Replacing Fireview with....?

Yes, excellent point also- the splits have to be cut shorter than the stove width on a front loading stove or you cannot get at least 1/2 of them in due to the door lip. But on a side load, you can get w/in 1/2" or actually even touch the door and stove wall as long as the door closes.

But front loading stoves are far easier to clean the glass. I guess in a perfect world, we would have both front and end- loading stoves.

Brian

 

These practical conversations we are having are beneficial for anyone really. It's easy to get caught up in the hype with specs, new technologies ect. Real world practical is where rubber meets the road.

 

Absolutely. There are some very knowledgeable folks out and about in the world but the 'Net is the only way for us to find and chat with them. I got some great chainsaw knowledge right here on this forum, and it is also the reason I got to looking at Woodstock Soapstone's products in the first place. A couple of people on this forum had 'Beta stoves' to test and they would report on how they worked and their experience in using them- tremendously valuable information.

The manufacturers, at least some of them, are 'here' also and that really helps get information back to the companies so they can change their designs, fix flaws and so on.

We get to 'meet' and chat with some very nice folks too, which is a big plus, at least for me.

Brian

 

Looks like the cold arctic air is pushing to the NE of the country. That should really get everyone excited and indoors.

 

Well, there is the advantage to the IS that it is obviously easier to load both E-W and N-S... although I do remember occasionally loading short pieces in the AS sideways, they were probably 12-14" or so. I think I mostly used 18" wood in that. (Upgrading to the IS was a bad deal for my tenant, 'cause I previously gave her the splits for her fireplace that were too long for the AS.)

 

100% agreed. I've followed a lot the beta test and production stoves forums from the PH and beyond. My intent was to create a new catch all thread to cross compare the newer stoves on the block. This has been great information so far especially with members who have ran several different stoves on their hearths.

 

Funny thing is, my AS glass seemed to stay cleaner than the IS. And normally, a high burn would get it pretty clean anyway... I was amazed at how clean it stayed compared to prior stoves. When I did reach in to clean it on occasion, it wasn't too difficult.

 

Some thoughts I have had.

Blaze King Princess. 2.85 Cubic feet. Cat

Ideal Steel 3.2 Cubic Feet. Cat/Burn tube.

Edge goes to the Ideal Steel in firebox size and dead of winter cold heating when you have to push the stove and "burn times" are out the window.

I'm also wondering with the bi-metallic thermostat on the BK, if you have a smaller stove room, it keeps throttling the stove back? I have a smaller stove room and have to push the heat out of it into the other main parts of the house. (Maintain 80+ degrees) So by in large, running the fireview with the single air control has served its purpose well.

When I have to push the fireview, it's a 4 sometimes 5 load schedule.

 

That's where I ran into problems.
Getting enough heat AND trying to burn the coals down. Then trying to get the ashes out, the stove was too hot to get in there and work, and the house was cooling down.
The IS solved all those problems.
I get the house a couple degrees warmer, longer burn times and use a little less wood.


If I had the Fireview on the main level, I probably wouldn't have had much trouble. Heating from the basement is a challenge to say the least.

 

The bk stat controls stove temperature, not room temperature.

 

I know. Those andirons lift out and make it easy to clean the glass.

 

Basic right? And how many stoves can you practically and consistently get 100 lbs of (dry) wood in burning 24/7? I think my record is 140 lbs using large square split tight fitting locust in the King. I think I would be doing well to maintain 100 lb loads with reasonably dense reasonably produced hardwood for any extended period of time. For me, this is why max firebox size and the combustion control to burn it as conditions call for trumps all else.

Anyone pondering/struggling with this should weigh every load in their 24/7 burning stove for a few weeks, record burn times, etc. It was pretty eye opening for me. (Performing this experiment with anything but dry wood is a waste of time IMO)

 

I did exactly that for two years, I weighed each load of wood as it was brought into the house on a bathroom scale. If memory serves, I was burning about 140 lb. a day but would have to look back at the records.

As to capacity, yep, you are right in that 1) it is hard to 'fully load' any firebox with firewood splits and 2) we normally cannot get as much in there as we think we can (Easy Boys!). Again, I did it and was surprised at how often I had to load my stove with 140 lb. per day but I can say with certainty it was not once or twice, it was quite a few more.

Yes, in the end, firebox size, volume to be heated, and how tightly the building is heat- wise (both insulation and ALL air leaks, no matter how small) will always trump all else. If someone needs a 4.4 cu. ft. stove to heat his / her house, there is just no magic that any manufacturer can conjeur up that will allow a 3 cu. ft. stove to do the job.

This holds even with pellet stoves but those all come with 'The big lie' that makes them seem better than they are..... but that is another subject.

Brian

 

Correct Sir.

 

Very interesting thread, two things come to mind, size does matter and in some cases heating a home with wood there will be some trade offs.
My only source of heat for this 2400 sq feet (more or less) in North West Iowa is wood and has been for 37 years, so temperatures vary some what and we just accept it as part of the experience.
10 to 12 hours of useful heat is a challenge but a 4 cubic ft. firebox would be nice but not sure how many stoves that size would work with a 6 inch flue, I believe that is what the OP has.

 

This has been a great thread. I believe the NC-30 is close the max you can find on a large firebox.

 

Yep, good thread. But I think most of them are pretty good on this forum anyway.

Englander 30- NC has a 3.5 cu. ft. firebox. A 'large' stove. But there are considerably bigger stoves available, usually labeled 'extra- large', including the Blaze King King at 4.4, the Regency 5100 at about the same (~4.5 cu. ft.) a Buck 91 (cannot remember actual size but an extra- large stove) and I am sure there are others. Standing in front of and looking around, especially inside, both the B.K.K. and that Regency is impressive. Another advantage of those two stoves is they are close to or actually square fireboxes so you can load them E/W or N/S, something rather rare on wood stoves, most have a rectangular firebox and a preferential direction to load them.

Brian

 

Well fellas, I did a bad thing and went to the dark side. (literally, the new stove is all one color) I got a call back on a princess ultra with a price I couldn't refuse. Had shipping damage on the top blower housings. I am going to miss Old reliable and beautiful of a rock called the fireview on the hearth. I think I might shed a tear when switching it out.

Thanks for the advice posted in the past about firing up stoves in the driveway to cure the paint, I am going to give that a try after some "body work" on this stove.

The automatic thermostat on the stove bucket list has been satisfied. I'm committed to giving it a try for a season and reevaluate things. One of the two stoves might be making an appearance in a future basement project. Got any guesses which one it would be ?? HA.

Thanks for everyone's input.

 

Briefly, what's the big pellet stove lie?