I'm looking for a stove that is ok to burn eco/bio bricks and has reversable or rear flue outlet

[begreen]

Treacherous, thanks for that link. That's a good read. I saw that Fyrebug said that Century / Drolet / Enerzone / Osburn / PSG / Valcourt puts this in their manuals:

"Do not burn manufactured logs made of wax impregnated sawdust or logs with any chemical​

additives. Manufactured logs made of 100% compressed sawdust can be burned, but use caution​

in the number of these logs burned at one time. Start with one manufactured log and see how the​

insert reacts. Never use more than two manufactured logs."​

Unfortunately, I don't think that any of their stoves have a rear flue outlet.

I like what Blaze King is doing also, but it seems that their stoves are all top venting.

My test with the Castine was with 4 compressed logs. No big deal, they burned well and long with a max stove top temp of 650F.

 

[mfglickman]

I think this requires common sense like anything else having to do with wood burning. You would never burn treated or painted wood, start a fire with gasoline or lighter fluid (shudder), so of course you should never burn any bricks with additives either.

However the 1-2 log limit seems extreme considering the huge variation in size of these bricks.

 

[begreen]

The ideal load with BioBricks is when you can create a mass of them with no air gaps. The expansion was there, but minor. I ran 13 at a time in the Castine. The only limitation was the firebox size and my supply (they were a shipped as a test sample). https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/wiki/BioBricks/

 

[BlueMavWood]

I know Hearthstone specifically does NOT recommend compressed bricks, but my stove doesn't owe anyone anything. So I tried them, and with good results. I can load my Mansfield with 19 Eco-bricks (varies by brand since brands vary by size), within 15min shut the air completely down, and the stove will park right at 600°F with sustained secondaries for hours and hours and hours. I specifically remember loading it one Saturday at about 11am, and then reloading on coals at 8am the next morning!

Eco Energy Fuel Blocks on the other hand are awful. They ash over and kind of form a protective layer over themselves preventing them from burning readily. Can only burn three of them max. They must be spaced apart to let air flow between them, and the primary air MUST be left almost completely open so as to "wash" the burned layers off of them exposing unburned wood. They're more suited for ambiance than providing heat.

Haven't tried Bio-Bricks yet, but my station wagon is currently loaded up with 10 packs waiting to try this weekend.

Of course, this is all moot since the Mansfield doesn't have a rear outlet option, nor do I recommend going against a stove manufacturers recommendations if you're buying a new stove and value the warranty. But, despite my stoves manufacturers recommendations, compressed bricks work for me, and I used them cautiously starting off to make sure I wouldn't over fire my stove.

This summer I'll have more time to work on a real wood supply...

I agree that Eco Energy Fuel Blocks (replacement for Eco Bricks at Tractor Supply Company) are awful. I'll start a new topic to say more.

 

[jankdc]

I got this back from Pacific Energy:

Hello,

Thank you for considering a Pacific Energy Product. We do not allow the burning of bio bricks as their moisture content is too low which can cause temperatures in the firebox hotter than tested for. As well, it will not give you the long burning time and coals which help create the longer burning times.

 

[jankdc]

I got this from Harman:

Harman woodstoves are designed and tested to burn cord wood only.​

 

[mfglickman]

Are we seeing a pattern of CYA on the stove companies' part here? Yes, I think we are. They are not testing on BIO bricks so of course they can't give their express or implied consent, lest they leave themselves open for a lawsuit...testing costs $$$ so unless consumers really demand it, it's not likely to happen...

 

[BlueMavWood]

Are we seeing a pattern of CYA on the stove companies' part here? Yes, I think we are. They are not testing on BIO bricks so of course they can't give their express or implied consent, lest they leave themselves open for a lawsuit...testing costs $$$ so unless consumers really demand it, it's not likely to happen...

I have talked to many stove dealers about why they don't sell Eco Bricks (my favorite) or other wood blocks and they all say the same thing. They all tell me that selling them will void the warrenty on their stoves (because of lack of testing). So for that reason they will not sell them. That doesn't really make much sense though because I would buy Eco-Bricks from them even though I haven't purchased one of their stoves. So in that case there would be no warrenty issues involved.

However, one BK dealer who I visited last year did finally start selling envi blocks. He told me that BK has tested their stoves for use of manufactured wood block fuel.

 

[jankdc]

I got this from Hearthstone:

​

You should be able to control the temp by adjusting the air control. In
reality, to over-fire the stove, it would take an effort by the user.
Either by burning inappropriate fuels (coal, driftwood, lumber scraps -
my favorite is the guy that lived next to hockey stick factory and
burned broken sticks), or by leaving a door open - especially the ash
door. As far as cord wood goes, someone wise once said: "you burn what
you got". In the end, common sense will rule - whether you burn a
HearthStone or any other stove.

Jim Casavant
HearthStone

​