2023/24 VC owners thread general discussion

[AsylumResident]

Those are pretty good temps.. Is there anyway you can talk to the company you purchased from and see if the can swap some of your pipe to 8 inch to increase the draft.. If I remember correctly you did Indicate that the installer was going out to your house

I did talk to them about that earlier this week. Since an 8” isn’t “required” and they already installed the 6” they would swap it out but charge me for all of it and leave me with the 6” to see if I could sell it on my own. At this point I don’t have $3,000.00 to spend on a new chimney, plus I wouldn’t have them do it, I would do it myself. I’m hoping that adding to the chimney will help just enough to make a difference.

 

[JohnDaileyNH]

Everyone in the house was ready for a morning fire

 

[AsylumResident]

@JohnDaileyNH what are the outside temps like by you?

 

[Woodsplitter67]

Well I just found this season's thread.
I'm going to reseal the adapter I made for my VC dauntless to the old open face fireplace.
FYI, I used a 3in-8in round flange and I'm pretty sure my lack of draft issue was a poor seal at the fireplace union junction. I'll do that after I sweep the house chimney.
Side note, just got my drop off of 4 cords of mixed fir and oak. My guy pre spilt it all for me this year. That's a nice change.

I'd be putting a moisture meter on that wood for sure.. You want to make sure the wood is actually usable..

I delivered the last of the wood im selling this past Thursday.. Depending on specs the wood MC ranged from 11 to 17% .. 17% was the thicker split oak.. the dryer wood was beech..

I check my wood prior to delivery..

 

[Woodsplitter67]

I did talk to them about that earlier this week. Since an 8” isn’t “required” and they already installed the 6” they would swap it out but charge me for all of it and leave me with the 6” to see if I could sell it on my own. At this point I don’t have $3,000.00 to spend on a new chimney, plus I wouldn’t have them do it, I would do it myself. I’m hoping that adding to the chimney will help just enough to make a difference.

Im just thinking outside the box and maybe @begreen can help you with this.. I haven't looked it up and did any research.. but maybe you can just add 8inch just to the outside.. using an adapter at the roofline and you can to that yourself.. do a 6/8ft section.. just a thought..

 

[begreen]

Sorry, this is another example of a problem being lost in the pile of general chatter. It a shame because if a solution is found, it probably will be lost to others with the same issue. This especially affects newcomers. Mods don't have the time to keep digging out relevant info from these bucket threads. Please post a new thread with all pertinent information and encourage new members with issues to post them in an independent thread for wider attention.

 

[JohnDaileyNH]

@JohnDaileyNH what are the outside temps like by you?

Was 43 when I got up this morning. High of 60 today. I'll let the stove go out and probably light it again tonight if it gets cold in the house

 

[AsylumResident]

I installed the AT100 on my Defiant yesterday. I used the bracket that held the bimetal VC probe. Since the VC probe bracket holds the probe at a right angle I just used the twist tie that came on the power cord for the AT100. See the attached picture. Simple to install, just slide the probe through the hole and tie it to the existing bracket.

 

[vernorz]

Got the Auber up and going this morning. I ran the stove without the catalyst first and saw temps up to 1200. Once it cooled down I put it in and it's running between 1000-1100 at the cat, 400 stove top, and about 300 on the single wall pipe. Very happy to see what's going on inside.

 

[Woodsplitter67]

Got the Auber up and going this morning. I ran the stove without the catalyst first and saw temps up to 1200. Once it cooled down I put it in and it's running between 1000-1100 at the cat, 400 stove top, and about 300 on the single wall pipe. Very happy to see what's going on inside. View attachment 316821

thats excellent.. yes to see what's actually going on makes a huge difference.. your burn sounds top notch.. glad it working out..

 

[sargeott]

Awfully late to get wood delivered, what kind of moisture content is the wood?

My buddy has a side business where he drops wood in three year rotations for me. I'm to busy with work and life to do it myself. He comes up, drops trees take them to his place to process and sell in rotation and brings me my supply every year for free. He just gets some free wood to sell to others.

 

[sargeott]

I'd be putting a moisture meter on that wood for sure.. You want to make sure the wood is actually usable..

I delivered the last of the wood im selling this past Thursday.. Depending on specs the wood MC ranged from 11 to 17% .. 17% was the thicker split oak.. the dryer wood was beech..

I check my wood prior to delivery..

Thanks
Not my first or second rodeo with these goofy stoves. Any moisture over 15% for me on fresh splits and my results are all.over the place

 

[Woodsplitter67]

@arnermd .. I have a question for you. You have rebuilt your stove a few times. The SS gasket that goes In-between the refractory and the engine.. you said it always warps.. do you reuse yours.. or do you purchase a new one every time you rebuild.. Do you try to straightened it..

 

[sargeott]

So I got lazy last night and fired up my stove for the first time this season, it dropped down to the high 40s.
I'll scrub the chimney this weekend and reseal the flange after.
First fire up was great, nice dry top down burn on a full box.
An hour in, stove top temp slowly climbed to 640, flu temp to 400 and a small coal base with 6 clicks in on primary air. NICE.
I engaged the cat, put it into bypass and stove top temps sagged down to 450ish and flu dove to 150. I left it there to run for the night. House temps held at 78.

So flu temps are low with the cat running, looks like I need to clean the chimney and reseal the adapter flange where the stove pipe connects to the chimney base. I think it's sucking room air and cooling down the chimney.
BTW, flu thermometer is 18 inches from stove exit and right before the base of the house chimney system.
Single wall pipe from stove to chimney, which transitions to a triple wall 8in inner diameter. Which is why it needs annual sealing with high temp caulk where it transitions.

 

[arnermd]

@arnermd .. I have a question for you. You have rebuilt your stove a few times. The SS gasket that goes In-between the refractory and the engine.. you said it always warps.. do you reuse yours.. or do you purchase a new one every time you rebuild.. Do you try to straightened it..

I always replace, for a couple reasons.

All my rebuilds have been under warranty so it was no cost to me, other than gaskets and labor. I have a lifetime warranty on refractory engine, I think this ended shortly after I bought my stove.

I have tried to beat it back into shape just for fun but it was nearly impossible to get it flat and any warping there will result in additional secondary air leaks. The flat ceramic fiber gasket that goes in there is really thin and I think it is unlikely to seal against a plate that is not darn near flat....

I have seen that plate warp and actually move in the gap so far that I can't get the cat out.... When that happens I take a screwdriver and slide it back into place. If I see a significant gap there I will gently stuff it with some ceramic fiber gasket material.

I think to get it to lay flat again you would have to heat it up cherry red and work it, but then you are thinning and stretching the material to some degree....

 

[NewGuy132]

Last year I installed the Auber for CAT temp. Is there a version of the Auber that will take 2 probes? I'd like to do one for the CAT and one for 18 inches up the chimney. Problem is I can only have 1 device up by the stove(this is both a constraint of outlets and the wife). It would be nice if they had one that would scroll back and forth between the 2 different probes automatically.

 

[arnermd]

@arnermd .. I have a question for you. You have rebuilt your stove a few times. The SS gasket that goes In-between the refractory and the engine.. you said it always warps.. do you reuse yours.. or do you purchase a new one every time you rebuild.. Do you try to straightened it..

I have been thinking about this all morning..... What is the reason for that plate? As you know it is in between the 2 halves of the refractory engine and goes along with the 1/8" think ceramic fiber gasket..... I can see why you would want a seal in there to discourage excessive secondary air but why not just go with the ceramic fiber flat gasket? Maybe they are worried the two halves would grind up the seal over time due to relative thermal growth?

Must be a good reason, they would not include such an expensive part for no reason..... escapes me at the moment.

Would love to hear an explanation from the factory on this.... when pigs fly maybe...

 

[arnermd]

Last year I installed the Auber for CAT temp. Is there a version of the Auber that will take 2 probes? I'd like to do one for the CAT and one for 18 inches up the chimney. Problem is I can only have 1 device up by the stove(this is both a constraint of outlets and the wife). It would be nice if they had one that would scroll back and forth between the 2 different probes automatically.

TC0520 Data Logger this will do 4 channels and log the data for you and you can set audible alarms. You would need to go buy your own thermocouples and wire. Other options exist.

The data logger screen is LCD and not easily visible from across the room so I also have a Watlow controller with LED readout and louder alarms, (a curse and a blessing with overactive cats).

 

[NewGuy132]

TC0520 Data Logger this will do 4 channels and log the data for you and you can set audible alarms. You would need to go buy your own thermocouples and wire. Other options exist.

The data logger screen is LCD and not easily visible from across the room so I also have a Watlow controller with LED readout and louder alarms, (a curse and a blessing with overactive cats).

Thanks for the info. I'll take a look at this.

 

[VCnewbe]

Im starting a thread for general discussion for our VC stoves.

Any specific topic that will require its own thread for technical questions like, stove maintenance, rebuild, ect will be asked to have its own thread

I completely understand why the old thread got locked down. The Mods want it to be easier for people to fined specific information or instructions. So lest keep this in mind

This is just a fun thread general discussion of how the stove is running, pictures if the nice fire view, cooking a meal ect and positivity..

Hello. I've burned open masonry fireplace for years for aesthetics. I have issues now and just purchased VC intrepid II to be installed in a few weeks so I am new to using stoves. I did a fair amount of research prior to purchase. I am placing the stove in the firebox. After reading some other threads on this site I am a little worried about VC. I'm reaching out for some positive experience with VC new stoves to back up my recent purchase. Also if anyone could direct me to information on stove in general and advice on use(starting up/how many temperature gauges and where to place/temperature ranges to operate and ranges to avoid and how to manage if they get into that range, etc). Maybe the users manual has a lot of this information. I'm not sure my dealer has a lot of experience with them. Thanks for any help and sorry if this isn't the thread to ask on.

 

[kborndale]

Hello. I've burned open masonry fireplace for years for aesthetics. I have issues now and just purchased VC intrepid II to be installed in a few weeks so I am new to using stoves. I did a fair amount of research prior to purchase. I am placing the stove in the firebox. After reading some other threads on this site I am a little worried about VC. I'm reaching out for some positive experience with VC new stoves to back up my recent purchase. Also if anyone could direct me to information on stove in general and advice on use(starting up/how many temperature gauges and where to place/temperature ranges to operate and ranges to avoid and how to manage if they get into that range, etc). Maybe the users manual has a lot of this information. I'm not sure my dealer has a lot of experience with them. Thanks for any help and sorry if this isn't the thread to ask on.

Do you have dry wood that is under 20% moisture content? That is by far the #1 most important thing to using your stove successfully.

 

[Woodsplitter67]

Hello. I've burned open masonry fireplace for years for aesthetics. I have issues now and just purchased VC intrepid II to be installed in a few weeks so I am new to using stoves. I did a fair amount of research prior to purchase. I am placing the stove in the firebox. After reading some other threads on this site I am a little worried about VC. I'm reaching out for some positive experience with VC new stoves to back up my recent purchase. Also if anyone could direct me to information on stove in general and advice on use(starting up/how many temperature gauges and where to place/temperature ranges to operate and ranges to avoid and how to manage if they get into that range, etc). Maybe the users manual has a lot of this information. I'm not sure my dealer has a lot of experience with them. Thanks for any help and sorry if this isn't the thread to ask on.

This is a general thread and the mods will be upset if we reply here.. please copy the above and start a new thread and I will post a detailed response

Sorry.. this is a general shoot the chit thread..

 

[Woodsplitter67]

I have been thinking about this all morning..... What is the reason for that plate? As you know it is in between the 2 halves of the refractory engine and goes along with the 1/8" think ceramic fiber gasket..... I can see why you would want a seal in there to discourage excessive secondary air but why not just go with the ceramic fiber flat gasket? Maybe they are worried the two halves would grind up the seal over time due to relative thermal growth?

Must be a good reason, they would not include such an expensive part for no reason..... escapes me at the moment.

Would love to hear an explanation from the factory on this.... when pigs fly maybe...

So the refractory engine has the molded secondary air passages in it.. I believe that the SS gasket is the plate that helps keep the air metered correctly. Whith out it I think the gasket would settle into the secondary air holes and reduce the amount of air getting into the catalyst chamber for combustion.. What are your thoughts

 

[VCnewbe]

Do you have dry wood that is under 20% moisture content? That is by far the #1 most important thing to using your stove successfully.

I do and ty. Moving this to a new thread.

 

[VCnewbe]

This is a general thread and the mods will be upset if we reply here.. please copy the above and start a new thread and I will post a detailed response

Sorry.. this is a general shoot the chit thread..

Ok. Ty Sir. I will.