Hello from New user; Updated inspection

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NSDave

NSDave

Member
Dec 29, 2011
114
Halifax NS Canada
Hi Everyone; new user here from the eastern Canada.

I'm new to wood burning as well;

My new home has a vermont casting resolute acclaim, classic black circa 1991, that the previous owners used to heat with; as I am away alot I will just use it on weekends/ days off. The Previous owners also left 4 or 5 cords of well seasoned birch, maple hardwood!

I do have a couple of newb qs, and I should add that I DO have someone coming by to inspect the setup next week, but of course there seems to be a wealth of knowledge on here; so extra input is great

Do these stoves require a rebuild after so long being used to heat 24/7? Is it near its end life? I don't want to put $$ into it if its done in a year or so.

Also the chimney ( 26 years old ) is lined brick ( terracottta I think ) and runs inside the house from the basement; its a bungalow so maybe 20 ft. After running all day the chimney upstairs above the stove gets hot; to the point that I can hold my hand on it ( exposed in a closet ) for 5-6 seconds and then it feels to me to better get my hand off it; is normal? I know brick does act as a heat sink. I have dry wood ( seasoned 2 years ) and I have a stack thermometer that tells me that I'm running about 260 Celsius roughly sometimes it gets higher ; yes I'm going to get an IR thermometer.

I spent hours last night reading through the forum!

Thanks
Dave
 
Welcome!

I'll let others chime in, but the older Acclaims will usually need rebuild way before this time! Maybe it has already been done so? The original units had waffle shaped cast iron side interior panels, while the rebuild kits were refractory.

In general, the original acclaims would need a rebuild in about 5 years. VC gave us the parts for free for the rebuilds and even the upgrades...for quite a few years....way back then.

Of course, it is always possible yours was babied and/or rebuilt. You should be able to tell a lot by inspecting it and/or uploading some pics of the interior.
 
NSDave said:
Hi Everyone; new user here from the eastern Canada.

I'm new to wood burning as well;

My new home has a vermont casting resolute acclaim, classic black circa 1991, that the previous owners used to heat with; as I am away alot I will just use it on weekends/ days off. The Previous owners also left 4 or 5 cords of well seasoned birch, maple hardwood!

I do have a couple of newb qs, and I should add that I DO have someone coming by to inspect the setup next week, but of course there seems to be a wealth of knowledge on here; so extra input is great

Do these stoves require a rebuild after so long being used to heat 24/7? Is it near its end life? I don't want to put $$ into it if its done in a year or so.

Also the chimney ( 26 years old ) is lined brick ( terracottta I think ) and runs inside the house from the basement; its a bungalow so maybe 20 ft. After running all day the chimney upstairs above the stove gets hot; to the point that I can hold my hand on it ( exposed in a closet ) for 5-6 seconds and then it feels to me to better get my hand off it; is normal? I know brick does act as a heat sink. I have dry wood ( seasoned 2 years ) and I have a stack thermometer that tells me that I'm running about 260 Celsius roughly sometimes it gets higher ; yes I'm going to get an IR thermometer.

I spent hours last night reading through the forum!

Thanks
Dave
Click to expand...

I think that if you can only hold your hand on it 5 seconds thats a bit hot! The inspector guy ought to tell you if it is ok. Others will mention that you should have it lined with a 6" liner .
 
Hi Dave and welcome !
First off with any stove you NEED a chimney liner this is due to the output being so much higher and the creosote. If you have a chimney fire it will pulverize your chimney and burn your home down. I would not burn the stove until you have a chimney liner especially if the chimney is hot to the touch. You should look and be sure there is one installed for your safety.

Good luck
Pete
 
NSDave said:
Hi Everyone; new user here from the eastern Canada.

I'm new to wood burning as well;

My new home has a vermont casting resolute acclaim, classic black circa 1991, that the previous owners used to heat with; as I am away alot I will just use it on weekends/ days off. The Previous owners also left 4 or 5 cords of well seasoned birch, maple hardwood!

I do have a couple of newb qs, and I should add that I DO have someone coming by to inspect the setup next week, but of course there seems to be a wealth of knowledge on here; so extra input is great

Do these stoves require a rebuild after so long being used to heat 24/7? Is it near its end life? I don't want to put $$ into it if its done in a year or so.

Also the chimney ( 26 years old ) is lined brick ( terracottta I think ) and runs inside the house from the basement; its a bungalow so maybe 20 ft. After running all day the chimney upstairs above the stove gets hot; to the point that I can hold my hand on it ( exposed in a closet ) for 5-6 seconds and then it feels to me to better get my hand off it; is normal? I know brick does act as a heat sink. I have dry wood ( seasoned 2 years ) and I have a stack thermometer that tells me that I'm running about 260 Celsius roughly sometimes it gets higher ; yes I'm going to get an IR thermometer.

I spent hours last night reading through the forum!

Thanks
Dave
Click to expand...

Most all cast iron stoves will need a rebuild or regasket at some point in their lifetime. What complicates the VC stoves are the refractory parts that may degrade over the years. They can be expensive to replace.

I think it's normal to have your chimney liner to get hot - but the brick surrounding it ought to dissipate the heat IMHO. My stainless steel liner with insulation will get hot after a day's burning - so I should think the clay liner would do the same. Have it inspected by a certified sweep.

Good luck,
Bill
 
Thanks for the replies;

I am having the system checked on Wednesday ( just confirmed ) ; so we'll see what that tells me. The inside of the stove IS fire brick; this is what we mean by refractory? and it doesn't have the "shaker grates" As for the Chimney its not showing and outward signs of over heating; .. yet anyway; but why wait to find out.

I'll update when I know a bit more
 
Welcome to the forum. We are quite newbies as well and are also from Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. So it is nice to see someone else from our neck of the woods.
 
NSDave & BretonBurner Welcome to the forum from the other end of the country!! Sorry I cant really help with your stove questions, but so many smart people here, someone will be able to guide you. But I would take the word of your inspector first and foremost.
 
Welcome Dave. You came to the right place, Ive learned more here in 2 years than in 20 years growing up around stoves.

Lets us know what the sweep says. If that clay liner is in good shape and the chimney has proper clearances you might be ok. With 260C flue gases behind just a few inches/cm of brick its bound to get warm...
 
Welcome fellow East Coaster.

It is nice to see a fellow maritimer ( I have been transplanted to Eastern Quebec from NB and will be leaving in a couple of years) on the forums.

I believe the heat you are feeling on the chimney is normal. Like jharkin said: 260C gases against a few inches of brick will certainly get warm/hot.

For what it's worth, I certainly agree that a SS liner would be the best situation. I am not a fan of any terracotta anything (I hate flower pots). I certainly wouldn't trust a 20something year old chimney. Let's put it in perspective: a car that was made 25 years ago will work like a car should. However, the safety features are very limited/old school. For a decent price, you could have a liner installed and have an clear conscience. You would not need to worry about fires, etc. Especially after hearing of some house fires over the holidays that started due to chimney fires, it makes me want to sweep my chimney every 3rd day ;)

Keep us posted!

A.
 
Welcome to the forum. I'm new here too, but have been burning since 1979.

I recently purchased a little used VC Resolute Acclaim from a neighbor to replace and older CDW cat stove. Since I telecommute for my job, and don't like burning $4.00 per gallon oil, I burn 24/7 as much as I can. I've been burning 30 years with a terracotta chimney liner, getting the flue cleaned each year and didn't know I was taking chances till I got here. I may invest in a new chimney liner when I upgrade my upstairs stove.

The guys here helped get me going. My stove needed a set of door gaskets and the damper gasket, which you can't see unless you look down through the flue collar, but you can feel it where the damper seals against the stove interior when the damper is closed.

There is a learning curve on this stove. The manual is readily available on line from a couple of sources, however there were a couple of variants of the Acclaim, so I'm not sure what one you have. Taking pics and posting here would help. You may have the Resolute Acclaim 0041, which is what I have too.

Sounds like you've got a good supply of wood and are on your way.

Welcome to the forum, post some pics to show us better what you have, if you can.

This is mine.
 

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Bretonburner said:
Welcome to the forum. We are quite newbies as well and are also from Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. So it is nice to see someone else from our neck of the woods.
Click to expand...

HAHA My S/O is from N Sydney; I am from just a little further east Newfoundland


Thanks for replies/ welcomes everyone; I'll get some pics up soon;

Steve L : The Stove is @ 1991 ( based on bill of sale ) is a model 0041 according to the bill but has solid grates; not shaker. I was poking around and it does seem like some of the damper gasket is missing

that Bordeaux red really is eye catching!

The place I was at today had a brand new Acclaim in the showroom; anyone know the differences in the newer models?
 
I can send you the electronic version of the user manual if you would like. It's 9/10ths, installation instructions, 2 pages operating instructions and the rest is avoidance of telling you where/and or if there is a secondary air duct anyplace.

I think you have a 0041 based on your description of the grates. Do you have a small horizontal control on the lower left front? That is actually a grate control. Mine doesn't work, it seems frozen and I haven't fooled with it. A bit of WD40 and a tap with a hammer might fix it, but ..."if it ain't broke"..

Steve
 
Swedishchef said:
For what it's worth, I certainly agree that a SS liner would be the best situation. I am not a fan of any terracotta anything (I hate flower pots). I certainly wouldn't trust a 20something year old chimney. Let's put it in perspective: a car that was made 25 years ago will work like a car should. However, the safety features are very limited/old school. For a decent price, you could have a liner installed and have an clear conscience. You would not need to worry about fires, etc. Especially after hearing of some house fires over the holidays that started due to chimney fires, it makes me want to sweep my chimney every 3rd day ;)
Click to expand...

I don't disagree that a steel liner could improve the performance of his stove... It will give an extra insulation space holding higher flue temps and improve draft.... but I disagree that a 26 year old chimney cant be trusted. Cars are a bad example... they are constantly evolving, and built for a predetermined (short) lifespan so we have to keep buying new ones.. Masonry OTOH was perfected long ago, not much new to be developed and is built to last. I know of 250 year old homes where the original brick chimneys are still usable, all they have to do is reline them (poured in place, etc) and repoint the brickwork. If a clay liner failed in 20 years I think something is wrong. In theory a clay liner would still hold up at temperatures that would melt steel.
 
thanks again;

there's some good stuff to make sure to ask the inspector.

Old Hippie: I only have the damper control on the upper right side and the primary are control bottom center; I read that they upgraded the grates making that extra control unnecessary.

From what I can tell from docs I have the mfr date is 0911

Greenteam: I'm getting the sense from this site that the SS liner would be a much safer option; in the event of a chimney fire; I don't have $$ to toss around, but it might be worth it for the piece of mind.

Happy New Year everyone.
 
Oldhippie said:
Welcome to the forum. I'm new here too, but have been burning since 1979.

I recently purchased a little used VC Resolute Acclaim from a neighbor to replace and older CDW cat stove. Since I telecommute for my job, and don't like burning $4.00 per gallon oil, I burn 24/7 as much as I can. I've been burning 30 years with a terracotta chimney liner, getting the flue cleaned each year and didn't know I was taking chances till I got here. I may invest in a new chimney liner when I upgrade my upstairs stove.

The guys here helped get me going. My stove needed a set of door gaskets and the damper gasket, which you can't see unless you look down through the flue collar, but you can feel it where the damper seals against the stove interior when the damper is closed.

There is a learning curve on this stove. The manual is readily available on line from a couple of sources, however there were a couple of variants of the Acclaim, so I'm not sure what one you have. Taking pics and posting here would help. You may have the Resolute Acclaim 0041, which is what I have too.

Sounds like you've got a good supply of wood and are on your way.

Welcome to the forum, post some pics to show us better what you have, if you can.

This is mine.
Click to expand...

Nice looking stove Steve and welcome to the forum! Looking at that pic your hearth looks too small for that stove.. What is the floor made of beyond the hearth? If combustible you need to extend your hearth so you have at least 16" from any front or side door..

Ray
 
NSDave said:
Bretonburner said:
Welcome to the forum. We are quite newbies as well and are also from Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. So it is nice to see someone else from our neck of the woods.
Click to expand...

HAHA My S/O is from N Sydney; I am from just a little further east Newfoundland


Thanks for replies/ welcomes everyone; I'll get some pics up soon;

Steve L : The Stove is @ 1991 ( based on bill of sale ) is a model 0041 according to the bill but has solid grates; not shaker. I was poking around and it does seem like some of the damper gasket is missing

that Bordeaux red really is eye catching!

The place I was at today had a brand new Acclaim in the showroom; anyone know the differences in the newer models?
Click to expand...

Welcome to the forum Dave! I too would be concerned if I could not hold my hand against the chimney.. I'd be curious how how it really is and I suggest you get an IR temp gun to check it.. Better safe than sorry!

Ray
 
NSDave said:
thanks again;

there's some good stuff to make sure to ask the inspector.

Old Hippie: I only have the damper control on the upper right side and the primary are control bottom center; I read that they upgraded the grates making that extra control unnecessary.

From what I can tell from docs I have the mfr date is 0911

Greenteam: I'm getting the sense from this site that the SS liner would be a much safer option; in the event of a chimney fire; I don't have $$ to toss around, but it might be worth it for the piece of mind.

Happy New Year everyone.
Click to expand...

Welcome to the forum Dave.

If you want even more peach of mind, start cutting wood now! Yes, you have some that was left to you but please realize that you will need more when that has burned up. Getting wood then is NOT the time to do it. The time is now so that the wood has time to dry. You will not be happy if you try to burn wood that is not dry enough. The way to dry it is to cut it ahead of time, split it and stack it where it will get lots of wind hitting the sides of the wood pile. Good luck.
 
raybonz said:
Nice looking stove Steve and welcome to the forum! Looking at that pic your hearth looks too small for that stove.. What is the floor made of beyond the hearth? If combustible you need to extend your hearth so you have at least 16" from any front or side door..

Ray
Click to expand...

Ray the hearth actually does extend in front another 16' (2 8X8" masonary tiles) but it doesn't show in the picture. It's a basement stove (family room) of a typical cape style house. The tile is some kind of masonary tile about 3/8' thick. After that it becomes carpet, but I'm ripping all of that up and putting in new flooring this year, the carpet was never a good idea down there in the first place. I'll probably go for some of that new "floating" flooring, but maybe extend the hearth even further as I do that work.

I put that in a long time ago, but I remember working with the local fire inspector on what I needed. I live in a very small town, with an on-call fire department, and if you call and ask for help with any kind of wood burning, they will gladly show up and help with design or even troubleshooting assistance. They deal with way too many chimney fires each year, not so many burned down homes, in the 30 years I've been here, but that's not to say it couldn't happen.
 
Welcome to the forum Dave.

If you want even more peach of mind, start cutting wood now! Yes, you have some that was left to you but please realize that you will need more when that has burned up. Getting wood then is NOT the time to do it. The time is now so that the wood has time to dry. You will not be happy if you try to burn wood that is not dry enough. The way to dry it is to cut it ahead of time, split it and stack it where it will get lots of wind hitting the sides of the wood pile. Good luck.
Click to expand...

Thanks; I think I have enough for a couple seasons burning as It'll just be some evenings and weekends. I was going to order wood, but then I would run out of places to put it :) so I'm going to see what I have left mid season and then re assess. The previous owner who burned 24/7 said that what I have now should do for a couple seasons of "social burning" , but I do agree that I want to keep ahead on my wood.[/quote]
 
Oldhippie said:
raybonz said:
Nice looking stove Steve and welcome to the forum! Looking at that pic your hearth looks too small for that stove.. What is the floor made of beyond the hearth? If combustible you need to extend your hearth so you have at least 16" from any front or side door..

Ray
Click to expand...

Ray the hearth actually does extend in front another 16' (2 8X8" masonary tiles) but it doesn't show in the picture. It's a basement stove (family room) of a typical cape style house. The tile is some kind of masonary tile about 3/8' thick. After that it becomes carpet, but I'm ripping all of that up and putting in new flooring this year, the carpet was never a good idea down there in the first place. I'll probably go for some of that new "floating" flooring, but maybe extend the hearth even further as I do that work.

I put that in a long time ago, but I remember working with the local fire inspector on what I needed. I live in a very small town, with an on-call fire department, and if you call and ask for help with any kind of wood burning, they will gladly show up and help with design or even troubleshooting assistance. They deal with way too many chimney fires each year, not so many burned down homes, in the 30 years I've been here, but that's not to say it couldn't happen.
Click to expand...

Sounds OK to me Steve! :)

Ray
 
So I had the inspection today, chimney is OK, Inspector said that if I were to upgrade the stove he would recommend a liner but there was no need to run out and throw money at a liner today, but that a liner would be better and money well spent.

The stove ( @1991 VC Resolute Acclaim should be model 0041 but looks like it was retrofitted with firebricks similar to the 2490 model )

Good shape outside, needs firebrick, ( could get away with just the one arch brick but it'll probably crack when I take it out anyway ) door gasket damper gasket , combustion package and there is a typical warp in the upper fireback; so that too. I haven't gotten the estimate yet, and I'm ok with doing the work myself;

Is it worth it? Pricing up parts online not incl shipping or tax its about $600. Ok, unless the bolts that hold the fireback in crack; how likely is this?

I guess I could get a steel stove for around $1500 give or take and still afford the Chimney liner.


thoughts?
 
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