2020/21 VC Owners thread

[begreen]

A question came up from a new VC Defiant owner. Diablel was kind enough to respond. Any other thoughts?

Please help me evaluate performance of new cat in VC Defiant Encore #2190

Thanks to all ahead of time. This is a follow up to a previous thread asking for help replacing catalytic combustor in my VC Encore Defiant #2190. Thanks again to Defiant3 for the help. So, I replaced the cat and secondary air probe (OEM parts) in my #2190 which I have been running with a...

www.hearth.com

 

[jlggomez]

A question came up from a new VC Defiant owner. Diablel was kind enough to respond. Any other thoughts?

Please help me evaluate performance of new cat in VC Defiant Encore #2190

Thanks to all ahead of time. This is a follow up to a previous thread asking for help replacing catalytic combustor in my VC Encore Defiant #2190. Thanks again to Defiant3 for the help. So, I replaced the cat and secondary air probe (OEM parts) in my #2190 which I have been running with a...

www.hearth.com

Thanks, begreen. I look forward to other comments.

 

[jlggomez]

Thank you all again for your thoughts and suggestions. You guys are great! It is really appreciated as we‘re trying to get a handle on all this after running a stove which came with our house and with some issues. It was in pretty sad shape and I’ve been trying to get it up to speed a bit at a time. New gaskets, new glass and, as I explained above, replacing a non working cat and secondary air probe. As suggested, I will get and install (with your help) a cat probe. A couple of additional questions for now and comments please on something that happened yesterday that is of concern.

We had the chimney and flue swept by a professional about a month ago and I THINK that in spite of that we had a small (?) fire in the flue/chimney just yesterday. All seemed well with how the stove was performing as described above. I did my usual morning ash clean up and reloading and went out to do some snow blowing (brutal up here in Andes, NY). I happened to look toward the house and noticed an unusual amount of gray/white smoke coming out the chimney. My wife, who was inside the house called me and said that the griddle temp was reading 450, but the flue temp had risen to 900(!). We never let that temp rise above 500 or so. She closed the air control completely, the temp started to fall and settled to normal. My concern is, per Randy’s comments, that I damaged the cat. Is it possible for the flue temp to rise so high while the griddle temp remains that much lower? After temps settled down, we did recommend test of the cat (per the manual) by opening and closing the damper and observing the amount of smoke leaving the chimney. Here’s the weird thing:

The first three times that we opened and closed the damper there was much MORE smoke with the damper closed than with it open; the opposite of what should happen. Afterwards things returned to normal; much less or no smoke with damper closed and more smoke with it open. Is it possible the cat was burning up ash that had fallen in during the possible flue fire. Or, was the smoke from the cat itself? This morning all seems normal. We did the smoke test again and things appeared to be normal; more smoke with damper open.
; less or none with damper closed. Temps are as described in my original post. Obvious concern: could I have damaged the cat either with too high a temp or with ash?

Lastly (for now ☺). Still a source of some confusion is that the Condar flue probe therm reads that 400-900 is the “Normal” range. Yet, my Imperial griddle top therm reads that 500 and higher is in the “Overfire” range. If I get flue temps up to 600 I am well into the “Overfire” range and, as Randy states, in danger of damaging the cat. Or, are the two temperatures more ”independent“ of each other than I thought? If the griddle temp is at 450, which is the temp the manual recommends to fire the cat, what would cause the cat’s temp to rise so much; assuming that was what happened? What am I missing?

BTW, Re Randy’s question: Yes, I can maintain a little bit, not much, flame in the box with damper closed.

Thank you all again for the help and patience. Huge help!

 

[Woodsplitter67]

Thank you all again for your thoughts and suggestions. You guys are great! It is really appreciated as we‘re trying to get a handle on all this after running a stove which came with our house and with some issues. It was in pretty sad shape and I’ve been trying to get it up to speed a bit at a time. New gaskets, new glass and, as I explained above, replacing a non working cat and secondary air probe. As suggested, I will get and install (with your help) a cat probe. A couple of additional questions for now and comments please on something that happened yesterday that is of concern.

We had the chimney and flue swept by a professional about a month ago and I THINK that in spite of that we had a small (?) fire in the flue/chimney just yesterday. All seemed well with how the stove was performing as described above. I did my usual morning ash clean up and reloading and went out to do some snow blowing (brutal up here in Andes, NY). I happened to look toward the house and noticed an unusual amount of gray/white smoke coming out the chimney. My wife, who was inside the house called me and said that the griddle temp was reading 450, but the flue temp had risen to 900(!). We never let that temp rise above 500 or so. She closed the air control completely, the temp started to fall and settled to normal. My concern is, per Randy’s comments, that I damaged the cat. Is it possible for the flue temp to rise so high while the griddle temp remains that much lower? After temps settled down, we did recommend test of the cat (per the manual) by opening and closing the damper and observing the amount of smoke leaving the chimney. Here’s the weird thing:

The first three times that we opened and closed the damper there was much MORE smoke with the damper closed than with it open; the opposite of what should happen. Afterwards things returned to normal; much less or no smoke with damper closed and more smoke with it open. Is it possible the cat was burning up ash that had fallen in during the possible flue fire. Or, was the smoke from the cat itself? This morning all seems normal. We did the smoke test again and things appeared to be normal; more smoke with damper open.
; less or none with damper closed. Temps are as described in my original post. Obvious concern: could I have damaged the cat either with too high a temp or with ash?

Lastly (for now ☺). Still a source of some confusion is that the Condar flue probe therm reads that 400-900 is the “Normal” range. Yet, my Imperial griddle top therm reads that 500 and higher is in the “Overfire” range. If I get flue temps up to 600 I am well into the “Overfire” range and, as Randy states, in danger of damaging the cat. Or, are the two temperatures more ”independent“ of each other than I thought? If the griddle temp is at 450, which is the temp the manual recommends to fire the cat, what would cause the cat’s temp to rise so much; assuming that was what happened? What am I missing?

BTW, Re Randy’s question: Yes, I can maintain a little bit, not much, flame in the box with damper closed.

Thank you all again for the help and patience. Huge help!

with regard to testing your cat.. You will see smoke for a bit untill the cat gets up to temp. The cat will start to kick off at about 600 but that doesn't mean that its fully lit. Sometimes I will see some smoke untill the cats at 750/800 depending on how much wood is in the stove and what stage its in.. You should hear the cat running when it gets engaged or fully lit. You should here a roar at the back of the stove. when your cat is at this temp.. you can hear the cat running

 

[RandyBoBandy]

We had the chimney and flue swept by a professional about a month ago and I THINK that in spite of that we had a small (?) fire in the flue/chimney just yesterday.
-this brings up a question of wood MC. How are you testing your wood? Igor well was the chimney cleaned? This seems like an awfully short period of time to go from clean to a chimney fire

All seemed well with how the stove was performing as described above. I did my usual morning ash clean up and reloading
are you cleaning all the ash out of the stove every fire? Try leaving a couple inches of ash in the firebox

and went out to do some snow blowing (brutal up here in Andes, NY). I happened to look toward the house and noticed an unusual amount of gray/white smoke coming out the chimney. My wife, who was inside the house called me and said that the griddle temp was reading 450, but the flue temp had risen to 900(!).
this is with the damper closed? If so then I would say yes you probably had a small chimney fire or the cat was burning hot trying to keep up with a load off gassing a lot. Hard to tell. I’m currently monitoring my morning burn. I let the cat go up to 1630 with a GT of 500-550 and a flue temp of 800. I still had some smoke coming out of my cap which leads me to think I have some not so great wood in this load. I also have an aging refractory box ,cat and damper gaso I’m sure some smoke is sneaking around things.
We never let that temp rise above 500 or so. She closed the air control completely, the temp started to fall and settled to normal. My concern is, per Randy’s comments, that I damaged the cat. Is it possible for the flue temp to rise so high while the griddle temp remains that much lower?
I wouldn’t worry about the cat. Hitting high temps once in awhile shouldn’t hurt anything. It’s the prolonged exposure to extreme temps that kill cats (from my understanding). Yes it’s possible to have high flue temps with low GT temps. Yet another reason for a cat thermo. Seeing is knowing and knowing leads to proper burning habits.
After temps settled down, we did recommend test of the cat (per the manual) by opening and closing the damper and observing the amount of smoke leaving the chimney. Here’s the weird thing:
The first three times that we opened and closed the damper there was much MORE smoke with the damper closed than with it open; the opposite of what should happen. Afterwards things returned to normal; much less or no smoke with damper closed and more smoke with it open. Is it possible the cat was burning up ash that had fallen in during the possible flue fire. Or, was the smoke from the cat itself? This morning all seems normal. We did the smoke test again and things appeared to be normal; more smoke with damper open.
; less or none with damper closed. Temps are as described in my original post. Obvious concern: could I have damaged the cat either with too high a temp or with ash?
I don’t believe you damaged your cat. Take it out and inspect it however. Also take you phone and point the camera up the flue through the damper and take a picture
Lastly (for now ☺). Still a source of some confusion is that the Condar flue probe therm reads that 400-900 is the “Normal” range. Yet, my Imperial griddle top therm reads that 500 and higher is in the “Overfire” range. If I get flue temps up to 600 I am well into the “Overfire” range and, as Randy states, in danger of damaging the cat. Or, are the two temperatures more ”independent“
of each other than I thought?
yes these are independent from each other. What you are reading is normal for each.
If the griddle temp is at 450, which is the temp the manual recommends to fire the cat, what would cause the cat’s temp to rise so much; assuming that was what happened? What am I missing?
strong draw and off gassing can send cat temps soaring while the stove top temp lags. This you will learn to control with experience. Look back into previous years on the VC owners threads for a general running procedure of these stoves. It is different from what the manual states.
BTW, Re Randy’s question: Yes, I can maintain a little bit, not much, flame in the box with damper closed.
I’m suspect of the true dryness of your wood. Bring a piece in the house overnight. The next day take it back out and split it again and test the free shot exposed face. This will give you a more accurate reading.
Thank you all again for the help and patience. Huge help
can you explain your chimney as well? How tall, any bends or 90’s, 6” or 8”, how much is inside as opposed to outside, does the cap have a screen? In closing I’m by far not a professional. I just have 7 years of experience with this stove (2550) and these are all of my experiences mixed with countless hours reading here on this forum. Hope this helps and continue to ask questions. We will do our best to help.

 

[gthomas785]

Thank you all again for your thoughts and suggestions. You guys are great! It is really appreciated as we‘re trying to get a handle on all this after running a stove which came with our house and with some issues. It was in pretty sad shape and I’ve been trying to get it up to speed a bit at a time. New gaskets, new glass and, as I explained above, replacing a non working cat and secondary air probe. As suggested, I will get and install (with your help) a cat probe. A couple of additional questions for now and comments please on something that happened yesterday that is of concern.

We had the chimney and flue swept by a professional about a month ago and I THINK that in spite of that we had a small (?) fire in the flue/chimney just yesterday. All seemed well with how the stove was performing as described above. I did my usual morning ash clean up and reloading and went out to do some snow blowing (brutal up here in Andes, NY). I happened to look toward the house and noticed an unusual amount of gray/white smoke coming out the chimney. My wife, who was inside the house called me and said that the griddle temp was reading 450, but the flue temp had risen to 900(!). We never let that temp rise above 500 or so. She closed the air control completely, the temp started to fall and settled to normal. My concern is, per Randy’s comments, that I damaged the cat. Is it possible for the flue temp to rise so high while the griddle temp remains that much lower? After temps settled down, we did recommend test of the cat (per the manual) by opening and closing the damper and observing the amount of smoke leaving the chimney. Here’s the weird thing:

The first three times that we opened and closed the damper there was much MORE smoke with the damper closed than with it open; the opposite of what should happen. Afterwards things returned to normal; much less or no smoke with damper closed and more smoke with it open. Is it possible the cat was burning up ash that had fallen in during the possible flue fire. Or, was the smoke from the cat itself? This morning all seems normal. We did the smoke test again and things appeared to be normal; more smoke with damper open.
; less or none with damper closed. Temps are as described in my original post. Obvious concern: could I have damaged the cat either with too high a temp or with ash?

Lastly (for now ☺). Still a source of some confusion is that the Condar flue probe therm reads that 400-900 is the “Normal” range. Yet, my Imperial griddle top therm reads that 500 and higher is in the “Overfire” range. If I get flue temps up to 600 I am well into the “Overfire” range and, as Randy states, in danger of damaging the cat. Or, are the two temperatures more ”independent“ of each other than I thought? If the griddle temp is at 450, which is the temp the manual recommends to fire the cat, what would cause the cat’s temp to rise so much; assuming that was what happened? What am I missing?

BTW, Re Randy’s question: Yes, I can maintain a little bit, not much, flame in the box with damper closed.

Thank you all again for the help and patience. Huge help!

Hello,
Based on your description, and my own experience with VC stoves, I don't think you had a chimney fire. It has happened to me a few times that the flue temperature can suddenly spike up to 800-900 with the air closed and stovetop temperature not over 500. I believe this is due to heavy outgassing of the wood that is being burned off by the cat or possibly even post-cat (sometimes I can see wispy secondary flames through a very small crack next to the flue collar with the damper closed). I usually see cat temperatures of 1100-1200 F while this is happening.

It seems to happen if I left it burning on high for a while before turning it down, and I do think that damp wood can contribute to it being sort of delayed. i.e. the outgassing may not really start until after you've turned down the air and thought the fire was under control, and that's why it is so alarming.

Nevertheless, I have learned that if I just leave the air closed it will calm down after 10-15 minutes.
The few times I've dared to leave the stove during this time to look at the chimney, I think there was some smoke. My theory is that there's just too much smoke that the cat / secondary combustion cannot handle.

 

[jlggomez]

Thank you all once again for the invaluable help. Great resource this forum!

Randy, in answer to your questions:

I believe the chimney was cleaned adequately, but I can’t say with certainty that a thorough job was done.

We are running the stove pretty much 24/7 and temperatures outside have been quite low in upstate NY this year with a couple of subzero days; about 19 as I write. I don’t clean out the stove every morning, but close. I do leave a bed of ash, but probably not 2”; I’ll have to fix that.

I sounds like the mentioned outgassing was the problem. As expected, temps drop right after reloading and I have been opening everything up to get the griddle temperature up to the recommended 450-500 range thinking that this was necessary to re(?)activate the cat. I then close the damper and close the air control lever about half to two thirds of the way to fully closed. Sounds like that is not a good idea and I should just let the temp go back up more slowly? Great to know that the cat is probably ok.

I check MC using an Accumaster XT needle probe tester. This, after trying and returning two others which were not performing well. I try to stay close to 10% , but occasionally burn wood in the 15% range. I figure that this way I am probably staying below the recommended 20% max on the assumption that these are probably not terribly accurate readings.

Chimney is 25‘ with screen. Brick with 8” tile lined flue. No bends except a 90 where the stove’s 5’ of connecting double wall pipe goes into the wall; then, 25‘ all outside.

Thanks very much for any additional comments.

Question, Woodsplitter67 mentions being able to hear the cat working. Is this normal for all stoves? I can’t hear it in mine when it is, presumably, working. Also, I do still get blackening of the doors’ glass.

Best to all.

 

[gthomas785]

I check MC using an Accumaster XT needle probe tester. This, after trying and returning two others which were not performing well. I try to stay close to 10% , but occasionally burn wood in the 15% range. I figure that this way I am probably staying below the recommended 20% max on the assumption that these are probably not terribly accurate readings.

Also, I do still get blackening of the doors’ glass.

Are you measuring that moisture on a freshly split face of a room temperature piece of wood? 10% is really low, and the behaviors you described point to a higher moisture content than that.

 

[RandyBoBandy]

Thank you all once again for the invaluable help. Great resource this forum!

Randy, in answer to your questions:

I believe the chimney was cleaned adequately, but I can’t say with certainty that a thorough job was done.

We are running the stove pretty much 24/7 and temperatures outside have been quite low in upstate NY this year with a couple of subzero days; about 19 as I write. I don’t clean out the stove every morning, but close. I do leave a bed of ash, but probably not 2”; I’ll have to fix that.

I sounds like the mentioned outgassing was the problem. As expected, temps drop right after reloading and I have been opening everything up to get the griddle temperature up to the recommended 450-500 range thinking that this was necessary to re(?)activate the cat. I then close the damper and close the air control lever about half to two thirds of the way to fully closed. Sounds like that is not a good idea and I should just let the temp go back up more slowly? Great to know that the cat is probably ok.

I check MC using an Accumaster XT needle probe tester. This, after trying and returning two others which were not performing well. I try to stay close to 10% , but occasionally burn wood in the 15% range. I figure that this way I am probably staying below the recommended 20% max on the assumption that these are probably not terribly accurate readings.

Chimney is 25‘ with screen. Brick with 8” tile lined flue. No bends except a 90 where the stove’s 5’ of connecting double wall pipe goes into the wall; then, 25‘ all outside.

Thanks very much for any additional comments.

Question, Woodsplitter67 mentions being able to hear the cat working. Is this normal for all stoves? I can’t hear it in mine when it is, presumably, working. Also, I do still get blackening of the doors’ glass.

Best to all.

I believe the chimney was cleaned adequately, but I can’t say with certainty that a thorough job was done.

We are running the stove pretty much 24/7 and temperatures outside have been quite low in upstate NY this year with a couple of subzero days; about 19 as I write. I don’t clean out the stove every morning, but close. I do leave a bed of ash, but probably not 2”; I’ll have to fix that.
a good ash bed will keep the epa holes in the bottom of the stove from letting in to much air. It also helps insulate the coals
I sounds like the mentioned outgassing was the problem. As expected, temps drop right after reloading and I have been opening everything up to get the griddle temperature up to the recommended 450-500 range thinking that this was necessary to re(?)activate the cat. I then close the damper and close the air control lever about half to two thirds of the way to fully closed. Sounds like that is not a good idea and I should just let the temp go back up more slowly? Great to know that the cat is probably ok.
on cold starts and reloads don’t pay attention to the GT temps. Once your flue temps hit 500-600 then close the damper. Upon closing damper leave air fully open. This is where monitoring the cat temps starts to be a factor. Once my cat hits somewhere between 700-1000 I start to close my primary in increments. The faster the cat temps are rising the sooner I start closing my primary.
I check MC using an Accumaster XT needle probe tester. This, after trying and returning two others which were not performing well. I try to stay close to 10% , but occasionally burn wood in the 15% range. I figure that this way I am probably staying below the recommended 20% max on the assumption that these are probably not terribly accurate readings.
I feel there may be some error in your method. I find it hard to believe you are getting actual 10% MC. I’m not calling you liar by any means. It just sounds unlikely. Take a nice sized split preferably with straight grain in the house for 24-48 hours. Once it’s acclimated to room temps take it back out and split it down the center. Jab your prongs into the fresh split face. This will be your MC. Not the ends or an old face.
Chimney is 25‘ with screen. Brick with 8” tile lined flue. No bends except a 90 where the stove’s 5’ of connecting double wall pipe goes into the wall; then, 25‘ all outside.
is there a clean out Tee? Did the sweep take apart you flue pipe and clean out the thimble and any horizontal pipe? Did he clean out the stove after cleaning the pipe and chimney? Is the liner insulated? 25’ is plenty long for good draw. I’m curious if there is any insulation around the liner. If not it’s possible the liner is cooling off to much creating creosote.
Thanks very much for any additional comments.

Question, Woodsplitter67 mentions being able to hear the cat working. Is this normal for all stoves? I can’t hear it in mine when it is, presumably, working. Also, I do still get blackening of the doors’ glass.
my head would have to be behind the stove and the house silent for me to hear any rumbling sounds coming from my stove. WS67 is right but it’s not something I think you expect to hear without really looking for it. At least in my experiences.

 

[Woodsplitter67]

Thank you all once again for the invaluable help. Great resource this forum!

Randy, in answer to your questions:

I believe the chimney was cleaned adequately, but I can’t say with certainty that a thorough job was done.

We are running the stove pretty much 24/7 and temperatures outside have been quite low in upstate NY this year with a couple of subzero days; about 19 as I write. I don’t clean out the stove every morning, but close. I do leave a bed of ash, but probably not 2”; I’ll have to fix that.

I sounds like the mentioned outgassing was the problem. As expected, temps drop right after reloading and I have been opening everything up to get the griddle temperature up to the recommended 450-500 range thinking that this was necessary to re(?)activate the cat. I then close the damper and close the air control lever about half to two thirds of the way to fully closed. Sounds like that is not a good idea and I should just let the temp go back up more slowly? Great to know that the cat is probably ok.

I check MC using an Accumaster XT needle probe tester. This, after trying and returning two others which were not performing well. I try to stay close to 10% , but occasionally burn wood in the 15% range. I figure that this way I am probably staying below the recommended 20% max on the assumption that these are probably not terribly accurate readings.

Chimney is 25‘ with screen. Brick with 8” tile lined flue. No bends except a 90 where the stove’s 5’ of connecting double wall pipe goes into the wall; then, 25‘ all outside.

Thanks very much for any additional comments.

Question, Woodsplitter67 mentions being able to hear the cat working. Is this normal for all stoves? I can’t hear it in mine when it is, presumably, working. Also, I do still get blackening of the doors’ glass.

Best to all.

Id check the wood on a fresh split side at room temp
What stove are you running..
There was a question in the past from a member regarding the noise they hear while the cats engaged. Corie from VC responded and said that it is normal to hear and is a good thing. I hear in in my stove when the cat is fully going.. not at 600 degrees.. others have reported hearing it also..

 

[Diabel]

Question, Woodsplitter67 mentions being able to hear the cat working. Is this normal for all stoves? I can’t hear it in mine when it is, presumably, working. Also, I do still get blackening of the doors’ glass.

Best to all.

I do not hear anything from mine.

 

[jlggomez]

I buy from a local vendor; a cord at a time. His wood is claimed to be “seasoned” for at least one year. That wood measures anywhere from 19-25%. Then it sits covered in one of my racks for probably another two-three months. I bring some inside and after three days of sitting stacked fairly close to my stove (24/7) it measures anywhere from 9-17%. I don’t burn any that doesn’t stay below about 16 or so and shoot for closer to 10%. I start my fires with “the good stuff”; a dwindling supply bought last summer of 2yr+ seasoned (claimed) which, after being inside for three days, sometimes won’t register on the meter due to its 6% lower limit. I measure putting the needles into the split grain sides.

I’m pretty new to all this, so I’m all “ears”.

Thank you!

 

[Woodsplitter67]

I do not hear anything from my stove

I see your running the 2550. I have the 2040.. there may be some difference.. I definitely hear the cat running in mine and have heard it since I can remember..

 

[jlggomez]

what stove are u running

My stove is a VC Defiant Encore 2190.

Yes, the sweep cleaned the vertical and horizontal connecting pipes. I saw them after cleaning and they were quite clean. As far as liner insulation, I’m afraid I don’t know how to answer that. The flue is lined with tiles which were visible through the hole after the horizontal connecting pipe was removed. I assume insulation goes between the tile and the brick? I just don’t know.

re wood: I suspected higher MC as well, but what I describe is what I’m seeing; would explain the blackening of glass. Perhaps I’m not going deep enough into the grain when testing. Good tip, Randy about splitting a log to test. Makes sense.; I get it, The reading I may be getting does not reflect what’s deeper inside the wood. I’ll try your method of testing and report back.

Thank you all again!

 

[Woodsplitter67]

My stove is a VC Defiant Encore 2190.

Yes, the sweep cleaned the vertical and horizontal connecting pipes. I saw them after cleaning and they were quite clean. As far as liner insulation, I’m afraid I don’t know how to answer that. The flue is lined with tiles which were visible through the hole after the horizontal connecting pipe was removed. I assume insulation goes between the tile and the brick? I just don’t know.

re wood: I suspected higher MC as well, but what I describe is what I’m seeing; would explain the blackening of glass. Perhaps I’m not going deep enough into the grain when testing. Good tip, Randy about splitting a log to test. Makes sense.; I get it, The reading I may be getting does not reflect what’s deeper inside the wood. I’ll try your method of testing and report back.

Thank you all again!

So if your not testing on the fresh split face your wood is probably alot wetter than you think.
Just a heads up.. I dont know anyone who purchased wood that has gotten truly seasoned firewood.. Most wood sits out in piles and gets rained on and the inside of the pile never sees the light of day..

 

[gthomas785]

My stove is a VC Defiant Encore 2190.

Yes, the sweep cleaned the vertical and horizontal connecting pipes. I saw them after cleaning and they were quite clean. As far as liner insulation, I’m afraid I don’t know how to answer that. The flue is lined with tiles which were visible through the hole after the horizontal connecting pipe was removed. I assume insulation goes between the tile and the brick? I just don’t know.

re wood: I suspected higher MC as well, but what I describe is what I’m seeing; would explain the blackening of glass. Perhaps I’m not going deep enough into the grain when testing. Good tip, Randy about splitting a log to test. Makes sense.; I get it, The reading I may be getting does not reflect what’s deeper inside the wood. I’ll try your method of testing and report back.

Thank you all again!

You have to split the wood immediately before testing.

 

[Diabel]

We have all been there, started with unseasoned wood supply. It is not fun and very frustrating. Eventually, you will burn seasoned wood. It needs to be out drying (cut/split/stacked) for at least 2 years.

 

[RandyBoBandy]

My stove is a VC Defiant Encore 2190.

Yes, the sweep cleaned the vertical and horizontal connecting pipes. I saw them after cleaning and they were quite clean. As far as liner insulation, I’m afraid I don’t know how to answer that. The flue is lined with tiles which were visible through the hole after the horizontal connecting pipe was removed. I assume insulation goes between the tile and the brick? I just don’t know.

re wood: I suspected higher MC as well, but what I describe is what I’m seeing; would explain the blackening of glass. Perhaps I’m not going deep enough into the grain when testing. Good tip, Randy about splitting a log to test. Makes sense.; I get it, The reading I may be getting does not reflect what’s deeper inside the wood. I’ll try your method of testing and report back.

Thank you all again!

So is the horizontal flue pipe just dumping into the clay liner or is there a round flex liner in the clay tile liner running up to the cap?

 

[jlggomez]

Like I said before, you guys are great and you know your stuff. So, I split a couple of pieces that I had brought inside yesterday. Like I said before, these would read somewhere around 15-17% and I expected them to read somewhere between 10-15 after being inside three days or so. I tested them again. Sure enough, 15.6%. Took them outside, split them and tested the fresh split. S#$t !! 25.2%. Obviously, not good. I split a piece of “the good stuff”. Better, but still 21% in the middle. This is wood that the vendor keeps inside a very large shed. I can only imagine what the stuff that is kept outside is like. Would keeping wood like this for a year covered in a rack outside bring MC down to an acceptable level?

Thanks again to all. I appreciate any further comments.

 

[jlggomez]

Diabel, just saw your post. Two years it is then. Thanks.

Randy, no flex liner. It is something we are considering putting in. Also have our eyes on the new Defiant flex burn. Pricy and waiting to see if I can get this old Defiant working properly.

 

[Diabel]

If you are handy (i am a bit), I would wait some before dropping some serious coin on the new defiant. Concentrate on your wood supply and if you have time read this thread, especially regarding operations and rebuilds. Once summer comes replace all the visible gaskets and bypass gasket. Examine the cat and refractory box, replace them if needed (expensive). If you have to buy wood buy now 2-3 years worth.

 

[moresnow]

Like I said before, you guys are great and you know your stuff. So, I split a couple of pieces that I had brought inside yesterday. Like I said before, these would read somewhere around 15-17% and I expected them to read somewhere between 10-15 after being inside three days or so. I tested them again. Sure enough, 15.6%. Took them outside, split them and tested the fresh split. S#$t !! 25.2%. Obviously, not good. I split a piece of “the good stuff”. Better, but still 21% in the middle. This is wood that the vendor keeps inside a very large shed. I can only imagine what the stuff that is kept outside is like. Would keeping wood like this for a year covered in a rack outside bring MC down to an acceptable level?

Thanks again to all. I appreciate any further comments.

Good for you on being willing to listen and learn! This little story should be stickied for all new burners benefit.

You have received good advice. If you can manage it, purchase/gather your wood now for the future. Rule of thumb is that the denser heavier hardwoods can take 1 to 3 years after being split and stacked to be 20% or less M/C. Softwoods like Pine may season in a year or potentially less. And yes. Pine makes fine safe firewood when seasoned correctly! Good luck.

 

[RandyBoBandy]

Good for you on being willing to listen and learn! This little story should be stickied for all new burners benefit.

You have received good advice. If you can manage it, purchase/gather your wood now for the future. Rule of thumb is that the denser heavier hardwoods can take 1 to 3 years after being split and stacked to be 20% or less M/C. Softwoods like Pine may season in a year or potentially less. And yes. Pine makes fine safe firewood when seasoned correctly! Good luck.

All to often newbies come around insisting that their wood is dry because the guy they bought it from told them so. It’s refreshing to have someone actually listen to “seasoned” advice. No pun intended.

 

[RandyBoBandy]

Diabel, just saw your post. Two years it is then. Thanks.

Randy, no flex liner. It is something we are considering putting in. Also have our eyes on the new Defiant flex burn. Pricy and waiting to see if I can get this old Defiant working properly.

As @Diabel said. Invest your time and money into your wood and current flue situation. It sounds like you have already done some good maintenance on the stove itself so now it’s time to get the fuel and venting correct. No matter what stove you put on your hearth they will all burn the same with wet wood and an uninsulated chimney liner. For what’s it’s worth put some good thought on how you plan on drying your wood. I believe there are three major elements to successfully drying wood in the shortest time possible. Elevate off the ground, good airflow and top covered to keep dry. Any sun exposure is a bonus however not as important as the other three. I was lazy with drying my wood correctly when I got into this and you pay the price for years. What you do now affects what you get in three years.

 

[jlggomez]

A fire inside a metal box in one‘s home is too important/potentially dangerous for ego to be in the mix. You guys have been a tremendous help and I’m still learning. My hopefully realistic goal is to eventually cut my own wood on my rather large property and that could use some thinning out and get my wood supply under control. Daunting but potentially fun way for someone from the city and looking at retirement in a couple of years to spend his time; good exercise, anyway. A question Re cat probe if I may. In a previous response you wrote:

***Most of us VC guys are using the Auber Instruments AT 100 digital thermometer. They only offer a 6” K-type probe so if you are using the rear heat shield you will need to drill a hole in it. Another option is to go to condar’s website and just buy their probe which is only 4” and will fit behind the heat shield.***

I‘m not opposed to drilling into the heat shield, but does your comment mean that with the 4” Condar one does not have to drill into the shield? Any details would be appreciated.

Thank you all once again!