2022/23 VC Owner thread
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Did you change your burning habits after doing this. Do you leave primary air open a little more or still close it fully. Have you noticed any negative effects?
I tried that like you mentioned, I found that it made more smoke out of my chimney and built up some creosote in the pipe. So I went back to the normal routine. Sweet, finally some cold weather to really try this thing out!
I started with blocking secondary half way with folded tin foil and magnets, better but would still get going with not much control. Then I put a one magnet over one epa hole. A little bit more improvement, then covered the other hole with magnet and I feel like I have much more control with the primary air control. So I can go full close on the primary just not as soon. All in all I'm much more comfortable with the way its burning now.
Solid Intel, thanks for sharing. I’ve never had much Control! Good trick to keep in mind.
It does take alittle bit longer to get cat going but much more manageable. This is with air 3/4 closed
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You are correct, I forgot them.... On my stove there is only one hole, bottom center of the stove in the back, near the flapper.
Updated....
On my stove the EPA hole does not flow into the ashpan, it flows into the primary air duct. Letting ash build up does not affect airflow through that hole. Others may be different, I do not know.
I have let my ash build up in the pan and I see no real difference in how the stove operates.
Rebuild pics I posted here:https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/2022-23-vc-owner-thread.193685/page-25#post-2640453
EPA hole circled in blue, note it is behind the ashpan area.
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On the dauntless I'm curious what the foamy textured stuff is where the cat goes. I was cleaning it up this weekend and had never noticed that before. It doesn't burn apparently. Shrug.
Also general observation. My stove is more controllable and predictable with a full ash pan vs everything being completely cleaned out, in start up until about four hours in.
Also general observation. My stove is more controllable and predictable with a full ash pan vs everything being completely cleaned out, in start up until about four hours in.
All of these plug the holes and move the coals and other modifications makes me wonder. I asked about my secondary air control, plenty of hacks but no concrete theories of operation. I've been able to control my stove a lot better watching the weather. I posted before about the humidity making a difference. This morning 3 splits on hot coals 81% humidity high 30's 100% air and cat cruised at 1250.
Many of these stove hacks remind me of things people do to their cars and trucks with no theory of operation behind them.
Many of these stove hacks remind me of things people do to their cars and trucks with no theory of operation behind them.
Yea this weekend was an off weekend. It did rain so. Who knows. Part of my glass was dark at the top after overnight and I had very little coals in the morning with 1/2 oak 1/2 cherry. More oak than normal.
I was home with Covid last week and had some extended time to run the stove. I found that it excelled at a small consistent fire all day when outside temps did not command a huge output. I found myself adding a couple splits every couple hours - open bypass and turn up air, add splits, close bypass, return primary air to low or closed.
STT held 400-450 and cat would run up to 1100 then drop steadily. Glass stayed mostly clear.
However I have not found a way to pack it full for the night and run the way I would like. Even with primary air fully closed at some point my STT goes 650+ on a full load. The cat has hit 1520 in this condition which I would be ok with if the STT would stay down. Its hard to feel comfortable with that hot metal smell in the house.
STT held 400-450 and cat would run up to 1100 then drop steadily. Glass stayed mostly clear.
However I have not found a way to pack it full for the night and run the way I would like. Even with primary air fully closed at some point my STT goes 650+ on a full load. The cat has hit 1520 in this condition which I would be ok with if the STT would stay down. Its hard to feel comfortable with that hot metal smell in the house.
If I put pieces of poplar that Im using to panel the stove room in a cabin, I will have a box full of flames with just a few pieces, the STT will rise quickly, but the pipe will take on most of the heat and start tinging. That's usually when I start smelling things I hope not to.
It sounds like your wood may be too seasoned. Or you are loading smaller pieces than you should for YOUR stove.
If I lower my air control all the way, by morning I will have 1/2 - 3/4 stove full of blackened wood, DARK windows, STT will be at about 350. I didnt think anything of this at first. I thought this was normal operation if I want a low amount of consistent heat that lasts a long time. I had NO idea the amount of creosote I was lining my stove pipe with. YIKES. I was just upset that my glass was dark and I didnt see any flames. That's when I realized this stove really only has two settings. ON and Creosote. Sure I can raise my air a bit and get a bit more heat out into the room, or lower it a bit and get a longer burn that doesnt create dark glass, but not by much.
Flames or a good amount of orange glowing logs are good for this stove. If you dont see anything inside your box from the glass, if you open the top you likely are seeing alot of flames rushing through the secondary. You have to adjust your air control UP to see flames inside that box. During a reload, it's important to have a very solid coal base. Im talking maybe there are two very withered blackened logs left over that you could grab a poke and easily turn those into larger chunks of coals. Push some (not all) of your front coals toward the back but dont touch the back, then load some dry pieces on the bottom, then stack everything else on top of those change directions a bit as you go. Dont load exactly E/W, try twisting them just a bit for each row. Keep that air control on high, wait until you see a good bit of flames below and around the logs inside then switch to secondary, and then adjust your air control to the point that you just see flames but not to the point that they go out and stay away. Otherwise you will get blackened glass, and a rush of flames through the secondary.
^^^ Easier said than done sometimes. I know when I dont have a good bed of coals when I take alot longer to see those flames, and then I shut down and the flames go out so I have to wait even longer before turning the air control to the long burn setting that I use which is about midway or a notch below.
Todays burn, full load of ash, 4-6" solid rounds
I fought withthe stove all the way up, reducing air, increasing air, open key damper, closed key damper.... Several times I thought I had it under control but nope.... ultimately ended up at 1600 for 1/2 an hour.....
Metal cat showed up today, looking forward to giving that a try.....
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I fought withthe stove all the way up, reducing air, increasing air, open key damper, closed key damper.... Several times I thought I had it under control but nope.... ultimately ended up at 1600 for 1/2 an hour.....
Metal cat showed up today, looking forward to giving that a try.....
I really dislike this stove, we should not have to try this hard… I doubt I will Keep My Encore much Longer..
You tried the holy Grail of burns, flew too close to the sun, pushed when you should have pulled. Keep us posted on that metal cat, can't wait to hear.
Miserable rainy foggy weather here, stove has been very cooperative. Loaded full box on a hot bed of coals cat was at 1000. load dropped the cat temps, temps recovered cut the air back and cat temp went up then settled to cruise at 1100 the last few hours.
So you consistently see more controllable performance with warmer temps and higher humidity?
Again only thing I can think of is reduced draft due to lower density outside air. Maybe the extra moisture coming in with the combustion air is slowing the burn?
My stove seems to be more controllable with wetter wood.... maybe I need to put a humidifier near the stove air inlet...... 🤔
Another experiment.
So frustrating but I'm in awe of your steady griddle temps. No matter what I do (so far) anything more than 1/3 load eventually brings my griddle temp to 650+ at some point even with primary air all the way down, cat usually does not get North of 1300 though.
I'm wondering if my wood ranging from 17-21% eventually loses all that moisture at the same time and causes the peak griddle temp. Maybe I'll figure it out next year with properly seasoned wood.
Look forward to the results of your metal cat.
It's been so humid all winter except for the times it was frigid but the pattern we're in now is 80%+ humidity and high 30's to low 40's.
After I typed that last night the cat temp crept up to high 1300's but was steady and then dropped a little when I went to bed. I don't doubt the humidity has an effect as does weather in general.
STT is always low for me with the air cut back controlling the cat when I load the box. I can get STT up if I load a few splits or so and the cat can be controlled at 1/2 setting on intake air. Generally STT is 350 or so most of the time with the air cut back.
After I typed that last night the cat temp crept up to high 1300's but was steady and then dropped a little when I went to bed. I don't doubt the humidity has an effect as does weather in general.
STT is always low for me with the air cut back controlling the cat when I load the box. I can get STT up if I load a few splits or so and the cat can be controlled at 1/2 setting on intake air. Generally STT is 350 or so most of the time with the air cut back.
That MC of that wood shouldnt be a problem. If it were at 14 percent then maybe.
If I remember correctly the manual of my stove calls for wood at 20%, not below 20% like we all shoot for.
Edit: Just looked it up and on the cordwood best practices pamphlet it says that 18%-20% is ideal.
Interesting, I do have to say (knock on wood) I have not had issues with cat temps. Just the high griddle temp on bigger loads even with air all the way back.
I have not checked the air control cable or damper position, that will be next but is a pain because of placement in the fireplace.
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