2023/24 VC owners thread general discussion

[JohnDaileyNH]

Tells us how it goes

Cat lit off no problem. Got a few splits on it now. Sitting in the 1000s. Debating how much I want to put in before bed. Already up to 64 in the house

 

[Woodsplitter67]

Second burn underway..... took a while to get the cat lit off, a couple of hours with a small fire but eventually it went at ~ 620F.... Popped to 850F, no smoke. Windows closed, for now....

What did you do to your stove @Woodsplitter67? Looks gorgeous, as always.
I see you has the refractory out, did you replace it?
Any surprises?

Yes.. I did a rebuild.. not a complete tear down .. I did all the gaskets around the refractory engine and new refractory SS gaskets and fiber gaskets.. along with the usual damper housing and everything else that cam out of the stove. I did all new SS bolts and nuts.. I did it over like a months time .. here and there. It was a lot easier then I thought.. The first burn went really well..

 

[Woodsplitter67]

Cat lit off no problem. Got a few splits on it now. Sitting in the 1000s. Debating how much I want to put in before bed. Already up to 64 in the house

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I say 2 more splits and dial it back all the way

 

[gthomas785]

Like many of you, I lit the Intrepid for the first time today. Getting chilly out there.

 

[Woodsplitter67]

ok.. you guys talked me into it

 

[JohnDaileyNH]

Ended up loading halfway. Cat peaked 1460 before I went to bed and slowly started dropping. No idea how long it burned. Very few coals when I woke up at 4:30. House was 67 so I didn't get it going again. I'd say success

 

[arnermd]

Yes.. I did a rebuild.. not a complete tear down .. I did all the gaskets around the refractory engine and new refractory SS gaskets and fiber gaskets.. along with the usual damper housing and everything else that cam out of the stove. I did all new SS bolts and nuts.. I did it over like a months time .. here and there. It was a lot easier then I thought.. The first burn went really well..

Yeah pretty easy once you know how.

How many years on your refractory? All looked Ok? Any spalling? Pics?
New cat? You running metal?

That SS backing plate is not cheap and it always warps....

 

[Woodsplitter67]

So I got 7 years out of it.. I could have reused the refractory.. but just put in a new one.. kept the old one.. the refractory engine was getting alot of spawning on it.. I kept that also.. I probably didn't have to do it this year but curiosity got the best of me.. I feel I did pretty well with the stove.. Its been my main heat source since day one of install.. Im not beating the crap out of this stove.. but Im certainly not taking it easy on the stove neither.. It runs alot and dishes out some heat.. so far still super happy with the purchase.. I put the steel cat that I was running last year back in it.. lit off like a champ

 

[Jmorg]

What do y’all think…should I get a new cat? It’s only 1 season old and still fits, but definitely over fired a few times. I’m planning to get the Auber at 100 soon to help monitor the cat better this season.

 

[gthomas785]

If it's still working I'd keep it... just pulled mine for cleaning and it's looking a little tougher than that one. The frame is warped pretty bad and it's cracked in a few spots. Planning to order a replacement but for now I'm still getting clean burns and good catalyst temps so I'll leave it alone until that's no longer the case.

 

[Woodsplitter67]

Run it till it dont light off.. then go metal of you can

 

[Willcgt77]

Second year running new Encore 2040 Cat C. Installed Auber At100 last year for the Cat, added another this year with probe for my double wall stove pipe. Installed 18" above flue collar. Chimney is straight 17ish feet with one bend 5ft above stove. Flue temps seem to run high in comparison to Cat temps. Flue temp is on left. Seems like other graphs I've seen posted have a much lower flue temp. Currently burning load of Cherry and Ash. 17% moisture

 

[Woodsplitter67]

Second year running new Encore 2040 Cat C. Installed Auber At100 last year for the Cat, added another this year with probe for my double wall stove pipe. Installed 18" above flue collar. Chimney is straight 17ish feet with one bend 5ft above stove. Flue temps seem to run high in comparison to Cat temps. Flue temp is on left. Seems like other graphs I've seen posted have a much lower flue temp. Currently burning load of Cherry and Ash. 17% moisture

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nice looking set up man.. Glad to see the probs going.. going digital makes such a big difference.. is that a 6 in stove pipe

 

[Willcgt77]

nice looking set up man.. Glad to see the probs going.. going digital makes such a big difference.. is that a 6 in stove pipe

Thanks, sure does help understand what's going on! Yes, it's a 6inch pipe.

 

[30WCF]

Had some fires going over the weekend. It sure was nice. Y’all have some nice looking set ups.

 

[weee123]

Working second shift has allowed me to burn in the morning to take off the night chill out of the house. After that morning fire its good until the next morning

 

[Woodsplitter67]

@weee123

I see your stove pic.. looks good

How much wood you sitting on

 

[weee123]

@weee123

I see your stove pic.. looks good

How much wood you sitting on

6 cords in the woodshed and after I finish up this load of logs that I got, I’ll have 3-4 cords waiting to go in the wood shed next year. So about a 3 year rotation

 

[Woodsplitter67]

sweet.. who did you get the log lenth from..

 

[weee123]

sweet.. who did you get the log lenth from..

I cut the trees down myself at my buddys house and we loaded up a dump trailer and took it back to my place

 

[Woodsplitter67]

I cut the trees down myself at my buddys house and we loaded up a dump trailer and took it back to my place

nice.. self reliance.. like it.. I do all of my own wood also..

Looks like a cool wet weekend is in-store for us.. we'll be burning here in Southern NJ

 

[weee123]

nice.. self reliance.. like it.. I do all of my own wood also..

Looks like a cool wet weekend is in-store for us.. we'll be burning here in Southern NJ

Absolutely, I try to do as much as I can myself. I don’t like to rely on others.

The stove will be definitely burning this weekend.

 

[JohnDaileyNH]

Absolutely, I try to do as much as I can myself. I don’t like to rely on others.

The stove will be definitely burning this weekend.

Tonight should be a great night to burn

 

[Woodsplitter67]

Tonight should be a great night to burn

All through the weekend.. we'll be having some fires here and there.. keeping the windows cracked, so not to overheat the house..

we will start bringing up wood to the house at some point..

Your area should be colder then ours.. what temperatures are you looking at

 

[JohnDaileyNH]

All through the weekend.. we'll be having some fires here and there.. keeping the windows cracked, so not to overheat the house..

we will start bringing up wood to the house at some point..

Your area should be colder then ours.. what temperatures are you looking at

Low 40s at night high of 60 sat and sun. Probably light it tonight burn a half load and house will be warm in the morning still. Then repeat again tomorrow night. I haven't turned the blower on the stove yet haven't needed it.

Last year when I was learning I went to hard to soon the house would be 80. Windows open, clothes coming off. So many rookie mistakes. We're dialed in now though