What a Hybrid Wood Fire Looks Like!

Woodstock introduced the first hybrid wood stove
in the USA in 2011

The pictures of a Progress Hybrid below just came in last week from a new customer in Pennsylvania.  The pictures show one thing that many of our customers like about our hybrid stoves - there’s a lot of flame activity, especially at the top of the firebox where secondary combustion occurs.  The flame activity can be quite mesmerizing, and can also be adjusted by changing the amount of air feeding the fire.

Hybrid Secondary Combustion Flames:  they occur at the top of the firebox, where we introduce combustion air to ignite exhaust gasses.

...Through The Wood...

“ Over the River and Through the Wood” is a famous line from “The New-England Boy’s Song about Thanksgiving Day”.  The poem was originally published in the book “Flowers for Children”, depicting a story about a family riding in a sleigh on their way to

Side Panel

Grandfather’s house for a Thanksgiving dinner.  The poem weaves a scene of a child’s delight for the fun and festivities of the season.

Our November Steal of the Month will delight your family with artwork of the season; a full moon shining down on a cozy homestead in the woods, a buck nearby in the birch trees with newly fallen snow; all images that surely capture the essence of the season.

Andirons

You and your family will enjoy the more than 60,000 BTU’s of heat output that our Ideal Steel Hybrid provides, while watching the red and gold flames of the fire. Your Ideal Steel Hybrid wood stove is not only warming your home, but it is also super efficient and has exceptionally low emissions.

Enjoy your holiday season by enhancing your home with our November Steal of the Month “Through

Burners

the Wood” artwork collection on your new Ideal Steel Hybrid wood stove.  Warm up your home with while saving money on this special offer.  Our customer service representatives are ready to answer any questions or take an order. You can call us Monday through Saturday 9-5 Eastern time at 1-800-866-4344.

Don’t wait, when November is gone, this special deal will be ‘over the river and through the wood’.

Navajo Testing is Complete!

Navajo Beta Stove

A little over a year ago, we started working on a design for a clean-burning wood/coal stove for use in the Navajo Nation, located at the “4 corners” where Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado and Utah meet.  In February, 2017, we installed a series of “beta” stoves in Navajo homes on the reservation, as well as test homes here in New Hampshire.  An early test model is pictured here.  The stove has undergone significant changes, which we will detail in subsequent posts.

We finished with the design development last summer, and recently completed testing for EPA certification, and a listing to UL 1482.  Those test reports have been submitted, and we hope to have approvals before the end of the year.

The stove is a hybrid wood stove (with secondary combustion and a catalyst), and an underfire coal stove (with significant secondary combustion).  Part of the design challenge was converting the airflow from wood to coal.  

Model of Airflow in the Navajo Coal/Wood Stove

The average weighted emissions for wood was 1.048 grams per hour, with efficiency of 79.43%.  Average emissions with coal was 4.95 grams/hour, with efficiency of 59.7%.  We sacrificed quite a bit of efficiency to clean up the coal emissions.

It is a small stove, with a firebox of just 1.15 cubic feet and heat output of 15,332 – 27,294 BTU/hr burning wood, and 7,741 – 10,189 BTU/hr burning coal.

More details in the coming days...

Celebrating World Turtle Day - May 23rd

World Turtle Day is May 23^rd.  Who knew? – We do, and now you do too.

World Turtle Day is a global celebration of these amazing creatures.  In some areas, folks even dress up as turtles for this special occasion.  Here at the Woodstock Soapstone Company, in honor of World Turtle Day, we are dressing up our Ideal Steel Hybrid wood stove with a turtle design for the May Ideal Steel Steal of the Month.    

Ideal Steel Burners

The American Tortoise Rescue sponsor World Turtle Day.

Ideal Steel Side Medallion 

Ideal Steel Tool Hanger

This day was created to promote awareness, and to advocate for humane treatment of all animals, including reptiles. Since its inception in 1990, the ATR has placed thousands of tortoises and turtles into caring homes and rehabilitation centers.  Now you can place an Ideal Steel Hybrid wood stove with the Turtle Steal of the Month Design in your home.

Ideal Steel Andirons

Turtles are a symbol of protection, longevity, and endurance. Like the turtle, our Ideal Steel Hybrid wood stove will provide enduring protection from a cold winter, with low emissions and high fuel efficiency.

Unlike the Turtle, slow and steady is not the best way to get an Ideal Steel Hybrid wood stove into your home.  Sooner is better!  Don’t miss this Ideal Steel Steal of the Month opportunity.  Get to the phone and call us at 1-800-866-4344, or reserve your stove by using our online reservation form.  Be sure to take advantage of this Ideal Steel Steal of Month before the end of May to get this great price on a fabulous stove.

Ideal Steel Tools

Flowers and Water, Not Your Average Wood Stove

Blue Water Lily

 Water lilies grow in all climates, all over the world, from tropical to temperate. And, just as the water lily can survive in the rugged terrain of Northern Canada and Alaska, our Ideal Steel Hybrid Wood Stove will enable you to survive the cold when the harsh winter weather arrives in your neighborhood.

Water Lily Center and Side Burners

So, we figured since the Water Lily is July’s birth flower, symbolizing enlightenment, strength, and toughness, it just naturally belongs on our Ideal Steel Hybrid Wood Stove.  This makes the Water Lily the obvious choice for our July Ideal Steel Hybrid Steal of the Month. 

Water Lily Side Medallion 

Like the Water Lily is strong, so too is our Ideal Steel Hybrid Wood Stove.  Strong, robust, and industrious, while maintaining low emissions for a cleaner environment, the Ideal Steel Hybrid Wood Stove exemplifies the Woodstock Soapstone Company’s standard of excellence.

Take advantage of our July Steal of the Month, and appreciate the warmth of our Ideal Steel Hybrid Wood Stove, while enjoying the beauty of the hardy water lily.

Water Lily Andirons

Oops! Our Apologies...

Oops!  We must apologize.  Our website was recently hacked, and many of our valued customers may have received undesirable results when accessing or searching our site on Memorial Day, and the day after.  We like to think of ourselves as “hot” but perhaps not in the manner that was depicted during the hacking. 

The situation is back under control, and we sincerely hope you will continue to visit us, either on the internet, on the telephone, or in person. 

If you are unable to visit in person, do check back soon for an update on the next Absolute Steel Hybrid Woodstoves that are in production.  We are fabricating the Foursquare and Prairie Wheat models now; we are anticipating they will be ready for shipping soon – perhaps as soon as next week!

Absolute Steel Prairie Wheat

It is a busy time here at the Woodstock Soapstone Company, the Great Plain and Simple Prairie are up next, we are predicting they will be ready in the next few weeks. 

Take a Tour of the Absolute Steel Hybrid

Absolute Steel - Charcoal & Brown

Our new Absolute Steel Hybrid Stove is shipping, and we think now is a good time to give you a tour of what is going on - both inside, and outside.

Absolute Steel - Soapstone Lined Firebox

The Absolute Steel Hybrid has a firebox that is completely lined with soapstone.  The stove has a large ash grate in the center of the floor of  the firebox. There are diagonal slots in the grate to make it easy to slide an ash rake across the surface.  

The firebox is 19” inches deep, from the soapstone inside the loading door, to the soapstone wall opposite the door.

the firebox.

Two removable andirons sit behind the front window.  They extend up above the firebrick 8” to 9” inches.  The front soapstone liner is tapered to direct the air-wash down into the coal bed.

Absolute Steel Decorative Front Panel

Moving along to the outside, the decorative front panel on the Absolute Steel Hybrid is held in place by a thick trim band (see picture).  The top has a complementary design on every model except the “Great Plain” (hence the name).  We will post additional color combinations shortly.     

Absolute Steel Top (Wildwood Model)

The metallic brown detail on a charcoal base is one combination we are particularly fond of.

Like her brother, the Ideal Steel Hybrid, the Absolute Steel Hybrid has a bypass damper that “interlocks” with the side loading door.  You have to open the bypass before you can open the loading door.

The loading door is completely lined with soapstone, so it feels like a bank vault door (strong and sturdy), and, more importantly, it makes the entire firebox completely lined in soapstone.  This lining helps to maintain high temperatures and insure complete combustion.   

Absolute Steel Loading Door

The first of many Absolute Steel Hybrid stoves has shipped today, it is an exciting time here at the factory.  Stay tuned for more pictures, more information, and more excitement!

Hybrid Clarifications

After our last hybrid email and blog post, we received requests for additional clarification about hybrid combustion. What is the difference between a hybrid stove and a stove with a catalytic combustor or secondary combustion?

Q&A about Hybrid Stoves

As a factory direct company, we get calls everyday with customers asking questions about our hybrid technology. If you are curious about hybrid technology but have not called, please read our Q&A addressing some of the most commonly asked questions, and be sure to comment below if you have a question that we have not addressed here.

Q . What is the biggest difference between the new hybrid stoves and the more traditional wood stoves made at the Woodstock Soapstone Company (the Fireview, Keystone and Palladian)?

Durafoil Steel Catalyst

A. The biggest difference is that hybrid technology allows us to achieve ultra-low emissions.  We developed hybrid stoves as part of a quest to achieve lower wood stove emissions. The traditional stoves (Fireview, Keystone and Palladian), are similar to a reliable, fuel-efficient, family sedan (think Honda Civic). The smaller fireboxes and stainless steel Durafoil catalysts allow our catalytic soapstone stoves to burn cleanly and have great low emissions performance.  The hybrids have bigger fireboxes and spectacular emissions performance at all outputs.

Nine years ago (in 2007) we started to research ways to make our stoves burn cleaner.  We knew that new EPA regulations were coming.  Our 2007 wood stoves (Fireview, Keystone, and Palladian) already met what are now the 2020 emissions standards, but we made them even better.  We improved the longevity and performance of the catalysts in these stoves by making them out of Durafoil.

But until we introduced the Progress Hybrid Stove in 2011, all wood stoves used either a catalytic combustor or a secondary combustion system to meet EPA emission standards.  By combining the two (catalytic combustor and secondary system) we were able to achieve efficient, low-emission burns throughout the entire burn range (low-medium-high) that were dramatic, consistent and predictable.

Q . What is the difference between catalytic combustion and secondary combustion? Is one better than the other, or better together?

A.The difference really comes down to the temperature needed for each system (catalytic system and secondary air system) to begin to clean up emissions.  A stainless steel catalytic combustor heats up very quickly and depending on conditions (wood, draft, operator) it can be engaged within minutes of loading the stove, or as soon as the internal temperature is around 400°. Catalytic stoves burn best at low to moderate burn rates, which tends to be the most common way to operate a wood stove for overnight and daytime burns while at work. Catalytic only stoves test with lower emissions and greater efficiency than their secondary air system counterparts, and do require periodic cleaning of the catalyst to work most effectively.

The secondary air system requires higher temperatures (between 1000-1100° internally) to start burning the combustible gases in the wood smoke. Most secondary air only stoves burn best at moderate to moderately high burn rates, when the internal temperature is at its peak. Due to the high temperature requirement, secondary air only stoves have a higher tested emissions level and a lower efficiency than catalytic style stoves.

If you combine these two separate means of lowering emissions and increasing efficiency, you have what we would consider the “Gold Standard”, a hybrid stove that will burn cleanly throughout all the variations in burn rates and customer operation.  Hybrid technology is uniquely effective at high burn rates where either system may struggle alone.  The hybrid design is also very effective with large firebox stoves, which can produce a large volume of combustible gas and particulates.

Cutaway view of the Progress Hybrid

Q . Are there differences, other than emissions, between the hybrid woodstoves and your traditional woodstoves?

One example of custom art for the Ideal Steel Hybrid

A.  Yes.  As part of the hybrid development process, we have developed ways to make our new hybrid stoves more efficient, more affordable, and customizable.  These are all “extra” benefits from doing extended R&D over the last nine years.

Focusing on combustion design to reduce emissions also helped us to make our stoves more efficient.  We discovered that we could make high performance stoves that were completely affordable if they were fabricated from steel rather than cast iron.  Then we realized that we could customize stoves made of steel, which would have been prohibitively expensive with cast iron. Plus, making stoves out of steel has the added benefit of being fully fabricated in our NH factory, which ties back into greater affordability and the ability to customize.

Q . Why are you promoting only the Hybrids during this sale?

A. Partly it’s to focus attention on the Absolute Steel Hybrid, which we are introducing during this promotion.  We’ve made a big commitment of time, energy, and resources to cleaning up wood burning technology, so of course we want to talk about it and of course, we want to keep improving our combustion designs.