Night Watch stove help!

[Mitchdowning]

Hey guys, I recently purchased a woodstove that does not have a UL tag on it. Does anybody have any information on the Nightwatch stoves?

 

[begreen]

Previous thread.

Night Watch woodstove

I have a mid 80's night watch wood stove. and was curious if any info is avail for them. did a web search and nothing comes up. think they were made in minnosota. they really have a nice design compared to newer wood stoves. just curious if any one is using one or used one in past. thanks

www.hearth.com

 

[Mitchdowning]

Is there any more info out there?

 

[coaly]

Fisher Clone. You can use the info on the Fisher Forum. If it is a double door, use the Grandpa / Grandma information. If no legs with blower it is an Insert.

Most didn't have manuals before UL testing and they built them until they were sued for patent infringement. Some were Made by Fisher licensees that went on their own making similar stoves to what they were licensed to build.
Here's an early one that is a copy of a Grandpa Bear.


Are you looking for installation information?

 

[Mitchdowning]

Oh my gosh that is so cool. Can you tell me anymore about it?

 

[coaly]

Oh my gosh that is so cool. Can you tell me anymore about it?

You’re taking what I wrote out of context. I didn’t gIve you any information on your particular stove.

The first company to build a welded together steel stove was Fisher. Bob Fisher is credited with that invention and went on to license fabricators in the US and Canada. Later worldwide through Fisher International. That history can be found on the Fisher Forum. Until then, foundries cast iron pieces that were put together to make a stove. Steel fabrication made it possible for fabricators across the nation to build similar stoves. Some of the unloyal licensed fabricators of Fisher Stoves made variations of the Fisher and sold their own to avoid royalty payments. Fisher kept track of the doors sent to fabricators to know how many were being produced. So a few fabricators had their own doors made for a very similar stove body made like the Fisher. These are identical to a Fisher with different doors. Many were sued for patent infringement and lost their license to build Fishers. Jake Jackson, a Fisher fabricator and neighbor of Bob agreed to fulfill his Fisher contract and went on to form Frontier Stoves. Some lost their license and went on to build their own stove brand to compete. (Timberline and the most costly lawsuit All-Nighter) Others just copied. Fisher realized early it was fruitless to sue so many across the country and decided to simply make the best product to compete. They ended up selling over 1.5 million stoves and ceased operation in 1988 due to tighter Federal EPA smoke regulations.

In the early years of the industry before 1980, testing was done by different testing labs across the country. It all started in the Pacific Northwest, but areas of states didn’t accept other areas testing labs until the testing was standardized by UL. Very few went through the testing process to become UL Listed. It wasn’t required at the time for installation and use. By 1980 it became a big selling point to offer UL tested stoves. It was a safety standard to go by, but not a requirement.

For safe installation you would use the NFPA 211 Standard for unlisted stoves which also gives detailed information for reduced clearance from the large 36 inch to combustibles clearance required for any unlisted stove. There is a difference between a stove and an Insert. We don’t know what you have.

NFPA 211 is a Standard that Codes are adopted from. Wisconsin has adopted the 2015 version of the International family of codes as of May 1 2018. So any installation after that date must comply with that code. (legally) The International Maintenance Code is a part of that code that covers installation and venting of solid fuel appliances. That code also added “ALL appliances must be UL approved”. Only appliances with a UL Label attached are approved. That said, this is only for new installation, making any existing installations useable. (Grandfathered) Many insurance companies require UL Listed appliances as well.