New info from Woodstock re: Fireview operation--

[scotsman]

I recently sent a couple of e-mails to Ron at Woodstock to pose some questions. Here are the responses with the questions below. One of his responses is different from a response on this board when I posed that same question here. Don't remember who it was, but they were a FV owner, so maybe this updated info will help someone else who might, or might not, be new to Fireviews.
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Good catch. That illustration was from before the shield was added to
the bottom of the lid. I would leave the thermo at the hotter
location (or you can put it somewhere on the first 12" of pipe coming
off the stove and engage the cat when it reaches 500° on the pipe.
You do not need to disengage the cat when the fire is dying down and
drops below the 250 mark.

It is perfectly fine to put as much wood in the firebox as will fit.

Ron

On Jan 25, 2010, at 12:32 PM, Terry wrote:

> Ron,
>
> 1-In the manual, y'all show the thermometer placed in the middle of
> the top, which would put it above the combustor shield, which is
> where I initially put it. The other day, for some reason, I moved
> it to the back middle corner and did not place it in its former
> spot, when I fired the stove. I noticed that when I did replace it,
> it was 150 degrees hotter in the back middle corner than it was
> over the combustor area. I double checked it with the IR
> thermometer and confirmed the temp difference. So, where SHOULD the
> thermometer be placed? Seems I'm wasting 150 degrees and several
> minutes of combustor time, by waiting until the center location
> registers 250.
>
> 2-How full can/should I fill the stove? I can put quite a few of
> these 4 to 6" logs into the stove and can fill it right to the
> bottom of the combustor chamber. The question is should it be
> filled that full? Is there an optimum level for fuel?
>
> 3-Should the combustor be disengaged when the temp falls below 250
> on the thermometer? Will it be damaged if the temp goes below 250,
> such as after an overnight burn?
>
> Thanks--
>
> Terry
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Shouldn't cause any problems unless there are a LOT of galvanized
nails, then I'd recommend bypassing the cat. I don't have firm
evidence but I have to believe the zinc would not be good for the cat.

On Jan 27, 2010, at 8:56 AM, Terry wrote:

> Ron,
>
> I have some pallet stringers that have imbedded nails in them. Will
> burning these cause any issues? Will any kind of metal causes
> problems for the stove? Thanks--
>
> Terry

 

[Todd]

If your question was about the thermo location, that was me. Interesting that he said that illistration was before the shield was installed. I was just thinking in the bypass mode the fire is exiting through the rear of the stove, so yes the temps will be hotter in the flue or rear center coner of the stove before the rest of the stove catches up to it. The fire needs to be at a constant 500 degrees in order for the cat to take off which doesn't sound like a lot but if you don't have a coal bed established, or less than ideal firewood that 500 degree temp will drop when you engage too quickly because the draft and fire slows down which could cause the cat to stall, I've seen it happen. With your super dry wood this is probably a non issue and experimenting with different lite off temps is probably a good idea.

For me, I have found a combination of stove top temps, internal probe temps, firewood load and what the fire looks like all contribute to when I engage the cat, it could be 5 minutes or 20 minutes. After some trial and error you will find out what works best for you and your setup.

 

[Todd]

One other thing. If you do place your thermometer on the back center and leave it there be advised that after engaging the cat the hottest part of the stove will be in the center under the cat and that's where you should monitor for overfire temps. I get about a 50-75 degree difference between the two spots. Wonder what else is in the manual before installing the cat shield? Hopefully the those overfire temps are ok?

 

[wendell]

The other thing that effects things is the wood you are burning. I had saved some hickory for this cold snap and find that I have to set my cat at least 0.2 higher than I did with my elm.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

It does surprise me he says to load that stove up with that super dry wood! That might be tricky, but let us know how you turn out. I know I have never loaded my stove full of dry soft maple as I'm thinking it might be a bit too much. But, the mans says to do it....

 

[scotsman]

If your question was about the thermo location, that was me. Interesting that he said that illistration was before the shield was installed. I was just thinking in the bypass mode the fire is exiting through the rear of the stove, so yes the temps will be hotter in the flue or rear center coner of the stove before the rest of the stove catches up to it.

That's a good point, Todd. Sounds like I need to move the thermometer to the front center corner after the cat is engaged. I guess I was thinking that the STOVE temp shouldn't get to 700, but didn't think about the cat getting too hot. I figured the cat operated at something over 1000 °F. and didn't enter into the equation. The manual doesn't deal with cat details. I wonder who might have the technical stuff on the cat?

The fire needs to be at a constant 500 degrees in order for the cat to take off which doesn't sound like a lot but if you don't have a coal bed established, or less than ideal firewood that 500 degree temp will drop when you engage too quickly because the draft and fire slows down which could cause the cat to stall, I've seen it happen. With your super dry wood this is probably a non issue and experimenting with different lite off temps is probably a good idea.

If I'm gonna experiment at different temps, how does one know if the cat has "lit" when you engage it? I've noticed that when I reload in cat range, the needle doesn't even think about moving, so after I reload, I wait 2 maybe 3 minutes and put the cat lever back up and reset the air to 1.0 and am off to do something else.

For me, I have found a combination of stove top temps, internal probe temps, firewood load and what the fire looks like all contribute to when I engage the cat, it could be 5 minutes or 20 minutes. After some trial and error you will find out what works best for you and your setup.

Yeah, well, I'm not good enough to look at the fire and tell anything. You pros have lots of experience there that I don't have plus I don't have all the gizmos yet. Like I posted in The Wood Shed, I got half a cord of dry pallet wood on Tuedsay evening that is all old dry hardwood. When I fire from cold, my plan is to put my kindling in the center, a piece of cedar on each side of that and the hardwood pieces on top. The cedar burns hottest, but not as long. The hardwood burns longer, but not as hot, so that should be the best of both worlds. I did that last night and it didn't take but 5 minutes to get everything going really well. Eight minutes later I turned the cat on.

But I'm most curious how to tell the cat is, or isn't, on!

 

[BrotherBart]

But I'm most curious how to tell the cat is, or isn't, on!

Walk outside and look up. Smoke, cat didn't light off. No smoke, cat lit off.

 

[Todd]

The only ways to tell if the cat is lit is if the temps start to climb or if you go outside and check the chimney for smoke. There is also a spot in the back above the metal UL lable where you can stick a cat probe, that would be the quickest way to see if it stays above 500, but the probe is hard to see in back of the stove unless you hang a mirror behind your stove.

 

[wendell]

If the cat is glowing you know for sure but even if it is not, if the stove top temp keeps rising, you're good.

 

[Slow1]

With that wood you are burning I wonder if you will see much smoke in any case and the temps are going to rise pretty quick - 8 minutes to cat engagement from a cold start? That is a REALLY fast start - I believe it given what you are burning, but still that seems to qualify as "a roaring fire in a cold stove" that one is supposed to avoid (see manual).

I'm beginning to think that "too much of a good thing" does exist.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

On the cat working or not working, as Todd states, the true way is to watch the temperature. Many, many times I turn the cat on and for a long, long time there is no glow to the cat; not even a hint of a glow. However, when the temperature climbs from 250 or 300 up to over 500 quickly, there is no doubt as to if the cat is working.

To be very honest, I did look at the cat a lot when the stove was new but I hardly ever look any more. I simply know it is working because of all the heat that thing is generating.


Slow, I doubt that 8 minutes was with a cold stove, but on reloads, with very dry wood you can do it. I've done it in less but most of the time unless the fire is really raging I will still wait 10 minutes. But if the flue is getting over 500 degrees then I flip the lever sooner.

 

[scotsman]

With that wood you are burning I wonder if you will see much smoke in any case and the temps are going to rise pretty quick - 8 minutes to cat engagement from a cold start? That is a REALLY fast start - I believe it given what you are burning, but still that seems to qualify as "a roaring fire in a cold stove" that one is supposed to avoid (see manual).

I'm beginning to think that "too much of a good thing" does exist.

What I said was that it took 5 minutes to get all the wood burning. then 8 minutes after that I engaged the combustor. So, it was just a tad shy of 15 minutes from a cold start to cat engage. 'Course with cedar, you COULD get hot enough to engage the cat in 8 minutes from a cold start--not that I'd want to do it!

 

[scotsman]

But I'm most curious how to tell the cat is, or isn't, on!

Walk outside and look up. Smoke, cat didn't light off. No smoke, cat lit off.

Well, with the wood I burn, I don't get smoke anyway, rats! Can one tell from peeking up at the combustor?