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

Solarwood wood stove

Discussion in 'Non-EPA Woodstoves and Fireplaces' started by Hoytman, Feb 5, 2019.

  1. Hoytman

    Hoytman

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    Since information about this stove is so difficult to find I thought I'd create a dedicated thread so others searching the internet can find more information, or help find more information about this stove.

    Here's my stove.
    [​IMG]

    Here's a stove like mine I found for sale, has rolled lip.
    [​IMG]

    Below I have copied and pasted one of my posts from another thread on FHC forum.

    Anyone with additional information on Solarwood wood stoves, or pictures of them, please post them here.

    To date, 2/05/2019, I have only seen 4 pictures on the internet in nearly 4 years of searching, that's not counting my own stove. Two were inserts the other two being stoves for sale. My stove is shown sitting on the rock hearth above in the first photo.

    Underneath the doors and the ash lip there are 3 small fans that blow cold air under the fire box and up less than half of the back of the fire box before coming through the fire box via 3 air tubes and up into the convection deck. I've seen a few other stoves with these convection tubes inside the fire box, but can't recall the stove names at this time.

    Some recently discovered information, thought not totally confirmed, seem to suggest that Solorwood was bought out by CFM manufacturing in the early 1980's, then they too went under or was likely bought out by yet another stove company.

    Stove has a 7" top outlet design, brick lined fire box, 2 doors with 4 window bays (mine has steel inserts likely made by someone to replace the glass … which currently will cost nearly $400 to replace), 2 primary air spinner controls mounted low on the sounds just above the top of the fire bricks inside. Steel plating appears to be 3/16" though I've not measured it, but I'm certain it's not the thicker 1/4" nor 5/16" plating used on more modern stoves. Doors (2) are made of heavy cast with spring handles.

    I don't have any stove measurements at this time, but will update this thread with them. It likely weighs a minimum of 350lbs. and likely ahead of 400+lbs., perhaps even more.

    One thing is for certain … This stove will likely handle a 3500-4000 sq.ft. home … it's that big and the convection chambers move that much air … even without the blower. How do I know?

    -Last week of January 2019 we had Polar Vortex throw us down some majorly cold temperatures. In my little corner of SW Ohio, you might say in a "holler" … since it's like living in KY or TN ... at midnight somewhere around January 29-30 of 2019, my I.R. gun showed temperatures on my garage door at -17*F and on my truck fender out in the driveway showed -27*F … while the old time thermometer hanging outside couldn't even register that low. It's mid-50'sF here one week later and everywhere near me the snow has already melted except in my holler … Shady Hollow … we call it. So yes, I get colder temps than anywhere around me … even just down the road a mile. The cold air just seems to settle here for some reason. Down the road the snow was gone and I still had some snow this morning … 4days later.

    Even during the cold snap we had once I had a bed of coals I never loaded more than 3 - 16" pieces of ash about 4" triangular in shape. Even at the temps my I.R. gun was showing outside the thermostat would swing from 72*F-85*F inside the house with stove top temps (STT) running mostly at 450-475 and only once from 550-575F at which time I just couldn't stand it anymore it was so hot inside. Stove pipe temps (SPT) about 18" up the pipe running around 300 more often than not (magnetically) to 325 and only once briefly … less than 15 minutes … reaching 400 on the surface of the pipe.

    This stove has a huge fire box, but because of the convection tubes inside the fire box, the box can't be fully loaded, which I'd never do anyway and it isn't necessary either, except at night. With 16" splits I can load east/west or north/south, which is what the stove likes because of where the air comes in from the sides. I not like the design of the fire box because it won't hold enough wood at night without choking the fire too much. Now, in a bigger house, you could load it up for a night long burn and have coals the next morning easily and likely the house will still be warm too … highly likely … but I just can't do that in this house. What I did was put 3 splits on a load of coals, could have used 5 or 6, let the main room come to mid-80's while the bedrooms remained perfect for sleeping. This worked pretty good, even with the 3 splits on top of coals, still having enough coals for an easy re-start the next morning with dry wood.

    One thing is for certain. This stove likes dry wood as do most stove, but it absolutely will choke on even the slightest wet stuff … and I mean slight water boiling from the ends for only a few minutes of the burn cycle. It just does not like wet wood, which is a good thing because it keeps you from burning improperly seasoned wood anyway.

    Our home is 1350 sq. ft. and shoulder season type weather requires little hot fires shortly extinguished or the stove burns you out of the house … an open design … and that's how I know this stove would heat 3000-4000 sq. ft. easily.

    The above, or last, picture is the most recent picture I have found … this stove has rolled lips on the top sections. My stove has just simple flat plate which possibly indicates my stove was likely produced before the rolled lipped design.

    For the early 1980's I'd say this stoves design was slightly ahead of a few other brands as far as not just being a boxed in fire place. Not a true step-top stove. Likely an early designed convection type box stove which actually pulls plenty of hot air through the convection chamber even without the use of the blower being turned on. The convection chamber is similar in design and function comparable to todays modern Lopi Liberty and Lopi Endeavor stoves. For those familiar with the Lopi stoves already know how much air naturally moves through those convection chambers.


    One last shot of a stove very similar to mine and found online for sale in Dec-Jan 2018-19.

    Wood stove from the early 1980's (possibly late 70's). My stove has no other names, numbers, or identification plates at all.

    Name location on lower right side of right door …
    Solarwood .
    [​IMG]

     
    Last edited: Feb 5, 2019
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  2. Hoytman

    Hoytman

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    Anyone with additional information or pictures of these stoves please post the photo's to this thread for those reading into the future. Also, please provide links to more information if you come across any. I know I will appreciate it and I'm sure others will as well.
     
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  3. Hoytman

    Hoytman

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    Update 9/14/2020

    This one is the only step top model that I have seen. No blower but does appear to have an ash pan. Also, the legs are different as well as the ash lip having a bent lip instead of being just a piece of flat plate steel.
    17B67AD4-5A34-4038-85EF-BDABACA501E0.jpeg
    4144B31D-6971-4687-ACC7-1ED7DED27F70.jpeg EF6CED62-7210-489B-B85B-AC68C08F25AC.jpeg
     
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  4. Hoytman

    Hoytman

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    Here’s a link with more pictures of the inside of my stove showing the 3 air tubes inside the fire box for convection air as well as some pictures of the inserts.

    Temperature swings: Stove top & pipe
     
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  5. Horkn

    Horkn

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    Interesting. if you haven't replaced the"glass" yet, you surely can get replacement glass for a lot less than $400. You'll just need measurements.
     
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  6. Hoytman

    Hoytman

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    Well, I’ve only checked with one place. Don’t recall now who it was but it was an online source.

    I believe the rectangles pieces of glass were so expensive because the corners of the rectangle pieces were extra cuts having the corners cut off.

    I will need 4 pieces. I may try and modify where the glass sits in their recesses so that I can just buy two larger pieces of glass. Two pieces should be cheaper than four because it would eliminate some cuts, but I’ll have to do some cutting on the door. Honestly, I’d rather not cut on the doors at all if your suggestion is correct. I’d love to find some glass much cheaper than $400.

    I would like to put some 5mm Neoceramic glass in the doors. That is some tough glass.

    Watch this:

    That Kuma video on Neoceramic glass cracks me up. Whew!! That guy is really whacking that glass with the corner of that 2x4. LOL!!! I’m not sure I’d try that.

    Robax glass is good as well.
     
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  7. Horkn

    Horkn

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  8. Hoytman

    Hoytman

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    Sure will be nice to see the fire.