Have a Fireview and just lately have to set air below 1,been this cold before!

No complaints and the weather has been this cold before and burning the same wood but why now do i have to set it below 1?Set it at 1/4 a couple times.Maybe air getting in ever so slight somewhere?

might be the wind?

Possible but been gettin that up to 60 a couple times,i can still control the fire though.Just curious.Dennis told me when it got cold the setting would drop.

Keep us posted as this is my first year with my Fireview as well,,,Always willing to learn something new about the Fireview

I did 1 thing different,the gasket under the cat had a bit of a ridge started whereas the cat sits on an unlevel position.Well it being higher at the front of the stove the cat acts like it had made a constant very slight slide downward slide crimping a little of the gasket towards the back making a lil ridge in the gasket.Like you would if you put your finger on your shirt and push and the wrinkle you would get ahead of your finger.The gasket is still seated but the material has formed this way from the bit of downward pressure.I sat the cat up on this wrinkle to maybe gradually set it back down flattening this spot.The cat still takes off well but i will check it out today.Last night i had the load of wood in complete coaling stage and by mistake had the air completely shut off.I rechecked it and opened it a hair but i noticed that with the air shut all the way off i still had a 6" flame through most of the stove and a very slight dancing flame like you get from the cat.I realize that at coalling stage there wont be much of that effect going on.Like i said,no problem just kinda curious.I can't see where the cat being seated poorly would effect air intake unless the cat was plugged.I hope you all had a good Christmas.

IIRC, my gasket has an outer ridge on every side. When reinstalling, I jiggle/slide the cat frame around so that it seats itself on/in the flattened part of the gasket. I don't see any point in trying to flatten the whole gasket. I think sitting up on the ridge on 1 side could be allowing the exhaust to flow partly around the edges of the cat frame, instead of through the cat.

Other areas to check with dollar bill test:
Door gasket - adjust door latch if necessary.
Bypass gasket.

Hey Bub, Dennis will still tell you that. Like I've said before, about .75 is usually our best setting. Warmer outside and 1 is more like the best setting. Occasionally we'll get to .5 but not that often and if we try to go below that .5, then the stove top gets too hot. Give it a bit more air and the stove top is not as hot but the stove will still be kicking out as much or more heat because the sides of the stove will heat more.

As for that gasket, it is a bit strange but doubt that would do any harm. The worst it would seem to do would perhaps allow some air to squeak through on the top but that gasket would have to give an awful lot for that to happen. When you look at the gasket, look for areas that have darkened a lot as that would show a possible leak.

Let us also realize that you may have put in some different type of wood or perhaps you wood is a bit better than you burned last year. That for sure you would notice with the stove getting hotter.

Only burned last spring whereas got the stove at that time.The wood should be the same cause this stove has been doing great since Oct.I reseated it on the gasket but the cat frame is setting metal to metal is why i tried to set it up on the gasket this way.The wood though stacked in the same pile was restacked last fall so this could be making a difference.I will check my gaskets.Thanks again.

1 more question.When i work the bypass handle it has enough play in it that i have to pull it towards me so that it closes,otherwise it will catch and sometimes wont move to close it.Been this way since new.Is this normal?It binds pretty solid metal to metal.It clanks right out,like a bolt head catching or what have ya.

Bub, make sure you don't have the cat in backwards too.

I have the prongs for the shipping bolts at the top as far as backwards i wouldn't know.

There is also a prong on the cat frame. Which way is that pointing?

i have looked for this.The prongs on the cat frame where the shipping bolts were are positioned so that the slots are towards the back of the stove.Meaning the open ends are toward the back.I have never found the prong you mention.

You have it right. The one I speak of is toward the rear of the stove. Dead center of the cat frame as you can see in the picture. As you can tell, this picture was taken from the rear of the stove.

Yep i got it right,never seen that prong but will look again.The cat frame is bottoming out on the stove lip and hitting metal to metal so it's not seating right.Prob will have to get a gasket.

What is the reason for the tab on the cat frame ? Why is there even a correct orientation for the cat frame? Is there also an in and out side to the cat? Just all new to me Dennis.

You're mechanically inclined, Charly. Your guess on the tab is as good as mine.
My guess = the original design had a receptacle for the tab to hold the cat in place, then they realized that gravity would do it.
AFAIK, cat elements are bi-directional. . .never seen anything like "this side up."

Yeah, that sounds like the gasket ain't right.

Mine is the same way. You have guessed correctly; nut on the shackle(?) hitting the rod that it slides on. Operate the bypass lever with the top open, and you will see the pieces that are hitting. Again, makes you appreciate the way they built this stove so that you can get to everything, even if you just want to have a look.

Yes, mine was catching at times after a few weeks of burning, then it cleared up....yes it is nice that you can just get to everything for service,,,,being a Harley tech for a dealer years ago , that's what sold me on this stove,,,,ease of maintenance! Just lift the top and all your parts are right there...I loved that you can just lift out the cat, not a tool needed! I know the Blaze Kings seem like fine stoves as well,, along with Lopi's new cat stove,,, but wonder what's involved in removing those cats for cleaning?

It sounds like your cat frame isn't in there right or the gasket is bad but there is one other thing to check. Look at the air slide mechinism, sometimes the slide plate can be off the runners and allow more air in. This happened to me my first year and I was burning below 1 most of that year. You can stick your finger up in there and feel if it's off and easily move it back into the correct position.

Took the IR gun and shot my stove top,,, originally had my surface thermometers all the way to the rear,, this is were the IR gun showed the highest temps. Spots on stove top are water from snow melting off my hat,,, snowing again here.

I find that in very cold weather, I can run at less than .5 on the air control too. Colder weather = more draft at the same air setting.

The reason for the tab is so you get it in right. I didn't think it possible to get it in wrong but it is possible and if you do it backwards, it will not get a good seal. So that is the only purpose of that tab; a check for you to make sure the cat is put in right.

Lol I have put the cat in wrong before so just make sure you follow the picture stove doesn't run well if its in wrong lol

Never mentioned a shackle.lol Just trying to explain the feeling.I will check all these things and yes the gasket has flattened.I will open the stove and find the catch and check the sliding mechanism.Appreciate the help.

Thanks for the pic...will have to check and see if I put mine in backwards,have a feeling I did...