Still going strong - 30 y/o SeeFire

[Longknife]

Hi all,

I've been lurking for some time on the forums and am constantly referencing them during my wood/ wood heating research. Thought it was time to at least make a post....

Wood heat's been a fixture my entire life, but I only personally began burning on a regular basis when my wife and I bought our current home about 6 years ago. The house is split entry ranch style home built in 1988-89, with about 1800sq/ft of living space per level. Our "primary" heat (30 y/o air source heat pump and electric furnace) has not been used once, aside from a week we were away in Florida 5 years ago. People are often amazed (even fellow wood burners) to hear that I've never once resorted to turning on the furnace with just my "little" stove as heat. I rarely run the furnace fan or any other means of circulation, but the heat seems to get through the house pretty well. The house (on average) rarely will drop below 70 degrees. The bedroom furthest from the stove will sometimes drop to about 62-63 degrees when the door is closed all night. We are currently experiencing our first winter since replacing all the 30 y/o windows with triple pane windows. It has made the job of keeping the temp up MUCH easier (or so it seems). A week straight of -20 used to make it very hard to keep up, however it doesn't seem to be an issue anymore.

The woodstove in question is a 1988 SeeFire model 2100s, rated at 70,0000 btu/h. The home's previous owners warned not to use it as it "worn out". However, I replaced all the firebrick, and other than a slightly degrading secondary burn tube and a pretty warped baffle, it has seemed to perform pretty well over the last 6 years. The last few years, as I've refined my routine, it has run basically for 6 months straight during the winter, never needing a re-light.

Wood use ranges from 14 to 20 face cord a season. Mostly ash and elm, however I do go through a fair bit of soft maple (Manitoba, red and silver) and other soft woods (poplar, tamarack) and even the odd bit of white cedar and sumac. Occasionally I'll have other hardwoods mixed in (sugar maple, oak, apple, beech, walnut) but the EAB and Dutch Elm Disease means I'll continue to burn a lot of ash and elm. Everything is taken from my own modest woodlot (5 acres) or father's or father-in-law's farms (400 and 100 acres respectively with various fence lines, woodlots, etc.).

I've considered replacing the woodstove for sometime, but it's hard to justify it when it's still doing the job seemingly well and safely. I've got my eye on a Drolet HT2000 for when the time comes. I eventually want to install a indoor wood boiler/gassifier of some type, but I think that will have to wait until if/when we build new on some property as it would be hard to justify and retrofit in our current home.

Anyway, Cheers!

 

[jatoxico]

Sounds good! Guess about 3 of your face cords make a cord (?). That's a good bit of burning. Seems you're in a good position to wait for a deal on your next stove if that's ever the way you go.

 

[Longknife]

Yeah, I can wait for a decent deal, but I'm somewhat worried about future legislation and emissions regulations.

When Costco has the HT2000 for a few hundred dollars off (as they have the last few years I've been tracking it) it seems pretty hard to beat that value considering they deliver it.

 

[T-roy_]

I love my HT2000. It’s -15f this morning and is keeping my place nice and toasty.
My house is of a similar size and layout as yours. The HT2000 would do well for you and you might even use less wood.

 

[Longknife]

I should mention, I bring my wood in approx. 1/3 a face cord at a time. The basement is completely finished and has no place for wood storage.

I have a wood shed (soon to be replaced) about 50ft from the house. I use a little garden trailer to pull (usually by hand) wood from the shed into the house garage where I then carry it down to my rolling wood box. The stove is on the other side of the basement from the garage stairwell.

 

[Woody5506]

I'm envious of your setup and ability to maintain a very comfortable temp using only your wood stove, especially in a harsh Ontario winter. Might as well keep doing what you're doing, but I'd also be willing to bet a new stove would save a lot on wood consumption.

 

[jatoxico]

I'm thinking just in terms of parts availability. Sooner or later it's time. What size chimney does SeeFire use and is the existing chimney in good shape?

 

[Longknife]

It doesn't have a lot of replaceable parts. It's completely brick lined (standard fire bricks) including the top baffles. The secondary burn tube is welded in and is showing a bit of wear, especially the small lip/ledge that the bricks rest on. The steel baffle plate is fairly warped and worn at it's leading edge, but everything seems to breathe fine. Front glass might be an issue if it ever goes, and I assume the gasket rope on the door is standard. I try to not overfire it (just running a surface mount chimney thermometer) however I have been known to pass out on occasion wait for it to come up to temperature, only to wake to an inferno.

The chimney is 6" with a short run (including a 90 deg elbow as per attached picture) of single wall before it ties into the retrofitted, smooth wall stainless liner in a clay masonry chimney.

I just realized it is a 2100s model (70k BTU) now looking at it! I will edit my original post

When it's said a new stove would cut down on wood usage, would it be that significant? I know this is by no means a new stove, but would a new one make that much difference? I was anxious to replace it, but now I'm happy enough to not bother until I have to. It's listed as 7.1 gr/hr while a HT2000 is rated at 3.8. is this the best measure of efficiency?

Thanks for your replies and insights.

 

[Longknife]

Also, upstairs I have an open hearth fireplace with clay chimney which runs with my other chimney in a large masonry construction that extends from our basement to roof. I once used it in desperation during a cold stretch where I had fallen behind with the stove, but as could be predicated, it didn't help and just made a mess/smoke. I now have that flue blocked up with a chunk of extruded foam.

I had originally thought of a wood insert, however I really don't want to be lugging and storing wood to my second level living room. I've considered a pellet insert, which would be great, but it would probably be a $5k investment for something that isn't really required heat-wise (but would add some convenience when were away from the house).

I think I will probably end up with a gas log or propane insert that will be decorative more than anything.

 

[jetsam]

Wood use ranges from 14 to 20 face cord a season....
I've considered replacing the woodstove for sometime, but it's hard to justify it when it's still doing the job seemingly well and safely.

I can't tell how.much wood that is ("face cord" is a term mostly used by firewood scammers. It is supposed to mean 4'x8'x an unknown third measurement, but often doesn't even mean that.)

Assuming your 'face cords' are 48x96x18, then one of them is 3/8 of a cord (which is 4x8x4, 128 cf). Under that assumption, your wood usage is 5.25 to 7.5 cords a year.

5-7 cords a year sounds like a whole lot, but you also have a big house in Canada... maybe someone from your climate zone can say if this is excessive. (It sounds excessive to me, but I don't really know.) I imagine @Poindexter is north of you... maybe he can weigh in.

How's your insulation?

 

[Longknife]

I can't tell how.much wood that is ("face cord" is a term mostly used by firewood scammers. It is supposed to mean 4'x8'x an unknown third measurement, but often doesn't even mean that.)

Assuming your 'face cords' are 48x96x18, then one of them is 3/8 of a cord (which is 4x8x4, 128 cf). Under that assumption, your wood usage is 5.25 to 7.5 cords a year.

5-7 cords a year sounds like a whole lot, but you also have a big house in Canada... maybe someone from your climate zone can say if this is excessive. (It sounds excessive to me, but I don't really know.)

How's your insulation?

Your assumptions regarding a face cord is pretty spot on. usually 16" or 18" in depth is the assumed measurement. It's funny, because most people I know around here will generally talk in terms of a face cord.

I've got good blown in attic insulation (it was topped up shortly before we moved in). Unsure of the R value, but I don't think I would want it much deeper. The walls are typical 2x6 (R20) construction with a foam board of some sort cladding the plywood, under the brick veneer. Not sure of the R value. It seems to be a fairly well insulated house given it's age. It does make some gains from passive solar from the south facing windows (during the day when the suns out) and it has wind breaks in the form of bush to the North, East and West. As I said, the new triple pane windows definitely seem to be helping. Our 4x8 sliding patio door will be next as it is always frosted and covered in condensation. The last few years I have run the HRV in "eco" mode during the more extreme colder (10mins of air exchange an hour) and regular mode otherwise (20 minutes of air exchange per hour).

As I say, I do burn a fair amount of softwood (relatively speaking) and some marginal hardwood (mostly elm that's past it's prime). I don't bring it in, but if I cut it down on my property and it doesn't fit in the 6" chipper, it will go through the stove. Probably more labour than it's worth in some cases (i.e. the large grove of sumac I cleared a few years ago), but I guess it's better than stacking it to rot or burning it in the open air.

 

[Jeremy8916]

Also, upstairs I have an open hearth fireplace with clay chimney which runs with my other chimney in a large masonry construction that extends from our basement to roof. I once used it in desperation during a cold stretch where I had fallen behind with the stove, but as could be predicated, it didn't help and just made a mess/smoke. I now have that flue blocked up with a chunk of extruded foam.

I had originally thought of a wood insert, however I really don't want to be lugging and storing wood to my second level living room. I've considered a pellet insert, which would be great, but it would probably be a $5k investment for something that isn't really required heat-wise (but would add some convenience when were away from the house).

I think I will probably end up with a gas log or propane insert that will be decorative more than anything.

I have nearly the same chimney setup as you. Walk out basement, fireplace in the basement with another on the first floor. Built in the center of the house with something like 20 tons of masonry. I have wood inserts in both, stainless steel lined with clay liner still intact, roxul between the liners. The basement isn't insulated here, and its -15c with only one fireplace going. Its nice to have the option to fire up the other stove if its really windy. I'm sprayfoaming the basement within the month which should give me even better ability to heat. So I guess what this novel is getting at is, I'd put an insert in. I keep my wood outside on the deck and walk in enough for the every day. Furnace hasn't been on in ages unless im gone.

Sent from my SM-G903W using Tapatalk

 

[Jags]

I don’t think 5 - 7 cords for an Ontario winter sounds too bad. I go through 5 pretty easy sitting slightly south of the Illinois/Wisconsin boarder. Although I am heating a 120 year old moderately insulated farm house in the middle of corn fields.

 

[Mo Lake]

Hi all,

I've been lurking for some time on the forums and am constantly referencing them during my wood/ wood heating research. Thought it was time to at least make a post....

Wood heat's been a fixture my entire life, but I only personally began burning on a regular basis when my wife and I bought our current home about 6 years ago. The house is split entry ranch style home built in 1988-89, with about 1800sq/ft of living space per level. Our "primary" heat (30 y/o air source heat pump and electric furnace) has not been used once, aside from a week we were away in Florida 5 years ago. People are often amazed (even fellow wood burners) to hear that I've never once resorted to turning on the furnace with just my "little" stove as heat. I rarely run the furnace fan or any other means of circulation, but the heat seems to get through the house pretty well. The house (on average) rarely will drop below 70 degrees. The bedroom furthest from the stove will sometimes drop to about 62-63 degrees when the door is closed all night. We are currently experiencing our first winter since replacing all the 30 y/o windows with triple pane windows. It has made the job of keeping the temp up MUCH easier (or so it seems). A week straight of -20 used to make it very hard to keep up, however it doesn't seem to be an issue anymore.

The woodstove in question is a 1988 SeeFire model 2100s, rated at 70,0000 btu/h. The home's previous owners warned not to use it as it "worn out". However, I replaced all the firebrick, and other than a slightly degrading secondary burn tube and a pretty warped baffle, it has seemed to perform pretty well over the last 6 years. The last few years, as I've refined my routine, it has run basically for 6 months straight during the winter, never needing a re-light.

Wood use ranges from 14 to 20 face cord a season. Mostly ash and elm, however I do go through a fair bit of soft maple (Manitoba, red and silver) and other soft woods (poplar, tamarack) and even the odd bit of white cedar and sumac. Occasionally I'll have other hardwoods mixed in (sugar maple, oak, apple, beech, walnut) but the EAB and Dutch Elm Disease means I'll continue to burn a lot of ash and elm. Everything is taken from my own modest woodlot (5 acres) or father's or father-in-law's farms (400 and 100 acres respectively with various fence lines, woodlots, etc.).

I've considered replacing the woodstove for sometime, but it's hard to justify it when it's still doing the job seemingly well and safely. I've got my eye on a Drolet HT2000 for when the time comes. I eventually want to install a indoor wood boiler/gassifier of some type, but I think that will have to wait until if/when we build new on some property as it would be hard to justify and retrofit in our current home.

Anyway, Cheers!

@Longknife do you think you could take a picture of the rear bottom plate of your stove for me? I also have the SeeFire 900S and I am trying to figure out where the freshair intake is but my stove is tiled in so I can't see the bottom and I think I have grouted over the intake. Thanks in advance!

 

[kennyp2339]

I also have the SeeFire 900S and I am trying to figure out where the freshair intake is but my stove is tiled in so I can't see the bottom and I think I have grouted over the intake.

Its an old thread that your replying to, but your intake shouldnt be coming from the floor plate on a pedestal, check the back of the pedestal along the vertical plate where it meets the bottom of the stove box.

 

[Mo Lake]

Its an old thread that your replying to, but your intake shouldnt be coming from the floor plate on a pedestal, check the back of the pedestal along the vertical plate where it meets the bottom of the stove box.

Thanks! Someone replied and confirmed these cutouts are the intake area! I am so relived and hope to get my wood stove happy again.

 

[kennyp2339]

Thanks! Someone replied and confirmed these cutouts are the intake area! I am so relived and hope to get my wood stove happy again.

No that little metal piece is for a fresh air intake, or referred to as a mobile home intake
here's the manual : https://enviro.com/custom_content/docs/manuals/Seefire Manual.pdf

 

[Longknife]

@Longknife do you think you could take a picture of the rear bottom plate of your stove for me? I also have the SeeFire 900S and I am trying to figure out where the freshair intake is but my stove is tiled in so I can't see the bottom and I think I have grouted over the intake. Thanks in advance!

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Apologies for the late reply.

I sold the stove last fall and replaced it it so I can't provide any pictures. I see the manual has been posted though, so that should answer your question.

 

[ABMax24]

Apologies for the late reply.

I sold the stove last fall and replaced it it so I can't provide any pictures. I see the manual has been posted though, so that should answer your question.

What did you end up replacing it with?

 

[Longknife]

What did you end up replacing it with?

A Drolet HT2000.

It's been a good stove, definitely capable of more BTUs and leaves my chimney cleaner, however I do miss certain aspects of the SureFire.

 

[Mo Lake]

Apologies for the late reply.

I sold the stove last fall and replaced it it so I can't provide any pictures. I see the manual has been posted though, so that should answer your question.

Figured it out with help on the forums. It doesn't actually show channels in the manual actually. Weird!