Question for Woodstock Fireview owners

[rickw]

Dennis,

I wasn't very clear here. When I said clean it out I meant ashes; I looked at the at cat twice and there was nothing on it.

 

[Todd]

One other thing I'd like to mention is the upgrade of the Fireview. I have heard from people that work there they are working on a secondary air mix to increase efficiency even more and so far test results have been great. A 10% increase in BTU's and even less GPH. I wonder if it will be ready by Fall? You might want to ask them if you can have the new and improved Fireview? Even if it's not ready they stated that it would retro fit the exsisting Fireview's and be a easy do it yourself upgrade. Since the combustion air runs through the fire box baffle i wonder if they are just drilling holes somewhere to release a secondary burn?

Ahh yes, the mysterious and wonderful upgrade

I too have heard persistent rumors of this, but when I asked about it during my visit I didn't get much traction on the subject so I made my decision without considering this - IF it comes through it would be quite a nice bonus indeed. Like all rumors, it does seem to be better and better each time I hear about it. I'm sure it will be very interesting to see what they do come up with and how it is done - I do rather hope it is an easy retrofit and offered at a reasonable cost to current owners assuming it is worthwhile to do.

So much for the upgrade. Everytime I talk to someone there I get a different story. I just hope that new stove comes out before the tax credit expires.

Hello Todd,
We don't have a Fireview upgrade in the works. We are working on a new stove design, however, which is far from being a prototype at this point. This will be larger than the Fireview and probably use a combination of secondary air as well as catalytic combustion to produce an extremely clean burn. It's difficult to say when we'll be ready with this model because it's still on the drawing board. Stay tuned, but there won't be anything for the upcoming heating season. Thank you for your interest!


Warm regards,

Michael O'Neill
[email protected]
800-866-4344

 

[Highbeam]

That's good news Todd. I would love a bigger fireview to hold bigger wood, a longer burn time, and a higher max btu number for those times when you want the heat.

Please please don't stick us with an 8" flue requirement woodstock. Oh and can it please be ready before the credit expires?

Dennis, I don't think anyone has said that it is complicated to run a cat stove. They said, and I say, that it is MORE complicated to run a cat stove. That MORE part is missing from your great posts and I do believe that even you must admit that there are a few extra things to think about with a cat stove. No battle Dennis, we agree on so much about the cat stoves, even that this added complication is more than made up for by the benefits of a cat.

I'll admit that if my 3-4 year supply of stacked wood was cut to 15" vs. 18" I might be trying to sell my heritage.

 

[Todd]

That's good news Todd. I would love a bigger fireview to hold bigger wood, a longer burn time, and a higher max btu number for those times when you want the heat.

Please please don't stick us with an 8" flue requirement woodstock. Oh and can it please be ready before the credit expires?

Dennis, I don't think anyone has said that it is complicated to run a cat stove. They said, and I say, that it is MORE complicated to run a cat stove. That MORE part is missing from your great posts and I do believe that even you must admit that there are a few extra things to think about with a cat stove. No battle Dennis, we agree on so much about the cat stoves, even that this added complication is more than made up for by the benefits of a cat.

I'll admit that if my 3-4 year supply of stacked wood was cut to 15" vs. 18" I might be trying to sell my heritage.

Don't hold your breath, like I said, everytime I talk to someone at Woodstock I get a different story on upgrades or new stoves in the works. It almost makes me want to buy a Blaze King. ;-)

Sell your Heritage, I burn 18" splits all the time, plenty of room. You could always drive over and buy my Fireview after I buy my BK? :lol:

 

[Wet1]

I think secretly, HB wont be happy until he has a BK himself.

 

[wendell]

I keep remembering to call Woodstock after they are closed so 2 quick questions. What is the size of the firebox and does it have an ashpan?

 

[Highbeam]

I think secretly, HB wont be happy until he has a BK himself.

I am doing a remodel and have saved a spot for a second stove. I secretly want to use this second stove location as a test bed before moving something new into the main hearth. The main hearth won't accomodate a BK, I've measured, but will accomodate the fireview. I will be buying a second stove so I am in the game again. Maybe the BK can heat the whole home from the somewhat non-central secondary location?

Interesting that woodstock can put the door on the left side. If they do I suppose that the door would be opened with the right hand and fed with the left?

There's a lot of stove behind the flue collar on a BK, a fairly deep stove body, and then the front hearth protection which makes a pretty deep hearth requirement.

Also, I'm just anxious to get burning again. We've had no significant rain for almost two months here in WA and then last night we got a good washing. The weather change felt like winter has arrived.

 

[DiscoInferno]

I keep remembering to call Woodstock after they are closed so 2 quick questions. What is the size of the firebox and does it have an ashpan?

Firebox (H/W/D in inches) is 14.5x13x20" = 2.18 cf. That's max dimensions, less in the corners. (So really somewhat less than 2.18 cf also.)
No ash pan.

 

[Highbeam]

That's the fireview. Some of the other woodstock models do have an ashpan. All are small in the firebox department.

 

[wendell]

I guess I would have to learn a new technique. It's kind of nice just being able to rake your coals and have the ash fall through the grate.

 

[Slow1]

I guess I would have to learn a new technique. It's kind of nice just being able to rake your coals and have the ash fall through the grate.

That is in fact one of the two things I am most concerned about in my stove swap. I'm going to have to learn how to take the ashes out without making a mess - from my reading it's a matter of doing it with a warm stove and opening up the bypass (so there is a decent draft to pull the light ash up and into the stove as one shovels). I can't help but feel that I'll miss just swinging the drawer out, putting the cover on and carrying it out the door to dump ashes. Then again, I don't think I'll miss having to re-light the fire every morning and again when I get home from work...

The other thing I'm wondering about is how it will affect starting fires - that is, with the VC I had a grate under those bottom splits that would allow air to flow around the bottom of the splits. I wonder how having nothing but a floor of firebrick and ash will affect lighting the fire. As I had taken to doing top-down starts anyway I will work with that method and I expect it will minimize the impact, but still as I look into that firebox I wonder how exactly the air will flow around the bottom splits to burn them...

In any case, all just more learning to do but given the comments here I know it can be done

 

[wendell]

Well, insanity has prevailed. I bought a new, used 6401 yesterday and put my deposit down on a left loading, charcoal Fireview today.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Good for you Wendell. Congratulations.

 

[Todd]

Welcome to the club Wendell, you made the right choice, it will pay for itself in a couple years.