2019/20 VC Owners thread

[stove39]

What kind of wood you have and are you going to be burning 24/7?? I started as a weekend burner and quickly went to this as my primary heat...

Mostly oak and maple.

 

[Durantefarm]

with the VC insert do you all start a draft by putting newspaper near the flue to get a draft ? or i was watching a video about top down method would this work to get draft started ? im just wondering because sometimes when its cold out and i start a draft the way i stated i will get smoke into the house . the chimney is cleaned on a regular basis so its not clogged . thank you in advance .

 

[Woodsplitter67]

I use to Loosely bald newspapers I do not hold them by the stove pipe I just Loosely ball them up and like them keep the doors cracked open do not open them all the way cracking them open ball out air in and the heat up into the flue pipe creating draft

 

[Kenneth Kline]

Converted my open fireplace to a Montpellier insert last summer. I haven't used it yet but it looks like this weekend will be cold enough.
Do I need some kind of small grate for this thing or just start a fire on its floor?

 

[Woodsplitter67]

Converted my open fireplace to a Montpellier insert last summer. I haven't used it yet but it looks like this weekend will be cold enough.
Do I need some kind of small grate for this thing or just start a fire on its floor?

Did you read the manual.. are there break in fires required prior to burning..

 

[Kenneth Kline]

Yeah, back in July.Probably worth a re-read. I do remember something about not elevating the fire.

 

[Woodsplitter67]

Yeah, back in July.Probably worth a re-read. I do remember something about not elevating the fire.

Your not burning in a fireplace any more.. basically you heve a wood stove in your fireplace.. there is no grate for it but I'd double check your manual.. where you located that your just beginning to burn.. and hows the mc of the wood you have..

 

[Kenneth Kline]

Your not burning in a fireplace any more.. basically you heve a wood stove in your fireplace.. there is no grate for it but I'd double check your manual.. where you located that your just beginning to burn.. and hows the mc of the wood you have..

Maryland. First daytime highs below 50 this coming weekend. All of my wood for this year is split for at least three years and very dry.

I also burn a VC intrepid 2 on another chimney. Its bottom is a slotted grate over an ash pan. A little different than the solid flat bottom of the insert.

 

[Woodsplitter67]

Maryland. First daytime highs below 50 this coming weekend. All of my wood for this year is split for at least three years and very dry.

I also burn a VC intrepid 2 on another chimney. Its bottom is a slotted grate over an ash pan. A little different than the solid flat bottom of the insert.

Farther sputh like Maryland has been warmer.. cool air is on its way.. lots of stoves/inserts have soild bottom mostly due to the lack of ash pan.. let us know how you make out running the new insert..

 

[Kenneth Kline]

Farther sputh like Maryland has been warmer.. cool air is on its way.. lots of stoves/inserts have soild bottom mostly due to the lack of ash pan.. let us know how you make out running the new insert..

Will do , looking forward to trying it out after staring at it all summer.

 

[Reckless]

Hi everyone!! Burn baby burn. Stay warm and stay safe

 

[Reckless]

Not going to say I’m excited to be burning 24/7 already but what can you do. I had to pull the SS liner myself and get it installed in a more permanent manner. Gave the liner a thorough sweep and stuffed some roxul around the top and sealed the top plate to the flue. I almost permanently sealed the griddle but I was done at that point and I can do that at any time. If I keep it up I probably won’t be able to get in the stove to load it anymore..... [emoji23][emoji23][emoji23]

Hope everyone is doing well and keep tinkering with these finicky beauties.



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[Michagander]

Have not had time to be on this site in a while , I have a 2009 or 2010 Encore 2 in 1 does anyone know if mine has a place for the cat probe ? If so is there any pictures ? First I have heard of them on Encore. It would be nice not to have to go out side with a flashlight in the winter to see if the cat is lit .

 

[Reckless]

Have not had time to be on this site in a while , I have a 2009 or 2010 Encore 2 in 1 does anyone know if mine has a place for the cat probe ? If so is there any pictures ? First I have heard of them on Encore. It would be nice not to have to go out side with a flashlight in the winter to see if the cat is lit .

With the rear heart shield removed it should be center on the rear casting just below where the cat sits on the opposite side. You should see a small plug that can be removed and a probe inserted.


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[Kevin Weis]

Should get a hole in the heat shield as well. And a small hole for the bracket to hold the probe in place.

 

[Reckless]

Should get a hole in the heat shield as well. And a small hole for the bracket to hold the probe in place.

I had to tap my hole for the bracket, they must have missed that at the factory, luckily I have a tap and die set.


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[Kenneth Kline]

New Montpellier worked great first time out this past weekend. Definitely beat feeding the wood-hungry fireplace. The burn level was easy to control although I did need to leave the door slightly ajar for about 10 minutes to get it burning nicely. Nice heat output once the fan kicked in. Very happy with it.

 

[Kevin Weis]

Another Intrepid Flexburn update and questions: So with the cat installed now that it's colder, the cat is running about 1050 or so with a griddle temp of around 300. And with the air at around 1/3 or so. With this setting there are some flames. Does this sound like a good crusing temps as for as most VC stoves are concerned? I'm still not sure about the secondary air flap adjustment that's around 1/4"" open when cat is engaged. May play around with that one tick either way to see what difference it makes running the stove. But for right now will leave that alone. Hope to get more information on what the design opening (factory setting) is supposed to be. No, I'm not trusting they have the setting right necessarily. Too many ways during construction they could have got it set wrong maybe one ball (has a ball chain with stop checks) off. If anyone here is running the Intrepid II and knows the factory secondary flap setting please let me know what that is for comparison, thanks.

 

[Diabel]

Another Intrepid Flexburn update and questions: So with the cat installed now that it's colder, the cat is running about 1050 or so with a griddle temp of around 300. And with the air at around 1/3 or so. With this setting there are some flames. Does this sound like a good crusing temps as for as most VC stoves are concerned? I'm still not sure about the secondary air flap adjustment that's around 1/4"" open when cat is engaged. May play around with that one tick either way to see what difference it makes running the stove. But for right now will leave that alone. Hope to get more information on what the design opening (factory setting) is supposed to be. No, I'm not trusting they have the setting right necessarily. Too many ways during construction they could have got it set wrong maybe one ball (has a ball chain with stop checks) off. If anyone here is running the Intrepid II and knows the factory secondary flap setting please let me know what that is for comparison, thanks.

With griddle 300 and cat 1050 is this stove throwing any heat at all?

 

[alivegas99]

Kevin, that sounds like you are really choking down that stove. Is it warm enough for you? If it is very mild temps where you are and you dont need the extra heat that will surely give you great burn times. Opening it up more will create higher temps for the stove but not necessarily much higher temps for the cat. I‘m often running my Encore between 600 and 700 degrees with the cat temp coming in anywhere from 900 to 1400. It kicks a bunch of heat. I’ll sometimes wake up to 300 degree stove top temps after an overnight burn...

 

[Kevin Weis]

The stove is for an 11 X 13 room with an open doorway to the main house. This room has 3.25 exposed sides. Walls are insulated save for 1/2" foam board between the clapboard and by vinyl siding. This addition (two story) was built around 1910. So at a griddle temp of around 400 it should through out enough heat to keep it comfortable even at 0 outside . The house has oil forced hot air for the main heating even the stove room has an air duct for this but with 3+ exposed sides still a cold room even with the main house comfortable, hence the stove. Enough heat gets out to the main house to cut the oil bill by two thirds easy still. Right now with stove top around 350 and cat around 10000, room is about 80. Main house temp is 68 at the thermostat. This with an outside temp of 38 and wind out of northwest at 18 mph. I believe the secondary flap is adjusted about an 1/8"" too open and affects the sensitivity of primary air setting making for less air entering the stove and more fresh air entering the combusting chamber directly and through the cat and out. Next stove cool down I'm going to close up the secondary slightly to see how this affects stove temp and draft through the stove. Thanks for the responses.

 

[Woody Stover]

cat around 10000

I would wear shades when looking directly at it, to avoid eye damage.

I believe the secondary flap is adjusted about an 1/8"" too open

Totally different stove, but my 2460 has a separate cat air supply..didn't seem to do much any time I messed with it.

 

[Kevin Weis]

Yep, 10000 would be bad. Yea, stove is behaving a little eradicaly. Cat at 730 now but griddle around or a little over 400. There is a OAK on the stove so that may account for some of that being breezy today. The secondary has no thermostat. It has the one air setting for whatever it's been set to. When you switch from damper ope to close you can hear the rush in he flames through the cat for a while till the draft settles down some. Was concerning at first but it's all confined to the cat and never got much above 1300.

 

[ajayabb]

Fired up the Encore after getting home from work. Going to get a blast of cold tonight


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[Reckless]

Yep, 10000 would be bad. Yea, stove is behaving a little eradicaly. Cat at 730 now but griddle around or a little over 400. There is a OAK on the stove so that may account for some of that being breezy today. The secondary has no thermostat. It has the one air setting for whatever it's been set to. When you switch from damper ope to close you can hear the rush in he flames through the cat for a while till the draft settles down some. Was concerning at first but it's all confined to the cat and never got much above 1300.

1050 I would have to imagine you are getting some smoke out the chimney. You should be able to get it in the 1150-1200 range and keep the griddle temps down and let the cat do all the work. To me it sounds like you are turning it down a little too fast. I also have my secondary air completely blocked after playing around with it and getting terrible outcomes (I have crazy draft).


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