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FireplaceX Large Flush Wood Hybrid-Fyre

webfish
Posted onOct 16, 2018 at 9:43 AM
Updated onUpdated on Dec 28, 2019 at 9:26 AM
Hello everyone. I am new to this forum, and hoping to find some help. Over the weekend, we purchased the FireplaceX Large Flush Wood Hybrid-Fyre. What intrigued me about this stove was that it’s a hybrid. I am not a fan of the catalytic stoves, but the sales guy, at Deans Stoves in CT, told me that you can run the stove without the catalytic element. They had it running without the element at their store. ( safety hazard ?? ) My previous house I had a Regency Ex90, and I loved it. So, since we just purchased it, the efficiency of the stove goes from .58 to 1.6 or so when not using the cat element. There is no documentation on this. The next day after making the purchase, I decided to read the owner’s manual. In the owner’s manual it states "it is illegal to run the stove without the catalyst element" I spoke to two other fireplace distributors in CT with the same stove, and they said that it would create problems. One person even called Travis Industries and spoke to their sales rep. They said that if the stove is run without the catylst it could over fire and you would not be able to regulate the temp. When I say over fire, I mean a chimney fire. This does not make sense to me, since the non-cat stoves could have the same result. I know this is a little long winded but here our my questions. I am questioning the decision, and wondering if I should go with the Lopi Freedom ( non-cat )insert instead. Also, if you are wondering why we did not go with a non-cat stove, it’s because we liked the look of the X being flush. Most of the non-cat inserts are not flush and stick out.

1) Does anyone own this and how do they like it? I have a 3000 SF colonial. I don’t expect it to heat the upstairs very well, but our downstairs is pretty open.
2) Has anyone ever run this without the catalyst? Is it safe to run without it?
3) Can I just run it with the damper open, thus bypassing the catalyst? What are problems with keep the damp open? The only issue I see is that the cat element would not be used

Any other advice/information would be great.

Thanks
Mike

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    davidlafollette57
  • November 26, 2019
begreen said
Sounds like you already have the answer. It's not permitted by law, not tested or designed to run that way and in general a bad idea. This wouldn't be the first time that a salesperson was blowing smoke.
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There's no way to turn the heat down the flame goes to high without
Dmitry
davidlafollette57 said
There's no way to turn the heat down the flame goes to high without
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Sorry, what?
Pologuy9906
I have this unit and I love it. I have a colonial about 2600 sqft. It heats my entire second level and half the first floor. Its great. I pack it and get 8+ hours depending on the wood species. I heat the other portion with a Woodmaster Flexfuel Gassification Boiler. I filled my oil tank on 10/01/19 ive used 1/8 of a tank so far.

Dont regret buying it. Wish I discovered this sooner. My cousin had one and I would always say I would never install one. They were ugly............boy was I wrong.

Got a really good price from a store in Wilton CT. I had an issue with my cat and they came right out to fix it.
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    Jsid0984
  • February 11, 2020
Got my Large flush Hybrid installed about a month ago...... man is this fun! Curious of the stats you all are getting from yours..... Can't say that I am operating efficiently yet but I do have seasoned wood (a lot of skinnier splits) and mild winter so far in Eastern PA and am not seeing 10-12 hr burn times.... maybe 10-12 hr fan runs times but heat is minimal at end of the run.

What is the key to a long hot burn with this beast?
View attachment 256874
Dmitry
Jsid0984 said
Got my Large flush Hybrid installed about a month ago...... man is this fun! Curious of the stats you all are getting from yours..... Can't say that I am operating efficiently yet but I do have seasoned wood (a lot of skinnier splits) and mild winter so far in Eastern PA and am not seeing 10-12 hr burn times.... maybe 10-12 hr fan runs times but heat is minimal at end of the run.

What is the key to a long hot burn with this beast?
View attachment 256874
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10 hours is a stretch. I live in CT and I load it 3 times in 24 hours cycle, so I guess 8 hours is my "burn" time with good wood and fully loaded firebox.
FPX Dude
Whoa, nice job, that looks great!!!
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    Jsid0984
  • February 12, 2020
Dmitry said
10 hours is a stretch. I live in CT and I load it 3 times in 24 hours cycle, so I guess 8 hours is my "burn" time with good wood and fully loaded firebox.
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Always good to hear what is actually happening out there! I was never under the impression it would actually have a 12 hr burn time but I did keep some hope alive haha Still 100% pleased with the performance!
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    Jsid0984
  • February 12, 2020
FPX Dude said
Whoa, nice job, that looks great!!!
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Thanks FPX, 1958 home was in need of LOTS of TLC! A coat of paint (maybe 2 ha) on the rocks was not my first choice but necessary....
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    Jsid0984
  • February 14, 2020
Dmitry said
10 hours is a stretch. I live in CT and I load it 3 times in 24 hours cycle, so I guess 8 hours is my "burn" time with good wood and fully loaded firebox.
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Dmitry do you mind sharing your stats?
Dmitry said
10 hours is a stretch. I live in CT and I load it 3 times in 24 hours cycle, so I guess 8 hours is my "burn" time with good wood and fully loaded firebox.
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Just curious what size splits you are burning. Wood type? I'm all about learning!
You have any Q's about my setup?
Dmitry
My wood is primarily 2-3 years old beech, some maple, and oak. Not near-perfect internal 20 percent as it was uncovered and in shade. Splits are 4 to 5 inches thick, cut to 20-inch length specifically for this stove.
Love the look if the stove, hate shallow triangular firebox.
I don't have cat thermometer, so I made dyi probe that goes in a top of fire box, closing air about 3/4 when all the wood on fire and temperature around 500f, trying not to go over 600f.
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    Jsid0984
  • February 18, 2020
Dmitry said
My wood is primarily 2-3 years old beech, some maple, and oak. Not near-perfect internal 20 percent as it was uncovered and in shade. Splits are 4 to 5 inches thick, cut to 20-inch length specifically for this stove.
Love the look if the stove, hate shallow triangular firebox.
I don't have cat thermometer, so I made dyi probe that goes in a top of fire box, closing air about 3/4 when all the wood on fire and temperature around 500f, trying not to go over 600f.
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Very interesting and thanks for the share! I am using 1-2 yr old oak @ approx. 14% moisture but 2-4 inch splits. I get very high burn temps (800-1000F) even with 3/4 air closed but my burn times are only 4-5hrs pushing it with coals only for the last 1-2 hrs.... I get frustrated at times but think with larger splits I may see some better stats....... here is to hoping at least! Agree the firebox design is a bit off for trying to cut wood specific for the thing.... I try to pack in angled layers but still lots of wasted space.
Dmitry
Your temp reading is different from mine. You have cat probe, and 800 to 1000F is in the normal range, I think. 2-inch splits is definitely too small and not going to give you long times. On the other hand, I have 3 yo Oak with splits 6 on 6, it takes forever to dry. Try to mix sizes to get longer burn times. I'm trying to pit as much wood as i can with no space between splits. It's like a game of Tetris every time. When I'm home, I burn uglies and odd-sized splits with air wide open.
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    Jsid0984
  • February 26, 2020
Dmitry said
Your temp reading is different from mine. You have cat probe, and 800 to 1000F is in the normal range, I think. 2-inch splits is definitely too small and not going to give you long times. On the other hand, I have 3 yo Oak with splits 6 on 6, it takes forever to dry. Try to mix sizes to get longer burn times. I'm trying to pit as much wood as i can with no space between splits. It's like a game of Tetris every time. When I'm home, I burn uglies and odd-sized splits with air wide open.
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so you are burning with no air gaps between splits in the box? I was under the impression air space was necessary......
Dmitry
Jsid0984 said
so you are burning with no air gaps between splits in the box? I was under the impression air space was necessary......
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Not at all, they say it on XPF website video. You going to have faster and hotter fire with more space between splits, and slower and gradual with less. Again, wood should be dry. Wet wood in tight pile not going to burn great
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    Marine woodsman
  • January 22, 2021
I like the old school stoves and keep it simple.
hickoryhoarder
For other readers I do recommend a stove without a catalytic converter. I have the 2009 Lopi Freedom insert. Reviewed as the cleanest stove available that year, about 1/9 the emissions of earlier generations of stoves. You cannot see or smell the air that comes out of our chimney. When people come to visit, they're not aware there's a fire until they step in the living room.

Obviously, if there's smoke in the firebox it will tend to go up the chimney. So this is partly about how to build fires and how long to season wood.

Being in the city it was crucial to us to put the lowest pollution possible into our neighbors' air.
B
hickoryhoarder said
For other readers I do recommend a stove without a catalytic converter. I have the 2009 Lopi Freedom insert. Reviewed as the cleanest stove available that year, about 1/9 the emissions of earlier generations of stoves. You cannot see or smell the air that comes out of our chimney. When people come to visit, they're not aware there's a fire until they step in the living room.

Obviously, if there's smoke in the firebox it will tend to go up the chimney. So this is partly about how to build fires and how long to season wood.

Being in the city it was crucial to us to put the lowest pollution possible into our neighbors' air.
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The freedom and many other cat stoves work very well I have used quite a few. But you do realize most cat stoves do exactly the same things your noncat does right. And honestly most cat stoves now run cleaner than noncats. The whole cat/noncat thing comes down to personal needs and preference.
hoot
Considering this stove now to install into a Superior ZC fireplace
Q
There are so many non cat 2020 epa approved woodstoves Regency makes a handful all of morsos line is non cat and also breckwell, dont quote me on this but i believe pacific energy also may be non cat!! A catalytic or hybrid stove is tested only when operating the cat this is done by engaging and disengaging the bypass door that generally bypasses all secondary burn leaving a fairly straight shot right to your chimneys cap making a huge risk of overfire and or a chimney fire depending on the quality of wood you burn this could completely cripple your wood burning altogether. If you liked your regency why would you switch?? I have always in all ways had great luck with them overall sold them for a decade. When my family needs a fireplace they get a regency stove its the only way to go!!
Q