Early SCI BIS fireplaces

[lowroadacres]

In our ongoing quest to get back to actually heating our home, or significant portions of our home, with firewood I have found a used Security Chimneys BIS Fireplace. Right now I have yet to see the unit as the seller is on holidays but the stove shop we deal with has informed me that the only reason the unit is out is the owner went to a gas unit for simplicity. My understanding is that it is one of two models. It is either the first BIS design no. 1.2 or the second named BIS II.

Does anyone have any experience with either of these older units? Before anyone beats me with a stick about not buying a new unit we are needing to find the best of both worlds.... Keeping costs to a minimum and still moving towards wood heat again.

Bear in mind we have access to significant amounts of firewood within a 2 mile radius of our home so we are not needing to have a 14 hour burn time with a super efficient unit with razzle-dazzle technology.

 

[cdnxj]

I have an older Security BIS, I'm guessing it was installed in 1986. Came with the house, just moved in 2 years ago. Works like a charm. Very simple primary/secondary combustion air controls with outside air supply. Mine has dual fan blower mounted below the stove which blows heated air out 2 vents approx. 3 feet above the stove. Keeps our basement very warm in a 1600 sq ft split level.

 

[lowroadacres]

Thank-you Cdnxj. Do you have any challenges or recommendations with the BIS that I should be aware of when I go look at the unit? How many square feet of your house do you keep warm? Do you utilize any other fans (forced air furnace? Ceiling) to move the heat to the rest of the house?

Without revisiting previous long winded posts by yours truly this has been a long journey with a unique situation for our quest to return to being "wood heaters".

I look forward to hearing from more users of what I understand to be very simple BIS fireplaces. The individual who has the BIS for sale is home this week from a long trip and I am trying to be patient to have a look at the fireplace.

Today I walked around my wood piles that have been built up in the hope of moving beyond just our old open fireplace that is like some super models.... Pretty at a glance but useless in most ways.

We have 8 plus cords of mostly seasoned wood on the yard and countless more cords of standing dead and deadfall ash within ten minutes of our home. It pains me to read our hydroelectricity meter every month knowing that we have stored sunshine in rows on our yard with no place to harness it.

 

[cdnxj]

The only thing i am finding is that its hard to get long burn times. I can pack it up with 5-6 small to medium size splits and I can only get about a 2-3 hour burn down to hot coals, even with shutting down the primary air shortly after a reload. If I put anything larger than 3-4 inches in diameter I lose my coal bed. Seems to like small fires with lots of small splits.

My blower is LOUD. Would be worth putting some effort into finding a quiet fan system and/or something with a temp switch wired in. Its not fun getting up at 2 am to a cold house and a noisy fan.

I have ceiling fans throughout the house to move air around, but otherwise nothing specific to try and transfer heat upstairs. Basement is about 700 square feet. Its down to -20 deg C outside and in the basement I am warm with shorts and a t-shirt.

 

[lowroadacres]

Thank-you for the reply to my questions. I can handle short burn times and even a noisy fan if it means I am heating my house with wood. With past homes we have heated with wood we have worked to save our best seasoned hardwood for the first load at bed time while using our wood with less heat potential when we are around the house during the day.

I will keep you posted over the next few days as I get to see the fireplace and see what sort of deal, if any, that I can make.