We just put in the same stove last week. Ours does the same thing. It runs fine then add some wood , close damper , set air intake halfway then before you know it , stovepipe is at 450, stove at 550+ , we turn air intake as low as it will go but it continues to run hot. We don't dare to add much wood at a time because of this. Talking with dealer but have no answers yet.
2021/22 VC Owner thread
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RandyBoBandy
Minister of Fire
bert670
Member
RandyBoBandy
Minister of Fire
bert670
Member
I completed the 3rd break in fire last night, got the stove top up to about 450 on 2 splits and some kindling. Fire lasted for a little over 1.5 hours and I left it to burn down overnight. It was the first fire where I closed the damper and lowered the air control down 2 notches. Fire burned great with nice slow flames after the damper was closed. Of course this weekend we’re looking at temps in the 50’s. Will probably do a fire tonight and then wait until Monday for the first full day of burning. So far very happy with ease of getting a fire going. The reason I went with the straight vertical pipe was because I had heard the new EPA stoves could be tough to get a good draft in. Overall very happy so far, large glass viewing area to take in the fire and the quality of moving parts are so far so good. We’ll see how things hold up with longer and hotter burns.
Stove took a year off after rebuilding half the house. Then moved it back to essentially the same place it was, in the new half of the house. New chimney by builder. Chimney is single wall in house, bends 90 degrees through wall at about 4 feet, then up in an insulated exterior chase perhaps 20 feet. I have stove top and stove pipe surface (magnet) thermos. Overall has been running pretty well, but two issues I'm trying to sort out.
1. Cat temp monitoring. Got one of those Auber Instruments sensors mentioned frequently here (old Condar died, no longer available). Went through all the setup back in November/December and quit out of lack of time. But I know how quirky these stoves are and I don't like flying blind. Buckled the firebox when under warranty and all that.
Back to the Auber. All I've gotten is backwards 3's on the display. Found the directions a bit challenging, but none of the suggestions they provided seemed to do the trick (crossed wires, etc.). Any tricks I might have missed?
2. Draft issues? Hard to get it really going, almost acts like wet wood. No issues with backdrafting or anything like that. Reason I ask the question is it's worked fine until the past couple of weeks, when I got into some potentially less well-cured wood. However, I checked fresh splits today. Pine at 12%, Oak at 17.6, and Cherry at 19.2. Those all seem ok to me. I carefully shop-vacced off the catalyst in case that was plugged with ash, but no change.
1. Cat temp monitoring. Got one of those Auber Instruments sensors mentioned frequently here (old Condar died, no longer available). Went through all the setup back in November/December and quit out of lack of time. But I know how quirky these stoves are and I don't like flying blind. Buckled the firebox when under warranty and all that.
Back to the Auber. All I've gotten is backwards 3's on the display. Found the directions a bit challenging, but none of the suggestions they provided seemed to do the trick (crossed wires, etc.). Any tricks I might have missed?
2. Draft issues? Hard to get it really going, almost acts like wet wood. No issues with backdrafting or anything like that. Reason I ask the question is it's worked fine until the past couple of weeks, when I got into some potentially less well-cured wood. However, I checked fresh splits today. Pine at 12%, Oak at 17.6, and Cherry at 19.2. Those all seem ok to me. I carefully shop-vacced off the catalyst in case that was plugged with ash, but no change.
Turns out I've been running it a bit cold. New stovetop thermo from amazon reads about 100 F high. Probably sooting up the cat, I'm thinking. Time to burn off some soot and see if I'm right.
Did you set the thermocouple type? You have to enter the setup menu (0089) then go to "Inty" and if you have a K type set it to the symbol that looks like a backwards 4.
RandyBoBandy
Minister of Fire
Chimney cap screen, I presume. Didn't actually look, but can't imagine not having one with code inspections.
Does it rip when you crack the ashpan door open? If not I would suggest a draft problem.
Could be wet wood too, as you said. I have had some success with marginal stuff by running the cat bypassed for a while until it get good and hot, then throw the cat in.
Shop vac on the cat seems risky.... even carefully. I just blow on mine and the fly ash comes out. If it is creosoted up just get the stove hot and it will burn off.
Woodsplitter67
Minister of Fire
If your cat is not lighting off you'll know when you clean it. The combuster will be brownish and the steel band will be discolored. Many times people think the stove/pipe is warm enough but its not and everything stalls. I suggest an IR gun for the stove and a magnet for the stove pipe. Keep a good eye on the AT cat temp. Your cat starts to kick off a 600.. temps of 800/1100 are a good range. I think randy is asking about the cap.. maybe its plugged up.. could be if the wood is boarder line..
RandyBoBandy
Minister of Fire
My rain cap does not have a screen on it. Just a thin center band of SS. (Excel chimney). If you got into marginal wood it doesn’t take long to clog up a screen. If you can’t get on the roof use binoculars and visually inspect your cap.
bert670
Member
Really liking the new Dauntless so far. Did my first overnight burn last night. Loaded it up at about 1030pm before bed, woke up at 6:30 and room temp was 73, and had a hot bed of coals that got a new fire started right up. Loaded her up again and left for work at 7am. Got home at 4:30 and had a warm stove and just enough coals left to get it started back up without kindling.
Anyone ever have an issue when engaging the bypass that it doesn't seem to engage? It is hard to explain. It is almost like when I go to close the bypass that it is too smooth. Also I am no longer getting the "lazy" flames. The temp is shooting up to 550-600 with the air turned down where as usually it hovers around 500. I let the stove cool off and felt it and it felt like it was closing just fine. I got the usually click at the end, but when it is hot I am not getting that. This is on a new Intrepid Flexburn. I don't want to have to deal with the dealer if I don't have to.
What temp are you referring to? Griddle? Does the handle still stop in the same positions? You should be able to hear the damper opening and closing. Does it feel like something disengaged?
Also could be that your damper is warped or the gasket is worn out and leaking by.
The temp is stove top. I take it on the stove top right behind the griddle. My griddle seems to be 100-150 degrees cooler than the rest of the stove top for some reason.
It feels like things are engaging, but I am not getting the resistance in the damper handle and the solid click once it is closed that I used to. I think that it isn't closing all the way. Like I said though it seemed fine once the stove cooled down yesterday. My wife noticed it too so I don't think that I'm making it up.
I would hope that the damper isn't warped or the gasket isn't work out yet. It is a 4 month old stove.
RandyBoBandy
Minister of Fire
It’s a new stove thus a new gasket. The gasket has just “broke in “ sort of speak. Just tighten the damper adjustment a little bit. My encore is doing this as well. I just did a partial rebuild this fall and replaced all the gaskets. My stove has just been to hot for me to adjust my damper. I really notice it when I’ve let the stove get hotter than normal before closing the damper.
This was probably the problem. I went to make the adjustment and the locking nut wasn't even hand tight. I turned the adjustment 1/2 a turn and snugged down the locking nut. While I was in there and it was cool I checked a few more nuts/screws and both screws that hold the top on were not even had tight and one of the screws for the glass was loose. Now I just need to wait for a cool day to run it again, its in the 60's yesterday and today.
Thanks again for the idea. I read the manual probably 4 times, but didn't remember that the damper was adjustable.
Woodsplitter67
Minister of Fire
You will fined that with use, cooling and reheating that things may loosen up a little. Things expand, I did my glass this fall.. new gasket.. I know the screws were tight.. 2 backed out some.. it happens.. my stove had the past 2 days off.. ill light it tonight..
Woodsplitter67
Minister of Fire
Just a heads up. Not everyone has an insert, me I have a wood stove. Its a VC. If you're looking to get heat from the insert, yes, you will need a blower. A blower will pull the warm air frome in between the insert and the fireplace area that's surrounding it. You will also need a block off plate so the heat doesn't go up the chimney.
First off, want to say “thank you”! This forum has been an amazing resource during the past few months while I searched for a stove to heat our Colorado high country home. Ended up with a VC Defiant and have been thoroughly pleased since install a few weeks back. I am SO GLAD to no longer be propane-dependent.
When reloading for today’s burn, I noticed the paint (?) on the underside of the lid is flaking off. We’ve been doing all night burns (8ish hours with hot coals left over in the AM) but nothing scorching hot. Is this normal? Or did I torch the lid with a too-hot fire?
![[Hearth.com] 2021/22 VC Owner thread](https://www.hearth.com/talk/attachments/c4502d7b-33f0-4c82-a4a8-5469056fe130-webp.293192/ "[Hearth.com] 2021/22 VC Owner thread")
Thanks in advance!
When reloading for today’s burn, I noticed the paint (?) on the underside of the lid is flaking off. We’ve been doing all night burns (8ish hours with hot coals left over in the AM) but nothing scorching hot. Is this normal? Or did I torch the lid with a too-hot fire?
Thanks in advance!
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