Problem heating with VC Defiant Encore

[homebrewz]

I rebuilt a VC Defiant Encore, fired it up, and...

Its been a little underwhelming. I’ve been running this stove almost non-stop for a week and it just doesn’t seem to put out the heat that it should. Its been running all day and the temp in that room is around 65 degrees.

Here is my scenario: It’s the model #0028, almost a complete rebuild (had everything apart except for the top and exterior sides). I had to add an 8" oval to 6" round to mate it up with my 6" insulated SS flex liner (exterior chimney against west wall of house). I don’t believe draft is a problem. I’ve been running the stove around 650 griddle top temp. I have to watch it because its gone up to 750 a few times. With the cat engaged, the stove stays hot, but the stack temp goes down to about 300. Also, while the griddle may be 650, the sides of the stove are closer to about 400. Are these temp differences normal?

The stove is on the first floor, total area about 700 to 800 sq ft. This first floor is two big rooms-kitchen & living room, and the hallway leading upstairs. The stove is in the living room which is about 350 sq ft. The total house is about 1600 sq ft. Now, this IS a drafty old farm house, circa 1864. “Balloon” style framing. Insulation was blown in about 15 years ago. Its not that bad though, and I’ve sealed up a lot of drafts. I’m not expecting to have that room roasting, and I know its way more efficient than the big steel box stove I was using. However, while I was using more wood in the steel box, it seemed to radiate the heat better.

Here are my ideas:

-Should I invest in something like an eco-fan to try and distribute the heat? The ceiling is 9' high.
I have friends in a similar drafty old farmhouse with a VC Vigilant and they really like their eco-fan.
-Should I think about swapping it for a bigger, perhaps more radiant stove next year, like a Jotul?
-Could the reduction to 6" be causing a problem? I didn’t think so because it seems to have plenty of draft.. No problem getting the stove up to temp. I even brushed the liner before installing.
-Should I keep quiet, have another beer, and think about all of the wood I’m saving?? ;-)

btw, I’m still burning the wood I put up in the fall of 2005, so its fairly seasoned.

Thanks for any suggestions/input.

 

[begreen]

The stove sounds like it is performing reasonably well and it's a good sized stove, but it does sound like either the heat is going straight upstairs or you need more btus. What is the outside temp and approximate wind speed? Does it do a lot better on calm days?

In our house I found too much heat was heading upstair due to the ceiling being at one plane from the living room into the hallway where the large stairwell opening is. When I put up a temporary plastic dam (a sheet of plastic held up with blue painter's masking tape), at the junction of the livingroom and hallway, the difference was notable. Temps in the livingroom and kitchen went up several degrees within the hour.

 

[elkimmeg]

I rebuilt a VC Defiant Encore, fired it up, and...

Its been a little underwhelming. I’ve been running this stove almost non-stop for a week and it just doesn’t seem to put out the heat that it should. Its been running all day and the temp in that room is around 65 degrees.

Here is my scenario: It’s the model #0028, almost a complete rebuild (had everything apart except for the top and exterior sides). I had to add an 8" oval to 6" round to mate it up with my 6" insulated SS flex liner (exterior chimney against west wall of house). I don’t believe draft is a problem. I’ve been running the stove around 650 griddle top temp. I have to watch it because its gone up to 750 a few times. With the cat engaged, the stove stays hot, but the stack temp goes down to about 300. Also, while the griddle may be 650, the sides of the stove are closer to about 400. Are these temp differences normal?

The stove is on the first floor, total area about 700 to 800 sq ft. This first floor is two big rooms-kitchen & living room, and the hallway leading upstairs. The stove is in the living room which is about 350 sq ft. The total house is about 1600 sq ft. Now, this IS a drafty old farm house, circa 1864. “Balloon” style framing. Insulation was blown in about 15 years ago. Its not that bad though, and I’ve sealed up a lot of drafts. I’m not expecting to have that room roasting, and I know its way more efficient than the big steel box stove I was using. However, while I was using more wood in the steel box, it seemed to radiate the heat better.

Here are my ideas:

-Should I invest in something like an eco-fan to try and distribute the heat? The ceiling is 9' high.
I have friends in a similar drafty old farmhouse with a VC Vigilant and they really like their eco-fan.
-Should I think about swapping it for a bigger, perhaps more radiant stove next year, like a Jotul?
-Could the reduction to 6" be causing a problem? I didn’t think so because it seems to have plenty of draft.. No problem getting the stove up to temp. I even brushed the liner before installing.
-Should I keep quiet, have another beer, and think about all of the wood I’m saving?? ;-)

btw, I’m still burning the wood I put up in the fall of 2005, so its fairly seasoned.

Thanks for any suggestions/input.

the 650 griddle top is a good temp everything else sounds like it is working correctly I run mine with a 6" collar if draft was an issue yu would not be seeing 650
the sides are always cooler than the top. an econe fan 150 cfm might be worth pushing heat around. Also 9" ceiling is 1.5 ft more vollume to heat than normal 7.6

you also have to pull that heat down the econo fan might create turblance enough to mix it, Is the celler floor insulated?. when stoves btus production and areas heated they are based in 7'6" ceiling heights. You may need a larger stove
Repeating, your stove seems to be running as it should. Sounds like you are running it correctly and using the Cat correctly

 

[homebrewz]

Its currently 9 degrees outside. I have a Breckwell P-23 pellet stove in the far end of the kitchen, and the VC running in the living room. Overall the first floor is holding at 65 degrees. The wind outside is between 10-15 mph (local forecast out of Albany, but seems right). I have noticed that when its warmer out (mid 30's), I can get the first floor up to 68 or 70.

The cellar ceiling is not insulated, and sometimes I do get drafts seeping up from the cellar. I'm going to try and work on that this week before I insulate the entire cellar ceiling. I do have a fan temporarily set up as an experiment.. before I buy an eco-fan. Its on a table blowing across the top of the stove. Other than artificially lowering the griddle temp reading, it doesn't seem to be making the room any warmer.

I agree that the stove seems to be running fine.. I mean, its practically a new stove on the inside. I may have to consider something beefier for next season.

 

[elkimmeg]

HOME I have a simmilar setup same stove same area but 7'6" ceilings 12 degrees 71 in that zone and holding 550 stove top damprered down Better insulated more modern home.

I was not guessing about cellar ceiling insulation. I knew there was a heat loose area and figured you had the walls covered. I willing to bet if you get r 19 or more and insulate that floor your stove will obtain 5 or more degrees you will be maintaining a comfortable 70 /72 drgrees. Even a larger stove may not be the answer the fan experiment may not work as it will draw the colder air around the floor and mix it making you feel even colder. You will never draw the warmer air down without insulation preventing the drafty floor from leaking all that cold air

 

[homebrewz]

OK.. so the living room floor and the basement ceiling are the same thing. I would insulate the floor by hanging insulation on the basement ceiling... which is all open rafters and the floor boards from the living room. There is no doubt that there is some draft coming up from the basement. It was 40 degrees down there last night (which is good for homebrewing lagers, not so good for heating). I could only get the living room up to 65 and thats with the VC running 650 or so. I hung the thermometer about 2 or 3 feet from the ceiling.. temp reading didn't change. Not sure what that means.. perhaps there is still a column of warm air hugging the very top of the 9' high ceiling.

Thanks for the advice.

 

[begreen]

I'd work on sealing up the basement and consider insulating it's walls instead of the ceiling. Our crawl space went from the low 40's in cold weather to about 60 degrees and it has made a major difference in comfort. If you insulate the basement ceiling it seems like the basement may get even colder, possilbly at the risk of freezing pipes. Is there a hot water heater in the basement? If yes, that is going to have to work harder too. And insulation won't stop drafts. If the basement is drafty, start with sealing the sill plate. Look for any light leaks (to outside and plug them up).

 

[homebrewz]

I'll try sealing the door that leads to the bilco doors with foam board and check out the sills. I'd like to avoid insulating the walls. They get kind weepy sometimes. They're old limestone blocks.. probably quarried from one of the quarries that used to be down the road. There is an oil furnace which also heats the hot water.