Full Belly Tonight

I want to like this cus I agree, but I want to keep the cold weather so I can play with the stove.

 

I like playing with the stove too, but if I can save this wood till next year that would be even better!

 

Just stuffed the Fireview with Oak for the night, gonna get chilly and a bit breezy. She's startin to talk.

 

I'm running at a healthy 77 degrees upstairs with the Ideal Steel in the basement. Since it had been warm up till now, I have extra wood to play with.

I might just keep it here the rest of the winter. Next thing you know I'll push it to 80 and leave it there like Dennis.

3 year seasoned wood is the true success to burning with a woodstove.

 

Its all about the wood

 

It amazes me how easy the stove operates with 3 year wood. The heat output and ease of start-up is incredible. It requires much less input to get from loading to cruising.

 

Its like the manufacturers designs them for use with 15-20% wood or something....

 

It's amazing how time flies... Mine will be due for paint, bypass door gasket, catalytic and handles at the end of this year. Seems pretty reasonable after 50 or so cord through it.

 

How are you? Long time no see! How are the house projects coming along?

My cat is starting to lose efficiency, it lights off fine but doesn't generate the heat it used to. This causes the stat to open more to generate the required heat reducing burn times some. I was noticing it last season also but figured I'd get as long as I can before I replace it. At this point I think I'll make this season with it.

 

Travel for work was pretty brutal in 2015 but I now have a pretty good firsthand view of life in most of the country and a much greater appreciation for how good I have it as a result. Hopefully, it will be a bit more manageable this year as progress on the house has been at a standstill.

I know right where you are with the cat. FWIW, when I replaced mine the first time, I cleaned it out and put it in a box on a shelf in the garage. Then, when my second one started to go, I slid the first one back in. I wish I had pulled the first one out sooner as I probably would have saved a cord or two of wood and the stove would have performed a lot better. The second one incidentally was completely trashed likely as a result of me not being the only operator because of the travel.

 

One other thing I've learned is to keep an eye on the bypass door mechanism. There is a section in the manual that talks about greasing the ramp on the top of the bypass door. It kind of sneaks up on you but my lever had increasing friction until one day it just stuck and bent the ramp out of the way after it was pulled on too hard. The bypass door then closes with no way from the outside of opening it. It really sucks as then you have to let it burn down potentially a very long time before you can do anything about it. If you have your pipe off, I recommend using some very high temp grease on it before you bend the ramp. 1600F did not last a season for me.

 

.

 

did you do the vinegar bath on it?

 

Beginning of the season I boiled it in a vinegar bath. May have helped a little bit but honestly it owes me nothing after nearly 5 seasons of abuse. Never figured it would last more than 3.

 

yep, got your money out of that one for sure. you should get about 4 years.
I've fought with a worn cat and not-so-dry wood. Very frustrating

 

BK warranties the cats in their new stoves for 10 years with free replacement. Just off hours of use I'm not sure how they can last that long. I see no way it could last 10 years of 24/7 burning in a cold climate.

 

I'm in the middle of a warranty now, we installed our bk in late Feb. 2014. That year and the first few months of the next season i was hell on that combustor. My understanding is with their design and EPA ratings they are being"nudged" by the EPA to guarantee those testing results for 10 yrs. That's why they set up the 10 yr plan, its only good for one replacement though, so once its done its done.

 

I believe the replacement still has the manufacures warranty though.

 

Yea, not nearly as delectable as the BK warranty though.

example
Condar combustor warranty

 

Yep, pro rated. A *little* better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick.