2019/20 VC Owners thread

[Northern NH Mike]

I got a pretty good burn cycle going in my Encore this weekend. The maple is definitely not as dry as I would like it to be, but it put out a good amount of heat. After ten years of running the stove the nuclear flare ups are fewer. I think the stove and I have come to a mutual understanding.

 

[rwh63]

45 degrees outside tonight. giving the wood stove and wood pile a day off.

 

[Reckless]

I got a pretty good burn cycle going in my Encore this weekend. The maple is definitely not as dry as I would like it to be, but it put out a good amount of heat. After ten years of running the stove the nuclear flare ups are fewer. I think the stove and I have come to a mutual understanding.

Don’t you trust it!!


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[Northern NH Mike]

Don’t you trust it!!


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Trust, but verify ;-)

 

[RandyBoBandy]

No super cedars or fat wood needed

 

[RandyBoBandy]

Thanks Kevin - I've definitely got more house than stove, and a >30ft interior chimney, so I guess in those aspects the wind is at my back (or going up my flue pipe?).

RJ - The K probe (temperature probe) goes exactly where the current probe is on the back of the stove. That is the entire installation! The AT100 is just the display / user interface. It allows you to see, digitally, what temperature the K-probe is reading as well as set alarms for maximum cat temps.

The most useful thing about the probe is how easy it is to tell that your stove has gone into cat mode. Just in the few weeks I've had it, my hunch for exactly when I can throw the damper and engage the cat has gotten pretty darn good. If you throw too early it tells you, because the cat probe will sit at something like 350 degrees. If you engage it at the right time it will shoot upward well over 500 degrees in a few minutes.

My cat has yet to get into the 1,400's, I've heard some here say it gets dicey at over 1,700 degrees so my alarm is set at 1,650. I tested the alarm at low temperatures and it is quite a loud and annoying alarm! Definitely would wake me up.

I would change your alarm to 1550. This is where I have mine set. I get nervous with any readings above 1550. Cats are to expensive to let them go nuclear.

 

[RandyBoBandy]

Good morning everyone. Hopefully we are all almost ready for another burn season.
Question for the experts:
I am about to clean the chimney, replace the griddle gasket, put in a new cat. I am debating if I should replace the bypass gasket (no easy task). It has been four years since the rebuilt and the stove has been used almost 24/7 Nov to Apr (less several winter vacations).

Diabel, did you ever end up doing your damper gasket?

 

[Diabel]

Diabel, did you ever end up doing your damper gasket?

No, it sounded like a big job (as per @bholler). I just put a new cat it and it seems to work fine. The VC seems to be releasing less plume than the BK. I don’t get it.

 

[RandyBoBandy]

No, it sounded like a big job (as per @bholler). I just put a new cat it and it seems to work fine. The VC seems to be releasing less plume than the BK. I don’t get it.

my defiant at my cabin actually has a 2” piece of damper gasket missing. So I just cut a 2” piece of gasket and set it in the groove to get me through the weekend. I am definitely not looking forward to that job of replacing it. Plus we are on the wrong side of the burn season to be dealing with that right now.

 

[Diabel]

my defiant at my cabin actually has a 2” piece of damper gasket missing. So I just cut a 2” piece of gasket and set it in the groove to get me through the weekend. I am definitely not looking forward to that job of replacing it. Plus we are on the wrong side of the burn season to be dealing with that right now.

A spring job waiting for you for sure.

 

[Diabel]

Now, if I could only figure out haw to pass my sooteater through the by pass door to clean my chimney!

 

[Reckless]

my defiant at my cabin actually has a 2” piece of damper gasket missing. So I just cut a 2” piece of gasket and set it in the groove to get me through the weekend. I am definitely not looking forward to that job of replacing it. Plus we are on the wrong side of the burn season to be dealing with that right now.

Going to have to pull the flue collar at minimum......


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[Diabel]

Going to have to pull the flue collar at minimum......


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Do you think it can be done via flue collar way? Much better than pulling the whole damper assembly out.

 

[RandyBoBandy]

If you could get the damper plate out it might make the job easier. I’m not sure if that’s possible without taking out the whole thing. Did jharkin take the whole thing out on his rebuild? I will have to scroll back to his thread.

 

[Diabel]

He did. When I did the rebuild 5 yrs ago I had everything out.

 

[Reckless]

Do you think it can be done via flue collar way? Much better than pulling the whole damper assembly out.

I did mine through the flue collar, not bad at all. I used wood working clamps to help hold at the corners then used news paper to separate the door from the upper to keep them from getting stuck together while curing. If you have a Dremel with a flex extension you’re golden, I did mine with out one and it worked out fine.

Getting the upper out is a huge pain that I avoid at all costs.


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[Reckless]

If you could get the damper plate out it might make the job easier. I’m not sure if that’s possible without taking out the whole thing. Did jharkin take the whole thing out on his rebuild? I will have to scroll back to his thread.

I did mine with damper plate in but yea if you can get to the bolts go for it. I’m a minimalist.


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[Woodsplitter67]

my cat temp just peaked out at 1632... had me going for a moment..

 

[Kevin Weis]

Mine was up to 1425 tonite before I turned the primary all the way down to settle it. Highest it's been so far this year.

 

[RandyBoBandy]

my cat temp just peaked out at 1632... had me going for a moment.. View attachment 253923

Yikes. That would have me a little nervous

 

[Woodsplitter67]

this was with the air turned all the way back. some times this happens when i put in to my largest splits in and they gas off all at once.. normally i put 2 in and then medium size splits. this time i put 3 ... 4x6 or larger in and a couple medium and this is what i got.. it didnt last long.. which was nice.. stove pipe was in the low 500 range while this was going on..

 

[Kevin Weis]

Yep, makes sense don't put small on top of big. Thought about this the other day when I had a 350 spike in 30 seconds. Figured I need to try to configure the loading to try to limit all pieces off gassing at once.

 

[Turfguy]

Just wanted to say hi, wish everyone a happy new year burning in 2020. Enjoying our VC Montpelier it’s our second winter with it in the basement. We use it mostly on weekends to heat the kids playroom. Looking to add another stove into a open fireplace
In our living room in the coming year.


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[Diabel]

Just wanted to say hi, wish everyone a happy new year burning in 2020. Enjoying our VC Montpelier it’s our second winter with it in the basement. We use it mostly on weekends to heat the kids playroom. Looking to add another stove into a open fireplace
In our living room in the coming year.


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Looking good! Happy New Year.

 

[Woodsplitter67]

happy new year my vc friends.. lots of happy burning going on over here. had the chimney cleaned on 12-6 after a year burning and got mostly a gray graphite colored powder. im so enjoying my stove.