I just talked to them. He said it’s about one month out from being ready to ship. Today is 10/29/21.
New damper mechanism for the Woodstock Progress Hybrid
- Thread starter barnaclebob
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Thanks, I'd like one too, it would give us more control, sorta fine tune the lower setting.
Last time I emailed them a couple weeks ago, they said they were working on directions for it and would put me on a list to be notified when it is available.
Rearscreen
Minister of Fire
Boy I sure got a different response from them a little over a month ago when I was at the factory. I've been trying to eek one out of them for a year now and the excuse, as mentioned, the lack of installation instructions. Fair enough, but my comeback was, for free I'll make an installation video as long as I can get my hands on one. (I've done many "how to" videos professionally for major companies). When I was there, they said that the parts for that will be made early in 2022. They also mentioned it was tricky to get right when installing.
They said the same to me on the phone. I told them I already found them online. Maybe this is for the old/current damper?
Now I'm really curious. What could be so tricky about installing the new one? All I can think of is they are adding some kind of additional gasket that is hard to apply.
Rearscreen
Minister of Fire
Oh I sure hope so. I just wrote a rant that I erased as not to embarrass myself. Hopefully it is not this easy as I have been waiting because I needed "detailed instruction". Sounds like some sort of legal certification was needed for the change.
I've got to believe those Air Damper replacement instructions on-line are for the original older damper. Otherwise why would WS tell two
people it's a tricky install when those instructions look straight forward?
WS has always been very forthright on how to maintain their stoves in my experience.
It is frustrating how long the retro kit is taking.
people it's a tricky install when those instructions look straight forward?
WS has always been very forthright on how to maintain their stoves in my experience.
It is frustrating how long the retro kit is taking.
It could also be that there is an adjustment to make sure the lever linkage is "calibrated" to run the full travel. From the looks of it, the orifice area is pretty small when you get down to nearly closed so any error in the linkage could result in a big difference in performance.
These guys aren't idiots. They are dealing with government regulations, its something that could result in an overfire if done by a customer incorrectly, and they are busy dealing with production of new stoves so I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt. We all want the upgrade but if they had never even come up with this improvement we'd all be fat dumb and happy so keep things in perspective.
These guys aren't idiots. They are dealing with government regulations, its something that could result in an overfire if done by a customer incorrectly, and they are busy dealing with production of new stoves so I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt. We all want the upgrade but if they had never even come up with this improvement we'd all be fat dumb and happy so keep things in perspective.
Anyone heard anything about the new air control? Maybe not going to happen as a retrofit? I'm only assuming that because it's been quite a while and no news...
Reviving an old thread. I just got a random message from Woodstock today from someone clearing up some old open orders and I had open order for a new damper assembly. After thinking for a few min I realized it must have been related to saying I wanted to get the new assembly. I called back and sure enough they do sell the new updated dampers so I've got one on the way along with a new rear heat shield, it was $85 for the damper and $95 for the new heat shield. Unfortunately I'm probably done burning for the year so I'll have to wait until next oct to test it out.
Has anyone else done the upgrade or have there been any reports from owners of the new damper control? I haven't been as active on this forum for awhile.
Has anyone else done the upgrade or have there been any reports from owners of the new damper control? I haven't been as active on this forum for awhile.
Interesting. Did Woodstock indicate what has been improved? Definitely take pics of the changes.
Woodboy
Member
Works great. I didn't need the rear heat shield. Much better than the original one. They send everything you need to change out the old one. Make sure of that.
Yeah look at the pics at the start of this thread and compare to the pics in the link at the bottom of my posts. The old damper mechanism is just a plate that rotates with the lever. This makes the air relatively difficult to control at low levels since a small movement in the lever results in a big increase in airflow. Also my lever would close by itself if left slightly cracked.
With the new damper you can see how the orifice on the plate is shaped so that airflow isn't proportional to how the new lever moves. The lower it goes, the finer the adjustment. I just wish they had reversed the plate so that up was high and down was low, thats more intuitive.
Rearscreen
Minister of Fire
Yeah, I got the call today waking me from a deep nap, 603 area code, F*$%^ must be my dermatologist in West Lebanon,
what the hell, "who is this? from where? I asked..." Well, in my slumber I said sure, I'll pick it up. Then I started to think. I had asked for this repeatedly when it was introduced over a long period of time. Nothing. No response. I heard maybe some difficulty installing from someone. My guess was that the retrofit would require a whole new bunch of paperwork for federal approval. Maybe fed approval is out the window now. I also got a notice about $1,000 off & 2 tax incentives to get a Progress now. As a skeptic, and not being able to get the damper when it came out, I'm wondering what's going on. The push to sell me with a phone call for an 85 dollar part and this push to get rid of the Progress for about half the price (with incentives here in VT) makes me wonder.
My issue is that I may not stay another winter (I sure hope not) in this non friendly part of Vermont so, my wonderful Progress may be sold
with the house and I may not be able to even use the new damper. What a world, what a world.
what the hell, "who is this? from where? I asked..." Well, in my slumber I said sure, I'll pick it up. Then I started to think. I had asked for this repeatedly when it was introduced over a long period of time. Nothing. No response. I heard maybe some difficulty installing from someone. My guess was that the retrofit would require a whole new bunch of paperwork for federal approval. Maybe fed approval is out the window now. I also got a notice about $1,000 off & 2 tax incentives to get a Progress now. As a skeptic, and not being able to get the damper when it came out, I'm wondering what's going on. The push to sell me with a phone call for an 85 dollar part and this push to get rid of the Progress for about half the price (with incentives here in VT) makes me wonder.
My issue is that I may not stay another winter (I sure hope not) in this non friendly part of Vermont so, my wonderful Progress may be sold
with the house and I may not be able to even use the new damper. What a world, what a world.
Jeez with Ben &Jerry Ice Cream, all those cows, and maple syrup how can any part of VT be unfriendly?
Rearscreen
Minister of Fire
Well, I have been coming up to Vt from Ct my whole life, mainly in the Brattleboro area to a family cabin. Everyone was "friendly".
Then I moved near Manchester. In the first 2 years, I made no friends. To me, this was odd as in Ct, no matter where I moved, I made friends. So, I googled it and a video was made by someone about this phenomenon. Then I began to ask around if this was true, that making friends here is difficult if not impossible. I got a constant affirmative answer. One weird problem, if you move here, is how often a "Vermonter" will say how many generations they have lived here. I take that to mean, you really don't belong here unless you have generations behind you. We are, called flatlanders - a derogatory term. 8 years living here, I have plenty of acquaintances but all of my friends still live in Ct.
OK I guess I'm starting to understand. I remember pre-covid VT was offering $$ for people to move there to help improve the population base but during covid they had no problem attracting people so maybe it went overboard.
In any case I have heard good things about the improved Progress air damper. I'm just hoping it's straightforward to install.
LOL, that's ironic considering the area around Manchester is in the 700 - 2,000 ft altitude range. I haven't heard that term since a journey as a youth that ended me up in a doctor's office in Boulder, CO. I was coming from 1,000' in the Berkshires and my body wasn't adjusting to the high-altitude dryness of Boulder @5,400 ft. The doc said I had flatlanders disease and prescribed some hydration pills.
Same here, got a call out of the blue from Woodstock saying the upgraded air inlet was in stock. I received the new style inlet Monday and installed that evening. It took a good hour to install, nothing too difficult. Did a small burn last night, (not that cold here at this point) but I can say the new inlet is a vast improvement over the original inlet. Control is much finer and repeatable. No issue of being too loose when the stove is cold and too tight when hot like the original. Love it so far, seems to solve a weak point of the early stoves. An absolute bargin for $85.
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