2017/2018 VC owners thread

[defiant3]

Are you sure it's the cover that's damaged and not the refractory? Either way it should be warrantied. I don't think it'll hurt the stone at all to run it that way, but there's nothing to hold that inner cover, so it might just be a big pain in the neck. This is an issue with the Encores that the Defiants don't seem to have so much strangely. Hope V.C. fixes it because the 2 in 1 seems to be an improvement over the older Encores!

 

[Rahm]

Are you sure it's the cover that's damaged and not the refractory? Either way it should be warrantied. I don't think it'll hurt the stone at all to run it that way, but there's nothing to hold that inner cover, so it might just be a big pain in the neck. This is an issue with the Encores that the Defiants don't seem to have so much strangely. Hope V.C. fixes it because the 2 in 1 seems to be an improvement over the older Encores!

It's definitely the cover. It's cracked right in half. I can prop it back in place and it stays there with a big crack down the middle. I'll take a picture when the load of wood I put in this morning burns down.

 

[Rahm]

It's definitely the cover. It's cracked right in half. I can prop it back in place and it stays there with a big crack down the middle. I'll take a picture when the load of wood I put in this morning burns down.

Here's a picture of the broken access cover:

 

[Dobish]

they should definitely warranty that!

 

[Diabel]

I personally would not use the stove this way!
You will end up damaging everything that sits behind that broken panel

 

[Rahm]

they should definitely warranty that!

I bought my stove second hand so I'm not sure who I would talk to about a warranty. This is my 4th winter with the stove. The same part cracked in the same way during the 1st winter. I ordered a new one and for 3 years it was fine. Now it's happened again. I've reached out to the local VC dealer but they're not interested in helping me because I didn't buy the stove from them. The new access cover was only $86 so I just bought it instead of trying to figure out the warranty.

 

[Dobish]

I bought my stove second hand so I'm not sure who I would talk to about a warranty. This is my 4th winter with the stove. The same part cracked in the same way during the 1st winter. I ordered a new one and for 3 years it was fine. Now it's happened again. I've reached out to the local VC dealer but they're not interested in helping me because I didn't buy the stove from them. The new access cover was only $86 so I just bought it instead of trying to figure out the warranty.

ahhh, that makes sense. I think the best bet is just order a new one then!

 

[Diabel]

For 86.00 I would buy three of these just to protect the inner guts of the stove

 

[Reckless]

Does that stove have a cat as well?? I couldn't imagine having to replace $300 in parts every 3-4 years


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[Diabel]

Does that stove have a cat as well?? I couldn't imagine having to replace $300 in parts every 3-4 years


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Yes it is a cat stove. Its cat is only 1" thick. Unlike the older models 2" thick. It is hard to believe it can produce the same amount of heat or consume the same amount of smoke with 50% less cat surface.

VC cats are small to begin with.

 

[Reckless]

Yes it is a cat stove. Its cat is only 1" thick. Unlike the older models 2" thick. It is hard to believe it can produce the same amount of heat or consume the same amount of smoke with 50% less cat surface.

VC cats are small to begin with.

Do the cats in these stoves suffer the same abuse that the older stoves throw at them?


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[Diabel]

Do the cats in these stoves suffer the same abuse that the older stoves throw at them?


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I would think so. Pretty much the same design.

My cat is going through its third year (24/7 burning with some vaca time) and it looks and operates great. The refractory looks awesome as well!

Knock on wood......I am very happy with the stove!

After the complete rebuild (less griddle gasket issue a month ago) and with "your" secondary air mod I have zero complaints. Full load of seasoned wood every 8-10 hrs....repeat and then repeat....

 

[Woodwringer]

Hi everyone,

I'm relatively new to this forum, but I have been using my VC Defiant Encore 0028 since I bought it new in 1987. I haven't used it much in recent years since I installed a high efficiency heat pump, but the recent cold weather got me using it again. It was on its second catalyst and I figured it was time for a new one, so I got one from Condor and also got a Watchman. Installed both, fired it up, and the catalyst took off, getting up to 1550 in no time. I guess I had been living in ignorant bliss before. I had to open the bypass to prevent it from overheating. When I started looking around and found this thread. I got a lot of ideas about what might be wrong. I checked gaskets, tightened bolts, and worked on changing the secondary air inlet. I couldn't adjust the bimetal thermostat position because of corrosion of the bolt and nut, so I made a longer wire linkage that helped. I still couldn't keep it under 1600 with a full load of dry oak, so I decided to put the 15 year old cat back in it. Lo and behold, it still seems to be working. It can still get up to 1600 with the primary closed and no visible flames in the firebox. I'm guessing that at the least, I will need to replace all my gaskets, including the wire mesh gasket for the griddle. I did find that if I sealed the secondary with aluminum foil tape I could keep it under 1550, but I worry about ending up with creosote accumulating in my flue. Any suggestions? I do have an Auber AT100 on order. That's another reason that I wish I had seen this thread first.

 

[RandyBoBandy]

Hi everyone,

I'm relatively new to this forum, but I have been using my VC Defiant Encore 0028 since I bought it new in 1987. I haven't used it much in recent years since I installed a high efficiency heat pump, but the recent cold weather got me using it again. It was on its second catalyst and I figured it was time for a new one, so I got one from Condor and also got a Watchman. Installed both, fired it up, and the catalyst took off, getting up to 1550 in no time. I guess I had been living in ignorant bliss before. I had to open the bypass to prevent it from overheating. When I started looking around and found this thread. I got a lot of ideas about what might be wrong. I checked gaskets, tightened bolts, and worked on changing the secondary air inlet. I couldn't adjust the bimetal thermostat position because of corrosion of the bolt and nut, so I made a longer wire linkage that helped. I still couldn't keep it under 1600 with a full load of dry oak, so I decided to put the 15 year old cat back in it. Lo and behold, it still seems to be working. It can still get up to 1600 with the primary closed and no visible flames in the firebox. I'm guessing that at the least, I will need to replace all my gaskets, including the wire mesh gasket for the griddle. I did find that if I sealed the secondary with aluminum foil tape I could keep it under 1550, but I worry about ending up with creosote accumulating in my flue. Any suggestions? I do have an Auber AT100 on order. That's another reason that I wish I had seen this thread first.

How tall is your chimney? Can you give us a run down of how you run your stove?

 

[Woodwringer]

I have an 8" (nominal) square flue that is almost centered in my house. From the thimble to the top is about 15 feet. The thimble is about 42 inches above the stove top, and I have an 8 inch connector. I use 2 year old red and white oak mostly. Last piece I checked was under 14% on a fresh split. I If there are good coals, I'll rake them to the front, add about 4 or 5 pieces of wood depending on size. When the stove top gets to 450-500 I close the bypass damper and when the cat sensor gets to about 900 I'll close the primary air supply about 2/3. If I close it all the way I get backpuffing. After a couple of hours when most of the volatiles have burned off, I can close it completely.

 

[RandyBoBandy]

I have an 8" (nominal) square flue that is almost centered in my house. From the thimble to the top is about 15 feet. The thimble is about 42 inches above the stove top, and I have an 8 inch connector. I use 2 year old red and white oak mostly. Last piece I checked was under 14% on a fresh split. I If there are good coals, I'll rake them to the front, add about 4 or 5 pieces of wood depending on size. When the stove top gets to 450-500 I close the bypass damper and when the cat sensor gets to about 900 I'll close the primary air supply about 2/3. If I close it all the way I get backpuffing. After a couple of hours when most of the volatiles have burned off, I can close it completely.

When the stove is cold what is the secondary air control timed at. Where the wire connects to the coil is your hand. Is it 1:30, 2:00, 2:30? Does the secondary flapper have the stopper pin in the lower left corner?

 

[ratsrepus]

Randy, Im right up the road from you in Howell. I wish I would have seen this thread. My dutchwest refractory baffle broke in about 8 pieces. I called heat and sweep in Okemos and they said that it would be like pulling wisdom teeth to find or even replace it. The stove was 12 years old and it never did work all that well and ate wood. To the scrap yard it went.

 

[RandyBoBandy]

Howey neighbor. I have some friends who live in Howell. That's a bummer on you refractory. Did you try any websites for it? Plumberstock.com.

 

[ratsrepus]

I didnt make a big effort to get it fixed. I needed an excuse to get a Blaze king which I did. The difference was night and day. Im still in awe of the heat out put and saved wood usage of the BK. Im glad the Douche west blew up.

 

[Woodwringer]

The coil is at about 1:30, but I made a longer wire link so there is about a 1/4 inch gap between the bottom of the flap and the bottom of the secondary opening when the stove is cold. I did not remove the pin. It seemed like it wouldn't do much because the opening is closed off when the stove gets hot. I did add a manually operated flap damper that I can use to close off the entire opening between the cast iron and metal cover of the secondary.

 

[Woodwringer]

Here's a picture of the added damper

 

[RandyBoBandy]

The coil is at about 1:30, but I made a longer wire link so there is about a 1/4 inch gap between the bottom of the flap and the bottom of the secondary opening when the stove is cold. I did not remove the pin. It seemed like it wouldn't do much because the opening is closed off when the stove gets hot. I did add a manually operated flap damper that I can use to close off the entire opening between the cast iron and metal cover of the secondary.

The pin on my encore kept the flapper from closing all the way so I removed it.

 

[RandyBoBandy]

I didnt make a big effort to get it fixed. I needed an excuse to get a Blaze king which I did. The difference was night and day. Im still in awe of the heat out put and saved wood usage of the BK. Im glad the Douche west blew up.

Which stove shop did you buy your BK from?

 

[Reckless]

@Woodwringer move the mag therm to the single wall stove pipe and try closing the bypass based on that instead (3-400). Sounds like your letting the stove get too hot before you shut down possibly??


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[ratsrepus]

in grand ledge, place called Mc Dowells. called another dealer in Davidson, he was higher in price and had to order the stove. Mcdowells had it in stock.