Help !! Vermont Casting Stove Older Model

[homebrewz]

A picture would be helpful. It "sounds" like from what you are describing, that the catalyst is missing completely. #41 and #42 are made out of the refractory material. It's a light material made to withstand high heat. Both are fragile though and should be treated gently.. like an old French car.

 

[sorensenbrad]

Here are pictures as requested...
I know I can still operate in updraft mode but eventually it'll need to be replaced, if my assumption is correct. any advice and or information would be appreciated.



So can I scrape or pry off #42 that is stuck to #62 Cast iron cover? Also If #41 should be replaced can I do that myself? Finally it looks like #43 just slides in when I get one...

 

[homebrewz]

It's hard to tell from the last photo, but it looks like the refractory access panel #42 is missing. It looks like the catalyst #43 is missing too. I also see a crack in the refractory material. They do make a refractory cement which might be able to repair the crack. You might be able to make a new panel #42 out of refractory board, but that might take some skill.

The refractory package #41 can be replaced, but you will have to take the back of the stove off. The metal you are seeing in the first two photos is the back of the heat exchanger #44. It holds one side of the catalyst and helps to pre-heat it for secondary combustion.

 

[sorensenbrad]

OK so correct me if I'm wrong... when I it get around to it Ill need to buy #42 refractory access panel & #43 the catalyst block but I can repair #41 with refractory cement. That is good news as #41 looks great other than that one crack. Please look at the picture with the socket wrench in it and look at the plate it is raised on the back but on the schematic it looks flat. Is it #42 stuck to the plate? I realize if that is the case it'll be ruined when I scrape it off... I dont want to try and remove it if its suppose to be that way.

 

[Diabel]

I don't see the access panel there. It looks like it is missing along with the cat.

 

[homebrewz]

I agree, it looks like it's missing. It's hard to tell from that last picture. Can you post a better one, maybe a close-up from looking at the side? I think that panel #42 is sold along with the refractory package #41. You definitely need a new catalyst #43 as it's not even there. Looks like they just removed it and never replaced it.

 

[sorensenbrad]

Well everything is done, stove looks new I even found the pipe shield for 8" pipe and the stove rear shield pretty inexpensive both for under $200 so I didn't build a wall heat shield. The only thing I had an issue with is the manual still said to have stove 19" from wall with heat shield ( I thought it could be closer like 12") and pipe could be as close as 12" with pipe heat shield... so that's what I did 19" for the back of the stove and it came out to 16" for the pipe, finished product see picture (wood on right is 27" away manual said 24" or more for the sides). I was told by the manufacture that I can have a fire with the front doors open if I wanted too sine I have 8" pipe all the way up but I will need to get the optional screen insert for the stove, sweet surprise I'm stoked.

Everyone's help is appreciated...

 

[Diabel]

Looks very nice! I see no fire !

 

[sorensenbrad]

Ok here is a picture (night) of the stove with a nice 350 degree fire. As you can see the room is mostly put back together. The room is shaped like a backwards L at 400 square feet the stove is a bit much but we leave the slider open and it heats most of the house. I have to mention I really like the floor color (was gray before) the wife picked out not sure what it was.

You cant see them because its nighttime but there are 4 huge skylights 2 on each side for the plants lets in plenty of sunshine ...

 

[Diabel]

Nice.
Crazy looking fire in there.....time to start shutting her down!

 

[sorensenbrad]

That pic has a fresh log on the fire and died down after a few minutes or so....Yup keep the temp right around 350-375.... My stove thermostat says 350 is the perfect temperature, I assume that is correct?

 

[Diabel]

If no visible smoke coming from the chimney then you are running nice and low. If you see smoke then you are running a smoldering fire and producing creosote.
I am in a colder climate and usually run the stove around 500-600 stove/griddle top and 350-400 internal flue thermometer.

 

[sorensenbrad]

Yesterday was kinda cold high was maybe 40's low was 13-17 so its been cold here too. Got some snow
OK when I look at the outside stove pipe there is no white or gray smoke but you can see the obvious heat ripple in the air I assume that is good, yes or no? Also even though no visible smoke the outside stove spark cap and screen is black, I assume this is just part of normal operation.

I burn one of those creosote buster logs in my stove every couple of weeks and don't clean the pipe very often, once a season, myself with the big long wire brush, I take off the spark cap outside and just run it all the way down the pipe a bunch of times. I don't burn as much as most people 3-4 times a week for 8 hours each run or 1 1/2 cords a winter. How often should it be done I get conflicting answers from every 2 weeks to once a winter.

My thermostat reads between 3-4 hundred and is not on the griddle but on the stove pipe 21" from the stove per the manufacturer instructions. Its single wall pipe to the ceiling so I can get that extra little radiant heat from the pipe.

Vermont says if I run my stove at 600-700 constantly I can ruin the stove. You must have a kick ass stove.
Thanks for the advise and info it is appreciated.

 

[Diabel]

Sounds like you are doing things just right.
Burn on!

 

[homebrewz]

They're worried about warping the interior cast iron parts of the stove with long term over firing. The stove will probably cruise best with a griddle temperature in the 450-550 range.

Congrats on getting it running. Now that you're established, please consider adding your stove info to your signature so others can help you out should you need to post again.

 

[sorensenbrad]

Thanks... good to know I'm doing things right, I'm paranoid about stove pipe fires.

Question, how long do I need to wait before firing after replacing door seals?

When using a magnetic thermostat is it best to use pipe thermo or girdle thermo? I'm using pipe thermo per manufactures instructions 24" up the pipe.

 

[homebrewz]

You can run the stove when the gasket cement is dry. That information might be on the tube of gasket cement. Maybe a few hours?

It's best to use two thermometers, one on the griddle and one on the pipe.