Woodstock Ideal Steel hybrid 210 problem

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Mar 29, 2024
4
New Hampshire
We bought this stove a couple years ago and it never worked properly. Installed by a reputable local company, who also did our chimney. Never threw heat, needed constant attention, and finally parts warped and broke inside.
The company rebuilt it, and told us they shouldn't be used in cellars!!??
Anyone else have this issue? Anyone else told their Model210 isn't supposed to be used in a basement?
Now it sits in the barn, on a pallet, all the money wasted .
Some background:
Our house was built in the 1700's, and it breaths, we have been burning wood in the cellar for 40 years with a variety of stoves and never had an issue.
Our wood is always a year old.
Thanks
 
That's nuts. That stove is reported to heat pretty well. If the wood is hardwood, then it may need 2 yrs seasoning, especially if it's oak or hickory.
 
How tall is the chimney and was it lined? If not what size is it.
 
May have needed a larger stove in the basement. Are the walls insulated?
stone basement with pointing, and poured concrete in addition.
Its definitely not 'tight", and should have been plenty of airflow.
None of the other stoves, Alpiner, papa Bear,
It was a large stove, and we put the old Alpiner back in, and it heats very well.
Wood was mixed rock maple and ash, so the year under cover dried it well.
just a bummer, from the poorly functioning stove to the companies attitude.
 
A modern stove will not run like the old pre-EPA stoves. Although it is somewhat counter-intuitive, a modern stove will not produce the most heat with the air wide open. Instead, wide open air will just send a lot of heat up the flue. Turning down the air increases the pull of the draft inside the stove. That vacuum then pulls air into the firebox via the secondary air supply. This fosters nuch more complete combustion in the firebox and in turn, a hotter stove. Wide open air all the time is a sure way to burn out the internals of the stove.

Also, if the basement walls are uninsulated, about one third of the heat is being lost thru the basement walls. Or in other words, one cord in three is going to heat the ground outside the basement walls.
 
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A modern stove will not run like the old pre-EPA stoves. Although it is somewhat counter-intuitive, a modern stove will not produce the most heat with the air wide open. Instead, wide open air will just send a lot of heat up the flue. Turning down the air increases the pull of the draft inside the stove. That vacuum then pulls air into the firebox via the secondary air supply. This fosters nuch more complete combustion in the firebox and in turn, a hotter stove. Wide open air all the time is a sure way to burn out the internals of the stove.

Also, if the basement walls are uninsulated, about one third of the heat is being lost thru the basement walls. Or in other words, one cord in three is going to heat the ground outside the basement walls.
we went by the numbers running it, and it never threw as much heat as the papa bear or Alpiner, which, now reinstalled, is doing the great job it always did.
We thought getting this new high tech stove would set us up for our final years here, less wood to haul, last longer than us etc.
but its been a real disappointment.
Not to mention the expense,they aren't cheap, and now what to do with it.
And to be told "it shouldn't be put in a basement" after the fact is poor customer service.
it assumes all basements are identical for breathing capacity.
The chimney id 20 feet, and the company that installed the stove did a new liner and check before they installed it, all was fine.
 
I agree that the CS rep was in error. The heat loss of the basement is still an issue. The Papa Bear can be stoked and eat a lot of wood, but that will not correct the heat loss issue.
 
Understood, but the rep was blaming the basement for being too tight, I'm hoping to hear from other owners with similar issues. i know of 2 more in our area.
 
A 1700s home is not going to be too tight...
 
Understood, but the rep was blaming the basement for being too tight, I'm hoping to hear from other owners with similar issues. i know of 2 more in our area.
That wouldn't warp the insides of a stove. Running it too hard will.