# new enviro boston 1700 coming home



## pharmsaler (Sep 15, 2011)

I have read every article, every piece of feedback, every comment on here about the Enviro fireplaces.  I have looked at almost every other brand out there as well.

I finally placed my order on Monday for the Enviro Boston 1700 and the dealer called tonight and said that my stove is in already.  I'm going tomorrow to pick up my new stove, now all I need is some cold weather soon.....

I will post pictures and share my experience with you all.

Thanks to all that have helped me out with some silly questions and their experiences thus far


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## pyronut (Sep 15, 2011)

Congrats   Keep us updated.


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## kingquad (Sep 15, 2011)

If your wood is dry, your gonna love it.  Post some picks for us.  I've only seen the brochure pics.  It's a great insert.


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## mhrischuk (Sep 15, 2011)

Great choice and a good looking insert!


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## Stump_Branch (Sep 15, 2011)

Yes pictures, i kept trying to see one but no one had one in stock. They look great though.


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## raybonz (Sep 15, 2011)

Congrats I look forward to the pics!

Ray


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## pharmsaler (Sep 16, 2011)

Future home of Enviro Boston 1700


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## pharmsaler (Sep 16, 2011)

Still on crate


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## Swedishchef (Sep 16, 2011)

that is a nice looking machine!
Andrew


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## raybonz (Sep 16, 2011)

Beautiful insert!

Ray


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## kingquad (Sep 16, 2011)

That is going to look awesome when it's installed.  You'll be a warm and happy man this winter.  Cheers


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## Stump_Branch (Sep 16, 2011)

How big is this firebox in that pretty monster?


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## kingquad (Sep 16, 2011)

Stump_Branch said:
			
		

> How big is this firebox in that pretty monster?


2.5 cuft


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## pharmsaler (Sep 16, 2011)

Stump_Branch said:
			
		

> How big is this firebox in that pretty monster?




She's a 2.5 cubic footer


I am planning on burning all pressed wood, that way I have no mess of wood coming in and out of the house...and....the wife wont yell at me any more


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## kingquad (Sep 16, 2011)

pharmsaler said:
			
		

> Stump_Branch said:
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I burned some last year.  You'll never get near the burn times you'll get from real wood.  Also, loading the firebox up full of those things will send your stove nuclear.  Ask me how I know.


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## pharmsaler (Sep 22, 2011)

2 more days and counting until the install  is complete.  The electrician came over and has prepped the hearth by drilling a 1" hole in the left front of the firebox down and on an angle to where the original blower fans were for the heatilator that is in the base of the hearth.  I was concerned because I thought this was going to be the most challenging part, nope he was in and out in less than an hour.  Charged me $35 and said will be back to re-install the plug end for the fans on Friday.  ( we will have to cut the plug off the fireplace in order to feed it down the hole and a new plug end will be installed then) 

Damn weather guy said it will be like 70 degrees through the weekend, When I want it to get cold it wont!!


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## jatoxico (Sep 22, 2011)

Good luck with the new insert! The Boston was on my short list too.


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## pharmsaler (Sep 23, 2011)

Installers just left, everything went better than expected!! it took about 2 hours to get the heatform cut out, then after that, maybe an hour to drop the liner, attache the liner, reinstall the surround. there you have it, installed!!


I will upload pics soon


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## BrowningBAR (Sep 23, 2011)

pharmsaler said:
			
		

> I will upload pics soon




Good, cuz we will refuse to believe you until we see the pics!


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## raybonz (Sep 23, 2011)

pharmsaler said:
			
		

> Installers just left, everything went better than expected!! it took about 2 hours to get the heatform cut out, then after that, maybe an hour to drop the liner, attache the liner, reinstall the surround. there you have it, installed!!
> 
> 
> I will upload pics soon



Congrats and what Brownie said!

Ray


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## pharmsaler (Sep 24, 2011)

Here it is, bad thing is installer asked me not to burn for 2-3 days so all his hi-temp caulk will set up appropriately.


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## begreen (Sep 24, 2011)

Bummer, she looks great. Oh well, I guess that will give you time to get a hearth extension.


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## tfdchief (Sep 24, 2011)

pharmsaler said:
			
		

> Here it is, bad thing is installer asked me not to burn for 2-3 days so all his hi-temp caulk will set up appropriately.


Wow, that is absolutely gorgeous.


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## rdust (Sep 24, 2011)

If it burns near as good as it looks you'll be in business!  

I suspect it'll see some cord wood at some point in it's future.


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## raybonz (Sep 24, 2011)

That looks like it has been there for decades! Very nice look to it

Ray


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## budman (Sep 24, 2011)

BeGreen said:
			
		

> Bummer, she looks great. Oh well, I guess that will give you time to get a hearth extension.


+1


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## pharmsaler (Sep 24, 2011)

Is anybody just using a fireproof carpet throw in front of the hearth.  Am I allowed to do this?  It is just not going to look right if I put ceramic down or anything like that.  I have seen these carpet throws for about $100.......Any advise?


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## HollowHill (Sep 24, 2011)

That looks fantastic!  As far as a hearth extension goes, maybe a piece of black granite would tie in?


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## kingquad (Sep 24, 2011)

pharmsaler said:
			
		

> Is anybody just using a fireproof carpet throw in front of the hearth.  Am I allowed to do this?  It is just not going to look right if I put ceramic down or anything like that.  I have seen these carpet throws for about $100.......Any advise?


I wouldn't trust one of those carpets.  Morso makes ember protection pads out of thick tempered glass.  They are expensive though.  You could probably have one made locally by a glass place to your exact dimensions with a nice beveled edge for considerably cheaper.  Just a thought.  Lots of online places sell factory made pads too.  They're pretty expensive as well.

That insert looks fantastic.  You're gonna love it.


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## budman (Sep 24, 2011)

Amazon has them for quite a bit less.


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## begreen (Sep 24, 2011)

I think a black hearth extension would fit in fine there. If there is a flooring layer under the carpet that could be removed (to get to the subfloor) it could be recessed into the floor and least part way. One material that would work well here is black epoxy resin. You may have seen this in school laboratory countertops. It is tough, durable and looks great. If it gets scratched, a little black shoe wax will make it look like new again.


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## pharmsaler (Sep 25, 2011)

GREAT! Supposed to be 72 degrees tomorrow.....There is no way the wife will let me builed a fire tomorrow...


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## Treacherous (Sep 25, 2011)

pharmsaler said:
			
		

> GREAT! Supposed to be 72 degrees tomorrow.....There is no way the wife will let me builed a fire tomorrow...



I know your pain... it might be another week or so before I can light off my first fire for the season.


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## pharmsaler (Sep 26, 2011)

I chopped up a BUNCH of kindling today, mostly out of oak, some cherry, and some other wood that was really dark brown-almost black.  it had a very pretty grain color to it.  Anyway, how much kindling am I going to need?  I don't plan on burning 24/7 but rather during the nights when I get home and then all weekend. 

 I probably have chopped enough kindling today to fill a 50 gallon drum stacked nicely inside. I used my hatchet and chopped them into 1"-2" squares and maybe 15" long

Also any idea what kind of wood the other was, it was almost like black cherry...if there is such a thing


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## BrotherBart (Sep 26, 2011)

Treacherous said:
			
		

> pharmsaler said:
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I finished up installing a pellet stove in the basement today. Had to light it off for smoke checking the pipe. It was already 80 up stairs. My wife said at least it wasn't 95 outside like the August I installed the liners and had to light'em off.  :lol:


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## raybonz (Sep 26, 2011)

BrotherBart said:
			
		

> Treacherous said:
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LoL congrats Bart! I'm glad I'm not the only one to test the stove with 90 temps...

Ray


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## BrotherBart (Sep 26, 2011)

You will go through a lot of kindling doing restarts. Nothing to lose by dropping a note to Thomas at Super Cedars for some free samples of his fire starters. I love'em because of the restarts I have to do around here with our flaky weather. I don't know where I left my kindling axe anymore.

From Thomas in an earlier thread:

"To all the new members we offer free samples. Email us at info@supercedar.com with your physical address and they are on the way. "


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## pharmsaler (Sep 30, 2011)

So I finished my series of break in fires..all has been well....I started a pretty good fire tonight, I had two Ez-Bricks and two   1/4 splits....I wasn't after a marathon burn or reach 1000 degrees, rather just want to get the fan to kick on and see how she reacted for a good burn.

It took about 25 minutes for fan to kick on, glass stayed pretty clean, total burn time was about 6 hours and still have some pretty good coals going on,  Fan has been on for about 5.75 hours and still going now.  it raised the house temperature up about 7 degrees.  Again nothing major, and I wasn't trying to get the house super hot...more less out for a good Sunday stroll on a Thursday evening.

So far....I'm happy...I will be really happy if I can get the wife to open windows in the middle of winter....HAHAHAHA....Don't think that will happen

Couple of questions for you all though:

the secondaries at time seemed to glow, I think this was the secondary burn....nothing to be concerned about...right?

also

If I was going to use an IR thermometer...what is the max temp and where should I measure it at?  I can get to the collar and maybe the first 6-8" of liner


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## pharmsaler (Sep 30, 2011)

I hate to answer my own question, but it always help to refer back to the manual....Although it does say that when the connector glows I am overfiring the stove....at what temp does the connector glow?



4. For Maximum Efficiency:
When the stove is hot, load it fully to the top of the door opening and burn at medium low settings. When
the fuel is mostly consumed, leaving a bed of red coals, repeat the process. Maximum heat for minimum
fuel occurs when the stove top temperature is between 250Â°F (120Â°C) and 550Â°F (290Â°C). The most
likely causes of dirty glass are: not enough fuel to get the stove thoroughly hot, burning green or wet
wood, closing the draft until there is insufficient air for complete combustion, or a weak chimney draw.
Indeed, the cleanness of the glass is a good indicator of the stove operating efficiently.


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## begreen (Sep 30, 2011)

It'll start glowing north of 900 Â°F


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## BrotherBart (Sep 30, 2011)

The flue collar will glow nicely at around 1,425F degrees. I don't want to go through how I know that again.


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## pharmsaler (Oct 1, 2011)

42 degrees out side and 76 degrees outside.......... that is with 5--- 1/4 splits and 2 Ez Bricks

I am happy with the heat production and more the longevity of the burns....really amazed at the performance so far


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## pharmsaler (Oct 15, 2011)

NEED SOME HELP:  So this morning I decided to start a fire to take the chill off,  I put a few pieces of kindling, wadded up paper and 2 Ez-Bricks to get things started.  I got things up to temp pretty quickly and decided to go ahead and load her up.  I normally keep the draft open full until the fan kicks in.  Well 30 minutes went by and the fan still didn't kick on, so I started to look further.

I can look into where my liner connects to my stove and I started to see it starting to glow...OH SH!T...I say.....I realized that my blower fan is on a switch and I forgot to flip the switch on.  I turned it on and shut down the intake air all the way down...It stopped glowing within 10 minutes and I let it die down.

DID I DO ANY DAMAGE? HOW CAN I TELL OR CHECK???

FREAKED OUT NOW


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## begreen (Oct 15, 2011)

Sounds like you need to get into the habit of closing down the air more and sooner. Glowing red is not good, but we all make mistakes. I'm glad you were there to catch this.

Be careful and attentive when running the stove. It's easy to get distracted and forget to close the air down in increments. I'd leave the fan switch on automatic for safety sake.


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## pharmsaler (Oct 26, 2011)

Looking for some more help here?

Fireplace has been great except for one thing.......black spots on my glass on overnight burns.  Yeas my wood is seasoned for over 1.5 years and sometimes I am using the Ez-bricks which have less than 7% moisture.  I have NO problems at all when burning through the evenings and the air control is cut to 25% or so.  But when I load it up and shut the air conrtol down to nearly 0.  I can easily notice the black spots start to show up?

I have good draft thus far, I don't see this "creosote" anywhere else in the fire box, not on the ceramic baffles or anywhere else.  I took them out for inspection.  

Does this stove have a poor air wash or am I cutting the air down too early or too much?

Any help would be great


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## begreen (Oct 26, 2011)

Sounds like you might be going the opposite direction since your previous post. Does the glass clear right up after a fresh reload? If so, I wouldn't worry much about it. If not, try closing down the air a tad later and see if that improves things.


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## pharmsaler (Oct 26, 2011)

going backwards???  No..just trying to figure everything out...I really have not had the full need to do overnight burns on a regular basis.  The once or twice that i did, I noticed when I woke up the next morning I had black smudges around the outer edges of the glass.

I think that may be my problem...I will do a reload and with 5-10 minutes I am shutting the air all the way down.

Performance thus far has been great..it throws the heat.


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## BrotherBart (Oct 26, 2011)

Shutting it down way too early. Me and a lot of other burners around this place close it down in steps and have it leveled out in around an hour.


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## begreen (Oct 26, 2011)

Shoulder season burning and learning is a bit tricky. In a month you and the stove will start settling into a groove. You're doing fine for a beginner.


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## pharmsaler (Oct 26, 2011)

I will have to post pics of the secondaries...there will be no flames from the wood...but the secondaries are fully engulfed and it puts on a great show of dancing fire..pretty awesome to watch


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## pharmsaler (Oct 29, 2011)

Is it possible.......now the temperature outside have dipped into the 30's...my stove is functioning better?  I loaded her up last night, dampened the intake to maybe 10% (and was expecting this morning to have black glass) and it was as clean as the day I brought it home.

But I do notice that I have A LOT of coals after burning for 3 days in a row...I'm going to guess 4" of hot glowing 2-3" coals...Should I keep loading 1 piece at a time? Or should I let the coals burn down into ash before adding more wood?

34 degrees outside and 73 inside........love the wood burner so far


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## kingquad (Oct 29, 2011)

Rake the coals forward and open the primary air control all the way.  They'll burn up pretty quickly.  Glad to hear everything is working well.


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## pharmsaler (Nov 11, 2011)

Holy locust...my dad's good friend gave me a half cord or less of seasoned locust wood.  he warned me that this stuff burns super hot and to not load my stove with it, but rather keep it for those really cold nights... 

So being the guy I am, I threw 3 pieces in tonight...this wood burns OH MY GOSH..HOT  I thought wood was wood and didn't expect the huge heat differece compared to the hemlock I have been burning.


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## begreen (Nov 11, 2011)

pharmsaler said:
			
		

> Holy locust...my dad's good friend gave me a half cord or less of seasoned locust wood.  he warned me that this stuff burns super hot and to not load my stove with it, but rather keep it for those really cold nights...
> 
> So being the guy I am, I threw 3 pieces in tonight...this wood burns OH MY GOSH..HOT  I thought wood was wood and didn't expect the huge heat differece compared to the hemlock I have been burning.



Yup, you are talking a day and night difference. These trees are on the opposite ends of the btu spectrum.


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## scotvl (Nov 11, 2011)

pharmsaler said:
			
		

> Holy locust...my dad's good friend gave me a half cord or less of seasoned locust wood.  he warned me that this stuff burns super hot and to not load my stove with it, but rather keep it for those really cold nights...
> 
> So being the guy I am, I threw 3 pieces in tonight...this wood burns OH MY GOSH..HOT  I thought wood was wood and didn't expect the huge heat differece compared to the hemlock I have been burning.



I thought you were only going to burn pressed wood in there? LOL


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## pharmsaler (Nov 12, 2011)

I am burning the pressed logs and have been extremely happy with them....but who is going to turn down free wood...and why not give it a shot.


BTW:  the pressed wood has been great, very little ash, lights super easy, and lasts for a good while, 3 bricks last 5-6 hours and over night I put 4-6 in and cut the air way back...and in the morning I open the air all the way around 6 am and put 5-6 more in, have my wife cut the air back at 8 before she goes to work and it is still going when i get home at night. 

A package of 8 is $2, so on average I think I am paying $6 a day to heat some of the house.........for me that is worth it from a convenience sake and also it will reduce my gas consumption.


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## raybonz (Nov 12, 2011)

pharmsaler said:
			
		

> I am burning the pressed logs and have been extremely happy with them....but who is going to turn down free wood...and why not give it a shot.
> 
> 
> BTW:  the pressed wood has been great, very little ash, lights super easy, and lasts for a good while, 3 bricks last 5-6 hours and over night I put 4-6 in and cut the air way back...and in the morning I open the air all the way around 6 am and put 5-6 more in, have my wife cut the air back at 8 before she goes to work and it is still going when i get home at night.
> ...



Two dollars for 8 is a good deal.. I paid $2.99 for 8 Ecologs on sale at TSC.. I find they burn very well and so far I am only adding one to my splits just out of curiousity.. I will not take the chance of overfiring my stove as this would void the warranty.. The stove top runs under 600 degrees, the same as my normal temps with all splits.. I can see why people like using these Ecologs as they easy to stack and make little mess.. 

Ray


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## pharmsaler (Dec 23, 2011)

28 degrees outside and the Boston has been cruising all day.  Wife just complained how hot it is in here.  Didn't notice as I have been in shorts and T-Shirt.  and she is running around folding laundry and.....whatever else she is doing.

I got up to get a drink and peeked at the thermostat...yikes it was 76 in here....Gosh I love this wood burner


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## BrotherBart (Dec 24, 2011)

If I ever buy an insert that is the one. In fact I attempted to buy one in 2006 and the vendor screwed up.


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## pharmsaler (Dec 24, 2011)

wow just got really scared.

I loaded up the stove with several full logs and a couple ez-bricks.  I had a pretty good flame going and decided to shut down the draft to normal (25% or so).  Came upstairs and crawled in bed.  turned on Gold Rush and got about 15 minutes into it

Then BAM...for what ever reason the electricity goes out.  I figured it would be a quick on and off thing.  Then I remembered my fully loaded stove and the fan would not be working.  So by now a half hour has gone by.  As soon as I hit the top of the steps I smelled something really hot.  I ran down the steps and immediately shut down the draft all the way. But I could tell the stove was getting hotter with out the fan cooling it down and blowing off the heat.  I looked onto the flu collar and could see it just staring to glow red.  I'm really starting to crap my pants now!!  40 minutes have gone by now since the electric has gone off.  Then the power finally kicks on and the fan just starts pouring out the heat.  This has to be the hottest I have ever felt the heat.

Now I'm thinking...What do I do if this ever happens agin...What if my fan quits in the middle of the night....

What are you guys doing?  Has this ever happened to you?


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## raybonz (Dec 24, 2011)

pharmsaler said:
			
		

> wow just got really scared.
> 
> I loaded up the stove with several full logs and a couple ez-bricks.  I had a pretty good flame going and decided to shut down the draft to normal (25% or so).  Came upstairs and crawled in bed.  turned on Gold Rush and got about 15 minutes into it
> 
> ...



I don't have your setup but if you're really concerned buy the highest capacity UPS you can afford and plug your fans into that.. 

Ray


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## VCBurner (Jan 26, 2012)

Can you post some fire pics?


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## kingquad (Jan 26, 2012)

VCBurner said:
			
		

> Can you post some fire pics?


I have the Kodiak.  Same firebox.


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## ChadD (Dec 26, 2012)

Enjoyed reading your post. Have you noticed the left side of the stove doesn't seem to burn as hot? I always seem to have blackened glass on the lower left corner of the door.


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## Swedishchef (Dec 26, 2012)

I agree with the UPS idea. I don't know where you could store it but it would certainly be a good idea for a power outage.

Glad things worked out for ya.

Andrew


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