2024/25 VC performance discussion thread

[AsylumResident]

Have you tried running a higher air setting? I generally find I get lower temps with more primary air, typical overnight for me is 40 - 60% setting. The STT is hotter but the cat peaks are shorter.

Running with really low airflows gives you a longer, smokier primary burn and it creates a lot of fuel for the cat. So it effectively shifts the combustion load from the primary to the cat and leads to higher secondary temps for longer and low STT's. When I run low airflows my glass blacks out and if I open the griddle a crack I get a huge cloud of smoke out....

I found things are more controllable with higher airflows, but my metal cat is also peaking at 1550 - 1600 on a full load.

Yes, this year has all been with an air setting greater than 50%. It has been frustrating.

I have been running hotter with higher STT's than normal to see how it would go.

 

[Eman85]

It's been cold! 24/7 burning and using quite a bit of wood. I am now part of the don't empty the ash pan crowd. I have been building large heap of ashes in the box and the stove is more user friendly. I let the coals burn to ash and stir them and only dump the pan if there's enough in the box to fill it again. I leave the pan full and a fair amount in the box and load on top of the coals. I haven't opened my front doors in many weeks. Even when it warmed up for a few days weeks ago I built and lit the fire from the top. With as cold as it's been I'm going for more heat in the room and running the cat hot and when it drops I've been opening the air and keeping it hot. Even opening the air in the middle of the night when nature calls. Still getting 12hr burns out of a full load.

 

[Woodsplitter67]

So stove performance has been excellent. Its been cold here and we are really ripping through the wood. This will definitely be a season were we burn alot of wood. Last year Im pretty sure I barely burned 3 cords. This year Ill probably burn 4. Normally I sweep in January, mid season but with all of the snow on the roof Ill most likely not.

The house has definitely been warm getting it to 70. I did set the gas fireplace to turn on at 66 at night. I set the fireplace because the house cools at night with the stove getting low on coles. The fireplace keeps the house getting to cold and having to work the stove hard to get the temperature back up. Ths week Iv been burning the coals down some and raking the ash into the pan to keep it from building up.
Normally I load in the morning and turn the air all the way back and let it Cruise the rest ofthe day. Now its load it all the way up and set the air about halfway, then reload like 3ish.

This stove is an excellent heater, long burn times and throws heat. Im happy to have it

 

[U235]

So I’ll preface this by saying I admire everyone’s tenacity in the pursuit or mysterious discovery of extended burn times. What I do won’t work for most, but it might for some. I’ve found clean glass/refractory, no catalyst over temps, and heat my home needs with acceptable fuel usage. I’ve abandoned run time.

Catalyst/flue(internal)/griddle. Every 1-2 hours, I’ll drop a chunk of ash or locust on an ever-growing bed of coals with a handful of splinters and bark. Catalyst recovers and burn continues. My limiting factor is griddle temps. At ~575 from the thermocouple, I’m seeing 650-700 on magnetic stove top coil.

 

[AsylumResident]

So I’ll preface this by saying I admire everyone’s tenacity in the pursuit or mysterious discovery of extended burn times. What I do won’t work for most, but it might for some. I’ve found clean glass/refractory, no catalyst over temps, and heat my home needs with acceptable fuel usage. I’ve abandoned run time.
View attachment 335621
Catalyst/flue(internal)/griddle. Every 1-2 hours, I’ll drop a chunk of ash or locust on an ever-growing bed of coals with a handful of splinters and bark. Catalyst recovers and burn continues. My limiting factor is griddle temps. At ~575 from the thermocouple, I’m seeing 650-700 on magnetic stove top coil.

This is exactly my method this year.