2016/2017 VC owners thread

[Woody Stover]

I use larger splits whenever I can, this isn't a fuel issue. I burn primarily red and white oak with occasional shag bark hickory

OK. Dense woods like that are less likely to gas too fast at the beginning of the burn, even if the splits aren't huge.

The dealer seems to think there is no service manual for the stove, I disagree.

I put a link in post #244...

 

[Woodsplitter67]

Hello to all the VC owners here.. Its been a pleasure to read and get some valuable information regarding our stoves. I have finally joined the club here.. I have an encore 2040

 

[Dobish]

Hello to all the VC owners here.. Its been a pleasure to read and get some valuable information regarding our stoves. I have finally joined the club here.. I have an encore 2040

welcome!

 

[Diabel]

Hello to all the VC owners here.. Its been a pleasure to read and get some valuable information regarding our stoves. I have finally joined the club here.. I have an encore 2040

Cheers!!

 

[RandyBoBandy]

Hello to all the VC owners here.. Its been a pleasure to read and get some valuable information regarding our stoves. I have finally joined the club here.. I have an encore 2040

Good deal! Welcome, how do you like it so far?

 

[Woodsplitter67]

Good deal! Welcome, how do you like it so far?

Love it.. I have been heating my house with it pretty easy to operate I got it this past october. My house has never been so warm and looked so good doing it... so far i have spent 75 buckes heating my house and all of that was prior to stove installation while the house was still under construction

 

[Woodsplitter67]

I do have 1 question I am looking for an aftermarket cat probe with the actual temps written on it.. any ideas of where to hook up with one..

 

[BronYrAur]

Welcome, I'm new as well. Good group of guys in here who are enthusiastic about their VC stoves.

 

[Dobish]

Love it.. I have been heating my house with it pretty easy to operate I got it this past october. My house has never been so warm and looked so good doing it... so far i have spent 75 buckes heating my house and all of that was prior to stove installation while the house was still under construction

as a reference, the one that came with the stove is roughly 700 on the low end and 1600 on the high end... lots of folks going with the AT100

 

[Diabel]

So, yesterday I was trying to force one of "uglies" piece with sharp edges and pulled loose the griddle gasket (I was using a regular not the steel covered one). No big deal, I placed the gasket gently back in its groove with my fingers, closed the griddle, stove behaved normally.

I decided not to reload for the night (it has been warm here as well 35-40s). This morning I cleaned the stove, emptied the ash, brushed the cat etc. and re-glued the gasket using some very old (clear) gasket cement.

Started the fire around 2:30pm, everything seemed normal but at one point the cement started to bubble and it lifted the left side of the griddle up by about 1/8 of an inch!! I can see the fire through the gap!! Definitely a massive air leak, considerable flame in the firebox, cat temp ok around 1400, but flue at 500 and stovetop at 650!! Very unorthodox for this stove.

I will let it go out and tomorrow pick up some new gasket and a new tube of cement, clean the groove and install the new gasket.

Any idea what is the length and thickness i need for the griddle gasket (did not take notes when rebuilding)....

 

[Dobish]

Came across this and thought others here could use it. A complete list of gaskets for all VC models.

post #203 had a full list

 

[Diabel]

Thanks Dobish.

I took a pic of that list this time....

 

[Woodsplitter67]

as a reference, the one that came with the stove is roughly 700 on the low end and 1600 on the high end... lots of folks going with the AT100

Thanks for the reply... i hit google and no go.. is there a manufacturer or something that i can add to the serch to order this item
Thanks

 

[Diabel]

Thanks for the reply... i hit google and no go.. is there a manufacturer or something that i can add to the serch to order this item
Thanks

Auber at100

 

[RandyBoBandy]

Love it.. I have been heating my house with it pretty easy to operate I got it this past october. My house has never been so warm and looked so good doing it... so far i have spent 75 buckes heating my house and all of that was prior to stove installation while the house was still under construction

Do yourself a favor and get a digital cat probe.

 

[Woodsplitter67]

Do yourself a favor and get a digital cat probe.

Thanks for the reply.. soooooo why do i want a digital cat probe .what is the advantages and what do you guys think are the better manufacturers
Thanks

 

[RandyBoBandy]

Auber instruments is the manufacturer. The model is the AT100. It will give you real time temps. When my stove is cold it still reads 68 degrees. The display is always on due to it's a/c plug that comes with the it. You can set two alarms one to remind you that you closed the damper and the cat temps are climbing. Mine is set at 900 degrees. There are times I close the damper and walk away and forget about the stove. The alarm will remind me to go chop the air when the cat temps are climbing. The second alarm is there to warn you when cat temps are getting to high. My second alarm is set at 1600. You really don't want your cat to blaze away at 1700 degrees for to long. It could and probably will shorten the life of it. I would say the sweet spot is between 1350 and 1500. This sweet little thermo is also only 41 bucks. I think the condar goes for over 100 and doesn't have any of these cool features. You should really read through the past few years of the VC owners threads. All kinds of info on how to run your stove efficiently and safely. Even some mods that we have been experimenting with.

 

[RandyBoBandy]

Welcome, I'm new as well. Good group of guys in here who are enthusiastic about their VC stoves.

Where are you at with your stove? Any progress?

 

[Excavator]

Thanks for the reply.. soooooo why do i want a digital cat probe .what is the advantages and what do you guys think are the better manufacturers
Thanks

There is nothing better then a digital and the at100 is the one of choice. When I am in cat mode and waiting for the temps to climb up to around 800 I can HEAR the alarm from other room or if in same room on couch I can se the numbers climb as the at100 numbers are always visible where as the condar the number display shuts off after a minute or so and no alarm

 

[Woodsplitter67]

Giuys.... thanks for all the info.. i will order on up.. i was already on the site but, it talks about all kinda options of probs... which one goes in the 2040
Is there a youtube video of installation or it just slides in and no mods...

 

[RandyBoBandy]

I haven't seen a 2040 in person but the back of your stove should have a plug or bolt just above the secondary cover. Take that out and use a 1/4" drill bit and by hand (no drill) gently drill a hole in the refractory box. Slide probe in and done. Im using my leftover condar probe so I don't have an auber probe. Diabel is using the 6" 2000 degree limit probe from auber. Buy the probe before you drill a hole. I'm not sure of the diameter of the auber probe.

 

[Woodsplitter67]

I haven't seen a 2040 in person but the back of your stove should have a plug or bolt just above the secondary cover. Take that out and use a 1/4" drill bit and by hand (no drill) gently drill a hole in the refractory box. Slide probe in and done. Im using my leftover condar probe so I don't have an auber probe. Diabel is using the 6" 2000 degree limit probe from auber. Buy the probe before you drill a hole. I'm not sure of the diameter of the auber probe.

So this dose not slide into the existing cat probe hole in the back of the stove. Dose the existing probe stay in.. if i am understanding. . I am to remove a bolt in the back.. drill the refractory and just slide it in. The hole should be tight to the probe and no sealant will be needed..

 

[Diabel]

If you have an easy access to the back of the stove, this task should not take you more than 15min.

 

[Diabel]

So this dose not slide into the existing cat probe hole in the back of the stove. Dose the existing probe stay in.. if i am understanding. . I am to remove a bolt in the back.. drill the refractory and just slide it in. The hole should be tight to the probe and no sealant will be needed..

If your stove came with a cat probe installed, then the probe from the at100 will simply slide into that same hole.

 

[RandyBoBandy]

So this dose not slide into the existing cat probe hole in the back of the stove. Dose the existing probe stay in.. if i am understanding. . I am to remove a bolt in the back.. drill the refractory and just slide it in. The hole should be tight to the probe and no sealant will be needed..

Yeah just use the existing cat probe hole.