Woodstock Soapstone Fireview User manual

OPERATION
Prior to operating your new Fireview woodstove, please refer to “Setting up your stove” on page 11, located in the
Installation portion of the manual.
Seasoning Your Stove
Both soapstone and cast iron need to be seasoned. The seasoning can be accomplished through a series of small to
moderate fires. Your Woodstock Soapstone Stove is an easy stove to season, because even a small fire will provide hours
of radiant heat once the stove is warm. There are two things you will notice during the first fire:
First, there will be a hot, acrid smell as the stove heats up. This smell is a result of the paint on the cast iron curing.
You will want to have your first fire on a day when you can open the windows in the house to provide adequate
ventilation. Fortunately, the odor is non-toxic and will only be present for the first few fires.
econd, there will be some condensation on the glass. This condensation is a result of
moisture being driven out of the furnace cement in the stove, and condensing on the inner
surface of the glass. It takes a couple of small fires to season the stove and remove this excess
moisture.
After the first few fires, the texture and grain of the stone may become slightly more
pronounced, and the color may deepen slightly.
Starting a Fire and Establishing Proper Draft
THI I IMPORTANT: Check the Draft Before You Light The tove:
Before you light your stove, it is a good idea to check the draft. If you experience a down
draft (cool air moving down the chimney), you will need to correct this before you light the
stove. Otherwise, you may get smoke in the house.
1. Open the catalytic bypass damper by pushing the lever with the black knob all the way
down. This will open the bypass door. (Fig. 1)
2. Push the air lever next to the side door all the way down to “4” to completely open the
air damper. With the lever in the down position, maximum air is allowed into the
firebox. (Fig. 2)
3. Always confirm there is adequate draft before lighting the fire. Hold a lit match or light
a small piece of newspaper in the top of the firebox, where smoke exits. If the flame is
drawn out of the firebox, toward the flue, proceed with lighting the fire. If the flame
stands still or is pushed away from the flue exit, you must establish a good draft before
lighting a fire. There are several ways of establishing a draft, below are a few suggestions:
A) You may be able to correct inadequate draft by opening a door or window in the room
where the stove is installed. Wait a minute or two, then light a match again in front of the
flue outlet. The flame should be pulled into the flue opening.
B) A hair dryer or heat gun pointed at the flue exit is a good way to establish draft
without creating a lot of smoke. After you think you have draft, re-test with a match.
C) Light rolled up newspaper and hold it under the bypass door at the back of the stove.
This should warm the chimney enough to establish proper draft.
Lighting the Fire
DO NOT U E ANDIRON OR A GRATE TO UPPORT WOOD. BUILD A FIRE
DIRECTLY ON THE BOTTOM OF THE FIREBOX.
1) Once good draft has been established, build a fire on the floor of the firebox. Do not use additional grates,
andirons, or any other methods to support the fuel in the firebox. Start with crumpled newspaper and dry
kindling.
2) Now light the newspaper. Once it catches, you may leave the door open 1/4 to 1/2 inch for a few minutes to
promote air flow, but DO NOT forget to close it.
Always perform he “Ma ch Tes ”
before ligh ing your s ove. If you
ligh a ma ch and hold i in fron of
he flue exi , he flame will be
pulled in o he flue collar if here is
enough draf o ligh he s ove.
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Figure 1:
Open bypass by lowing
lever wi h he black knob
Figure 2:
Open air fully by lower-
ing air lever down o “4”.

3) Add small splits of firewood once the kindling has ignited. This will establish a bed of hot coals.
4) Add small to medium splits onto the hot coals. Assuming the wood is dry, the fire should spread through the
wood. After about 10 minutes, close the air damper down about half way between the “2” and “3” mark.
5)After the stove top temperature reaches 250°F or your single wall pipe temperature reaches 300-350°F, close the
bypass by lifting the lever with the black knob all the way up into the closed position. It will stop when the
bypass is fully closed. All of the smoke from the firebox will now pass through the catalytic combustor. The
combustor will generate a substantial amount of heat as it “burns” the smoke passing through it.
6) Adjust the air control damper to a lower setting, our recommendation is near the “1” mark. The closer the lever
is to the “0”, the lower the burn rate, as less air is entering the firebox. The final damper setting will be
determined by the desired heat output from the stove, the condition of the wood being burned, and the draft
through the chimney system.
NOTE: The above procedures, times, and positions are a guide. Your conditions will vary depending upon draft, wood
moisture and size, and weather conditions.
Engaging the Catalytic Combustor
The catalytic combustor will start to burn the gases and particles in the smoke when the
temperature of the smoke reaches approximately 500ºF (internally), or after about 10-15
minutes of establishing a strong fire. Each stove comes with a magnetic surface thermometer
and a probe thermometer to monitor your stove temperatures. The magnetic surface
thermometer will read approximately 1/2 the temperature inside the stove, so when the
surface thermometer on the stove top reads 250ºF, it is 500ºF inside. You will find that after
the combustor is engaged, surface temperatures will often rise considerably- evidence that
the combustor is producing lots of heat, and the pipe temperature will go down, indicating
less heat loss to your chimney!
The probe thermometer terminates within an inch of the catalytic combustor, and will
provide the temperature of gasses exiting the catalytic combustor. Temperatures above 500
degrees F indicate that the catalyst is working.
Engage the combustor by lifting the bypass handle (with the black knob) up until it clicks
into its upright position and then reduce the air damper to 1. You should see the bright
yellow flames slow down and become more orange in color. ake fine adjustments to your
damper (by moving it closer to 0 in 1/8 to 1/4 inch increments) until you achieve this slower
moving, darker flame. Closing the air damper all the way will provide a long, overnight
burn.
Low & Overnight Burning
These instructions are intended as a guide to operating your wood stove. Your timing and final damper settings will
vary depending on chimney draft, type of wood, moisture content of the wood, and size of the splits. The Fireview
model is simply designed and intended to be user friendly, but it will take some practice to get used to it.
1) Before you open the loading door, you must fully open the catalytic bypass and the air damper. Wait a minute or
so for a strong draft to be established to prevent smoke from spilling back into the room.
2) Stir up the hot coals. If necessary, excess ash should be removed before reloading the firebox. Dispose of the
ash properly. Never put an ash container on a combustible surface, like a wood floor.
3) Place several small splits on top of the hot coals and allow them to ignite.
4) Load the firebox to capacity, leaving space for secondary combustion, with a mix of larger and smaller splits.
Close the loading door and allow the pipe temperature to come back up to 300°-350°.
The amoun of combus ion air
available in he firebox is con rolled
by he air con rol lever.
When he combus or lever is up,
he combus or is in he “engaged”
posi ion. When he handle is down,
he combus or is “bypassed”.
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CAUTION
NEVER U E GA OLINE, LANTERN FUEL, KERO ENE, CHARCOAL LIGHTER FLUID, OR IMILAR LIQ-
UID , TO TART OR ‘FRE HEN UP’ A FIRE IN THI TOVE. KEEP ALL UCH LIQUID WELL AWAY
FROM THE TOVE WHILE IT I IN U E.

5) Adjust the air damper to a low setting by lifting the lever up.
6) Close the catalytic bypass, by lifting the lever with the black knob all the way up into the closed position. It will
stop when the bypass is fully closed.
7)Initially the fire may appear to die out. This may cause a small amount of soot to collect on the glass. Any
buildup on the glass should go away with higher t emperature burns
THE TOVE HOULD NEVER BE OPERATED WITH THE DRAFT DAMPER COMPLETELY OPEN EXCEPT
WHEN KINDLING A FIRE OR RELOADING THE TOVE. It should be “damped down” or partially closed as soon
as the fire has been kindled or, if the stove is being reloaded, as soon as the fire has been re-established.
NEVER BUILD A ROARING FIRE IN A COLD TOVE! It takes approximately 30-45 minutes to heat the soapstone
mass of the Fireview stove thoroughly. Any attempt to hurry this process and generate extremely high heat quickly
could result in damage to the cast-iron or to the soapstone. Your patience will be rewarded with hours of “stored”
warmth.
The Surface and Probe Thermometers
We recommend placing the surface thermometer 8”-10”above the flue collar on
single wall stove pipe if the stove is vented out the top. If you are reading the
single wall stove pipe temperature, the interior flue exhaust temperature is about
twice as hot. Since the 22 gauge sheet metal pipe is more reactive (faster heat
transfer) than the stove top, you will find you can engage the combustor sooner. We
recommend engaging your catalytic combustor once the pipe thermometer reaches
250°-300° F.
Once the combustor is engaged, you should see the stove surface temperature rise
and the pipe temperature drop, indicating catalytic combustor activity. From a cold
start it may take 30-45 minutes to get the stove up to temperature. If you are
reloading a hot stove, wait approximately 10-15 minutes before engaging the
combustor.
The thermometer is not a precise instrument – it will not tell you the exact
temperature inside the firebox or in the flue. If reading the surface temperature, the
thermometer will not register changes in temperature quickly due to the thickness
and heat retention of soapstone. We supply the thermometer to give you some idea of what is going on inside the stove,
and to provide a guide for operation.
TOVE TOP READING OPERATION
at or over 250º. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . OK to engage the combustor
400-600º. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Normal operating temperature
600-700º. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . High burn range
over 700º. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DO NOT burn in this range
The probe thermometer can be inserted into the port beside the flue collar in the rear of the stove. The probe
thermometer wll measure the temperature immediately downstream of the catalytic combustor. The sensing end of the
probe extends to within 1 inch of the face of the catalyst. The probe is calibrated from room temperature to 1700 degrees
F. The catalyst can be engaged as soon as the temperature on this probe exceeds 500 degrees F, or as soon as the
temperature on the pipe thermometer exceeds 250 degrees (see above). The best operating range for the catalyst is from
500 - 1400 degrees F. When the temperature on the probe thermometer exceeds 1400 degrees F, we recommend closing
the damper to prevent excessive heat from occuring
Overfiring
The cast iron parts in your Woodstock Soapstone Stove are of the finest quality. Each cast iron part is inspected by our
stove builders before it becomes part of a stove. However, cast iron is not indestructible. Experts have shown that cast
iron begins to oxidize (reddish or whitish discoloration) at 1400º F. Burning a stove frequently at excessive temperatures
is known as overfiring. When the surface temperature is consistently near or over 700º F, the stove has reached 1400º F
inside. Operation with temperatures in this range can lead to cast iron warping, becoming brittle, and eventually
deteriorating completely. Overfiring can also shorten the useful life of the catalytic combustor.
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Place he s ove op hermome er on he soap-
s one, in he cen er of he op of he s ove, over
he he ca alys , or on he firs 8-10” of single
wall s ove pipe.

Avoid overfiring by letting the combustor do most of the work in the stove. Your stove is operating at peak efficiency when
the combustor is “engaged”, with the damper lever set to a low to moderate setting, and the logs are glowing with some low
flames. You will get the greatest amount of heat per pound of wood when the stove is operated in this manner.
Daily Use
Your Fireview is well-suited for continuous firing on a 24 hour-a-day basis. It will burn for hours on one load of
wood, and will provide steady, even heat for hours after the fire dies down. When the temperature on top of the stove
drops below 250º during an all-night burn, it is not necessary to disengage the combustor. You need only disengage the
catalytic combustor when you kindle a fire, or reload the stove. Once the catalyst is ignited, it will continue to function
as long as there is smoke to burn. This is true even if the surface temperature on top of the stove drops below 250º at the
end of a long burn.
Your connector pipe and chimney, or chimney pipe, should be inspected at regular intervals (not less than once every
two months). Examine the connector pipe for creosote, corrosion, loose seams, or excessive soot. Clean and replace as
necessary. The chimney, or chimney pipe, should be cleaned and checked by a certified specialist once a year. A small
mirror held at the cleanout door of a masonry chimney will be helpful. For a class A prefabricated metal pipe, some
disassembly is usually required.
Ash Removal
Ashes must be removed through the side loading door, approximately every 5-7 days if the stove is in continuous
operation. You do not have to let the fire die out completely to remove the ashes, but the fire must be reduced to hot
coals. First make sure that both the catalytic bypass damper and the air control damper are open. This will increase the
draft and prevent smoke from entering the room. Open the side door and and move the hot coals to one side or the back
of the firebox. Scoop out the ashes that were underneath the coals, and then reverse the procedure. Leave some ash and
hot coals in the bottom of the stove to help rekindle a fire.
The Fall-Away Handle
The metal “fall-away” handle, which comes with your stove, can be used to operate
any of the three controls on the stove: 1)The side door latch, 2) The draft damper
control, and 3) The catalytic bypass handle.
The FORKof the handle should be used to turn the latch, to push the door closed, or
open and close the damper.
The LEG of the handle should be used to pull the door open or to move the
combustor bypass into position.
The “fall-away” handle conforms to UL requirements and is made so that if you let go
of it, it will “fall-away” from the stove and not become too hot to handle.
The fall-away handle may be used o
opera e he con rols on your s ove when
hey are oo ho o handle safely.
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A HE HOULD BE EMPTIED INTO A METAL CONTAINER WITH A TIGHT FITTING LID. THE CLO ED
CONTAINER OF A HE HOULD BE PLACED ON A NONCOMBU TIBLE FLOOR OR ON THE GROUND, WELL
AWAY FROM ALL COMBU TIBLE MATERIAL , PENDING FINAL DI PO AL. IF THE A HE ARE DI PO ED OF BY
BURIAL IN OIL OR OTHERWI E LOCALLY DI PER ED, THEY HOULD BE RETAINED IN THE CLO ED
CONTAINER UNTIL ALL CINDER HAVE THOROUGHLY COOLED. LIVE CINDER CAN TAKE 36 HOUR OR
LONGER TO COOL.
NEVER HOVEL A HE INTO A COMBU TIBLE CONTAINER LIKE A CARDBOARD BOX OR A PLA TIC BUCKET.
DO NOT U E A VACUUM CLEANER TO REMOVE A HE UNLE IT I PECIFICALLY DE IGNED FOR
WOOD TOVE A H REMOVAL. NEVER LEAVE A CONTAINER OF HOT A HE ON A WOOD FLOOR, PORCH, OR
ANY COMBU TIBLE URFACE.
DO NOT OVERFIRE THI WOOD TOVE!
ATTEMPT TO ACHIEVE HEAT OUTPUT RATE THAT EXCEED TOVE DE IGN PECIFICATION
CAN RE ULT IN PERMANENT DAMAGE TO THE TOVE AND TO THE CATALYTIC COMBU TOR.

Cooking
The soapstone top of your stove provides a good cooking surface for soups and stews or meals cooked in a Dutch
oven. The soapstone distributes heat evenly for long simmering, and the polished surface is a natural no-stick surface.
We do not recommend cooking directly on the stove top, as the surface will discolor. If the soapstone does discolor, it
can easily be restored by sanding lightly with 000 or 0000 steel wool.
Firewood
Your Woodstock Soapstone Stove is designed to burn seasoned, natural cordwood only.
Higher efficiency and lower emissions generally result when burning air-dried hardwoods, as
compared to soft woods or green, freshly cut hardwoods.
The moisture content of some trees may range as high as 50% – i.e., there is as much
moisture in the tree as there is wood. After wood has been stored for a year, the moisture
content will usually range from 15-25%. Splitting wood before it is stored will reduce drying
time, result in more even burning, and lessen the danger of water vapor condensing in the
chimney, creosote formation, and damage to the catalyst. It is safer and more efficient to burn
dry or seasoned cordwood than green or wet wood that smolders.
The advantages of burning dry wood are many. Dry wood is lighter, easier to split and easier
to carry. It is easier to light, produces more heat and generates less smoke. If you burn wet
wood some of the energy generated by the fire is used to drive moisture out of the wood,
rather than producing heat for you. Dry wood will maintain the highest combustor
temperatures and burn the most efficiently. Creosote is much less likely to form if you burn
dry wood.
DO NOT BURN treated or painted wood, coal, garbage, cardboard, solvents, colored paper,
or trash in your Woodstock Soapstone Stove. Coal and artificial logs burn much hotter than
wood and could cause damage, through overheating, to the cast iron or the soapstone panels.
Burning treated wood, garbage, solvents, colored paper or trash may result in the release of
toxic fumes and may poison or otherwise render the catalytic combustor ineffective.
Burning cardboard, loose paper, and trash will add significantly to ash and soot build-up, and it will not produce much
heat. Fly ash from improper fuel can also coat or plug the combustor, causing smoke spillage into the room.
Under normal operating conditions, the Woodstock Soapstone Stove is designed to last for generations. It is not,
however, designed for continuous over-firing, or firing with coal, artificial logs or trash.
DO NOT BURN!
• UNSEASONED WOOD
• TREATED/PAINTED WOOD
• GARBAGE
• CARDBOARD
• SOLVENTS
• COLORED PAPER
• TRASH
• LAWN CLIPPING
• RUBBER PRODUCTS
• PLASTICS
• PETROLEU PRODUCTS
• PAINT/PAINT THINNER
• ATERIALS CONTAINING ASBESTOS
• DRIFTWOOD
• ASPHALT PRODUCTS
• RAILROAD TIES
• ANURE/ANI AL RE AINS
• PLYWOOD/PARTICLE BOARD
Wood can be s ored and s acked
in a varie y of s ruc ures bo h
simple and complex. The key o
success is o keep he wood dry,
exposed o as much sunligh as
possible, and o s ack i in a way
which allows air o circula e
freely around i .
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