All things Woodstock Soapstone Absolute Steel

I can't compare the IS to the AS, but the IS will go incredibly low.....IF the wood is good and draft setup is good. We block off the 2nd floor of our cape cod ( Its only three of us after all) and heat the lower floor of maybe 1500-1800sqft. With the IS in a not so ideal spot in the house and after careful training my wife has conditioned me not to have it so hot that she can still wear comfy pants and be comfortable. It's kind of boring with no flames to memorize me but it slows down to a crawl

Woodstock IS

 

Yes, it can go pretty low. But if Woodstock is consistent in their ratings the AS can go a little lower. For your house in that climate I'd say the AS probably would be fine, but the IS might fit your install better. I really think I'd like a side loader and it would have worked better for me (not only have all 4 woodstoves I've had been front loaders, the door has opened on the wrong side compared to my wood stack next to them). But for a corner install it might be a bit awkward to load and use the nice ash system. You didn't give measurements of your hearth there but it does seem the IS has the ability to go a little lower which sounds kind of odd but that is what I am reading. It does look like a small room but heck even in a huge room the IS takes up a good chunk of space, I'd not worry to much about it as long as you have the space to give up.

 

I can't remember if you had an IR thermo, but I'm curious about side temps as well. I got interested in this after Dennis mentioned higher temps on the sides of the stove with flames in the box. My Keystone, like the Fv, will routinely go STT over the cat 500-550 at the front end of a cat-only burn, air at .5-1.0 (scale of 4.) The sides will be about 300, give or take. If I'm running a little more air, flame in the box, sides might be 350 or better. If the load is coaling and I open up the air a little over 1, to where the coals are glowing pretty good, STT may be around 300 or better and sides might be pushing 400. BTW, the AS comes stock with soapstone inside, it's not optional, correct?

 

I do have an IR thermo and I'll take some measurements tomorrow. I seem to remember doing this last year and finding a hot spot over the loading door. The other side and rear are fully soapstone lined, and yes it is not optional.

 

Is there a definitive Woodstock IS Cat Probe thread, or a place in that huge IS thread where the CAT Probe mod is spelled out and preferably with pics?

I am thinking of implementing a CAT Probe for my Woodstock Absolute Steel, but I don't know if I can find a good spot to insert a probe that will be a spot that allows accurate local reading while not interfering with the cat engagement door/vent, which is directly in front of the cat and hinged from the front of the stove.

I'd like to see what is done on the IS and in all honesty haven't kep up with all the chatter over in the great big thread. Search found some mentions of the probe but I haven't found anything that takes me to a "how to" with pics, parts etc.

Any ideas or help in this area?

 

Is there a hex bolt anywhere near the cat area on the stove? I remember reading they were put on the IS by Woodstock per the EPA

 

On the exterior of the stove?

 

Yes. On the IS there is a cap head, hex screw, that can be removed and a cat probe inserted through the hole. It's right under the overhang on the top, front of the stove above the door. I'm guessing the absolute doesn't have one. Would be a nice add though.

 

Yeah, no such hex screw on the AS, and when the CAT bypass door is open it opens up against that front stove wall. There are the 6 screws that hold the "radiator" onto the bottom of the top access door but none are aligned to the CAT, plus there is the hood-scoop over the cat so the probe really wants to be just in front of that. If I drilled and put CAT probe down through there, I'd have to drill through the radiator AND it would interfere with the open/close of the CAT engagement door.

Not that I really need one, but the techy in me says it would be fun.

 

Outside...


...and inside...


{edit: Note the hole they drilled into the cat shield, too}

 

Just to be clear, ...

 

Looks like it but I'd call to confirm.

 

Nah, you just put the probe (I think it's Condar 3-12-1 IIRC) in the hole above the loading door where a bolt is currently plugging the hole. It doesn't even have the right threads, just slides in a little loose but that is how most of us do it.

 

Ah! It's on the side! On my AS it is actually on the left side while my loading door is on the right side. But I do have almost the identical set up. So just take that bolt out and push the Condar probe through those holes and you are right above the CAT! Bingo! Piece of cake.

Oh boy, another toy!

Steve

 

Simmah down there, mistah.
That's actually funny you hadn't seen it until now, but I'm glad you did. Have fun.

 

I'm confused about the length though. the Condar 3-12-1 seems to be a 4 inch probe? That's not long enough to take you through to over the CAT location. Need at least 6.5 to 7 inches just to get inside the hood-scoop and ideally closer to 10" length to get near center of CAT.

Where do you buy them?

 

I actually had placed a small stove tool kit in front of it, and hardly ever look at that side of the stove, as loading is on the other side.

For some reason I was thinking you guys had these things penetrating from the stove front, above the door on an IS is in front, right?!

 

Yup. Above the door on the IS. Call Woodstock for the correct length cat probe. They might even have them for sale. Iirc they don't push them on you but they do have them in stock sometimes. Failing that they will tell you the correct length.

I use my cat probe over anything else to operate the stove. I've got both a double wall flue probe and a stove top thermomete yet I rarely even look at them.

 

FYI - Condar produces many cat probe lengths that they do not advertise on their website; I know this because I bought one for my old Hearthstone Harvest. If you need a length not listed on their page, call them and they may have one of that length.

Condar catalytic thermometers
Contact us
phone from contact page: 828-894-8383

 

HarvestMan, thank you VERY MUCH!!! I'll call them tomorrow!!

Best regards!