Wood stove run by a thermostat! What?

Just cruising through the wood stove manufactures sites seeing whats new and getting ideas and options for a future home purchase, I came across the Quadra-fire adventure series that are run by a wall thermostat! I currently am using the 3100 steptop in my buddies house that I'm renting from him and its a great little stove. So I'm intrigued and guessing this is pellet stove like technology being applied to a wood stove.

With the III (3) series boasting a 4.0 cu ft firebox accepting 22" recommended splits, able to heat 3,500+ sq ft, and claims of 40 hr burns (we all know 12-14 would be most realistic), it even runs on a 6" flue! Its definitely an interesting set up and will be interesting to see and hear how it actually performs.

http://www.quadrafire.com/Products/Adventure-III-Wood-Stove.aspx

 

We are going to be seeing more and more stoves or systems like this in the next few years. I've already got some stuff in my house set up for home automation.

The one big issue is what happens in a power failure?

 

Meh, this thermostat "technology" has been on wood furnaces for years
But it will be interesting to see what the new regs bring about in wood heaters

 

Yup

 

I am sure it will never be approved for Washington State. No OWB has yet been approved.

Greg

 

It sounds like it will run on 6 D cell batteries for up to 30 days. Just the control board and air controls of course, Not the blower fan.

 

Starting at $3,499

• Maintains the temperature of your room with a programmable thermostat

• Automatically adjusts your stove, eliminating all manual air controls

• Tells you when to add more wood

• Allows you to load the wood, light the fire and walk away

What could go wrong?

 

I don't know about OWBs but I'm betting somebody will get there on a indoor furnace...ever hear of Kuuma Vaporfire? http://r.search.yahoo.com/_ylt=AwrBT8dryPJVDWUAfBRXNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTByOHZyb21tBGNvbG8DYmYxBHBvcwMxBHZ0aWQDBHNlYwNzcg--/RV=2/RE=1442003180/RO=10/RU=http://lamppakuuma.com//RK=0/RS=woHtR2ds5fGfcJpxcCRfdB9eR_s-
I bet they could make the cut if they ever decided to spend the money to try

 

That stove sounds very similar to a wife or gf during winter! Hahah

 

furnaces were not regulated per se the same as freestanding stoves or inserts with the old Phase 2, now the Step 2 regs have closed the "furnace loophole" and with that in mind I suspect you will see "certified" furnaces out in the next year or two. we are working up to do one as well as our current furnace was in that loophole as virtually very other out there was.

 

Ashley woodstoves had a mechanical thermostat on the front of the unit that controlled the air intake. A simple coil spring would expand and contract from the stove's heat. We had an Ashley just like this one in our home in the 70s & 80s. It worked perfectly. I wish I had a control like it on the front of our Liberty.

 

Doesn't the Blaze King Princess use Coil Spring setup for their "Air Governing" I haven't seen it, but from reading that seems like it...

 

Firing rate can only be controlled via primary air supply. Secondary and tertiary air supply completes the combustion of fuel vapours (like any EPA type stove). Primary and secondary air supplies must always be in proportion to each other. This is nothing new. A properly programmed PID type temperature controller is key to keeping a stable room temperature. Too low stove temperature indicates need for more fuel (wood). All this is very good, but at what price?

 

Yes. The bk stat is driven by stove temperature vs room temperature though.

The quad stat will call for heat based on room temp and open the primary air. When room temp is at set point, the primary will close a bit but we all know that a noncat can't be run very low before it pollutes so I propose this product will suck. The stove will never be less than a huge 4c.f. stove at 400 degrees. The marketing suggests that the room temperature will be regulated but with a stat that can only choose between hot and really hot, the operator will be doing the control.

Nice big stove on a 6" flue.

 

You are most likely right about the stove. It can only be turned down to a minimum where combustion is still good. This may still be too much heat for a room. The only really good solution is to have a stove that transfers most heat to a large heat sink (water tank). Heat-Booster has developed water heating systems for wood stoves. Operate stove normally during the day, and use stored heat during the night. Stove can be operated properly this way. Medium to high burning rates result in clean burns even with older stoves.

 

I did read it will run the blower as well. The max speed has to be set manually but it supposedly runs it at variable speeds below that set point when there is a call for heat. Not sure if it just turns it on and off or actually can change the speed of the fan.