Woodstock's new stove; some updates

[BrianK]

If I had one of these I wouldn't have to bother with all that added insulation and air sealing my house needs. Be cheaper and easier to just throw a few more splits of free wood in.

People might laugh but we had this conversation around our dining room table a couple weeks ago. Most of my wood now is free. Insulation, new windows and doors ... ain't. Its easier economically to just scrounge more free wood than try to scrounge up the $$$ to insulate and put in new windows and doors.

 

[Tenn Dave]

Are we maybe looking at 36-44 hour burn times with a full box of hardwood? WOW!

Long burn times are probably very important for a lot of folks, but for me, I'm looking forward to interacting with the stove two times a day. I guess that might be because I'm new at this game, and maybe in a few years I'll be wishing my Progress Hybrid would go 40+ hours on a reload.

 

[BrianK]

what if that baby had a full load of Back Woods Savage super dry oak. What do you think Back Woods?

 

[Tenn Dave]

People might laugh but we had this conversation around our dining room table a couple weeks ago. Most of my wood now is free. Insulation, new windows and doors ... ain't. Its easier economically to just scrounge more free wood that try to scrounge up the $$$ to insulate and put in new windows and doors.

Brian, you make a good point, but new windows and insulation will add to the value of your house, and the day may come when you are physically not able to scrounge for wood. Just something to think about.

 

[teutonicking]

A bit more on the design of the Union Hybrid stove. For more information you might want to check this link: http://blog.woodstove.com/2013/08/under-hood.html


View attachment 109605

The more I see, the more I like. Note too that this time they are posting the 3.2 cu ft firebox.

I'm very impressed with the engineering and specs. However, I wish that it looked nicer. I wonder if Woodstock is going to dress it up at all for sales after they are finished testing the prototype.

 

[mellow]

I'm very impressed with the engineering and specs. However, I wish that it looked nicer. I wonder if Woodstock is going to dress it up at all for sales after they are finished testing the prototype.

Come to the Decathlon in DC in November and find out, not to far from you.

 

[teutonicking]

Come to the Decathlon in DC in November and find out, not to far from you.

I plan to--I'm really looking forward to it.

 

[BrianK]

Brian, you make a good point, but new windows and insulation will add to the value of your house, and the day may come when you are physically not able to scrounge for wood. Just something to think about.

Good advice. We're saving about $100-$120 per month on our budgeted natural gas bill since we installed the Fireview stove. I'm hoping over the next few years to put those savings back into the house in insulation etc. Yes that's a bit backwards but that's life.

When the kids are out of the house I plan on buying logs and having them delivered.

 

[Flatbedford]

We did the same thing. Upgrading the stove was much more cost effective than the other improvements. The savings paid for the stove about a month into the second heating season. No insulation or windows can beat that rate of return, as long as the fuel is free. I know that this is no the most "green" way of doing things, but it is the one that we could afford, and we are still at least using less fossil fuel.

 

[BrianK]

I'm very impressed with the engineering and specs. However, I wish that it looked nicer. I wonder if Woodstock is going to dress it up at all for sales after they are finished testing the prototype.

The only reason the women in my life "allowed" me to put in the Fireview in our living room two seasons ago is because it was "pretty." Now that I'm talking about upgrading to this new stove, they want to know what it looks like. Supposedly Woodstock is going to be able to do some customizing on the design of this one. My daughter loves the fleur-de-lis design so I'm hoping Woodstock will be able to do that on the legs for us. Otherwise I'm going to be facing a mutiny this winter.

 

[Todd]

A 24 hour burn or 1 load per day is a very nice thing for the shoulder seasons but don't expect it in the Dead of Winter unless you have a small home. Not many BTU's coming off that stove for that long a burn. I doubt you can take that 1/3 load 11 hour burn and figure a full load will go 33 hours, lots of variables to consider.

 

[Reckless]

I didn't see anywhere... Insert or free standing?? Looks like an interesting stove for sure.

 

[PapaDave]

11 hour burn with only 22 lbs of Doug Fir with 84% efficiency in prelim EPA test. Not too shabby!

Wait....WTH? Must be a typo.

 

[Woody Stover]

A steel stove with top or rear exhaust appears to be the key competitive feature.

They are scarce as hen's teeth, and I'm not sure why....engineering and cost considerations? I don't know what percentage of buyers have hearth installs but it sure increases the options for those that do. And steel is certainly attractive from a maintenance and cost standpoint. If you have a fireplace, it sure is a clean look to just see the stove and the brick, with the pipe hidden. Lots of SWMBO appeal there, I would think.

 

[lumbering on]

any chance it would be ember protection only?

 

[Todd]

any chance it would be ember protection only?

Good question to ask them on their blog

 

[charly]

Is that the new Steal Hybrid Cat?

 

[lumbering on]

Good question to ask them on their blog

I emailed them months ago, they said no at the time
but that was before it became the Steal Hybrid

 

[charly]

I'm very impressed with the engineering and specs. However, I wish that it looked nicer. I wonder if Woodstock is going to dress it up at all for sales after they are finished testing the prototype.

I think it will be a good looking stove when finished, as Woodstock already had feed back about people not liking the look of the Fireview yet like the stove principle.. Plus with the water jet your going to be able to make the stove with something you designed or picked out yourself.. Maybe if you have a theme in your home you'll be able to have that water jetted into your stove design.. I can't see them loosing sales because no one likes the look of the stove.. When I saw the door handle it had the very cool machined look, like almost a lightened wing spar for a plane wing.. I'm thinking you'll have the option to design something on the side leg covers... Just have to wait and see...

 

[Machria]

any chance it would be ember protection only?

The blog currently says it will have an R factor, but the # won't come out until UL tested.

I'll tell you guys one thing, I love Woodstock as a company and would buy another stove from them in a blink of an eye. They seem to put alot of thought and testing into their stoves, and certainly treat customers the way we are supposed to be treated. I just wish we could get more companies to act the way they do.

 

[BrianK]

This keeps getting more and more interesting:

Brian Kopp August 28, 2013 at 2:59 PM
Hi Tom,
Any word on whether this stove will have electronic controls, or manual? If electronic will they run off current generated from the heat of the stove, or require outside power?

Thanks,
Brian
Johnstown, PA

• 
  
  Woodstock Soapstone Co. August 28, 2013 at 4:58 PM
  All of the controls on this stove are manual – nothing electronic, and no power required. At one point we thought that we would need at least a small amount of power to achieve the emissions/efficiency profile we were after, but we’re there without adding any power.
  
  Having said that, we are working on a “proof of concept” module that does need power. It doesn’t control the stove, but it gives real-time information on the performance of the stove (burn rate, BTU output, efficiency, emissions, time remaining to reload, effects of moisture content, etc.) We think/hope it will be ready to exhibit in November, but again it does not control the stove (though we would hope it might help to control the operator!). The device needs some power for the O2 sensor heater, an amplifier for strain gages, and a small pump.
  
  The “proof of concept” module is a combination of known technologies (thermocouples, O2/CO sensors and strain gages) with some software and a GUI (graphic user interphase). I think our big contribution is getting a platform in the base of the stove that impinges on strain gages below the stove so that you can monitor the weight of the fuel load. When you put wood in the stove, you would know its weight, and you would be able to plot its consumption in pounds, BTU output, efficiency, and emissions both for an individual run and over time (weeks, months, or heating season).
  
  Tom Morrissey
  Woodstock Soapstone

 

[Backwoods Savage]

I'm very impressed with the engineering and specs. However, I wish that it looked nicer. I wonder if Woodstock is going to dress it up at all for sales after they are finished testing the prototype.

That is the way the Progress went. For sure there will be some things done to make it more eye appealing. There is something else some will get excited about when it comes time for them to announce it. That ought to get some folks wondering.

 

[jeff_t]

This is going to be great. It will be awesome to see a stove that will give Blaze King a run as far as performance. And affordable, to boot.

Personally, I thought the pics of the prototype looked pretty neat, including the color. Then again, I think my stove is quite handsome

Once again, I don't like the name. I like Union a lot more.

 

[BrianK]

Once again, I don't like the name. I like Union a lot more.

Dittos.

Do they read this forum?

 

[Tenn Dave]

Dittos.

Do they read this forum?

You can probably count on that............