# My Seefire Wood Stove



## Blazzinghot (Jul 19, 2021)

I picked up another stove last week. It is a Seefire 1600S which was made in Victoria Canada in 1988. I have read the other topics on this forum about this stove but this one appears to be a little older than the ones mentioned. This model still has the secondary air system with the full bricks on sides, floor and ceiling. I also downloaded the manual for this model which was very helpful. The claim that it burns smokeless when it heats up which I hope is true. This stove is in amazing condition considering its age. I don’t see any signs of it being overfired and the top metal plate is still in good shape with slight warpage.
The name of this stove is interesting as they claim if the stove is used correctly the window will stay clear thus the name Seefire. The primary air comes down over the window and the secondary air through the tube in the top middle of the stove which has air holes on each side. You don’t leave the door cracked open to get the fire started. It is supposed to be fully closed with the air vent fully opened.
The 1600S as was mentioned before on other posts heats up to 1600 Sq. Ft. I purchased an older fireplace insert for $35.00 about two months back for the two glass windows and the metal but found many good bricks inside so used them to replace damaged bricks in the Seefire.
I am still waiting on the glass but everything else is finished. This stove is for my neighbor for his new shop.


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## begreen (Jul 19, 2021)

Interesting stove. The secondary air system is similar to the design that Napoleon adopted. Keep us posted on how it burns this winter.


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## Blazzinghot (Jul 20, 2021)

Thanks for your comment begreen. I like to study the anatomy of the different wood stoves. I had no idea that primary air can come in from any location. From working on all those older Blaze Kings and Earth Stoves I was under the impression that the primary air needed to come from the lower back of the stove. Ha, I will be curious myself how this stove works. I usually test my stoves outside but only put on about six foot of pipe which is not ideal for a good draft. But my neighbors garage will be more 20 feet of pipe which will make a great place to test it out. I will do my best to keep everyone posted on its performance. 

I mentioned on another post I had a Napoleon wood stove but did not no how to use it. Rats, to bad I sold it.


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## begreen (Jul 20, 2021)

Almost all modern stoves have part or all of the primary air feeding the air wash to keep the glass clean.


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## Mo Lake (Oct 26, 2021)

Blazzinghot, when you were renovating the SeeFire, were you able to how the draft control arm was built? I am wondering if my problem is the arm is broken/disconnected. Not sure if that happens a lot? Thanks.


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## Blazzinghot (Oct 26, 2021)

If you are not sure lets find out if the primary air intake rod is broken. On the back of the stove on the stand on which the stove sits is a round hole. It may have a 3 or 4 inch tube in it this hole. If it does you need to pull it out and then you will be able to reach your hand in the hole then up on the top you should find the opening where the air intake is. When the slider on the front of the stove pulled out you should be able to feel to see if the opening under the stove is open. Then slide the bar on the front of the stove is pushed  in and check to see if it is closed. If you have someone help you be careful not to have your fingers in the opening  when testing it. Ha OH 

It would be hard to get to if it is broken but I could be wrong. If you need more help I can go to my neighbors as he has bought this stove from me. I can look at it and see if I can help come up with a way to help you fix it if it.


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## Mo Lake (Oct 26, 2021)

Hi  I do not have any holes in the platform. It is solid. I have checked everywhere so wondering if you saw anything underneath? The owner manual identifies the air intake in the pedestal but not external access.


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## john26 (Oct 26, 2021)

Blazzinghot said:


> The name of this stove is interesting as they claim if the stove is used correctly the window will stay clear thus the name Seefire.


My Napoleon is that way,   very similar secondary cleans itself as the fire gets hotter


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## Blazzinghot (Oct 26, 2021)

Mo Lake,  the only thing I can think is my stove is a different year from yours. I just looked at my pictures and the the aluminum pipe was still in place on the back as I always take before and after pictures. The tag was on the side of the stove and you can see the aluminum pipe on the back on the left.  If you have the rod that pulls out on the front of the stove then the secondary air has to be on the other end of the rod. It could be this stove has the air intake on the bottom.  Can you have someone tilt the stove so you can have a look underneath?  I am looking at my pictures and noticed with my model that the stove hangs out over the pedestal could the air intake be under the back bottom on the stove?


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## Blazzinghot (Oct 26, 2021)

john 26 how many stoves do you have or do you fix them up and sell them?


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## john26 (Oct 26, 2021)

Blazzinghot said:


> john 26 how many stoves do you have or do you fix them up and sell them?


I have only fixed and sold 2 , 1 I used for 2 years.  I have a woodchuck furnace going to my  brother in law that I used for about 8 years.  I have helped family members find stoves and repair them.  For a while my brother and I were buying and selling clearance stoves from the box stores.  I just restored a Pacific Energy Insert Design D I am installing this in my family room.  My Napoleon is in the Hearth room and will probably be there as long as I own the house.


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## Blazzinghot (Oct 26, 2021)

Yes you told me about the Pacific Energy stove that is why I was wondering how many stove you had.  I just looked up a  Wood Chuck furnace as I have never seen one.  It seems like a nice set up for heating a whole home using a ducting system.  Well you will certainly keep warm this winter.


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## Mo Lake (Oct 26, 2021)

Blazzinghot said:


> Mo Lake,  the only thing I can think is my stove is a different year from yours. I just looked at my pictures and the the aluminum pipe was still in place on the back as I always take before and after pictures. The tag was on the side of the stove and you can see the aluminum pipe on the back on the left.  If you have the rod that pulls out on the front of the stove then the secondary air has to be on the other end of the rod. It could be this stove has the air intake on the bottom.  Can you have someone tilt the stove so you can have a look underneath?  I am looking at my pictures and noticed with my model that the stove hangs out over the pedestal could the air intake be under the back bottom on the stove?
> 
> View attachment 284135


It is in the pedestal, as per the manual, directly under the firebox  but no freshair outlet, except for mobile home installation which is via the bottom. So weird.


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## Mo Lake (Oct 26, 2021)

This is the schematic. I don't really understand how the primary air is supposed to travel up past the glass as it is drawn outside the firebox. I might try dousing the fire and cleaning the hot secondary air chamber at the rear of the box. Maybe it is jambed there?


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## Blazzinghot (Oct 26, 2021)

Looks like you might have to get a hole saw and make your own hole.  This the picture of the stove when they had it advertised. You can see where they placed the intake. If you are not in a manufactured home then I would opt for drilling a hole in the back.


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## Blazzinghot (Oct 27, 2021)

Mo Lake,  Just so we are on the same page if the rod on the front of the stove pulls out and pushing then  it is not stuck. We have discovered that the primary air intake comes from the bottom of the stove which means if the stove is sitting on flat surface it can't draw in any air. If you drill a 3 inch hole on the back of the stand as in my picture then you will allow air to freely flow into the primary  air for the window and to help make  secondary burners work. If the rod is stuck drilling a hole will help you get better access to work on moving it as it may be rusted.


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## Mo Lake (Oct 27, 2021)

Thank you! The arm moves but I will try the hole in the pedestal. Thanks.


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## john26 (Oct 27, 2021)

Blazzinghot said:


> Well you will certainly keep warm this winter.


I should have 3 installed and useable this winter the PE, Napoleon 1401 and Ashley AF700 in the basement.


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## Blazzinghot (Oct 27, 2021)

Mo Lake,  If you remember get back with us and let us know how the stove works.


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## begreen (Oct 27, 2021)

Mo Lake said:


> It is in the pedestal, as per the manual, directly under the firebox  but no freshair outlet, except for mobile home installation which is via the bottom. So weird.
> 
> View attachment 284148


Is there a knockout for an OAK on the rear of the pedestal?


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## coaly (Oct 28, 2021)

This could be like the Fisher Goldilocks Certified for mobile home use that uses the pedestal for air intake up through floor under home. In a conventional home using indoor air there was a kit consisting of 1 inch balls under the base corners that raised pedestal off floor for air intake. Without the kit I set them up on bricks.


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## Blazzinghot (Oct 28, 2021)

coaly,  I was thinking the same thing about suggesting the bricks under the platform but the one weak spot on this stove is but the bottom platform is thin. Mine was bent when I got it and had to try to bend it back into shape.  I like the idea of round 1 inch balls.


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## coaly (Oct 28, 2021)

A way with stoves with thin base plates is corrugated steel. Set a 4x4 piece of corrugated steel on floor. Cement board with your choice of brick or stone finish. Keep the center open at intake opening. An outer frame of angle iron sets over the edges.  Set stove over opening. This gives them very good support sitting on the “hills” and gets plenty of air from the valleys. The stove moves rearward very easily when loading. Pedestal stoves have very little pounds per square inch downward pressure and move easily, so they should be bolted down anyway.

Dura-vent made the installation kit for Fisher Goldilocks that came with a corrugated plate that sat on the unprotected floor with carpet removed and had a fake brick pad that sat on top of the corrugated steel. Then the angle iron frame sat over the edge.

I installed my Goldilocks in the home I built, so instead of the mobile home intake which was a 6 inch aluminum pipe straight down through floor with rodent screen, I extended my intake with 4 inch PVC pipe in basement and out the side block wall for an outside air intake. To give you an idea how much air a stove uses, that PVC condensated in the basement so much I had to fashion a gutter piece of aluminum under it to catch condensate from it getting so cold from outside air moving through it. My dehumidifier only runs during summer, so it doesn’t have abnormal moisture in the basement. These pedestals work great for outside air.


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## Blazzinghot (Oct 28, 2021)

Ha, I had to look up a picture of the Goldilocks. I never had any idea they had a bottom plate like this. The Seefire  has a 1/2  or 3/4 lip on the sides  with a couple of thin support strips running from corner to corner underneath.  But it is still not very ridged.  I had to be careful when working on it when tipping it on its side. That is quite a story about your PVC pipe with its own gutter system.


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## Mo Lake (Oct 29, 2021)

begreen said:


> Is there a knockout for an OAK on the rear of the pedestal?


No, nothing at all, it is solid.


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## Mo Lake (Oct 29, 2021)

Blazzinghot said:


> Ha, I had to look up a picture of the Goldilocks. I never had any idea they had a bottom plate like this. The Seefire  has a 1/2  or 3/4 lip on the sides  with a couple of thin support strips running from corner to corner underneath.  But it is still not very ridged.  I had to be careful when working on it when tipping it on its side. That is quite a story about your PVC pipe with its own gutter system.


Not sure if my post went through. Do you happen to have any images of that lip? I may have inadvertently covered a breather up years ago with porcelain tile i laid around the stove. I couldn't find any knockouts, the only thing I could find  near the base wa this but it looks like a safety bracket. I tried pushing aire in there but it didn't impact the firebox at all. I wonder if I remove the grout at the back, that would work?


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## Mo Lake (Oct 29, 2021)

Blazzinghot said:


> Ha, I had to look up a picture of the Goldilocks. I never had any idea they had a bottom plate like this. The Seefire  has a 1/2  or 3/4 lip on the sides  with a couple of thin support strips running from corner to corner underneath.  But it is still not very ridged.  I had to be careful when working on it when tipping it on its side. That is quite a story about your PVC pipe with its own gutter system.


@Blazzinghot i think I found what you are talking about! Is it this section on either side at the back edge, it looks like a cutout? I only see it on the back, the front of the stove doesn't have it. I might just need to chisel out the grout if so. Let me know. Thanks! You guys know everything


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## clancey (Oct 29, 2021)

Heck I was trying to get a picture of the stove so I had to borrow one from 2014 another forum and I hope that I can bring it up on here.. It is a beautiful stove and the air comes up from the bottom how unique is that..wow..clancey


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## Blazzinghot (Oct 29, 2021)

Mo Lake,  I should have asked for pictures from the start as I did not realize this stove was already in place and tiled in.  That plate on the side should allow air into the chamber if removed.  What is the history on the stove did you move into this home just recently and was the stove was already in place?  Does this home set on a cement slab or does it have access to underneath?  I could be vented under the home and may have a mouse nest or something plugging it up?   I have seen other pictures of Seefire wood stoves but nothing like this with a plate on the side of the bottom platform.  If you look at my first post you should be able to see the base and platform on this stove.


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## jebatty (Oct 29, 2021)

I had a SeeFire, purchased in 1990 and sold earlier this year. The stove was our primary heating source for our 1500 sq ft home. I haven't read all the posts carefully, but a couple of comments. 1) the combustion air intake was by way of two cutouts in the pedestal, between the top of the pedestal base and the floor; 2) The secondary burn tube had a 1/4" thick metal plate attached to the tube by several screws. The metal plate had an insulation strip (asbestos?) between the plate and the tube. That plate got very hot and sustained the secondary burn, and the metal plate would burn out and needed to be replaced  periodically. That was easy to do, and I replaced the insulation strip fashioned from a strip of door gasket material. 3) I replaced all of the firebrick only once, but did replace a brick from time to time that would crack and break.


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## Blazzinghot (Oct 29, 2021)

clancy,  thanks for the pictures that is a very nice looking stove.  I have seen pictures of this before when stove hunting but did not look at them closely until now.


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## Blazzinghot (Oct 29, 2021)

jebattey,  Did you knock out look like like the plate in the picture shared by Mo Lake which is on the side of the bottom base? And thanks for adding some more info on this stove. As you can see from my pictures my plate above the secondary burners was welded in place. Sounds like this Seefire worked good for you for sometime before you sold it.


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## jebatty (Oct 29, 2021)

The cut outs on the pedestal were on the back of the stove, two of them, from memory each was about 4-5" long and about 3/4"-1"high.
I had no complaints about the SeeFire. We replaced it with a Quadrafire Expedition II insert stove in our fireplace, mostly for aesthetic reasons and to reclaim the floor space the SeeFire occupied.


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## Mo Lake (Oct 29, 2021)

jebatty said:


> The cut outs on the pedestal were on the back of the stove, two of them, from memory each was about 4-5" long and about 3/4"-1"high.
> I had no complaints about the SeeFire. We replaced it with a Quadrafire Expedition II insert stove in our fireplace, mostly for aesthetic reasons and to reclaim the floor space the SeeFire occupied.


By Jove, I think we've got it!! Thank you, I believe you have solved my problem. Now to chisel out the grout and let the air back in. Thank you everyone


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## clancey (Oct 29, 2021)

Blazzinghot there is an old forum and do not actually know if it still in operation but it tells you some information about these stoves...I notice that "our coaly" had posting on this stove..Here is the address that I found...





						Fisher Wood Stoves - Page 3 | Wood, Gas & Oil | Coalpail.com Forum
					






					coalpail.com


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## Mo Lake (Oct 29, 2021)

Blazzinghot said:


> jebattey,  Did you knock out look like like the plate in the picture shared by Mo Lake which is on the side of the bottom base? And thanks for adding some more info on this stove. As you can see from my pictures my plate above the secondary burners was welded in place. Sounds like this Seefire worked good for you for sometime before you sold it.


@Blazzinghot The cutouts that @clancey Are referring to are actually at the back of the stove on either side of that brace. I will post a pic when I clean out the channel.


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## Blazzinghot (Oct 29, 2021)

Mo Lake I am hoping you found the fix but I am still wondering about the history of the wood stove.  Was it working before this problem accrued? Or did you just move into this home? There are some pieces of the puzzle that don't fit together but I guess we will wait and see. Hope you get it going.


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## Blazzinghot (Oct 29, 2021)

clancey, that was a interesting read from this link you shared.  Thanks  I was looking at the price of firewood per cord as I was reading through these posts. a $100.00 a cord for Maple in 2010 in their area.  I just paid $240 for a cord of mixed Maple not sure what the mix is as I am not a wood expert.  Well I had better stay on topic or I will get moved to the firewood forum. 

Good thing coaly talked that guy our of drilling holes in the front of the stove.


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## Mo Lake (Oct 29, 2021)

Blazzinghot said:


> Mo Lake I am hoping you found the fix but I am still wondering about the history of the wood stove.  Was it working before this problem accrued? Or did you just move into this home? There are some pieces of the puzzle that don't fit together but I guess we will wait and see. Hope you get it going.


@Blazzinghot I've been here for 17yrs seasonally but did the tile hearth a few years ago but with everything going on never really had the time to notice, managed without the airflow. That being said, I am so thankful for all the wonderful input on this forum.  My little stove is fixed!! Started and Burning amazing with the door closed and the glass is clear!! My fan is already spinning! Attached are the pics of where  the intake is on the SeeFire 900S. No idea why they wouldn't put that in the manual. Other suckers like me might make the same mistake so I hope this helps anyone with this great little stove. Thanks everyone for the invaluable advice.

View attachment 284332


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## clancey (Oct 29, 2021)

Just a beautiful stove and you put some work into it and have it burning really with a real nice little fire too--love it--so glad you cared and I love all the fishers..including bob and carol for they were very smart advertisement and stove people--knew their product and the people--love it ..old clancey


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## Blazzinghot (Oct 31, 2021)

Mo Lake thanks for answering my question and the stove is blazing away. It is always nice to have a stove back up an running the way it should.


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