Appalachian 52 Bay now in place

Here is a before and after picture of my wood stove. Last year used Buck 26000 ( 1st picture) did a great job heating house but had to get up at night a couple times to load wood. Cleaned my SS liner last week and was pleased with the way it looked consider it being a pre-EPA stove. A few months ago I bought this used 2008 Appalachian 52 Bay (2nd picture) and should improve my burn times alot. I put this stove in this week and it hard to think about winter this early in the year as hot as it is but I wanted to go ahead and have everything ready. I started cutting wood about 3 years ago and with our mild winter here in Tennessee last year I didn't have to use alot of wood. Anyway new stove in place and plenty of wood stacked and seasoned. I wish fall was here. Oh yea one thing I changed on my stove was I have welded 2 extra 5 inch brackets on each side along the base of the firebox and now have 10 firebrick standing up around the wall instead of 6 laying on there side. I just thought, try it might help hold heat in firebox. With it being a catalytic stove might have another reason for its original position firebrick. If so very easy to change back.

Great job Looks Great

Cool, glad you got it installed. Did yours already have the holes drilled in the sides for the surround?

No holes drilled in the stove. The surround come off the old Buck stove. I was going to order a new one for the 52 Bay but the old one fit perfect. Lucky the way it fit. The way the bends are just kinda holds in place. I do need to paint it though. After I painted the stove I still have enough left over to paint the surround. I need to also put the stove name plate back on the bottom door. I just now noticed it in the picture that I left it off.
I have a question for you. I've never had a fire in my stove. You probably haven't had maybe one or two in your new 52 Bay. Have you had a fire hot enough to engage the catalytic just to try it out for a short time ? Of course the purpose of the stove is for heating the house but can you really see those nice rolling secondary burn around the top of the firebox thats fun to watch ? Maybe I'm watching too many stove fires on You Tube .

I was able to get about 4 or 5 fires before the season ended, cat works great, was able to have a good overnight burn towards the end once I got the air leaking ash tray fixed and the door figured out, once I get the new gasket on the door it will be even better. Not as many secondary's with this stove as my tube stove, this one I burn slow and low.