Looking into buying a Woodstock Fireview to replace pellet stove

[sappy]

Hi all, I am new to this forum and have very much enjoyed the great feedback within. I am not new to burning wood; as I have an active Maple business for many yrs and have had a Woodstock classic stove in the home for many yrs until it was replaced. My Garage is half finished in my long ranch house at the far gable end of the house. We have a Harmon pellet stove in there for over 10 yrs now. This room goes up 3 steps into the rest of my very 70s built house[not open plan] into my kitchen and then living romm/hall next, then the bedrooms at far gable end 78 feet later. We used to have the woodstock [early model-non epa] in the living room going out the masonary chimeny. This would drive us out with a lot of heat in the bedrooms, as we like them around 62 to 64 now-a-days.
My question is that I am thinking of running a new woodstock fireview where my pellet is now. A little info on this, I think Harmon is the best there is with pellet stoves. I simply want to go back to wood for many reasons. Loosing power for one, I have a lot of residual wood that I butt off from sugaring that will be a good lenghth for the house. Also albeit it is 75 in the finished garage by the time in goes into the large breezway next then the kitchen[all straight line] I start loosing the heat for the hallway next and the bedrooms to follow. In the fall and spring the pellet will heat the house pretty much. I feel that the Soapstone will be hot in the 12 foot wide by 24 long room it will be in, but will make those next couple rooms down a little warmer than my best now. This in turn could go farther towards doing more to heat my house than the pellet stove. I also miss that kind of heat as well. My relatives have the same one on a small ranch hs and it is 85 in the stove room and 75 in the far reaches of there house, even though it is smaller than mine.
I am hoping for 80 plus in stove room and 70 plus next room or so and mid 60s is fine for the rest. I should mention I have a vt casting propane stove in the living room where the old soapstone used to be. I also have a new buderous propane furnace in the basement which is mostly unfinished and stays at 55 even when it recently was 20 below here.
Sorry to be long as I needed to decribe layout. What do you think the New soapstone would do as I decribed here?

 

[leeave96]

Fireview is a good place to start. Woodstock is also coming out with new stove that is larger than the Fireview.

To me, the key is to use some fans to move the heat. A convectioin stove with integral fan might be something to look at too.

Good luck,
Bill

 

[Todd]

Welcome sappy,
The new Fireview would probably be a good fit for what you want. Your old Classic was similar sized but less efficient than the new ones so I'd expect a little more heat than the old Classic. You may find a fan on the floor blowing the cool air toward the stove room will help push the warm air out to replace it.

I use to dabble in maple syrup years ago in Michigan. Just enough for personal use, maybe tapped 20 trees. Great stuff and it's the only kind of syrup i'd ever use for my pancakes and waffles.

 

[sappy]

Thanks for the ideas.
I too started out with [20] taps around 21 yrs ago. We now lease around 100 acres prob do sugaring on 30-40 acres of it for 1300 taps[not that large for VT].
This is another reason for me to go back to wood, besides the newer eficiencies, I have the avaiability to get some fallen wood on these lands if possible[sometimes not] and to have little costs other than time on those quanities. I will have to buy 3 or 4 cords of dry fot this years startup, but will have the forementioned as gravy to get drying for the upcoming yrs. I will most likely maybe buy a log load after a fashion. I stayed away and went to pellets the last 10 yrs as I cut and split 15 cords most yrs for my sugaring. Sometimes I have butt pieces even from that of maple which instead of giving it away for camping I will now put away to dry for the house. Pellet stoves are also nasty to clean every 2 weeks as well. Looking forward to a stove to be set up safely, prob through the roof. I f not through the gable wall where the pellet stove is now and up over the roof. Prefer going through the roof though.
Thanks again, this will be a big learning curve for me as well.

 

[summit]

I would keep the pellet stove: If it is vented into a chimney, then I would take it out and direct vent it outside elsewhere in the house , an use the hearth space you gain for a woodstove. Otherwise, I'd add a class a metalbestos, and install the woodstove... Having all the free fuel is great (thats why I have a woodstove)... nothing beats some automated unattended to power like the Harman pellet stove will put out. I ran a pellet unit (P38) in my house, and then put in the woodstove and got rid of the pellet unit after. I wish I still had it on the other side of the house from the woodstove. When it gets below freezing, it'd be good to have something chugging along at a steady pace to help keep up during the tail end of long burns. The Summit makes it happen, but with alot more interaction from me than the pellet unit required. After 10 yrs with it, I think you'll miss it. You're in a good spot to have the best of both worlds, take advantage!

 

[sappy]

Summit, those are good ideas. Unfortunately for me I will need to sell my pellet stove in order to have some money to buy the new woodstove. I have someone who is interested if it comes to that. I also do not want to spend $4000 on a new pellet [new p61 cost] when I can buy the soapstone close to 2000.00. I also am growing to hate the moving parts on a pellet stove, sometimes just waiting it seems for something to break down or the next grinding moving part sound. I like the woodstove for some of these reasons as well.

 

[begreen]

Just be sure to budget for the piping. Class A is not cheap.

 

[sappy]

Yea the pellet stove sale will be my pipeing money. That was my concern from the begining. I will be able to swing the stove but I want to make sure the stove is class a for sure and the issue will be whether I go through the roof or have to go through the wall where the pellet stove was. I want this to be as safe as possible obviously. I still find it hard to believe that 2 inches of air space in thimble is enough with even a double wall metal bestous pipe. They all say it is however.

 

[begreen]

Often going straight up is less expensive. It will draft better and be easier to clean too. If you have that option, go for it.

 

[wkpoor]

Not to throw a monkey wrench in here but since you are located in Vermont have you seen or thought about the Vermont Iron Elm? He has a site Vermontironstove.com.
I have one ordered, hope to see it next week.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Welcome to the forum Sappy.

You liked the classic. You'll love the Fireview!

 

[Jbird560]

Does anyone know how much replacement catalytic units for the Fireview cost? Also with the cat how picky do you have to be on the wood you burn as far as seasoned wood, hard, and softwoods? What damages the cat unit that a new user should watch out for?
Thanks,
Jbird

 

[ddddddden]

The cat is $125. They are damaged by potassium in fly ash, moisture from wet wood, sustained direct contact with flame, and engaging the cat before it is up to operating temp. Woodstock has recently switched from ceramic to stainless steel cats, which light off at 400* instead of 500*, and are supposedly resistant to damage from moisture.

 

[ddddddden]

p.s. Don't be too much of a 'fraidy cat about learning the proper care and feeding of a cat. The EPA makes them give free replacements for 2 years. Pro-rated for years 3-6.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

And the maintenance on the cat is very minimal. A child can do it. It takes me 2-5 minutes at most.