is any body else disappointed with soapstone.i bought the fireview in december and i love the catalyst and i love the long burns,but this stove puts out a lot less heat then the little vc aspen it is replacing.the fireview is very well built stove great quality but the heat output is not very good,the surface temp gets up to 600 degrees sometimes higher but it just does not heat the house good at all,not like iron.everybody raves about soapstone.may be the fireview just has to much of a good thing.i was thinking if there was cast iron or steel right above the catalyst more heat would transfer out of the stove to my back side.
soapstone
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I think it depends on how much heat you need. Right now my Fireview at a stovetop temp of 450 is making the house uncomfortably hot, with the outside temp at 20 F. My old Lopi Answer could run at 700+ F and throw more heat, but under those conditions would go through wood about as fast as I could load it - making way more heat than I needed. If I remember from an earlier post you have a house in a very windy location, and said that it could stand some insulation/weatherproofing - so you probably need all the heat you can get. Maybe a big conventional stove makes more sense for you. Of course you'll go through more wood.
Having said that I'm still kind of surprised. You can keep the Fireview pretty darn hot if you're willing to feed it. What is a typical air setting for you? Is the cat healthy (does it glow when you turn down the air)? Is your wood dry?
Remember that if you are unhappy with the stove you can return it to the factory for up to 6 months.
Having said that I'm still kind of surprised. You can keep the Fireview pretty darn hot if you're willing to feed it. What is a typical air setting for you? Is the cat healthy (does it glow when you turn down the air)? Is your wood dry?
Remember that if you are unhappy with the stove you can return it to the factory for up to 6 months.
yes i do need insulation i will be doing some in the spring.as for the top surface temp that gets the hottest when i don't give it much air,and the cat will glow bright red.but i mostly keep it a little less than one with a little flame not roaring.the room the stove is in is warm but granny has been pissing and moaning that the house is cold when i just have the soapstone on.it was 35 yesterday but the house was still cold the aspen would blow me out of the house when it was that warm but i would not go back to that stove.the fireview is a good stove i think it would be a lot hotter with a cast iron top.i don't think i will ever buy another non cat again i like them but they use to much wood.
Joseph, I highly doubt the stove is your problem. Naturally, the drafty home and windy conditions make heating a big chore! But you are saying you can't heat the house when the outdoor temperature is 35 degrees
! No, methinks the problem does not lay in the stove.
You state the stove temperature get to 600, sometimes higher. I'm wondering for how long does it get to that temperature before it goes back down. Or have you checked with more than one thermometer? Those things can be way off. I've seen them reading 150-200 degrees difference. If that is the case, perhaps your stovetop temperature is not getting as hot as you think it is.
Also, you do not state what wood you are using nor how long it has been seasoned. Note that I did not say seasoned, but how long it has been seasoned.
One more point. Are you aware how much cast is in that stove?
Have you tried moving the air with fans? Blowing cool air towards the warm room. But then, it doesn't sound as if that room is all that warm. When you insulate that home you no doubt will see a huge difference.
! No, methinks the problem does not lay in the stove. You state the stove temperature get to 600, sometimes higher. I'm wondering for how long does it get to that temperature before it goes back down. Or have you checked with more than one thermometer? Those things can be way off. I've seen them reading 150-200 degrees difference. If that is the case, perhaps your stovetop temperature is not getting as hot as you think it is.
Also, you do not state what wood you are using nor how long it has been seasoned. Note that I did not say seasoned, but how long it has been seasoned.
One more point. Are you aware how much cast is in that stove?
Have you tried moving the air with fans? Blowing cool air towards the warm room. But then, it doesn't sound as if that room is all that warm. When you insulate that home you no doubt will see a huge difference.
Hi Joseph,
Wow - the house is cold at 35 degrees outside temp, with the FV fully cranked up? Yeesh. Four thoughts:
1. Something is wrong with the stove. If the cat is glowing bright red that's probably not it.
2. The operation of the stove could be changed to fit your circumstance. I doubt it if you're really getting 600 stovetop temps. What sort of reload interval do you have? If you need the most heat, try running with more air (especially in the latter stages of the burn when you just have coals). If you're struggling to make heat then reloads every 6 hours or even less may be required.
3. Something happened on stove install. Did your flue setup change, or maybe a flue cap was knocked off or loose. Is there a block off plate? Is there some reason to think you're losing lots more heat than you used to when you had the VC? What about the rest of the house, something different?
4. You just plain have a tremendous heating requirement, due to location and house. If you replaced the Aspen because you were loading it too frequently, this seems pretty likely. Lets suppose that you get a stove big enough to supply the required heat and that can go for awhile between reloads (maybe a BK or Englander or Summit or an old Fisher beast or something). You'll go through 6+ cord a year under those conditions, and that's hard work to supply and process. Which leads to tightening up the house. Usually attic insulation is the most cost effective thing to do. Is it stick-built stud construction? With your wind maybe you should consider a layer of foamboard under the siding, or foam-in-place, or even a good layer of housewrap to cut down on air intrusion. I'm sure you've considered all of these. Be careful not to trap moisture in the walls.
Well. The wind is whipping like crazy here also, and I have to go dig out.
Wow - the house is cold at 35 degrees outside temp, with the FV fully cranked up? Yeesh. Four thoughts:
1. Something is wrong with the stove. If the cat is glowing bright red that's probably not it.
2. The operation of the stove could be changed to fit your circumstance. I doubt it if you're really getting 600 stovetop temps. What sort of reload interval do you have? If you need the most heat, try running with more air (especially in the latter stages of the burn when you just have coals). If you're struggling to make heat then reloads every 6 hours or even less may be required.
3. Something happened on stove install. Did your flue setup change, or maybe a flue cap was knocked off or loose. Is there a block off plate? Is there some reason to think you're losing lots more heat than you used to when you had the VC? What about the rest of the house, something different?
4. You just plain have a tremendous heating requirement, due to location and house. If you replaced the Aspen because you were loading it too frequently, this seems pretty likely. Lets suppose that you get a stove big enough to supply the required heat and that can go for awhile between reloads (maybe a BK or Englander or Summit or an old Fisher beast or something). You'll go through 6+ cord a year under those conditions, and that's hard work to supply and process. Which leads to tightening up the house. Usually attic insulation is the most cost effective thing to do. Is it stick-built stud construction? With your wind maybe you should consider a layer of foamboard under the siding, or foam-in-place, or even a good layer of housewrap to cut down on air intrusion. I'm sure you've considered all of these. Be careful not to trap moisture in the walls.
Well. The wind is whipping like crazy here also, and I have to go dig out.
A) Is the stove sized properly for the house? For a VERY drafty house, you may be only looking at 1,000 square feet, maybe less.
B) Insulation really makes a big difference. Make sure there are no gaps, but if using fiberglass, don't compress. Helped me a lot and I still have some to go. In order of payoff, I think:
1) deal with leaks under doors, caulk/weatherstrip windows, plug up any holes that you can find - including under outlet and light switch plates . . . there can be a lot and it may be an ongoing process for a while
2) attic
3) rim joist area under 1st floor
4) walls
5) basement
6) upgrade windows
C) Is wood dry? Probably if you are getting stovetop at 600F.
D) Can you move air from room to room? Set up thermometers simultaneously (I always think of that Chef song) in different rooms.
E) Do you have a block off plate? Is it secure?
F) Finally, soapstone heat feels different than iron/steel stoves. More gentle vs. blast furnace (sort of). Maybe that is not for everyone.
Call Woodstock if we can't help.
Good luck.
B) Insulation really makes a big difference. Make sure there are no gaps, but if using fiberglass, don't compress. Helped me a lot and I still have some to go. In order of payoff, I think:
1) deal with leaks under doors, caulk/weatherstrip windows, plug up any holes that you can find - including under outlet and light switch plates . . . there can be a lot and it may be an ongoing process for a while
2) attic
3) rim joist area under 1st floor
4) walls
5) basement
6) upgrade windows
C) Is wood dry? Probably if you are getting stovetop at 600F.
D) Can you move air from room to room? Set up thermometers simultaneously (I always think of that Chef song) in different rooms.
E) Do you have a block off plate? Is it secure?
F) Finally, soapstone heat feels different than iron/steel stoves. More gentle vs. blast furnace (sort of). Maybe that is not for everyone.
Call Woodstock if we can't help.
Good luck.
If you can get that stove to 600, keep it there all day, and are still cold then you need a bigger stove to heat your existing home. The stove is performing at its best to hold 600 and you have to remember that the fireview is not a big stove and isn't made or rated to heat a very large or leaky home.
You shouldn't go elephant hunting with a sling shot.
Maybe after you get your house insulated and tightened up, the fireview will be enough to do the job but are you willing to risk it? Woodstock has an excellent return policy for just this kind of situation.
To answer your first question, no, I am not disappointed with soapstone at all. It's great. I don't think you can blame your problems on the soapstone.
You shouldn't go elephant hunting with a sling shot.
Maybe after you get your house insulated and tightened up, the fireview will be enough to do the job but are you willing to risk it? Woodstock has an excellent return policy for just this kind of situation.
To answer your first question, no, I am not disappointed with soapstone at all. It's great. I don't think you can blame your problems on the soapstone.
How big is your house ? I just returned my Fireview and replaced it with the largest Blaze King.The Fireview is a good stove though a good size drafty home like mine it can't handle.The Blaze King does better with heat and longer burns.Still not heating the house like I'd like.So as been stated insulation is the key.My Mansfield heats better than the Summit,Fireview,and Blaze King that I've had or have.
bjkjoseph said:
I think your running your stove too cool. Yes it sound like 600 is a very high temp for a stove, but you got to remember the cat sits right under the top and when it's feeding off a smouldering fire it will get very hot on top and relatively cooler down below. You can have 600-700 temps with little or no flame in the firebox, but that doesn't mean your producing the most heat out of the stove. If you give it a little more air and flames the rest of the stove will heat up too, you may actually see the stove top temp drop down to 500-600, but the heat will feel much more intense. Don't be afraid to give it more air when you need the heat.
Joseph:
Both cars and airplanes are modes of transportation like both soapstone and cast iron are stove materials. Realize, you can get to the same place with both but they are not the same experience.
Soapstone takes longer to heat up but holds its heat longer (the car). Cast iron heats up faster and cools down faster (the airplane). The two materials have very different heat transfer characteristics; how the heat in the stove actually enters the room. Maybe this is what you are noticing. Did you look into this before buying soapstone?
Aye,
Marty
Grandma used to say, "Work smarter, not harder."
Both cars and airplanes are modes of transportation like both soapstone and cast iron are stove materials. Realize, you can get to the same place with both but they are not the same experience.
Soapstone takes longer to heat up but holds its heat longer (the car). Cast iron heats up faster and cools down faster (the airplane). The two materials have very different heat transfer characteristics; how the heat in the stove actually enters the room. Maybe this is what you are noticing. Did you look into this before buying soapstone?
Aye,
Marty
Grandma used to say, "Work smarter, not harder."
the stove is to small for the house,thats why i have 2.i was just comparing the heat from the soapstone to the heat from the lttle vc aspen that was in its place.dont get me wrong,i wont be going back to the vc aspen,but the aspen heated a larger area.the heat from the cast iron realy moved through the house.the soapstone heat doesnt want to leave that room,and that room gets pretty hot.i have been using the fan it does work.but i have people in the house pissing and moaning that the little stove heated better in the rooms furthest from the stove and it did.i told grandma the nursing home is always 72 degrees so now she is on my side.but to win over the others i was thinking of buying another top for the stove and putting steel plate in place of the soapstone because i cant run 2 stoves the whole season that gets old fast.
How are you using the fan? Try blowing the cold air towards the stove on ground level and the warm air will run up over it and replace.
todd thats just how i did it.and your right about the smouldering fire,i dont try to go for the 550 600 temps its hotter with some flames.
How long are you going between reloads? I think you need to reload more often and burn a little hotter? Stop going for those record burn times. :lol:
I think the cast stoves are better for max out put , but the Soap stone is better in warmer temps. I have a HS equinox It takes me 3 hrs to get it cooking . I will need to get a second stove for my new addition . I will probably get a second EQ or a Mansfield . I think the EQ is only good for 2200 sf It looks nice .
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