Kodiak woodstove

[Banjo picker]

My stove was make by Alaska Company Inc. Tested in 11/7/1980.  The model is Large Fireplace Insert.  The plate on it says test standards UL 1482.  We bought it new.  I have replaced one glass, that a stick of wood with a knot broke when it rolled over.  I have also replaced the fire brick two times.  (The last just a few weeks ago)  This stove still looks brand new even though its over 25 years old.  It is built like the proverabal tank.

Question what would be the efficency rating of this stove.  I checked the past posts and only found one member that posted about one.  Its having to work a little harder to keep the house warm this morning ( 9 degrees) but this is as cold as its been here in 5 or 6 years.

I know there are better stoves out there now but I was just wondering how this one stacked up against them mathamatically.  Tim

[Warbird]

Does it have a catalyst or a 'reburning' type of system?
Do you have a fresh air intake piped directly to it, for combustion air?

Inserts usually do not get a very good rating but I've seen the odd one with fairly good numbers.  Why do you want to know?  If it's doing a good job, who cares what someone else says.  ;)

[Banjo picker]

No Warbird it don't have a catilitic converter.  They wern't manditory when it was made.

The air is supplied by two knobs that screw in or out one on each door.  They are at the bottom of the doors.

I was just wondering if the technology had made THAT much improvement down through the years.

It is stilll air tight.  Gasket has been changed a couple of time.  It can be raging in there, and you just close the knobs and you can see the fire die down.  It always holds fire through the night.  And I probably won't change it out unless there were some mighty big improvements.  It will probably outlast me . ;D  Tim

[Mr Mom]

Why do they call it air tight when there is a draft opening that lets air in??
Just a Question.
Thanks Alot Mr Mom

[isawlogs]

No stove can burn wood with out the air inlet ...  they all need oxygen to burn . Close the dampers and no air will get it , it is to control the fire  or amount of...  ;)

[Warbird]

Well, it'd be pretty hard to come up with an actual efficiency number for you.  I'll dig around later today if I have time and see if anything turns up.  2 large factors in determining efficiency in a wood burner are the questions I asked.

Piping combustion air from outside directly to the stove keeps it from drawing air from inside your house.  If it draws from house air then what happens is it creates a negative pressure in your home, resulting in cold air being sucked in around doors, windows, etc.  As you can imagine, this greatly reduces the overall efficiency.

Your insert may not have a place to hook up an air intake at.  I know of a couple of folks who have similar setups.  What they did is cut a vent in the floor near where the stove draws in its air.  They then piped that vent to the outside with dryer ducting or the like.  You can buy a decent vent insert that you can close and seal pretty well for when the stove is not in use.  It isn't the most ideal solution but at least any cold are being sucked into your house is right at the stove.

I'll let you know if I can dig up any numbers later.  Hope this is helpful.

[SamB]

Why do they call it air tight when there is a draft opening that lets air in??
Just a Question.
Thanks Alot Mr Mom

My understanding of the term "air tight wood stove" is referring to ability to completely shut off the draft air intake. I'm not sure that is possible in the newer wood stoves due to EPA regulations and safety concerns of creosote build up. I'm still burning a mid 70's model Sierra and can shut the air down on it to the point of extinguishing the fire.

[Banjo picker]

Thanks Warbird,  I can see why outside air would be better.

Mr. Mom , I may have been wrong to call it an air tight stove.  I dont know if the company origanally said that or not.  But I know that you can shut it all the way down, an the flame will just die.   So it must be pretty much air tight right.

If they had put the air holes on the side instead of the doors, it would have been easy to adapt to an outside air sourse.  Tim

[Banjo picker]

Why do they call it air tight when there is a draft opening that lets air in??
Just a Question.
Thanks Alot Mr Mom

My understanding of the term “air tight wood stove” is referring to ability to completely shut off the draft air intake. I’m not sure that is possible in the newer wood stoves due to EPA regulations and safety concerns of creosote build up. I’m still burning a mid 70’s model Sierra and can shut the air down on it to the point of extinguishing the fire.

Thats what I was thinking , you posted while I was typing... ;D Tim

[sharp edge]

Warbird
How are you getting fresh air into the house? Zoneing here wants something like 2- 6" vents open to out side air, for power vents and fires (gas or Wood).

SE

[Warbird]

Warbird
How are you getting fresh air into the house? Zoneing here wants something like 2- 6" vents open to out side air, for power vents and fires (gas or Wood).

SE

*edit* We don't have fresh air inlets into the home currently.  Eventually, I want to get one of those HRV units but they are really expensive.

My stove has an air inlet on the back that allows direct connection of ducting.  Here is the ducting coming up out of the crawl space, behind our stove.  The ducting continues to the outside crawlspace wall, where I have a nice looking grate thing to keep critters out.



Here is the direct connection on the back of the stove.  I had to purchase the adapter piece to go from rectangle to round (if memory serves, it is a 3" round).  The stove is a Blaze King - "King Ultra". 



And for your viewing pleasure, here is the front of the beast:

[wampum]

Actually use to sell the kodiak. The guy that started to make them,I believe worked for the Fisher stove company and I believe they are a knock off of the Fisher. I also sold the Fisher and the Riteway. Fisher was my biggest seller,and was just a little better in quality. neither had a gasket,but both closed down pretty tight. I still have a Mama bear fisher in the basement. I have a newer(3 year old) Woodstock in the living room. The fisher gets hotter and stays in longer then the Woodstock. Mainly because the fisher holds more wood and the woodstock has soapstone sides. I like them both,The woodstock sure is a lot prettier and I can watch the fire with out opening the doors.

[logwalker]

Banjo Picker,

If you burn the old stoves at wide open they are hitting maybe 65%. But when you shut them down they go down to around 30%. With a modern secondary burn they hit closer to 75% or 80% at the lower settings. They achieve this by introducing air into a secondary chamber lined with a layer of firebrick and the wood gas that was going up the chimney in the form of smoke is ignited and puts out an amazing amount of heat without running through the wood too quickly. You will burn less wood and wake up to a warmer house. Less particulates in the air also.

You can retrofit some older stoves by welding some tabs up in the firebox to set a steel tray on. Then put firebrick on the shelf. Get a titanium tube about 1.25" and slide it snugly over two stubs that are welded to the sidewalls of the upper chamber near the front.  Then drill small holes through the sidewalls in the stubs to the outside for air. The titanium tube has a series of 1/8" holes about a 1/2" apart in a line along it's length. When you shut the vents below on a hot fire the draft will pull air thru the tube and inject it into the upper chamber and you will get secondary burn. It is quite simple in principle but you need a few fabrication skills to do it.

Clear as mud, right?

Joe

[Banjo picker]

Banjo Picker,

If you burn the old stoves at wide open they are hitting maybe 65%. But when you shut them down they go down to around 30%. With a modern secondary burn they hit closer to 75% or 80% at the lower settings. They achieve this by introducing air into a secondary chamber lined with a layer of firebrick and the wood gas that was going up the chimney in the form of smoke is ignited and puts out an amazing amount of heat without running through the wood too quickly. You will burn less wood and wake up to a warmer house. Less particulates in the air also.

You can retrofit some older stoves by welding some tabs up in the firebox to set a steel tray on. Then put firebrick on the shelf. Get a titanium tube about 1.25" and slide it snugly over two stubs that are welded to the sidewalls of the upper chamber near the front.  Then drill small holes through the sidewalls in the stubs to the outside for air. The titanium tube has a series of 1/8" holes about a 1/2" apart in a line along it's length. When you shut the vents below on a hot fire the draft will pull air thru the tube and inject it into the upper chamber and you will get secondary burn. It is quite simple in principle but you need a few fabrication skills to do it.

Clear as mud, right?

Joe

Joe, this Kodiak already has a shelf in it.  It has a tab on each side and one on the back.  Now it fits snugly along the back and come not hardly but close to half way to the front, there is about 3 to 4 inches between it and the top of the stove.

I think you are saying maybe make a bigger shelf, stack fire brick on it and drill a hole out the side of the insert and put a pipe in it (with the aforementioned holes).  I could even vent that to the outside as Warbird posted about.

Question--could the pipe be stainless steel?  I have some of that on hand. 

One other thing I didn't mention.  It has a double back and top so a blower can be used if you can stand the racket.  Any one know about any quiet ones?

[logwalker]

Stainless would be better than mild steel. The tube should be just above the front of the shelf. The tube stubs and crosstube should be the same diameter and slip sleeves over the ends with stainless cotter pin to make the tube replaceable. It will burn up or sag badly with time. The pins will index the tube so the holes point down and back at a 45º angle. The shelf sounds like it will work as built. Just need room for the brick above it.

To install the stubs I would consider using a hole saw and insert them and weld from the outside. But the double wall sides would complicate it.

In operation you will need to get the stove hot enough first, 45 minutes or approximately so. Then shut the air vent almost down but not completely. If you have glass doors it is easy to see the secondary burn. You can see the air being injected into the hot gas and it looks exactly like a propane gas burner. Waves of flame wash down across the glass to the coals below. The wood slowly chars and feed the process. Your wood load will last hours longer if all works as planned.

There are no quiet fans. That is why I went to floor hydronic on my owner built home. Tarm gasifier boiler in the shop feeding the whole place.

Joe

[Banjo picker]

Thanks Joe I got whole picture in my mind now.  I will do that come spring.  Don't seem like a lot to do really.  It don't have double sides just top and back.  Tim

Actually use to sell the kodiak. The guy that started to make them,I believe worked for the Fisher stove company and I believe they are a knock off of the Fisher. I also sold the Fisher and the Riteway. Fisher was my biggest seller,and was just a little better in quality. neither had a gasket,but both closed down pretty tight. I still have a Mama bear fisher in the basement. I have a newer(3 year old) Woodstock in the living room. The fisher gets hotter and stays in longer then the Woodstock. Mainly because the fisher holds more wood and the woodstock has soapstone sides. I like them both,The woodstock sure is a lot prettier and I can watch the fire with out opening the doors.

The Kodiak does have a gasket and glass in the doors.  If it was a knock off maybe they made it better. ;D  Tim