In loving memory of Kenis D. Keathley 6/4/81 - 3/27/22 Loving father, husband, brother, friend and firewood hoarder Rest in peace, Dexterday

Woodstock burn times: Are they underated?

Discussion in 'Modern EPA Stoves and Fireplaces' started by Hoytman, Sep 8, 2023.

  1. RGrant

    RGrant

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    I have the Survival Hybrid model and it does not have a thermostatically controlled air intake. If you pull up a picture or take a look at the front of the stove the next time you're on the website you'll see that on the front of the stove directly below the viewing glass there's a set of 6 rectangles configured in a lower set of 3 that are slightly smaller and an upper set of three that are slightly longer. If you zoom in you'll note that basically dead center in the lower grouping of 3 there's a hole that looks like you'd be able to put the ink tube of a bic pen through it. The air controls are managed by the single lower lever (I came back and fixed a spelling error here). The concept is you can essentially cut off almost all the air to the primary burn chamber minus the tiny hole for the bic ink tube. As you shift over the air controls, the upper set of rectangles will partly close, but not fully- there will still be a visible and somewhat substantial amount of air that will get in --> That air intake is built into the door itself and travels through an enclosed channel and enters into the secondary chamber above the primary chamber. There are a bunch of holes in the top of it to let the air through. Then it all exhausts up through the catalyst and then onto the stove pipe.
    I think it's a pretty cool design. I wonder how it stacks up against the larger hybrids.
     
  2. Todd

    Todd

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    I tried a couple more 24 hour burns with similar loads but just had a few embers left. Probably could do better with larger Oak splits. Consistent 12-16 hour burns are no problem.
     
  3. Unhdsm

    Unhdsm

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    :confused:
     
  4. Canadian border VT

    Canadian border VT

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    I apologize if you did not know; I think we have met maybe Woodstock open house?? I got family in Bradford.. Scotty Overkill posted I don’t recall BDF wife contacted him Facebook?

    I might have put you in missing members? Maybe if I could get screen name.. IIRC you have 2 chimney 2 stoves?? Beta tester

    4 members In Bradford maybe? Small vt town on conn river with farm store before bridge


    Again not best way get bad news
     
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  5. beardley

    beardley

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    I've been running on the 12 hr schedule w/my Keystone for the last ~10 years as long as the temps are above 10F for the high. When it gets lower than that, I'll typically need to toss in a small mid afternoon fire to keep the whole house about 70. We designed the house around the location of the stove, so it is absolutely dead center in an open first floor plan. The stairs to the 2nd floor are around the corner.

    I have access to mostly Sugar maple, w/some misc mix around it Hickory, Ash, cherry etc, but all nice high btu wood. I had built a 8x18 woodshed, with the thought that it would be 4 years worth of wood (2 sections 2 years each). As it turns out, its more like 6 years worth :bug:

    I live it upstate NY, so we see our fair share of cold weather, but the combination of great insulation, low and slow heat release from the keystone makes for a wonderful comfortable life. I still can't believe I'm heating my house for the whole season on 1 - 1 1/3 cords.
     
  6. Canadian border VT

    Canadian border VT

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    Your south of me but close to Lake Ontario so less than 1.5 cords is amazing, in smaller stove :thumbs:
     
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  7. beardley

    beardley

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    Truly I've been blown away. The slow steady heat is wonderful. The stove is in our living room, but because it's all open, it never feels overwhelming.

    I've unfortunately not been able to fire it up yet this year. In the spring I noticed the exterior stone on the side opposite the loading door was cracked. So I ordered the replacement, but it was the off season so I put off the repair until Oct when it was starting to get cold like a bone head. After I pulled it, I realized the inner stone was cracked too, which you could not see from the inside. (probably the reason the exterior one was cracked, must have tossed a split in too hard. . . ) So then I needed to wait for that to arrive, which of course it's the busy season so it took a couple weeks. In the final of bonehead moves, when I was reattaching the top, I used the bolts that are actually the shipping bolts that hold the SS cat in place which are about .5" longer. So these longer bolts pushed into the stones on the top and cracked both of them before I realized what was happening. :headbang:

    I finally got it mostly back together last night. Should be able to round it out this evening. Just need to cement the inner seams, and I'm going to replace the door and ashpan gaskets while I'm at it. It's been an adventure to say the least. Should be able to have a few break in fires by the weekend.
     
  8. Todd

    Todd

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    Sounds like you have the optimal setup to only need 1.5 cords. I installed my Fireview late last Winter after a major rebuild and was chasing leaks and never really got dialed in. So far this year she’s burning great and have noticed some firewood savings compared to my previous Jotul F45 which used about 3-3.5 cords. I’d be happy to cut that down a cord or so which looks likely.

    Years ago I had a Keystone and had to replace that outside side stone along with the stone under the door. It was quite the project. Lots of calls to Woodstock for advice, even talked with a stove builder. That little stove was amazing how long it could burn and sip wood.
     
  9. beardley

    beardley

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    I had my first real fire today! I put in 4, 4" splits of sugar maple this morning at 5:30 when I got up. STT is still over 200. I had a couple small kindling break in fires yesterday. I have 1 small leak on the stovepipe (stove needs to move an inch or 2 west), and I think there is one on the very bottom corner of the new side stone I replaced. I think it's going to be hard to track down, because its double wall it could really be anywhere along the inner stone. I had to have the incense right up on it to get it to suck in. We'll see how it goes, but it burned great.

    Bonus is I was fighting w/smoke smell in the house after the cat was engaged. That didn't seem to happen, so fingers crossed that 1 of the thousand gaskets that were replaced was the culprit.