Question if I could. Thanks for the advice on the that thermocoupler. When I pushed it through the fiber insulation a piece of the fiber face on the inner side came off(approx 0.5 cm). The probe seems a little loose to me. Does that matter? If so is there anything I can do to fill that gap to make it a snug fit?
Recommendation on resources for stove use- new VC intrepid 2 flexburn owner
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I bought an Intrepid Flexburn a year ago, and coming into second winter now, I love it. I was new to wood stoves too, so the first winter will be your learning curve, knowing how wind, internal environment interacts. It was quite the baby first winter, but I love it now and I know how to "wrangle" it. I don't use the secondary burn (instincts tell me not to accommodate toxic fumes but I got the tax deduction) however the house (1200 sqf) is well heated despite the always-open damper. This damper is either on or off - I chose off. To build a good fire I use birch (Lowes) on top of the sticks (Lowes) and a starter under. Oak, cherry (local woodsmen) on top of that flame, seek a good coal and add as the coals lie low. A log per hour average. I throw in a creosote burner every 4-5 fires.
I was intimidated by a wood stove a year ago, but now I just love it. Cooked a lamb stew last week on the Intrepid. Took 3 hours but I let it simmer for 5. Basically - will never go cold or hungry with the Intrepid. It may be your "ambiance" now, but please know this is a workhorse.
I think I had to enlarge the hole on mine a little for the thermocoupler to fit. No biggie. Blue Ridge Lou, sounds like your burning with the damper open continiously so basically your burning it as an enclosed fireplace or an old smoke dragon stove without any baffle. Not the design of the stove. Not recommended. Even with the creosote logs I'm guessing your getting significant creosote build up. If you get flames shooting up through the baffle it could ignite it. Not a good thing. Just saying. Just to add though the choice would be to use the catalyst in the combuster or not (the flexburn option). Not whether to run continously with the damper open or not.
You are right. I am trying to think back on last winter, how I handled. But somehow this winter I am comfortable with the damper open all times. I pulled out the manual, it said damper open to build up the fire, but if I close the damper on a hot coal fire, the dang heat drops. Not sure why I decided to go open damper, but I'll ask my chimney guy to check the chimney for creosote. Thank you so much for alerting me to this. Just when I was getting comfortable with this beast.....!
Right, it should drop some. On my Intrepid a typical stove top temp would be around 375f with the cat at around 800f give/take. Key items are properly dry wood and Maintaining a goog coal bed near the combuster. Read and re-reading the owners and installation manuals helps with understanding the designed operation of the stove. One important item I think is overlooked is the draft requirement for proper operation of the stove. This is not in the operators manual but in the installation manual. The required draft range is between .03 and .065 in h2o. This should be measured right above the flue exit during normal operation. I didn’t know this till I had the stove for a few years. Mine falls with the top of this range so I'm okay. I think its worse to have too little than too much imo.
Thanks Kevin but the cat is optional. At least, when I got it (2022). I don't use it. My wood is dry and I keep a good coal bed. I have temp gauges on the stove surface and the pipe. I read that creosote accumulates in a cooler pipe, so I try to keep a 550 range stove top and a Mid pipe temp. Now I remember why I like to keep the damper open. To add insult to injury, depending upon your Intrepid II year, latest manual talks about a fire screen if you like to burn the stove doors open. Well - that's new. Flies in the face of everything Wood Stove. Waiting for my chimney guy to come take a look.
You can still run the exhaust through the combuster without the cat. That's the flexburn part. The options are to run it with the cat in it or cat not in it. Both options are with the damper closed. The damper should be only open to get the required coal bed established. Your running it like an enclosed fireplace with the doors closed with no secondary combustion. You mention the screen with the Intrepid 2. That stove had a completely different combustion routing than the flexburn and I think required a higher draft to keep positive flow up the flue with the doors kept open. The flexburn has a different flow through the stove and they discontinued the screen option. Run the stove as you chose with the damper open continiously but best to keep a close eye on it and maybe clean the flue every few weeks?
Woodsplitter67
Minister of Fire
Burning with the cat in will allow you more flexibility in Burning the stove. Not only that your not going to rip throughyour wood by trying to keep it so hot. Burning with the cat will really lesson the chance of creosote.. Even seasoned wood will create creosote..
Bingo! The wife asked me one time why I leave the ash bucket on the hearth. 4 gallons of ash will calm things down in a pinch.
@Blue Ridge Lou My stove is a different model than yours, but you can look at my thread about burning with the damper open not using the cat. I've burned my stove for over 30 years, I installed my stove and chimney, and I do my own cleaning. Burning open works BUT! you have to pay close attention to your chimney. You will get more heat out of your stove but will have to reload a little more often. If you do burn low it will create creosote and will require checking and cleaning.
