# Vermont Castings Reliance wood pellet stove - Thermocouple?



## Don2222 (May 22, 2012)

Hello

I saw a wood pellet stove for sale cheap.
It is a Vermont Castings Reliance wood pellet stove. I thought they only made wood, coal and gas stoves.

I see a pic of another one on hearth.com in the picture gallery. Very Pretty stove!
https://www.hearth.com/gall/v/PelletStoves/reliance.jpg.html

Anyways, the one for sale is a Vermont Castings and needs a Thermocouple

I also posted a picture of the one for sale down below.

So I called the Vermont Castings Tech Support in Randoph Vermont and talked to Chris.
Toll free # 1-877-863-4350
He was very nice when I asked him about it.
He stated they do not support them anymore and refer people to Woodman's Parts Plus for help in finding aftermarket replacement parts. The thermocouple was an expensive replacement item at approx $300. I called Woodman's and they had no cross reference so they do not sell that part!

The stove is a beautiful cast iron stove that ways approx 400 lbs.
They made two models:
2230 - approx 35K BTUs
3340 - approx 40K BTUs

He said they were made from Late 1991 to Early 1994 and had a service record of 60% / 40%
Which means 60% worked very well and you would not want one in the the 40% ! ! Lots of issues!

*Can another Thermocouple be adapted for cheap?*
Maybe a Quadrafire? > http://www.stove-parts-unlimited.com/Quadra_Fire_14_Thermocouple_p/812-4470.htm

I heard the interior and control board were made by Harman. That may explain why it looks like the Harman Accentra! The control board is a Harman f851A


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## SmokeyTheBear (May 22, 2012)

Don you need more information on what the thermocouple's specification was or in the alternative exactly what the control board expects for input.

ETA: You could talk to these folks and see if this is the correct part etc...

http://www.woodmanspartsplus.com/638791/products/Vermont-Castings-Thermocouple.html


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## Don2222 (May 22, 2012)

SmokeyTheBear said:


> Don you need more information on what the thermocouple's specification was or in the alternative exactly what the control board expects for input.


 
Hi Smokey

Yes, that is correct.

It could be a Thermocouple most of them are two wires and an T-Couple expert can tell sometimes by the color of the wires or it could be an RTD = Resistance Temperature Detector which is usually more than two conductors but can be 2 conductor..
Usually the Thermocouples are 100 Ohm Platinum and are usually Zero Ohms at 0 Deg C or 32 Deg F.

It is important to know the length and what type of sheathing is used as the cover, ceramic of metal and what type of controller it is connected to. There is a company in Framingham MA. 1-800-786-4669
http://www.nanmac.com/thermocouples.html

I just spoke with a T-Couple expert who works there Tom Blanchard who can reverse engineer the T-Couple with a picture or by sending the one that is in there. The cost varies from $5 for a simple 2-wire on up! So where there is a will there is a way!


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## DexterDay (May 22, 2012)

That is a beautiful looking stove.... The red one from the gallery looks like its a bottom feed design. The flame appears to be coming from a Harman like pot? 

Is this a bottom or top feed design Don? 

For them to be made in 91 and look like that?? Beautiful. Absolutely Beautiful. 

As Smokey stated, make sure you know what the board is looking for from the T/C... Is it reading millivolts and converting to F°?

Is it reasonably priced? For needing repair work...


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## Don2222 (May 22, 2012)

Hello

Just found this:
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/vermont-castings-reliance.23458/

"This is a standard type J thermocouple" One can be easily made from scratch!


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## smwilliamson (May 22, 2012)

can you post a picture of the board and existing TC, where is it mounted?


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## Don2222 (May 23, 2012)

No, I do not have it.


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## smwilliamson (May 23, 2012)

http://www.discountstove.com/2220.html exploded view of parts

Thermocouple part number 500013....this is going to be the same ESP probe as the P38 Pro Plus I'm guessing. Yes, they used Harman technology with their castings. After it was abandoned Harman took over and developed the Accentra...or something like that. What i heard anyway. I have never worked on the Reliance, saw one once and it was rather cool looking.


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## Don2222 (May 23, 2012)

smwilliamson said:


> http://www.discountstove.com/2220.html exploded view of parts
> 
> Thermocouple part number 500013....this is going to be the same ESP probe as the P38 Pro Plus I'm guessing. Yes, they used Harman technology with their castings. After it was abandoned Harman took over and developed the Accentra...or something like that. What i heard anyway. I have never worked on the Reliance, saw one once and it was rather cool looking.


 
Hi Scott

Thanks for the parts diagram. I thought the T-C might be similar to the ESP probe! Wow, this is a pretty good stove. The person in the Hearth com thread I posted the link above, said he heated his whole house with it no problem, and it has one of the best looking flames he has seen!


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## webbie (May 23, 2012)

I'll bet dollars to donuts that a Harman part would work.......VC did absolutely no work on that stoves electronics.

If you need a lead in that direction, send a message to Corie, who works in the lab at Harman. 
https://www.hearth.com/talk/members/corie.15/

He could lean over and ask Dane what the deal is......


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## Delta-T (May 23, 2012)

might also be the same as the probe used on the Invincible, which is slightly larger than the one for the P38. I'm not sure the temp scale is the same as the newer probe style, but i do think, that at least for a little while longer, one should be able to get the older style probe. I thought I heard that the VC pellet stoves were positive pressure environment, which was why they did not last. I could not say for sure, I've never seen one.


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## tbear853 (Jan 27, 2013)

I bought and installed my VC Reliant 2230 in 1991, in 1992 it hit a spell where the feed was too fast and not knowing better, I called VC and they sent me a thermocouple which I installed.  I still have the original in a envelope with papers.  At the time I was buying pellets one ton at a time where ever I could find them, before I knew how important it was to use only "Premium Hardwood Pellets" in it.   I almost think the original was OK as that has not been an issue since, except with some emergency pellets from TSC that were lousy.  

In the later '90s the auger got real noisy one winter and finally she was about to give up and I pulled the auger and motor.  The gear reduction  case was shot, leaking, obviously stressed.   The auger would hardly turn because of the two flange bearings that hold the auger, the one nearest the flame was virtually locked up.  Bought new flange bearings  and auger drive (it was after all, "Dayton".) I took a piece of exhaust pipe that was just  big enough to fit around the bearing and cut a piece that was long enough to shield it.   I cut a piece of flat to make a washer like and welded that to the piece of pipe and sandwiched it ahead of the bearing behind the auger itself.  No fire or ash or stuff get's to it now and that's been flawless since. 

I also did then  purchases a back up auger drive motor but all has been OK?   I do clean the burn area often whenever we dump the ash dump usually, and I long ago used a hole saw to cut a circle hole in front side under burn pot to make cleaning that area easier, it is covered buy a plate with two 1/4-20 bolts threaded in.   I used to dismantle the flue yearly, it's a 3 foot horizontal run to a tee and a 10 foot verticle to a cap.  I just pull the lower cap off the tee and use several sections shop vac hose up through it with vac on and a smaller hose into the horizontal run yearly now.    I also occasionally pull the cover off the boad and use low pressure air jet to blow dust off with  vac on far side.  

We love our Vermont Castings Reliant ....


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## mtolleson (Feb 18, 2014)

I just bought a VC 2220.  After reading this thread and doing some research, I clipped off the broken end of the thermocouple, twisted 1/8 inch of the wires tightly together, and now my stove works.  This will hold me until I can properly weld the wires together, though there are those who say twisting them will work.  I wonder, though, since the wires are exposed to the exhaust gases that they might corrode.  Perhaps a coating of some kind that won't insulate the wires?


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## Raistlinalpha (Oct 13, 2014)

mtolleson said:


> I just bought a VC 2220.  After reading this thread and doing some research, I clipped off the broken end of the thermocouple, twisted 1/8 inch of the wires tightly together, and now my stove works.  This will hold me until I can properly weld the wires together, though there are those who say twisting them will work.  I wonder, though, since the wires are exposed to the exhaust gases that they might corrode.  Perhaps a coating of some kind that won't insulate the wires?



Mtolleson, What was your stove doing before you twisted the wires together?


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## mtolleson (Oct 20, 2014)

Raistlinalpha, I saw your post in another thread.  My stove did exactly what you described that your stove is doing.  The thermocouple was open at the business end -- the wires were not connected.  I clipped the ends off, stripped 1/8" of insulation and twisted the ends tightly together.  The stove has worked perfectly ever since.

Mark


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## tbear853 (Jan 4, 2017)

Been a good while since I've been here.   My Bad! 

I also mis-stated the model .... mine is a* Vermont Castings Reliance #2220 *rated@ 8-40,000 btu's/hr.  Looking through stuff, seems I replaced the auger motor / gear box 1996 along with auger flange bearings ..... and that's when I made the shielding for the new bearings on auger shaft as well. 

My Reliance however is still putting out the BTUs ..... though I think I caused the latest hiccup.   I think I overloaded the burn pot last restart and it bridged from burn pot to door frame while warming up from cold and well, I have her shut down now and when she cools, I'll clean the mess up and go again.  I almost know it was me, I usually start with very little in the burn pot as it feeds slow while building heat at start up .... I didn't give it enough "room". 

_*update 01-09-17*_ ..... I cleaned it and did a restart with far less pellets in the burn pot ..... been running SUPER ever since.   I will this spring remove the burn pot and do some welding where I see a crack along the front lip and likely service the auger bearings .... at least inspect them .... and take a look at the motor and clean and lube my fans.  As I recall, all fans are Dayton.   I know the auger motor is & I have a new spare.

Later .......


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## hearthtools (Dec 8, 2017)

So just twisting the ends in thermocouple fix the issue with no feed? And did it last one any other issues with proof of fire after?


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## Mt Bob (Dec 8, 2017)

hearthtools said:


> So just twisting the ends in thermocouple fix the issue with no feed? And did it last one any other issues with proof of fire after?


Hiya,have not seen you in a bit,hope you are well.The post you are referring to was from 2014,and not been back,lol.I doubt the "repaired" thermocouple lasted long,or worked well.


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