line on mine for the sweet spot.

After running it for a while double check your door gasket and bypass cover adjustments, the gaskets will compress and seat in and will need a tweak from time to time.
I just re-did my stove and will double check everything out at the end of the month.

Enjoy that work of art.

 

I've read of owners tracing the draft marks with bright paint or white chalk. I need to try that myself.

 

I did it once last year with my PH and there was plenty of secondaries firing. Haven't had to go above 500 yet this year.

 

Yep, a thermostat would be nice. Once the load burns back away from the air wash, you really need a little more air to keep the stove top temp up.

We're gonna need some pics of the Fv or we'll have to pronounce this thread half-baked.

Early in the burn I can feel the marks with my thumb as I'm moving the lever but don't try it with a 500° stove. Owch! If there's some light in back of the stove, white marks should be visible without a flashlight.

This may give ya the heebie-jeebies, then. Unfortunately I can't find any pics right now of the Fireview loaded. For a 1.8 cu.ft. usable box, it's amazing the length of time that it burns on low if you jam it full of high-octane wood.

Keystone top-down, not full enough. Dutchwest, jammed with Dogwood. Buck 91, packed.

 

Forgot the rules

Here are the flames rolling down from the cat and the highest SST I have seen so far


Here is the low and slow mirror picture (hand, phone and command center view) and a view of the air setting I was using.

 

550 was about the highest I ever hit with the Fireview as well. In this little place that was sufficient so I never looked to push it any higher. I usually had the air about where yours is...1 or under.

 

Nice pics.
Is it just me or the forum goers being part time like myself with the lack of cold weather?