2018/19 VC Owners Thread

[RandyBoBandy]

I’m going to adjust mine. Sometimes I feel like that “clank” isn’t present unless I move the air control in a fast motion.

Any tips on adjustment? Looks easy enough anyway.

Do this with a cold stove. Close the primary lever all the way. Loosen hex bolt on flapper. Adjust flapper until touches the frame. Tighten bolt. Start fire.

 

[Gnanneb86]

Do this with a cold stove. Close the primary lever all the way. Loosen hex bolt on flapper. Adjust flapper until touches the frame. Tighten bolt. Start fire.

It's funny they put a section in the manual about adjusting it...yet they still leave the reader confused about where exactly to adjust it to. When I first had my stove installed it didn't run at all...wasn't till weeks later we discovered it was way out of adjustment from the factory, and this was before they had it in the manual at all, it just said not to ever adjust it.

Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk

 

[LMGCT]

I dont remember I believe 1910....
I have the Defiant Flexburn now
As long as I keep the pipe temp about 600 to 650 it heats pretty well but still not as strong as my older one.
Im running it without the cat

I'm new to this site and wood burning stoves....if you're running without the cat is the damper open at all times?

 

[Woodsplitter67]

I'm new to this site and wood burning stoves....if you're running without the cat is the damper open at all times?

When your running the stove with the damper open your not engaging the cat. You can only engage by closing the damper.

 

[Diabel]

Also, I would not recommend running any VC stoves with the bypass open for too long! Parts are expensive!!

 

[Kevin Weis]

So visited the stove dealer today (sells VC and Jotul). He's been doing this 45 years. Say's as far as the back puffing is concerned, primary needs to be throttled down in small increments some time apart. Says this is my problem entirely. Also bigger splits wouldn't hurt either. Don't understand the science behind that but seems to be working so far. Also getting the cat hotter. So here's the downside sort of. Think the Encore is still too big for the room it's in and over heats it too easily. To compensate I only put about two logs in at a time. As such the burn time would not be any different then the Intriped. The Intrepid was upgraded in 18' to include a bottom ash drawer like the Encore. Also added fire brick to sides and made it a flexburn like the Encore (2 in 1) increasing the burn time to 8 hours. I'm going to sleep on this for a few weeks to see if I want to make the switch or not. Another thing the Intrepid, a smaller stove will draft better with the six inch flue. What to do. In the meantime will install the Auber AT 100 next cool down.

 

[LMGCT]

When your running the stove with the damper open your not engaging the cat. You can only engage by closing the damper.

That's what I was thinking. Thank you!

 

[Diabel]

So visited the stove dealer today (sells VC and Jotul). He's been doing this 45 years. Say's as far as the back puffing is concerned, primary needs to be throttled down in small increments some time apart. Says this is my problem entirely. Also bigger splits wouldn't hurt either. Don't understand the science behind that but seems to be working so far. Also getting the cat hotter. So here's the downside sort of. Think the Encore is still too big for the room it's in and over heats it too easily. To compensate I only put about two logs in at a time. As such the burn time would not be any different then the Intriped. The Intrepid was upgraded in 18' to include a bottom ash drawer like the Encore. Also added fire brick to sides and made it a flexburn like the Encore (2 in 1) increasing the burn time to 8 hours. I'm going to sleep on this for a few weeks to see if I want to make the switch or not. Another thing the Intrepid, a smaller stove will draft better with the six inch flue. What to do. In the meantime will install the Auber AT 100 next cool down.

If you are thinking of buying a new stove......

Stay away from downdraft stoves. Tons of options out there.

Properly seasoned firewood is the beginning of any wood burning endeavor. If you do not have that, you will struggle with any stove sold out there.

 

[RandyBoBandy]

This is tonights load. I won’t touch it again until 6 or 7 in the morning. Depends on when I decide to get up. It has been colder here in the last few days so I have been doing a small two split fire when I get home around 5 and than all the way up to the griddle again at 8pm.

 

[RandyBoBandy]

So visited the stove dealer today (sells VC and Jotul). He's been doing this 45 years. Say's as far as the back puffing is concerned, primary needs to be throttled down in small increments some time apart. Says this is my problem entirely. Also bigger splits wouldn't hurt either. Don't understand the science behind that but seems to be working so far. Also getting the cat hotter. So here's the downside sort of. Think the Encore is still too big for the room it's in and over heats it too easily. To compensate I only put about two logs in at a time. As such the burn time would not be any different then the Intriped. The Intrepid was upgraded in 18' to include a bottom ash drawer like the Encore. Also added fire brick to sides and made it a flexburn like the Encore (2 in 1) increasing the burn time to 8 hours. I'm going to sleep on this for a few weeks to see if I want to make the switch or not. Another thing the Intrepid, a smaller stove will draft better with the six inch flue. What to do. In the meantime will install the Auber AT 100 next cool down.

Have you considered a jacketed stove since it’s such a small room?

 

[frased]

If it clanks when you turn the lever quickly then it's closing. Should have added quickly above.

Tonight when I went to put an Allen wrench on the nut it was only hand tight the cable wasn’t even fastened securely. I adjusted it has a good clank to the shutting now. And I also tightened it a little bit more than hand tight now

 

[Diabel]

View attachment 238426
This is tonights load. I won’t touch it again until 6 or 7 in the morning. Depends on when I decide to get up. It has been colder here in the last few days so I have been doing a small two split fire when I get home around 5 and than all the way up to the griddle again at 8pm.

Very nice!!

 

[Diabel]

This is my night load.

 

[Kevin Weis]

It's funny they put a section in the manual about adjusting it...yet they still leave the reader confused about where exactly to adjust it to. When I first had my stove installed it didn't run at all...wasn't till weeks later we discovered it was way out of adjustment from the factory, and this was before they had it in the manual at all, it just said not to ever adjust it.

Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk

Exactly!

 

[Kevin Weis]

Tonight when I went to put an Allen wrench on the nut it was only hand tight the cable wasn’t even fastened securely. I adjusted it has a good clank to the shutting now. And I also tightened it a little bit more than hand tight now

Mine was only hand tight as well.

 

[SculptureOfSound]

Loving my Montpelier now after my minor adjustment of blocking some of the secondary air...and probably more importantly learning more about it.

I've been having good burns lately, letting it get hotter before shutting down the air completely. You always hear "shut the air down in stages" and I always did, but there's a lot of nuance to it that is not conveyed by the words alone.

Today I let it go with 75% air longer than usual, then 50%, then 25% then air all the way closed.
Stove top peaked just over 700 and cruised around 650-675.

What is crazy is I got about the same burn time but almost double the heat as I was before. It's 14 degrees outside and it was 77 in the stove room, 74 in the hall halfway across the house, and about 70 in the bedrooms (it's a long 1650sf ranch, fireplace on far end in external fireplace) With this same load of wood and my previous approach I'd be 2-3 degrees cooler in the house, even when the outdoor temps were 25-30.

What a difference! I don't understand exactly how this is possible, especially as the burn time is virtually the same (and the coals were giving off more heat). All of this burning just pine.

 

[SculptureOfSound]

I should add burn time was only 2 hours of flame/secondaries and then 2 hours of coals...but this was only a half load in a 2cf firebox and just pine, some a bit punky.

I'll have to learn how to burn bigger loads and hardwoods without overfiring, but for now as a night and weekend burner the pine is great (especially nice as you can keep visible flames almost constantly if desired as coal time is so short and you can toss in a split or two for flames and ambiance if desired)

 

[Woody Stover]

Think the Encore is still too big for the room it's in and over heats it too easily. To compensate I only put about two logs in at a time.

A small fan on the floor blowing cool air into the stove room will augment the natural convection loop of heat out of the room.

 

[Dobish]

So visited the stove dealer today (sells VC and Jotul). He's been doing this 45 years. Say's as far as the back puffing is concerned, primary needs to be throttled down in small increments some time apart. Says this is my problem entirely. Also bigger splits wouldn't hurt either. Don't understand the science behind that but seems to be working so far. Also getting the cat hotter. So here's the downside sort of. Think the Encore is still too big for the room it's in and over heats it too easily. To compensate I only put about two logs in at a time. As such the burn time would not be any different then the Intriped. The Intrepid was upgraded in 18' to include a bottom ash drawer like the Encore. Also added fire brick to sides and made it a flexburn like the Encore (2 in 1) increasing the burn time to 8 hours. I'm going to sleep on this for a few weeks to see if I want to make the switch or not. Another thing the Intrepid, a smaller stove will draft better with the six inch flue. What to do. In the meantime will install the Auber AT 100 next cool down.

it sounds counter intuitive, but you have more ability to control the temp with more wood. Bigger splits and a fuller load will allow you to build up the coal bed, and once the bed of coals is nice and hot, you can lower your air control and maintain lower temps in the room. With smaller splits and less wood, you don't get to burn just the off-gasses at a higher temp.

 

[Kevin Weis]

Monday, I'll be experimenting with larger splits and loads. I've done a couple of large knarly splits yesterday and it worked okay. I don't have any really big stuff like 4X6X18 or something seasoned yet I'll have to defer to next year for that but I have some 4" or so I'll try to pack in there but I think that is still small for the Encore. Monday's high is supposed to be around 10F so should be a good day for that. Should have added on a above post the room this is sitting in as 3.25 exposed sides, walls not insulated except for the 1/2" foam board under the vinyl siding.

 

[Woodsplitter67]

it sounds counter intuitive, but you have more ability to control the temp with more wood. Bigger splits and a fuller load will allow you to build up the coal bed, and once the bed of coals is nice and hot, you can lower your air control and maintain lower temps in the room. With smaller splits and less wood, you don't get to burn just the off-gasses at a higher temp.

I agree with this... solid advice

 

[Madadam_2]

Does anyone know if the Defiant 1610 and the Defiant flexburn 2 in 1 use the same castings. They look identical.

 

[Diabel]

Call the dealer and get the part number for both. If different I would say they are not the same.

 

[Kevin Weis]

The advice on that I was turning down the primary air is looking to be very much what most of the problem was with the puff backing. The science behind this appears that the new splits need to be ignited well before the air is turned down and this slows down the off gassing somehow and lets the splits maintain a certain burn rate. Closing the primary too fast must "shock" the flames into remission as apposed to slow close to the same level will maintain the flames to some degree. Or something like that.

 

[RandyBoBandy]

Unless you have an insane amount of draft, many small increments is much better than a couple larger increments in regards to preventing back puffing.