Can’t get Woodstock Fireview above 400

[Todd]

Check your air control slide mechanism. Stick your finger up in there and make sure its sitting level on the rods. It can come adjar while moving the stove around and give you more air than you think your giving it.

 

[webby3650]

I guess no comment, either, since you're now "Stone-Coal Steve Austin."

I just felt like others covered the topic well. I loved my Fireview! It hated wet wood.. I feel that the wood is subpar, combined with a short flue and a bunch of turns is the issue. It’s in an Uninsulated drafty basement from what I understand, not much going for it... soapstone stoves don’t have that big radiant heat that many people expect from a Woodstove and the heat can kinda get lost in an environment like this, especially when the operator is used to coal. I have a hard time being impressed with any Woodstove after using coal. That being said, the FV is a very capable heater, the short burn times and low stove top temps don’t add up.

 

[3650]

Yes, coal is indeed impressive. I went from wood pellets to coal and didn’t look back. I burned wood growing up. That’s why I tended to shy away from it. My dad supervised and I did all the work why he drank coffee. Sure made me strong. Lol.

The stove isn’t in the basement it’s in the kitchen. The coal furnace is in the basement.

Webby3650 do you burn coal? Have a Fireview as well?

 

[fire_man]

My bet is wet wood. I have plenty of oak that is old and still way too moist to burn clean and hot. Uncovered for 5 years tells me all I need to know. My uncovered oak does not dry out enough to burn until it's been covered for many months, even if it's 10 years old, split and stacked.

Spot on - I agree.

I use to own a Fireview it hated wet wood.

 

[3650]

I guess I didn’t realize 5 to 7 year old wood would be wet. I’m well past the top few layers so I would think the lower stuff would be somewhat clear if the rain.

I’m not sure when I can get batteries for my meter or distilled water. I probably should have mentioned I’m on quarantine do to underlying health issues. If I get the virus it’s more then like a death sentence. So I don’t know when I’ll be able to test the wood unfortunately. Maybe I can have my sister order from Amazon. I don’t do internet stuff other then forums. Kind of wish I did now.

I will get my Mano on the stove and check the draft today.

 

[webby3650]

Yes, coal is indeed impressive. I went from wood pellets to coal and didn’t look back. I burned wood growing up. That’s why I tended to shy away from it. My dad supervised and I did all the work why he drank coffee. Sure made me strong. Lol.

Webby3650 do you burn coal? Have a Fireview as well?

I sold my Fireview after I remodeled my main floor. It just wasn’t needed anymore and I didn’t see the need to keep it around. Due to some back issues that aren’t going to go away, I decided to give coal a try. I’ve been interested in it, I just never pulled the trigger till last year. I love it!

 

[3650]

I see. What stove do you have? Hitzer?

 

[webby3650]

I see. What stove do you have? Hitzer?

Yes. 50-93 hopper stove.

 

[3650]

I’ve been thinking about their 82FA

There’s been a new development. I loaded it up like normal , went through the normal routine that I have been doing. Closed the bypass set to 1. Went outside to walk the dog and bring in another armload of wood. Opened the house door and something smelled very hot. Went and looked she is at 620 and climbing. Very strange

 

[webby3650]

Drier wood from lower in the stack possibly?

 

[3650]

I think that piece I threw in there this morning had been setting by the stove for a few weeks. It was some of the first stuff I brought in off the top but had been laying by the stove ever since. It wouldn’t fit in the door. I split it down this morning and tossed it in. I would say you’re right.

Drier wood because it’s been sitting here the longest. Must be wet wood issue as many pointed out.

I’m not going to be able to get any dry wood now. I’ll have to keep doing what I’m doing for now. I’ll keep drying by the stove.

Any chance I’m damaging the cat with this damp wood?

 

[Easy Livin’ 3000]

I think that piece I threw in there this morning had been setting by the stove for a few weeks. It was some of the first stuff I brought in off the top but had been laying by the stove ever since. It wouldn’t fit in the door. I split it down this morning and tossed it in. I would say you’re right.

Drier wood because it’s been sitting here the longest. Must be wet wood issue as many pointed out.

I’m not going to be able to get any dry wood now. I’ll have to keep doing what I’m doing for now. I’ll keep drying by the stove.

Any chance I’m damaging the cat with this damp wood?

Cover the rest of your stack when it rains, uncover it when sunny, especially if sunny and breezy. I think that the lower portions of the stack should be drier, but still soaking rains probably got to it. As you are under quarantine, it'll give you something to do, away from people.

I've read lots of good info here, but the worst I have gotten is the myth of uncovered stacks. It set me a full year behind a couple of years ago, and it's funny, it makes some of these people really angry when I share my experience.

If you want something to dry out, get it out of the rain.

 

[begreen]

My bet is wet wood. I have plenty of oak that is old and still way too moist to burn clean and hot. Uncovered for 5 years tells me all I need to know. My uncovered oak does not dry out enough to burn until it's been covered for many months, even if it's 10 years old, split and stacked.

That's easy to test. Start a fire made with 16" lengths of 2x4s and just a couple of the oak splits added. As the fire starts burning well, check the oak to look for bubbling and steam coming from the ends.

 

[3650]

Thanks for the tip. I will do that.

So coming up in the four hour mark with what I believe is a dry piece of wood and the temp is 300. I cracked open the draft just a tad to satisfy the cat temp requirements.

I’ll try to dig up a 2x4 for the test at next load.

 

[Easy Livin’ 3000]

That's easy to test. Start a fire made with 16" lengths of 2x4s and just a couple of the oak splits added. As the fire starts burning well, check the oak to look for bubbling and steam coming from the ends.

Yep, I have wood that's been stacked for 3, 4, 5, 10 years, that still has this telltale sign.

But, I don't necessarily agree that all wood that is too moist will do this. If it has bacterial, or fungal infestation, or has areas that are old, but not punky or obviously rotten, these spots can burn poorly because of the moisture, but not show as steam at the ends as described. 5 years uncovered in many places are enough to have these scenarios. I currently have old tulip poplar, ash, and oak that don't steam or sizzle, but are still too damp to burn well.

The dry lumber test is the answer, though. And, given enough experience and attention, one can even tell by the weight, appearance, and tone of the wood.

 

[3650]

I put two 2x4’s in and got them start then put 3 splits in. They have been burning for about 15 minutes. Stove top is about 250. One split has nothing going on at the ends. Two have smoke or steam rolling. I can’t tell which. There is no bubbling. One of the 2x4’s is pushing out a huge puddle of tar. I hear hissing but I think it may be coming from that puddle of tar.

The Mano shows the draft at .17 wide open and .11 with the draft lever set at 1. This is way to high for coal and when I burned wood in my coal stove it liked .08 (it chews through wood like no tomorrow in case you’re wondering why I just don’t use it).


Is there a sweet spot I should be looking for on the Mano?

 

[Woody Stover]

she is at 620 and climbing.

The cat is working, then. Had to be glowing, at 620, right?
Even if the stove burns well, it might have a hard time heating an un-insulated block building. We have a cabin with no wall insulation and 1/2" wall board/1/2" aggregate mix. It soaks up quite a bit of heat.
Part of "burn time" is the coaling phase, and stove top temp is lower. The Fv box is only about 1.8 cu.ft. of loadable space.

If it has bacterial, or fungal infestation, or has areas that are old, but not punky or obviously rotten, these spots can burn poorly because of the moisture, but not show as steam at the ends as described. 5 years uncovered in many places are enough to have these scenarios. I currently have old tulip poplar, ash, and oak that don't steam or sizzle, but are still too damp to burn well.

I had some Red Oak stacked for I think three years, but the mat covers I had on it weren't too good. Then the stack fell and got rained on for a couple months. That stuff didn't bubble out the ends, but it seemed sluggish to burn, even after I had re-stacked it for a couple months.

One of the 2x4’s is pushing out a huge puddle of tar. I hear hissing but I think it may be coming from that puddle of tar.

Could be sap coming out. BTW, don't burn treated wood, it may poison the cat.

 

[Woody Stover]

Mano shows the draft at .17 wide open and .11 with the draft lever set at 1....Is there a sweet spot I should be looking for on the Mano?

I think it should be a bit lower, ideally. That may be why it's going through a load rather quickly. You could put in a pipe damper to slow it a bit.
With that good draft, we're back to the "damp wood" explanation as to why you can't always get stove temps of 500 or more.

 

[3650]

When it was at 620 I didn’t notice the cat. I didn’t look actually.

I have a pipe damper. I’ve been keeping it wide open.

So I guess it’s final. Wet wood. I’m surprised. I wouldn’t have thought it would be too wet to burn.

I’m not that familiar with wood. We burned at home when I was young as I mentioned. We burned unseasoned oak and mixed it with unseasoned hedge apple. It burned hot and fast. We never had a chimney fire. I have no recollection of it ever being cleaned. I doubt if my dad ever even thought about such things.

Well I’ll keep trying to dry it by the stove. Only need to burn for a couple more weeks.

Thanks for the help guys!

 

[begreen]

Bring in as much wood as you can indoors. Put it in cardboard boxes or rubbermaid totes. It will dry much faster indoors.

 

[Woody Stover]

I’m not that familiar with wood

I guess I'm not, either. Most of the Red Oak I have has got the sapwood off of it; I didn't think the heartwood could absorb much water at all but I guess if it gets rained on for a while and doesn't fully dry, it can. Or there might be a fungus thing going on with it, like Easy Livin' mentioned. I've got some metal siding to cover stacks with, so hopefully that will work better than the mats I was using, which got blown off sometimes.

 

[3650]

I got the stove shut down. It appears I have seriously cracked the cat. Not sure how I did that. I guess the wet w ood? It looked great before I fired it up. Here’s some pics.

There were some comments about being able to see the cat glow. I never saw it and I’m wondering how you see it. It has a cover over it on the inside of the stove and is not visible. I included a pic of that.

 

[Easy Livin’ 3000]

I got the stove shut down. It appears I have seriously cracked the cat. Not sure how I did that. I guess the wet w ood? It looked great before I fired it up. Here’s some pics.

There were some comments about being able to see the cat glow. I never saw it and I’m wondering how you see it. It has a cover over it on the inside of the stove and is not visible. I included a pic of that.

Sorry to hear about your cracked cat.

Can't opine about what caused yours, but the first two years of burning I had three vermiculite baffles that cracked right in half. I think thermal shock was the cause, a combination of a little water that made it down my chimney (it's a straight shot, no bends or elbows), and my early practice of letting the stove go as quickly up to running temperature as possible before shutting the air down. Brittle hard materials don't seem to like thermal shock.

 

[3650]

I wonder if it’s ok to keep running it like this. There’s some cool weather coming tonight and my house is already 68. I haven’t got a furnace other then my coal furnace. I can burn wood in it but have to reload about every 3 hours.

I’ve got an elm stove I can pull over to the chimney but it’s only slightly more efficient then burning wood in the coal furnace.

 

[fire_man]

If it was me I'd replace that cat with a new Stainless version wich won't be affected by thermal shock especially since you have wet wood.