Woodstock Fireview

[Wet1]

I'm most likely going to upgrade my Homestead for next season. The Homestead is a good stove, but I'd like more for my house. As I've stated here before, I'm thinking Mansfield, Heritage, or Woodstock Fireview. I'd like to see a Fireview burn in action. Anyone live near me that would be willing to see a Fireview burning in Feb or March?

Obviously the pluses of that stove have been mentioned here often, but I have a couple of concerns. For example, I want to see the CAT in action. Some have mentioned that the fire is not very visible or prominent when the CAT is engaged. A large part of why I got a stove is to see a cool fire show most of the time. I'd also like to look at how the stove sits in the room and generally ask lots of other questions.

Please PM me if you are willing. I live near Lowell, MA (near NH-MA line).

Thanks.

Gee Vic I just sent mine back yesterday.I'm in Medford too.the Fireview is a beautiful stove.It was just too small for my home.It has a splendid view of the fire.If you want more heat and your house is large the Fireview may only do the job if your house is well insulated.Mine is very drafty so I went with a much larger stove.However the Mansfield is more powerful if you have a good draft put a pipe damper in.I'm getting about 12hrs.of usable heat with mine after adding a pipe damper.It also has has a good view of the fire.

OT... Rich, how is the BKK working out with the warmer temps? What kind of times are you getting out of it at the lower settings?

 

[Rich L]

I'm most likely going to upgrade my Homestead for next season. The Homestead is a good stove, but I'd like more for my house. As I've stated here before, I'm thinking Mansfield, Heritage, or Woodstock Fireview. I'd like to see a Fireview burn in action. Anyone live near me that would be willing to see a Fireview burning in Feb or March?

Obviously the pluses of that stove have been mentioned here often, but I have a couple of concerns. For example, I want to see the CAT in action. Some have mentioned that the fire is not very visible or prominent when the CAT is engaged. A large part of why I got a stove is to see a cool fire show most of the time. I'd also like to look at how the stove sits in the room and generally ask lots of other questions.

Please PM me if you are willing. I live near Lowell, MA (near NH-MA line).

Thanks.

Hi Vic,I just sent my Fireview back last Friday.I recieved a check minus tranportation charges yesterday.Woodstock is the best company I've ever dealt with,honest and to their word.Go with the Fireview.If it doesn't work out you have a six month return policy.I haven't heard of other companies doing that.If you buy their stove and it doesn't work out your stuck with it.Go Woodstock !

 

[Rich L]

I'm most likely going to upgrade my Homestead for next season. The Homestead is a good stove, but I'd like more for my house. As I've stated here before, I'm thinking Mansfield, Heritage, or Woodstock Fireview. I'd like to see a Fireview burn in action. Anyone live near me that would be willing to see a Fireview burning in Feb or March?

Obviously the pluses of that stove have been mentioned here often, but I have a couple of concerns. For example, I want to see the CAT in action. Some have mentioned that the fire is not very visible or prominent when the CAT is engaged. A large part of why I got a stove is to see a cool fire show most of the time. I'd also like to look at how the stove sits in the room and generally ask lots of other questions.

Please PM me if you are willing. I live near Lowell, MA (near NH-MA line).

Thanks.

Gee Vic I just sent mine back yesterday.I'm in Medford too.the Fireview is a beautiful stove.It was just too small for my home.It has a splendid view of the fire.If you want more heat and your house is large the Fireview may only do the job if your house is well insulated.Mine is very drafty so I went with a much larger stove.However the Mansfield is more powerful if you have a good draft put a pipe damper in.I'm getting about 12hrs.of usable heat with mine after adding a pipe damper.It also has has a good view of the fire.

OT... Rich, how is the BKK working out with the warmer temps? What kind of times are you getting out of it at the lower settings?

Hey Wet1,I was away from home yesterday for 14 hours.The stove was still producing heat with a bed of coals and two splits still intact.I still haven't taken this stove to it's limit however I'm happy with the way things are.It's amazing how much longer the Blaze King burns than other Catalytic stoves.These folks definitely know how to get results.What's wrong with the other companies ?

 

[Wet1]

Thanks for the update Rich, I'm sold.

 

[Vic99]

Chief,

Nice set up. Woodstock sure does make an attractive looking stove.


Rich,

Obviously I'm leaning toward the Woodstock. The factory trip will help me make a realistic decision and yes, I'm banking on money back guarentee if the stove doesn't work out. There's always the Mansfield, but I'd rather not have it dominate the room.

Even if I don't go with the stove, I expect it to be a fun trip.

 

[Rich L]

Chief,

Nice set up. Woodstock sure does make an attractive looking stove.


Rich,

Obviously I'm leaning toward the Woodstock. The factory trip will help me make a realistic decision and yes, I'm banking on money back guarentee if the stove doesn't work out. There's always the Mansfield, but I'd rather not have it dominate the room.

Even if I don't go with the stove, I expect it to be a fun trip.

Vic is your house tight?If so the Fireview may be all you need.Your trip should be fun.I went on a 4hr trip to Maine to pick up the blaze king and it was a beautiful ride.

 

[Vic99]

Rich,

I consider my house to have average insulation:

r-19 fiberglass in the floor, r-50 ish in the attic (mostly fiberglass with 3 inches of cellulose on top), walls are varied (fiberglass in some, cellulose in others, some are a mystery - so I assume nothing. Half of my windows are new. None are drafty. This summer I plan to gut the mystery walls on the first floor and at least improve the insulation, perhaps using closed celled spray foam.

I also want to knock down a non-load baring wall to improve heat circulation on the first floor.

I will not run 2 stoves. I love using a stove, but one is all I care to manage.

 

[Rich L]

Rich,

I consider my house to have average insulation:

r-19 fiberglass in the floor, r-50 ish in the attic (mostly fiberglass with 3 inches of cellulose on top), walls are varied (fiberglass in some, cellulose in others, some are a mystery - so I assume nothing. Half of my windows are new. None are drafty. This summer I plan to gut the mystery walls on the first floor and at least improve the insulation, perhaps using closed celled spray foam.

I also want to knock down a non-load baring wall to improve heat circulation on the first floor.

I will not run 2 stoves. I love using a stove, but one is all I care to manage.

Wow Vic,my house has hardly none of that insulation which means next to nothing.This is why I've had such a hard time heating this wagon.I can't wait till spring I'm going to go gut wall and ceiling crazy.After I'm finished it won't matter how cold it gets next winter I'm going to be toasty.Vic I was thinking that you should get that Fireview asap to see how it operates in your home while we still have some cold weather coming. If it does better but not enough for you it can be returned for your refund minus shipping of course and you can move up to the Mansfield.If you wait it'll be too warm to see it in real action and you'll have to wait till next winter to test it.By then the six month return policy would have ended.

 

[Vic99]

Insulation, fitted tightly, can make a big difference. I advise weather stripping and caulking first, attacking the attic second, and then the walls . . . if everything else is equal.

I plan to buy a stove in July. Since I'm venting out of the top instead of out of the back of the stove, it makes sense to get the stove when I start tearing apart walls. Plus my contractor buddy can help me install it. I should have a pretty good sense of whether the stove will do the trick in December- early January.

 

[Adios Pantalones]

Going on this tour with Vic- should be fun except for riding in a car with the bahhstid.

Vic- do you run any fans in cold weather? That room with the stove gets mighty warm, maybe just a little help moving the cold air into that room would even out the heat for you. What a great looking stove that is!

 

[Vic99]

Last night there was a ceiling fan running on medium in the stove room. The kitchen and dining room also each had a ceiling fan running on low. Because it was so warm yesterday, and because of all the heavy breathing done by all of yous, the stove room was running between 77-79 (there was a thermometer over your head) ;-)

Kitchen and dining room were each at 70 . . . all of which is typical on a warmer day with all those people . . . . and not pushing the stove.

When you sit at the bottom of the stairs putting shoes on, you can feel the cool air from upstairs spilling over your back. But the thermometer at the top of the stairs yesterday read 74.

When I knock that wall down, I hope the heat will be a bit more even.

That said I am open to moving more air into that room that does not involve a lot of noise. I think the wall demo will help.

 

[Hiram Maxim]

Vic, you are right. There are plenty of people with Fireview stoves and 2000 sq. ft. or more and are very happy.

As for the flame you want to enjoy. It is all with the setting of the draft and, naturally, the wood that you burn. Once you learn how to get that dancing flame, you'll really enjoy that show. When you go to bed at night and turn the draft way down, you may get up later and think the fire is out because you only see a glow at the top of the glass. If you bend down and look up at the top of the glass, you can then see the fiery red cat glowing nicely. But it is really weird not seeing any fire or even hot coals but you look and see the stove top temperature is 600 degrees. That is weird, but very nice.

I also agree, go up to Woodstock and see the whole thing and ask tons of questions. If there is a certain person you want to talk to, ask ahead of time to be sure that person will be there. Most are very good but I really like talking to Mike. I've also talked to a couple guys who build the stoves. They are very helpful and will bend over backwards to assist you in any way they can. But don't look for a lot of high pressure sales people. They are not, or was not when I bought mine.

Good luck to you.

Gull darn it Dennis! Your getting me interested in your Stove.

After our wood consumption comparison your pushing me towards a Woodstock for my next heating appliance.

 

[Highbeam]

Vic. Be careful. The fireview is rear vent ONLY. Some of the even smaller woodstocks can be top vented but then cat access suffers. If not for the rear flue I bet the rear clearance for the fireview could be much smaller. The superior cat access is worth dealing with a rear flue I think.

 

[Vic99]

Yes, I'll have to ask about that. Since I've been burning for 2 seasons, I think I'll be bringing more info about my set-up than needed . . . but I want to get it right.

I'll actually be going up to the factory early next week, not this weekend. I'll be sure to post a follow up. Mr. No Pants will be accompanying me, which means I'll have to listen to all his stories on the car ride up again. Gah.

 

[Rich L]

Insulation, fitted tightly, can make a big difference. I advise weather stripping and caulking first, attacking the attic second, and then the walls . . . if everything else is equal.

I plan to buy a stove in July. Since I'm venting out of the top instead of out of the back of the stove, it makes sense to get the stove when I start tearing apart walls. Plus my contractor buddy can help me install it. I should have a pretty good sense of whether the stove will do the trick in December- early January.

Vic if you buy the Fireview in July and it doesn't work once December rolls around your six months will be up in October and thus no return policy.

 

[Vic99]

I'm sorry, I'm missing something. Six months after July is January.

 

[Rich L]

I'm sorry, I'm missing something. Six months after July is January.

Pardon me Vic,it was I who was missing something.You're correct six months after July is January however they'll start the count from the date in July you purchase the stove so your six months may be up sometime in December.Still enough time to tell if it's what your looking for.

 

[pinewoodburner]

I'm sorry, I'm missing something. Six months after July is January.

Pardon me Vic,it was I who was missing something.You're correct six months after July is January however they'll start the count from the date in July you purchase the stove so your six months may be up sometime in December.Still enough time to tell if it's what your looking for.

I belive the 6 months starts with delivery of the stove. I purchased mine with the sale they had last May, great price and free shipping, and had it shipped close to the latest date allowed by the sale, late June, so my 6 months was up this last Christmas.