2013 VC Burning Thread

[jharkin]

I'm home sick from work, its 50 out and my wife took the kids for a ride so I couldn't resist doing the first small break in fire. Just a half SC and kindling this time. Hearing lots of snap crackle, maybe buildup inside the cap falling, have to go up and check it before next fire.



Window fan is on high

 

[jharkin]

Snap crackle went away after 5 minutes. I added a couple small pieces to get the griddle temp just shy of 300 then let it burn out. Pipe temp barely broke 200, draft seemed suprisingly decent for a 50 degree day (thank you no more damper) but it did smoke out the front door when I opened up to add a piece. Shouldn't do that once its get colder and I fire it hot.

It smells a bit funky in here but I dont see the new paint smoking off yet. Going to be nasty on the next fire I bet when I try to get 'er up to 500.

maybe two window fans.....

 

[Reckless]

Put in the secondary probe, cat temp probe, catalyst, catalyst acess panel, bolt in the side panels (checking the thermostat cable is clear this time), pace the lower fireback and hammer in the wedges, place the hood, replace the ash grate, and bolt in the andirons.


View attachment 113760


View attachment 113761

The hood that covers the catalyst opening it looks like in pic 4 it is inside? Mine is on the outside... difference in models? Or is mine backwards LOL

 

[jharkin]

The hood that covers the catalyst opening it looks like in pic 4 it is inside? Mine is on the outside... difference in models? Or is mine backwards LOL

Im not sure I follow you... what do you mean by inside / outside? post a photo?

 

[Reckless]

Im not sure I follow you... what do you mean by inside / outside? post a photo?

It was just the lighting on your picture. The hood looked like it was inside the fireback and I was like

 

[jharkin]

It was just the lighting on your picture. The hood looked like it was inside the fireback and I was like

Ha. Yeah I had a drop light clipped to the griddle while i was working inside. It casts funny shadows.

 

[jharkin]

Break in fire #2 kindling and two 4in splits. Just got to 400 griddle and 350 pipe.

Still the only thing I smell is the oil on the griddle cooking off. Prob won't start baking the paint till I push past 500???

 

[jharkin]

Final break in fire today to cure the paint. 40f outside, 3 splits of extra extra dry stuff that's been in the indoor Woodbox all year.

Windows open, fan going. Got it up to 500 in under 30 minutes and the cat lit off like a freight train.

Now I have air at minimum and it settled in at 525 stove top, 1250 cat, 300 surface temp just a few inches up the pipe. A lite plume of white steam outside.

Paint fumes have been surprisingly minimal.

 

[jharkin]

The thing I don't like is that I'm getting pretty good flame in the boxeven at low air. Usually it would go almost completely dark. All the gaskets seemed to pass the dollar test, and I can see with a mirror the primary is closed completely.

I'm trying to pass a match around looking for leaks, nothing yet.

 

[jharkin]

More checks. I am seeing the expected change in flame intensity as I open and close the primary. Maybe its just the super dry wood, having the windows open and the fact that the stoves air passages and flue are cleaner than they have ever been since I owned it?


Later this week I'll recheck every gasket again and go around looking at the seams some more.

 

[jharkin]

Ive had some requests to show how the catalyst probe installs.

- On the back of the stove you will see a sheet steel plug above the secondary intake. Pry it off with a screwdriver.
- Using a 1/4" drill bit held by hand, carefully twist it into the refractory to make a hole.
- Slide the probe in place as shown below.
- I wired the cable to a screw on the secondary cover just so it wouldn't move if I bumped it accidentally.

 

[Excavator]

thanks for pic, I redid my 0028 encore last month. Had to replace the upper and lower fireback, refractory and the cat. I also did the gaskets on ash pan door and front doors and griddle. Now I just have to do the digital monitor too feel better about what is going on.

 

[jharkin]

November 3, 2013

Ok, yesterday I was outside in a t shirt, and even had to use sunscreen becuase the back of my neck flet like it was on fire!

Today its 40F with wind gusting to 20+ ... so....

First serious fire of the season!

I lit off at 11:38am with 1/4 SC, a couple pieces of kindling and 3 small splits
In 10 min it was blasting, I added a couple more larger splits
At 12:05pm the griddle read 550F so I shut the damper and in under a minute the cat lit off and climed through 1000F.


Right now we are cruising on a half load of wood at just under 1/4 open on the main air control with 550F griddle and 1600F cat. Exhaust looks completely clean outside.

As soon as the living room gets up to 74 or so I'll shut 'er down and probably reload after dinner.

 

[jharkin]

And here we air with the air fully closed. 600 griddle, 1500 cat.

A lot more flame in the box than I remember last year with air closed, but maybe that's due to the stove breathing better and very dry wood? All the gaskets seem good.

Upside is that the glass is staying cleaner than ever.

 

[Excavator]

JHarkin, I just odered the condar monitor. I feel that it is a must have. I reloaded my encore 2 hours ago and I have surface and probe thermometer in the T at the back of stove. I always seem to get the cat hotter then I should as the surface slowly keeeps climbing to 650 or so and the pipe thermometer is at 1100. I suspect the cat his hitting higher temps earlier than I think. It is more controllable now with new gaskets and the new fireback kit installed but with the new monitor on its way I will be better off

 

[jharkin]

3 hours later.... Sun came out and outdoor temp went up to 45f. Stove is down to coals but still about 450 griddle. The living room is an oven... 79f. Since its not looking as cold as predicted I'll let it burn out.


Not bad performance for the statup wood and a couple medium splits... I still wonder if its breathing too well and will check all the gaskets and the adjustment of the primary air one more time once its cool.

The glass stayed completely clean and for the first time ever I saw nothing but heat waves out of the stack... I'm calling this rebuild a success

 

[begreen]

That has to be very satisfying. Nice work.

 

[jharkin]

That has to be very satisfying. Nice work. View attachment 116633

Thanks BeGreen. In a way I feel like 4 years of advice I got here at hearth all finally came together today... And now I truly "get it"

 

[begreen]

Rebuilding a VC stove is not trivial. There's a lot happening in those stoves.

 

[jharkin]

That's quite true BG. I hope Ive been able to give a little back to Hearth by documenting everything I did and this helps out other VC owners get the best from this stove. If yesterdays burn is any indication this thing can be a wonderful heater when properly maintained.

Anyway, I went over everything and addressed a couple items.

• The primary air door is adjusted OK as is, but there was some soot and dust built up behind it, probably junk that fell down during the rebuild in spite of my stuffing the manifolds with rags. So I brushed it out with a small pipe cleaner and vacuumed it clean, now when I close the air I can hear the click of the door fully closing.
• The secondary air thermostat was adjusted a bit too far open cold I believe. The door was cracked open almost 3/8" on the right. So I turned it down to be about 1/4" open cold.
• Dollar test on the front doors showed a couple spots along the bottom left where the bill wouldn't completely rip. I also noticed there was a slight burr on the sheetmetal catch for the latch so the handle would hit that and stop before it went as snug as possible. So I filed off the burr and turned the handle out one turn to tighten it up.

Everything else looks good. Ash pan gasket passes with flying colors. Griddle is ok (never perfect) Bypass damper ok.

I'm not surprised, and was expecting to have to do some tweaking adjusting after the first fire. Which is why I didn't go right to a full load or leave the house. I want to do at least one more full load test burn on a cold day to make sure it will control better and wont overfire and then I'll be comfortable leaving it.


Ive never seen the firebox and glass so clean after a decent load burned low. If it is even close to this clean after the first overnight burn I try I will truly be impressed!

 

[Reckless]

The secondary air thermostat was adjusted a bit too far open cold I believe. The door was cracked open almost 3/8" on the right. So I turned it down to be about 1/4" open cold.

How can you adjust the secondary? My stove is running good on normal fuel (600 griddle and 12-1400 cat) but once I put in my 15% maple it takes off on me (800 gt and 1700cat). I am now wondering if its not my gaskets but the secondary that isn't closing properly............. changing too many things at one time can add to the confusion

Like you, now that I adjusted my airwash the glass stays completely clean! Im glad you are up and on your way Jeremy just in time for this small cold front (supposed to be 65 again here on thurs just in time to cool it down and crawl behind )

 

[jharkin]

How can you adjust the secondary? My stove is running good on normal fuel (600 griddle and 12-1400 cat) but once I put in my 15% maple it takes off on me (800 gt and 1700cat). I am now wondering if its not my gaskets but the secondary that isn't closing properly............. changing too many things at one time can add to the confusion

Like you, now that I adjusted my airwash the glass stays completely clean! Im glad you are up and on your way Jeremy just in time for this small cold front (supposed to be 65 again here on thurs just in time to cool it down and crawl behind )

Take that metal cover off the back and this is what you see. You can adjust the gap by turning the small screw in the center of the bimetallic coil with a flat blade screwdriver.



Image (c) Vermont castings - Defiant Encore 0028 / 2140 Service manual

 

[Toploader]

Thanks for the great job of documenting this rebuild, very interesting thread.
I've always had a soft spot for VC stoves, I had an original Defiant and a resolute and I've spent lots of time around a vigilant and your model of Encore. I recently seriously considered a Flexburn Encore but having a friend with a new defiant that both backpuffs and overfires along with all the recent VC history was enough to make me stay away.
Now I see an Encore 2250 for sale locally for $500 and I'm a bit tempted to buy it and rebuild it but I think my new to me Jotul Oslo has won me over with it's rock solid reliability, simplicity and great heat production. I do miss the top loading but it's not a big deal and I suppose I should stick with the Oslo. Still tempted though.........

 

[Reckless]

Take that metal cover off the back and this is what you see. You can adjust the gap by turning the small screw in the center of the bimetallic coil with a flat blade screwdriver.

Image (c) Vermont castings - Defiant Encore 0028 / 2140 Service manual

So I checked and at cold the tab is at 4 o'clock but with the cat at 1300 now the tab only seems to be at 7 and the door is no where near opening, is this correct? Is it not opening soon enough causing the heat to build? Sorry this stuff is really starting to make me go in circles man.

 

[jharkin]

So I checked and at cold the tab is at 4 o'clock but with the cat at 1300 now the tab only seems to be at 7 and the door is no where near opening, is this correct? Is it not opening soon enough causing the heat to build? Sorry this stuff is really starting to make me go in circles man.

That sounds correct. If I understand it right the purpose of this control is to let more air into the cat chamber when the exhaust is cold, to aid light off and help it maintain cat temp. When its hot it closes down to limit the air supply. So seeing it close with the cat in the 1300+ range sounds right.