Outdoor Wood Furnace Info

Outdoor Furnaces - Manufacturers with NON EPA-Certified Models Only => RidgeWood Stoves, defunct, support only => Topic started by: intensedrive on November 15, 2017, 10:00:52 PM

Title: Ridgewood owners how is your stove doing?
Post by: intensedrive on November 15, 2017, 10:00:52 PM
Just wanted to post to see how everyone's stove is holding up?  How many are still running, or swapped it out.  Things seem ok here, burns a ton of wood.  I found the key to long burns is load the wood heavily to the back, much as you can get.  Took me a season or two to realize this.  The baffle under the chimney doesnt reflect enough heat down, and the wood to the front doesnt last long.  I think most of the heat goes straight up.  I have had many issues in the past, would like to keep a open discussion at least on dealing with what we got.  As the old saying goes do the best with what you got.
Title: Re: Ridgewood owners how is your stove doing?
Post by: Roscoe on November 18, 2017, 02:32:37 AM
Got rid of the solenoid eater after one season. Best thing I ever did! Guy who bought it is still running it and hasn't developed cracks.........yet
Title: Re: Ridgewood owners how is your stove doing?
Post by: Banna on November 19, 2017, 08:04:48 AM
We are on our forth year, and it has worked fine. I need a new door gasket, I tried the WD-40 trick but no luck.

Ours works good for our climate, Tennessee. I would think it might fall short in a colder part of the country.

I will try putting some wood in the back of the fire box, I have always loaded it toward the front.
Title: Re: Ridgewood owners how is your stove doing?
Post by: ridgeman on November 22, 2017, 07:50:27 AM
On the 4th year here with the 6000. First year went through half a dozen solenoids and 2 aquastats... Fixed the cracked firebox 2 years ago and had it recrack, so I totally cut the old face off and  separated it with new plate. So far so good. Its really a work horse even for as cold as it gets here in Great Lakes region. Once you get all the bugs worked out lol
Title: Re: Ridgewood owners how is your stove doing?
Post by: U.P. Doug on November 23, 2017, 08:59:24 AM
On my forth year, welded the cracks to get through last year then removed the front of the firebox and replaced with 3/8 plate. Been running for 3 weeks or so and working great. Really been happy with the stove, except the poor design of the front of the firebox that I fixed. Still on my original solinoid, must be lucky I guess.
Title: Re: Ridgewood owners how is your stove doing?
Post by: Chicken farmer on December 02, 2017, 07:43:07 PM
On my fourth year. Minimal trouble last year. No issues so far this year.
Title: Re: Ridgewood owners how is your stove doing?
Post by: intensedrive on December 03, 2017, 11:21:31 PM
I suggested large amounts of wood stacked to the back of the boiler for large burn times in cold weather, with a smaller stack in front.  Can anyone relate to my method?
Title: Re: Ridgewood owners how is your stove doing?
Post by: Chicken farmer on December 07, 2017, 06:59:38 PM
I just fill it front to rear and check it twice a day when burning hard.
Title: Re: Ridgewood owners how is your stove doing?
Post by: braveblaster on December 10, 2017, 05:25:23 PM
Third year of use and thank God and knock on wood everything is working as day one. No a single blemish, issue or problem at all. Have gotten excellent response from Tim at Ridgewood every time I've contacted them. I am happy, am blessed.

As far as loadin -- what I noticed provides me with the best burning cycle is to NOT overload the firebox with so much wood. I now know exactly how much wood would take me through the night and for at least 12 hours.
Title: Re: Ridgewood owners how is your stove doing?
Post by: Banna on December 11, 2017, 05:53:48 AM
I have been guilty of overloading the fire box, sometimes less is better.
Title: Re: Ridgewood owners how is your stove doing?
Post by: Chas on December 18, 2017, 08:50:04 PM
5th season with my 6000. Fixed the crack problem before last season...so far so good. On my 2nd solenoid. Still working good and saving me money
Title: Re: Ridgewood owners how is your stove doing?
Post by: braveblaster on December 22, 2017, 07:47:55 PM
5th season with my 6000. Fixed the crack problem before last season...so far so good. On my 2nd solenoid. Still working good and saving me money
What year did your crack show up?

This is my third year and no signs of cracks yet knock on wood and thank God!
Title: Re: Ridgewood owners how is your stove doing?
Post by: Chas on January 11, 2018, 04:44:33 AM
I found them after 3rd season. I'm not sure when it actually cracked.
Title: Re: Ridgewood owners how is your stove doing?
Post by: tinfoilhat2020 on January 11, 2018, 07:01:05 PM
minus the poor design on the front, they seem to be solid stoves...lots of them in my area. farm down the road runs Dual 7500's...pretty cool
Title: Re: Ridgewood owners how is your stove doing?
Post by: KevinSantelik on January 15, 2018, 09:45:21 AM
Halfway through my first season with my 6000,  I burn about 1/3 cord a week, loaded in the back for the best burn times, mixed hardwood. 

I'm curious of the age of my boiler,  I bought it in 2016, from a guy in MI, named Craig who said he had been using it for a couple of years.  The reason I am curious is that there are 4 gusset plates on the interior of the boiler in the areas that it is prone to cracking,  I wonder if it manufactured this way, or it had cracked and been repaired. The solenoid hums, but everything else is working great.
Title: Re: Ridgewood owners how is your stove doing?
Post by: intensedrive on January 15, 2018, 09:20:48 PM
I thought Craig was one off the owners in the past, could be just a another guy same name.  Not bad on wood usage, in cold weather I burn full cord every 10 - 12 days.  How much home are you heating? New construction?
Title: Re: Ridgewood owners how is your stove doing?
Post by: KevinSantelik on January 16, 2018, 08:06:49 AM
My home was built in 68, fully remodeled in 90's (needs to be redone again)
2k SF on the main level and a full finished basement, keep the stat at 70*, also heat the dhw, and a 1500sf garage with radiant,  keep the garage set for 65* but its been staying in the mid 40's with this cold snap we all been seeing.

I installed using the rehau pipe, buried as deep as my septic would allow,  Hit a lateral when I was trenching  :o
Title: Re: Ridgewood owners how is your stove doing?
Post by: tinfoilhat2020 on January 16, 2018, 09:43:07 PM
My home was built in 68, fully remodeled in 90's (needs to be redone again)
2k SF on the main level and a full finished basement, keep the stat at 70*, also heat the dhw, and a 1500sf garage with radiant,  keep the garage set for 65* but its been staying in the mid 40's with this cold snap we all been seeing.

I installed using the rehau pipe, buried as deep as my septic would allow,  Hit a lateral when I was trenching  :o

That's rough!! did it damage it much??? Good call on using the Rheau pipe, I used the 1 1/4 inch myself...that's some tough crap!
Title: Re: Ridgewood owners how is your stove doing?
Post by: KevinSantelik on January 19, 2018, 12:52:10 PM
No, not much damage to the septic tile, fortunately it was clay tile and I just skimmed the top of the pipe, I only noticed I hit it after I was cleaning out the trench with the shovel. I used some of the sticky backed asphalt flashing material to cover the hole,  I applied 3 layers of this and put a couple shingles over the pipe to protect any rocks/ soil from putting too much pressure on the patch.
Title: Re: Ridgewood owners how is your stove doing?
Post by: Dawnpatrol on March 07, 2018, 08:26:57 AM
5th year with my 6000. First year went through a solenoid and an aquastat. No cracks and I’m very happy with it.
I can’t read the numbers on the aquastat and i wanna replace it, again, anyone know if the “Love Controller” on eBay will work? They are about 68$ shipped.
Title: Re: Ridgewood owners how is your stove doing?
Post by: E Yoder on March 07, 2018, 10:26:10 AM
https://www.amazon.com/Inkbird-All-Purpose-Temperature-Controller-Fahrenheit/dp/B00OXPE8U6 (https://www.amazon.com/Inkbird-All-Purpose-Temperature-Controller-Fahrenheit/dp/B00OXPE8U6)

https://www.amazon.com/Dwyer-Digital-Temperature-Display-Voltage/dp/B009P8K3DM/ref=sr_1_1?s=industrial&ie=UTF8&qid=1520443469&sr=1-1&keywords=ts2%2Bcontroller&th=1 (https://www.amazon.com/Dwyer-Digital-Temperature-Display-Voltage/dp/B009P8K3DM/ref=sr_1_1?s=industrial&ie=UTF8&qid=1520443469&sr=1-1&keywords=ts2%2Bcontroller&th=1)

I've used both of these to control various furnaces. Not sure how your old controller mounted, these require a rectangular slot to clip into.
The inkbird one comes with a probe, the love control you buy it separately.