My Seefire Wood Stove

[Blazzinghot]

I picked up another stove last week. It is a Seefire 1600S which was made in Victoria Canada in 1988. I have read the other topics on this forum about this stove but this one appears to be a little older than the ones mentioned. This model still has the secondary air system with the full bricks on sides, floor and ceiling. I also downloaded the manual for this model which was very helpful. The claim that it burns smokeless when it heats up which I hope is true. This stove is in amazing condition considering its age. I don’t see any signs of it being overfired and the top metal plate is still in good shape with slight warpage.
The name of this stove is interesting as they claim if the stove is used correctly the window will stay clear thus the name Seefire. The primary air comes down over the window and the secondary air through the tube in the top middle of the stove which has air holes on each side. You don’t leave the door cracked open to get the fire started. It is supposed to be fully closed with the air vent fully opened.
The 1600S as was mentioned before on other posts heats up to 1600 Sq. Ft. I purchased an older fireplace insert for $35.00 about two months back for the two glass windows and the metal but found many good bricks inside so used them to replace damaged bricks in the Seefire.
I am still waiting on the glass but everything else is finished. This stove is for my neighbor for his new shop.

 

[begreen]

Interesting stove. The secondary air system is similar to the design that Napoleon adopted. Keep us posted on how it burns this winter.

 

[Blazzinghot]

Thanks for your comment begreen. I like to study the anatomy of the different wood stoves. I had no idea that primary air can come in from any location. From working on all those older Blaze Kings and Earth Stoves I was under the impression that the primary air needed to come from the lower back of the stove. Ha, I will be curious myself how this stove works. I usually test my stoves outside but only put on about six foot of pipe which is not ideal for a good draft. But my neighbors garage will be more 20 feet of pipe which will make a great place to test it out. I will do my best to keep everyone posted on its performance.

I mentioned on another post I had a Napoleon wood stove but did not no how to use it. Rats, to bad I sold it.

 

[begreen]

Almost all modern stoves have part or all of the primary air feeding the air wash to keep the glass clean.

 

[Mo Lake]

Blazzinghot, when you were renovating the SeeFire, were you able to how the draft control arm was built? I am wondering if my problem is the arm is broken/disconnected. Not sure if that happens a lot? Thanks.

 

[Blazzinghot]

If you are not sure lets find out if the primary air intake rod is broken. On the back of the stove on the stand on which the stove sits is a round hole. It may have a 3 or 4 inch tube in it this hole. If it does you need to pull it out and then you will be able to reach your hand in the hole then up on the top you should find the opening where the air intake is. When the slider on the front of the stove pulled out you should be able to feel to see if the opening under the stove is open. Then slide the bar on the front of the stove is pushed in and check to see if it is closed. If you have someone help you be careful not to have your fingers in the opening when testing it. Ha OH

It would be hard to get to if it is broken but I could be wrong. If you need more help I can go to my neighbors as he has bought this stove from me. I can look at it and see if I can help come up with a way to help you fix it if it.

 

[Mo Lake]

Hi I do not have any holes in the platform. It is solid. I have checked everywhere so wondering if you saw anything underneath? The owner manual identifies the air intake in the pedestal but not external access.

 

[john26]

The name of this stove is interesting as they claim if the stove is used correctly the window will stay clear thus the name Seefire.

My Napoleon is that way, very similar secondary cleans itself as the fire gets hotter

 

[Blazzinghot]

Mo Lake, the only thing I can think is my stove is a different year from yours. I just looked at my pictures and the the aluminum pipe was still in place on the back as I always take before and after pictures. The tag was on the side of the stove and you can see the aluminum pipe on the back on the left. If you have the rod that pulls out on the front of the stove then the secondary air has to be on the other end of the rod. It could be this stove has the air intake on the bottom. Can you have someone tilt the stove so you can have a look underneath? I am looking at my pictures and noticed with my model that the stove hangs out over the pedestal could the air intake be under the back bottom on the stove?

 

[Blazzinghot]

john 26 how many stoves do you have or do you fix them up and sell them?

 

[john26]

john 26 how many stoves do you have or do you fix them up and sell them?

I have only fixed and sold 2 , 1 I used for 2 years. I have a woodchuck furnace going to my brother in law that I used for about 8 years. I have helped family members find stoves and repair them. For a while my brother and I were buying and selling clearance stoves from the box stores. I just restored a Pacific Energy Insert Design D I am installing this in my family room. My Napoleon is in the Hearth room and will probably be there as long as I own the house.

 

[Blazzinghot]

Yes you told me about the Pacific Energy stove that is why I was wondering how many stove you had. I just looked up a Wood Chuck furnace as I have never seen one. It seems like a nice set up for heating a whole home using a ducting system. Well you will certainly keep warm this winter.

 

[Mo Lake]

Mo Lake, the only thing I can think is my stove is a different year from yours. I just looked at my pictures and the the aluminum pipe was still in place on the back as I always take before and after pictures. The tag was on the side of the stove and you can see the aluminum pipe on the back on the left. If you have the rod that pulls out on the front of the stove then the secondary air has to be on the other end of the rod. It could be this stove has the air intake on the bottom. Can you have someone tilt the stove so you can have a look underneath? I am looking at my pictures and noticed with my model that the stove hangs out over the pedestal could the air intake be under the back bottom on the stove?

View attachment 284135

It is in the pedestal, as per the manual, directly under the firebox but no freshair outlet, except for mobile home installation which is via the bottom. So weird.

 

[Mo Lake]

This is the schematic. I don't really understand how the primary air is supposed to travel up past the glass as it is drawn outside the firebox. I might try dousing the fire and cleaning the hot secondary air chamber at the rear of the box. Maybe it is jambed there?

 

[Blazzinghot]

Looks like you might have to get a hole saw and make your own hole. This the picture of the stove when they had it advertised. You can see where they placed the intake. If you are not in a manufactured home then I would opt for drilling a hole in the back.

 

[Blazzinghot]

Mo Lake, Just so we are on the same page if the rod on the front of the stove pulls out and pushing then it is not stuck. We have discovered that the primary air intake comes from the bottom of the stove which means if the stove is sitting on flat surface it can't draw in any air. If you drill a 3 inch hole on the back of the stand as in my picture then you will allow air to freely flow into the primary air for the window and to help make secondary burners work. If the rod is stuck drilling a hole will help you get better access to work on moving it as it may be rusted.

 

[Mo Lake]

Thank you! The arm moves but I will try the hole in the pedestal. Thanks.

 

[john26]

Well you will certainly keep warm this winter.

I should have 3 installed and useable this winter the PE, Napoleon 1401 and Ashley AF700 in the basement.

 

[Blazzinghot]

Mo Lake, If you remember get back with us and let us know how the stove works.

 

[begreen]

It is in the pedestal, as per the manual, directly under the firebox but no freshair outlet, except for mobile home installation which is via the bottom. So weird.

View attachment 284148

Is there a knockout for an OAK on the rear of the pedestal?

 

[coaly]

This could be like the Fisher Goldilocks Certified for mobile home use that uses the pedestal for air intake up through floor under home. In a conventional home using indoor air there was a kit consisting of 1 inch balls under the base corners that raised pedestal off floor for air intake. Without the kit I set them up on bricks.

 

[Blazzinghot]

coaly, I was thinking the same thing about suggesting the bricks under the platform but the one weak spot on this stove is but the bottom platform is thin. Mine was bent when I got it and had to try to bend it back into shape. I like the idea of round 1 inch balls.

 

[coaly]

A way with stoves with thin base plates is corrugated steel. Set a 4x4 piece of corrugated steel on floor. Cement board with your choice of brick or stone finish. Keep the center open at intake opening. An outer frame of angle iron sets over the edges. Set stove over opening. This gives them very good support sitting on the “hills” and gets plenty of air from the valleys. The stove moves rearward very easily when loading. Pedestal stoves have very little pounds per square inch downward pressure and move easily, so they should be bolted down anyway.

Dura-vent made the installation kit for Fisher Goldilocks that came with a corrugated plate that sat on the unprotected floor with carpet removed and had a fake brick pad that sat on top of the corrugated steel. Then the angle iron frame sat over the edge.

I installed my Goldilocks in the home I built, so instead of the mobile home intake which was a 6 inch aluminum pipe straight down through floor with rodent screen, I extended my intake with 4 inch PVC pipe in basement and out the side block wall for an outside air intake. To give you an idea how much air a stove uses, that PVC condensated in the basement so much I had to fashion a gutter piece of aluminum under it to catch condensate from it getting so cold from outside air moving through it. My dehumidifier only runs during summer, so it doesn’t have abnormal moisture in the basement. These pedestals work great for outside air.

 

[Blazzinghot]

Ha, I had to look up a picture of the Goldilocks. I never had any idea they had a bottom plate like this. The Seefire has a 1/2 or 3/4 lip on the sides with a couple of thin support strips running from corner to corner underneath. But it is still not very ridged. I had to be careful when working on it when tipping it on its side. That is quite a story about your PVC pipe with its own gutter system.

 

[Mo Lake]

Is there a knockout for an OAK on the rear of the pedestal?

No, nothing at all, it is solid.