2018/19 VC Owners Thread

[Woody Stover]

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.

Yeah, you need to get the load burning well but if you slam the air shut right away, there are a lot of volatile gasses filling the box and they are easily ignited with just a little additional oxygen. OTOH, once the load is burning well and you cut the air slowly, you still have a lot of wood gassing but it does so at a slower rate so there's less buildup in the box and you don't get the explosive ignitions. Or something to that effect.

 

[Reckless]

Morning boys and girls! -1 here last night she after a 9 he burn still had 400 on the cat probe with coal. Finally burning white oak without the stove going nuclear on me (measured a split this morning and 14%). How's everyone doing, did I miss anything?


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[RandyBoBandy]

Morning boys and girls! -1 here last night she after a 9 he burn still had 400 on the cat probe with coal. Finally burning white oak without the stove going nuclear on me (measured a split this morning and 14%). How's everyone doing, did I miss anything?


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You have missed lots. Much of the same VC problems just new faces. Happy burning. Do you still have your secondary blocked off?

 

[Diabel]

Happy burning and stay warm!

Primary air steel sealed shut here and stove working great! (I hope I don’t jinx it)!

 

[Dobish]

I just cleaned my chimney cap out yesterday. It was a good reminder why I shouldn't use cardboard to get the fire going! We had been lazy about bringing wood up, and have been burning construction scraps that started out a little damp. I threw some cardboard in to get things started. The next day, I looked out and the whole grate was filled with big nasties. It is amazing how quickly it filled up with crap!

I figured while I had the cap off, I may as well give the pipe a cleaning too. the last 18" or so of the pipe and the cap had some black crusties, but everything else was clear.

 

[Reckless]

You have missed lots. Much of the same VC problems just new faces. Happy burning. Do you still have your secondary blocked off?

Definitely still blocked and running a full liner now but the learning curve wasn't that bad. Have people successfully set the secondary with total successfully??? [emoji23][emoji23] Smoke coming out the doors on reload is my newest issue.


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[Dobish]

Definitely still blocked and running a full liner now but the learning curve wasn't that bad. Have people successfully set the secondary with total successfully??? [emoji23][emoji23] Smoke coming out the doors on reload is my newest issue.


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you don't have the cat engaged do you

have you checked the chimney cap? I have noticed sometimes this has a big effect on the draft.

 

[Woody Stover]

Smoke coming out the doors on reload is my newest issue.

If you shut the primary all the way right before opening the door, that would force more air to come through the door but I don't know if it would be enough to make a difference..?

 

[RandyBoBandy]

I’m once again playing around with the secondary air. I had it completely blocked off this season resulting in low cat temps (1000-1250 cruising temp) which I liked, however, I feel like there is a lot more smoke coming out of the chimney. So I still have the rod disconnected and I took the washer out of the hinge screw so I can tighten the plate down tight. I set it in a fixed position thAt is just a hair open. My attempt here is to get cruising temps in the 1350-1450 range to hopefully achieve less smoke out of the chimney.

 

[Reckless]

If you shut the primary all the way right before opening the door, that would force more air to come through the door but I don't know if it would be enough to make a difference..?

Shut or open? I just have been reloading real quick now and it makes me plan my load better. All I'm getting at this point is a the smell of toasting hardwood on a bed of coals.... Could be a catchy holiday song [emoji445]


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[Reckless]

I’m once again playing around with the secondary air. I had it completely blocked off this season resulting in low cat temps (1000-1250 cruising temp) which I liked, however, I feel like there is a lot more smoke coming out of the chimney. So I still have the rod disconnected and I took the washer out of the hinge screw so I can tighten the plate down tight. I set it in a fixed position thAt is just a hair open. My attempt here is to get cruising temps in the 1350-1450 range to hopefully achieve less smoke out of the chimney.

I cruise at 14-1500 all day with it blocked. I really think it all depends on draft among probably a million other VC owner factors.. red shirt or blue? Matching socks? Does you vehicle have more than a half tank? [emoji23][emoji23][emoji23][emoji23]


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[Reckless]

you don't have the cat engaged do you

have you checked the chimney cap? I have noticed sometimes this has a big effect on the draft.

Checked? Like is it blocked up? 48" square cap, I don't think that's possible.


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[RandyBoBandy]

My stack could stand to be a little taller. I’m only at 15’. One thing I never had to worry about with the secondary blocked was the cat going nuclear.

 

[Woody Stover]

Shut or open?

Well, open to clear the box of smoke, then shut as you open the door so that all of the draft is pulling air in through the door, as opposed to some of the draft being spent pulling air through the primary air channel. As I said, I don't know how much difference it would make, but you could do an A/B test with the door open. Open the primary air, note how much air seems to be pulled in through the door, then close the primary and see if it seems like more air is being pulled in through the door. Worth a try..

 

[Dobish]

Checked? Like is it blocked up? 48" square cap, I don't think that's possible.


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It can't hurt to take a look. When i start getting a little smoke during loads, it's always a draft issue. It seems like once something gets on the grate, it clogs way sooner.

 

[pki1980]

Hi, im still having some problems with my Intrepid II. No matter what i do it seems to be more smoke than it is supposed to be leaving the chimney. I usually let it reach 230C on the stovetop and then engage the shutter. with primary air fully open, then I close it slowly and sometimes i can get the fire to almost die down so there are secondaries in the firebox and a lot of smoke passing through the cat but there is still quite a lot of smoke from the chimney.
If the wood is burning a lot when i close the shutter a lot of the times i cannot get it down to only secondaries even with the primary all the way down, so i can seen flames going and also reaching the entrance to the cat. And even then there is smoke coming out of the chimney, not more or less than in the other scenario.
I had a chimney sweep (which is mandatory in sweden each year) and he said that i had almost no soot at all, he wanted to lower the amount of mandatory sweeps to every third year instead. This indicates that at least there is not much creosote building up i guess but i cannot understand why i see as much smoke as i do?
And for reference this litte stove is inserted in a danica cabinett which makes it very hard to adjust things on the back like the chain for the primary air shutter for example. I can feel that the shutter for the air is almost closed when the setting is closed on a cold stove, not sure how much it closes when the stove is hot though since its to hot to be there fiddling with the hand wihout seeing what you are doing

I guess the problem with not beiing able to shut down the flames could be a gasket issue, but the smoke issue? I have very good draft i can add, with the door fully open and using small wood from the beginning it roars when starting. I have no cat temp sensor (to hard to install in this cabinett since it would demand almost a full rebuild) and also no sensor on the stove pipe. the pipe goes up for about a meter and then vertically in to the wall and up again if that has any impact on the issues? From what i understand this would only reduce draft which i cannot see is the problem :/

Well this got quite long but any input and ideas is appreciated, new cat maybe?

 

[RandyBoBandy]

Hi, im still having some problems with my Intrepid II. No matter what i do it seems to be more smoke than it is supposed to be leaving the chimney. I usually let it reach 230C on the stovetop and then engage the shutter. with primary air fully open, then I close it slowly and sometimes i can get the fire to almost die down so there are secondaries in the firebox and a lot of smoke passing through the cat but there is still quite a lot of smoke from the chimney.
If the wood is burning a lot when i close the shutter a lot of the times i cannot get it down to only secondaries even with the primary all the way down, so i can seen flames going and also reaching the entrance to the cat. And even then there is smoke coming out of the chimney, not more or less than in the other scenario.
I had a chimney sweep (which is mandatory in sweden each year) and he said that i had almost no soot at all, he wanted to lower the amount of mandatory sweeps to every third year instead. This indicates that at least there is not much creosote building up i guess but i cannot understand why i see as much smoke as i do?
And for reference this litte stove is inserted in a danica cabinett which makes it very hard to adjust things on the back like the chain for the primary air shutter for example. I can feel that the shutter for the air is almost closed when the setting is closed on a cold stove, not sure how much it closes when the stove is hot though since its to hot to be there fiddling with the hand wihout seeing what you are doing

I guess the problem with not beiing able to shut down the flames could be a gasket issue, but the smoke issue? I have very good draft i can add, with the door fully open and using small wood from the beginning it roars when starting. I have no cat temp sensor (to hard to install in this cabinett since it would demand almost a full rebuild) and also no sensor on the stove pipe. the pipe goes up for about a meter and then vertically in to the wall and up again if that has any impact on the issues? From what i understand this would only reduce draft which i cannot see is the problem :/

Well this got quite long but any input and ideas is appreciated, new cat maybe?

Is it possibly steam? How far does it travel from the chimney before it disappears? Is it white or kind of grey?

 

[Diabel]

It has been bitter cold here for the past week. In the mid -25s F

Lots of steam out the chimney. Can even shake the ice off the cap.

 

[RandyBoBandy]

View attachment 238889

It has been bitter cold here for the past week. In the mid -25s F

Lots of steam out the chimney. Can even shake the ice off the cap.

Are you running an excel chimney?

 

[Diabel]

Are you running an excel chimney?

Yea

 

[RandyBoBandy]

Yea

Me too. I see you took off the bird band.

 

[RandyBoBandy]

Me too. I see you took off the bird band.

Does this seem to help with the shape of your cap? My cap is nasty.

 

[Diabel]

Never had the mesh installed.
Captured to starlings in about 12 years

 

[Reckless]

If you shut the primary all the way right before opening the door, that would force more air to come through the door but I don't know if it would be enough to make a difference..?

This is actually working so far! Thanks


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[Diabel]

As I was reloading (just now) I knocked off the flame shield! Damn....

This has not happened in some time! I suppose I will run the stove with bypass open, wait for it to cool down and hang the flame shield again. Pain in a ......