VC Encore NC burning wood quickly?

[bpeikes]

I'm new to wood stoves and just got a VC Encore NC. Lights fairly easily but seems to run through wood fairly quickly even with the damper closed. Also, it seems like a lot of the heat is going up the chimney. I'm not sure what temp it's getting to, what would you all recommend as a thermometer to check the stove temp?

I've got a 8 inch square flue made of flue tiles, but the hole is 6 inch. I've got the 6 inch adapter, with about 3 feet of single walled pipe going from the stove into the chimney. The stove is on the first floor of a three story house, so the flue is about 30 feet long with only about the last three feet of chimney being exposed to the outside, the rest of the chimney is against the common wall to another house.

After I've got my bed of coals, how much wood would people recommend putting in? I put in about 3 or 4 birch logs. I don't think that there is much water content as I don't hear any hissing at all. How long should I expect to be able to run the stove on a full load?

I don't have a chimney cap yet, which I'm guessing will help quite a bit. I've looked at a couple. Does anyone have recommendations on one? It gets pretty windy here, and I've looked at some of the downdraft proof caps, but they might be overkill.

 

[babalu87]

The Birch is going to burn up pretty quick, if you can get some Oak that will last much longer.

EDIT
I didnt realize Birch was that good of a firewood :red:
(broken link removed to http://www.chimneysweeponline.com/howood.htm)


Any stove shop will have a thermometer, they are a must for wood burning IMHO

Stuff the firebox full if it is cold enough to warrant it.
When I know it is going to be in the teens it gets stuffed pretty tight, small splits get wedged between the bigger ones. Rounds (logs) will last longer as well.

Welcome aboard

 

[elkimmeg]

first of all get a magnetic flue /stove top thermometer and place it center griddle area good running productive heat range is 450 to 650

as for long burning its the wood how it is packed the air spaces a lot of variables 3/4 small medium dry birch splits will not last that long couple hours possibly 3

You are still in the expermential learning phase of figuring how to run that stove I figured out the other dasy I neded to block of my ash dump door access withan additional metal plate 30 years of burning It takes time to predict and work your stove that is with any stove.
I'm sure others will join the discussion and advise you how to pack your stove

 

[bpeikes]

Any recommendations for a thermometer? I'd like something that looks nice as well. I've heard some complaints about thermometers not having glass anymore. 3 or 4 splits are not lasting anywhere near 3 hours, maybe an hour and a half or so. I suppose I probably need to stuff the stove a bit more.

Anyone with a VC Encore have any thoughts?

 

[Andre B.]

I thinks that big warm inside chimney is just pulling a lot of air thru the stove even with the controls shut down. You may have an install that needs a damper in the pipe after the stove to slow things down a bit.

I have been using one of these, seems to be repeatable, as for how accurate it's hard to say. It seems to be calibrated to indicate the gas temp inside the pipe rather then the actual surface temp of the pipe if so they are making assumptions about heat loss from the pipe to the room.

http://www.amazon.com/IMPERIAL-MFG-...ref=pd_bbs_3/105-4651778-3356436?ie=UTF8&s=hi