Should these holes be here?

[barrettdp]

Just bought a VC Defiant model #1910 and was inspecting it and noticed a couple of peculiar holes that in my mind should not be there. They are on either side of the ash pan visible only once you remove the ash/coal grate. Are these suppose to be there? It would seem to me that they would allow more uncontrolled air into the stove.

 

[DanCorcoran]

I know nothing about VC stoves, but could they be centering holes for pins to go in (for the grate that sits in there)?

 

[barrettdp]

I know nothing about VC stoves, but could they be centering holes for pins to go in (for the grate that sits in there)?

Nope. The grate has no pin. These holes are well below and to the side of the grate position.

 

[defiant3]

They are " bleeder" holes and now that I've opened my big mouth I relize I'm not exactly sure WHY , but all V.C. catalytic stoves have 'em. They allow air into the firebox even if you've shut down the primary air completely. I think I do know why this is, but at this point I should defer to the over-engineering dept. at V.C.
' My question for you is what the heck were ya' doin' crawlin' around down there anyways?

 

[Shari]

They are " bleeder" holes and now that I've opened my big mouth I relize I'm not exactly sure WHY , but all V.C. catalytic stoves have 'em. They allow air into the firebox even if you've shut down the primary air completely. I think I do know why this is, but at this point I should defer to the over-engineering dept. at V.C.
' My question for you is what the heck were ya' doin' crawlin' around down there anyways?

Doesn't every new stove owner "bond" with their stove in this manner?

 

[LLigetfa]

It would seem to me that they would allow more uncontrolled air into the stove.

Well... technically not uncontrolled... they control the amount of air they let in by their size. Most stoves have similar air intakes. Some people call them EPA holes.

Sometimes it can present a problem if you have too much draft or have additional leaks. In my former home, the hole for my zipper combined with the notch in the butterfly control resulted in over-firing when stoked full for overnight burns. The dealer suggested replacing the butterfly with one that had a smaller cutout but to do so meant tearing out a wall. I partially plugged the EPA hole which tamed the over-fire but then it caused coal buildup.

I say, don't fix it if it ain't broke. Run the stove as-is and see how it burns.

 

[barrettdp]

They are " bleeder" holes and now that I've opened my big mouth I relize I'm not exactly sure WHY , but all V.C. catalytic stoves have 'em. They allow air into the firebox even if you've shut down the primary air completely. I think I do know why this is, but at this point I should defer to the over-engineering dept. at V.C.
' My question for you is what the heck were ya' doin' crawlin' around down there anyways?

Thanks for the info! I will have to give VC a call and see if I can get an answer. Seriously, I was just getting familiar with the new stove, and trying to reduce weight to move it.

 

[barrettdp]

It would seem to me that they would allow more uncontrolled air into the stove.

Well... technically not uncontrolled... they control the amount of air they let in by their size. Most stoves have similar air intakes. Some people call them EPA holes.

Sometimes it can present a problem if you have too much draft or have additional leaks. In my former home, the hole for my zipper combined with the notch in the butterfly control resulted in over-firing when stoked full for overnight burns. The dealer suggested replacing the butterfly with one that had a smaller cutout but to do so meant tearing out a wall. I partially plugged the EPA hole which tamed the over-fire but then it caused coal buildup.

I say, don't fix it if it ain't broke. Run the stove as-is and see how it burns.

Thanks for the info. I was assuming that when you close the air all the way down, it is never closes completely by design.

 

[LLigetfa]

I was assuming that when you close the air all the way down, it is never closes completely by design.

Your assumption is correct. On my stove the minimum setting for the primary/secondary/air wash, is governed by the size of the notch and the zipper, by the size of the hole.

I added a positive shutoff to my OAK which can override the notch, and I added a variable control to my zipper, which can extend burn times or burn down coals, which ever I need at the time. Of course this invalidates the EPA rating...