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[Mike M.]

I was looking around at the Woodstock webpage because it seems the Fireview is very well liked on here. I currently have a Nap 1450 stove with a blower to heat my upstairs - about 2200 to 2500 sq feet depending on if I close off certian rooms. The stove does the job, even in negative temps but I really have to push it. The result of the pushing is alot - I mean stove fulls of charcoal each day. Yes I have learned to deal with this, but it is not enjoyable. Just wondering if the fireview, being a cat stove would help with this problem? Also the 1450 can give off some pretty quick heat (about 30min from a cold start). Can the fireview do this or would I be looking at 1-2 hours of startup time? Thanks!

 

[Todd 2]

Hi Mike, with the sq. footage you mentioned, You may look at the Progress Hybrid (big brother to the Fireview)
Yes, soapstone stoves are slower to heat up but the Progress is still 250 deg. after a 12 hr. cat burn (1 full load)
I heat 2000 sq ft, (1000 basement 1000 first floor ranch) and I dont have the tempature swings like I did with the steel stove. Most agree it is better to over size your stove a little and control your heat output with load size & air, plus you will not shorten the life of the stove by maxing it out constantly. The Progress isn't cheep but I would have paid x2 now that I have been using it to heat, The oil furnace is now backup only at $4.00 gal. This thing will pay for itself in 1 1/2 years.
The cat stoves are awesome, I'm a believer


Todd 2

 

[ddddddden]

Hi Mike, with the sq. footage you mentioned, You may look at the Progress Hybrid (big brother to the Fireview)

+1
Unless super-insulated, 2200+ sq ft is pushing the performance envelope of the Fv. The Fv might be a bit small for your house, and depending on how warm you like to be, you might only get ~8 hours out of it. For reference, Nap 1450 firebox spec = 2.25 cu ft. Fv spec = 2.2 cu ft. Measured capacity = 1.8 cu ft. Assuming they are the same size, the cat stove will give you a longer burn, but not if you are pushing it to heat a space that is too large for it.

Yes, soapstone stoves are slower to heat up but the Progress is still 250 deg. after a 12 hr. cat burn (1 full load)

+1 for 12-hour burns, but with the Fv. Stone stoves are all about 24/7 heating, IMO. If you can't reload every 12 hours or so(I often go longer here in the "Tropics") and have to do a lot of cold starts, I might not recommend a stone stove.

The cat stoves are awesome, I'm a believer

+1
Meow.

 

[rideau]

PH warms up really quickly. 30 minutes or less. Better suited to 2200 + sq feet than the Fireview. Won't need to push it, will be miserly in the wood it uses.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

I was looking around at the Woodstock webpage because it seems the Fireview is very well liked on here. I currently have a Nap 1450 stove with a blower to heat my upstairs - about 2200 to 2500 sq feet depending on if I close off certian rooms. The stove does the job, even in negative temps but I really have to push it. The result of the pushing is alot - I mean stove fulls of charcoal each day. Yes I have learned to deal with this, but it is not enjoyable. Just wondering if the fireview, being a cat stove would help with this problem? Also the 1450 can give off some pretty quick heat (about 30min from a cold start). Can the fireview do this or would I be looking at 1-2 hours of startup time? Thanks!

Mike it would help a bit if we knew where you are located. The Fireview is indeed a great stove but there are limits. I do recall someone heating over 2000 sq ft with a Fireview but if memory serves me, he was located a lot further south. Or maybe he had super insulation.

We do love our Fireview and it is easy to get a 12 hour burn with it. As for the start up time, there is no way it would take an hour and for sure 2 hours. Cut that to 30 minutes if you have good fuel.

Speaking of good fuel, it does make me wonder when you stated about the stove filling with charcoal. That certainly can be a sign that the wood is not as dry as it should be. If that is the case, all stoves would struggle to keep you warm. We burn really dry wood in our Fireview but even then we could have a problem with too many coals. We found that just before the fire gets to the all coaling stage, we open the draft full. This will keep the stove temperature up while burning the coals down a lot. Some people have to resort to putting some kindling on the coal bed or a couple of really small splits then open the draft full as this will help to burn them down. But I would really look at what you are burning before doing anything drastic.

 

[Machria]

We found that just before the fire gets to the all coaling stage, we open the draft full. This will keep the stove temperature up while burning the coals down a lot. Some people have to resort to putting some kindling on the coal bed or a couple of really small splits then open the draft full as this will help to burn them down. But I would really look at what you are burning before doing anything drastic.

I find when I reach the "coaling stage" as you call it, that is when I seem to be getting the most heat out of my PH. It seems to get really hot when I'm in the coal stage, turning up the air would heat my neighbors out of their house!

 

[Waulie]

Hey Mike:

You have a lot of space there for the Fireview. If you're pushing your current, similiar sized stove hard to heat your house, I would not recommend getting the Fireview. The cat stoves flourish on lower settings, but if you have to push them to get enough heat you lose a greatest benefit of having one.

I think the Progress would be a much better fit. You should be able to get 12 hour burn times easily and not have to push it nearly as hard.

 

[Kristine Patti]

We love the Cape Cod but can't use it because ours would have to be set into our fireplace and we would not be able to pull out the damper rod completely bummer that they didn't just use a handle. Also looking at the Progress but we are perplexed with installation...how does an ordinary Joe get a 700lb woodburning stove into one's home? So now we are looking at the Quadrafire. If anyone has any comments or information about how one goes about getting a Progress Hybrid installed we would love to hear about it!

 

[rideau]

We love the Cape Cod but can't use it because ours would have to be set into our fireplace and we would not be able to pull out the damper rod completely bummer that they didn't just use a handle. Also looking at the Progress but we are perplexed with installation...how does an ordinary Joe get a 700lb woodburning stove into one's home? So now we are looking at the Quadrafire. If anyone has any comments or information about how one goes about getting a Progress Hybrid installed we would love to hear about it!

If you look at the PH threads, there are lots of examples of installs, some pretty detailed. Some have managed to install them alone, some have had 2 or 3 guys work together to install. Three guys together and mine went in via the sliding glass door with no difficulty. Could have managed with two, three made it easy. We just connected a temporary doug fir ramp from the back of the pick up to the stair landing and slid the stove on a dolly, ditto through door and to placement site.

 

[Machria]

Also looking at the Progress but we are perplexed with installation...how does an ordinary Joe get a 700lb woodburning stove into one's home?

Here you go:
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads...problem-progress-hyrbrid-install-pics.101580/

I hired a stove installer (local shop) to install my chimney and bring up the stove. They have the proper tools and know-how. Did not cost much, it only took them a few hours. A normal install without scaffolding could be done in an hour.

 

[raybonz]

I was looking around at the Woodstock webpage because it seems the Fireview is very well liked on here. I currently have a Nap 1450 stove with a blower to heat my upstairs - about 2200 to 2500 sq feet depending on if I close off certian rooms. The stove does the job, even in negative temps but I really have to push it. The result of the pushing is alot - I mean stove fulls of charcoal each day. Yes I have learned to deal with this, but it is not enjoyable. Just wondering if the fireview, being a cat stove would help with this problem? Also the 1450 can give off some pretty quick heat (about 30min from a cold start). Can the fireview do this or would I be looking at 1-2 hours of startup time? Thanks!

Hi Mike welcome to the forum! Seeing you get below zero temps if I were you I would be looking at stoves with a 3 cu. ft. firebox.. The FV while a good stove is in my opinion too small to heat that much space. If you ran 3 cu. ft. firebox this would allow the stove to run easier and still have extra firepower for when you need it. As mentioned the PH is a good stove and I would also consider the Alderlea T6 which will get you 12 hour burns and heats quickly and offers convection heat or if on a budget Englander 30NC would be a good choice but the theme would be focus on the firebox size.

Ray

 

[Kristine Patti]

If you look at the PH threads, there are lots of examples of installs, some pretty detailed. Some have managed to install them alone, some have had 2 or 3 guys work together to install. Three guys together and mine went in via the sliding glass door with no difficulty. Could have managed with two, three made it easy. We just connected a temporary doug fir ramp from the back of the pick up to the stair landing and slid the stove on a dolly, ditto through door and to placement site.

Thank you for the info. Sounds easy enough but husband is not ready to reckon with it! Promised if we ever move I can have the soapstone! For now we have just placed an order for the Quadrafire 4300 Step Top. Hope we made a good choice!

 

[Kristine Patti]

Hi Mike welcome to the forum! Seeing you get below zero temps if I were you I would be looking at stoves with a 3 cu. ft. firebox.. The FV while a good stove is in my opinion too small to heat that much space. If you ran 3 cu. ft. firebox this would allow the stove to run easier and still have extra firepower for when you need it. As mentioned the PH is a good stove and I would also consider the Alderlea T6 which will get you 12 hour burns and heats quickly and offers convection heat or if on a budget Englander 30NC would be a good choice but the theme would be focus on the firebox size.

Ray

we lookd at the Alderlea too but did not think it had that kind of burn time, at least the dealer didn't think so....we picked the Quadrafire 430o step top instead

 

[rideau]

Thank you for the info. Sounds easy enough but husband is not ready to reckon with it! Promised if we ever move I can have the soapstone! For now we have just placed an order for the Quadrafire 4300 Step Top. Hope we made a good choice!

I'm sure you'll be pleased. Enjoy and be warm!

 

[raybonz]

we lookd at the Alderlea too but did not think it had that kind of burn time, at least the dealer didn't think so....we picked the Quadrafire 430o step top instead

Sometimes it amazes me how little stove dealers know about their products.. Fact is many do not burn wood themselves and rely on manufacturers specs.. The Super 27 and T5 use the same firebox and I read similar results when burning good dry hardwood.. Hope the Quad works out well for you!

Edit: I just looked up the Quadrafire 4300 specs and I think that will work great for you! I read it has some type of thermostatic control plus a 2.4 cu. ft. firebox and I would interested to learn about this feature. Keep us posted and be sure to post pics

Good Luck!

Ray