2016/2017 VC owners thread

[jharkin]

Just go ahead and pull the upper fireback. It will be much easier to regastket the damper, etc when its out.

The worst part is getting it out if you have a lot of old furnace cement encrusted around it.... just keep chipping away at it and it will break free eventually.

Once out and cleaned up getting it back in is not difficult - just messy and fiddly.

 

[Diabel]

Will you be pulling the stove out completely?

 

[RandyBoBandy]

Will you be pulling the stove out completely?

Not wanting to. I was hoping to turn my dining room into a work shop so I can do a complete hearth and chimney rebuild as well as doing a partial stove rebuild. Oh and put in hardwood floors in the living room and dining room. But I think my dining room work shop is going to turn into a play pen for the baby. So to answer your question it does look like I will have to move the stove to the garage or barn to rebuild.

 

[Diabel]

Not wanting to. I was hoping to turn my dining room into a work shop so I can do a complete hearth and chimney rebuild as well as doing a partial stove rebuild. Oh and put in hardwood floors in the living room and dining room. But I think my dining room work shop is going to turn into a play pen for the baby. So to answer your question it does look like I will have to move the stove to the garage or barn to rebuild.

Once you are ready to re-essamble, there are few tricks that will help you

 

[jharkin]

OK, ,I can't believe it. I didn't block the secondary, just the mod to remove the stop so it closes completely. I can't get over how low and slow its burning now.

I reloaded at 9pm on a very big coal bed, prob 3in deep. Full load of 3yr ash and maple, got it good and hot then shut down. An hour and a half later it's 11f outside and she's cruising at 1060 cat with just a glowing coal bed in the box.

Normally this weather would have the cat temp steadily rising on its way to 1600+.


This is crazy!

Good crazy.

Somebody pinch me out of this dream....

 

[Diabel]

OK, ,I can't believe it. I didn't block the secondary, just the mod to remove the stop so it closes completely. I can't get over how low and slow its burning now.

I reloaded at 9pm on a very big coal bed, prob 3in deep. Full load of 3yr ash and maple, got it good and hot then shut down. An hour and a half later it's 11f outside and she's cruising at 1060 cat with just a glowing coal bed in the box.

Normally this weather would have the cat temp steadily rising on its way to 1600+.


This is crazy!

Good crazy.

Somebody pinch me out of this dream....

Pinch Reckless

 

[jharkin]

Overnight it only peaked at 1125..... I've never seen that.

 

[jharkin]

I'm really in disbelief. I loaded it full last night at 9 and shut down. Overnight it only peaked at 1125. Woke up at 7 and there was some coals in the box and cat at650. I opened up the air to let it burn down and now at 7:30 just from the leftover coals the griddle temp came up to 450 and cat is at 850.

The overnight low was around 11 or 12. In the past it would have took off like a rocket, peaked over 1500 and there wouldn't be much left now.


just wow.





The only sad part is that now I have to let it burn out. We have a crowd of 20 people coming this afternoon wand with the oven going and a big warmup moving in the stove would be too much.

 

[Diabel]

That pretty much resembles the behavior of mine after the Reckless mod.

As for crowds.....I just open a window or two.
We have 10 coming tonight and that is what I will do.

 

[jharkin]

That pretty much resembles the behavior of mine after the Reckless mod.

As for crowds.....I just open a window or two.
We have 10 coming tonight and that is what I will do.

Doesn't work here. The boss of the house "dislikes" the stove and has declared its not allowed when we have a crowd.

 

[trispad]

I think I may have found the culprit with regards to my high flue temps



The gap between the two metal tabs is the top of the refractory before the smoke gets pulled down into the cat. Any thoughts on sealing it up? Some stove cement over the whole line?

 

[Reckless]

I was messing with the secondary again and now I have 3/4 blocked with foil and the thermo set to 3 o'clock. Cruising 1350 never peaking above 1500. Tinkering is fun. I'm glad everyone is enjoying the warmth.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Reckless]

Nevermind crept to 1700 while I wasnt watching. Back to fully blocked secondary.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Excavator]

I have to restate. I engage cat at 400 griddle temp and when cat probe reaches 800 i turn air down half and then turn air all down at 1000. Might smoke for 15 minutes but my refractory is staying together and no over fire so this is what i plan on staying with. I brushed my liner out last month and it was fine

 

[RandyBoBandy]

I have to restate. I engage cat at 400 griddle temp and when cat probe reaches 800 i turn air down half and then turn air all down at 1000. Might smoke for 15 minutes but my refractory is staying together and no over fire so this is what i plan on staying with. I brushed my liner out last month and it was fine

I have been trying your method this past week and I have to say it works well. I think 350-400Gt is the magic temp. I'm not completely shut at 1000 however I can't completely shut my primary down. My fire will go out if I do. I think I need to add another 3 feet to my chimney.

 

[RandyBoBandy]

I think I may have found the culprit with regards to my high flue temps

View attachment 190615

The gap between the two metal tabs is the top of the refractory before the smoke gets pulled down into the cat. Any thoughts on sealing it up? Some stove cement over the whole line?

Is the gap to small for gasket rope? I believe once you put cement on your refractory box is not coming off. It will I guess just with chunks of refractory.

 

[trispad]

Is the gap to small for gasket rope? I believe once you put cement on your refractory box is not coming off. It will I guess just with chunks of refractory.

To small for 1/8 gasket. I would say 3/32. The stainless steal gasket looks like it is slightly warped and is flattening the thin ceramic gasket.

Sent from my XT1032 using Tapatalk

 

[Excavator]

I have been trying your method this past week and I have to say it works well. I think 350-400Gt is the magic temp. I'm not completely shut at 1000 however I can't completely shut my primary down. My fire will go out if I do. I think I need to add another 3 feet to my chimney.

Yup. My strong draft and insulated liner is making the difference since i installed it plus block off plate. 350 and 400 griddle is max for me and close air down all way in 2 steps keeps in control

 

[Reckless]

I don't start closing primary air till above 1050 and have it shut half at about 1250-1300. After that it just cruises and I adjust for room temp levels.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Dobish]

this was my chimney the other day.... it was -10 outside, and this was right after a reload....

 

[Diabel]

Was the steam still visible well into the burn?

 

[Dobish]

about 35 seconds after i took that picture, i closed the bypass and about 20 seconds after that all i saw was heat waves...

 

[Diabel]

Here is an update to my secondary air mod:

The cat temp stays nicely around 1200-1300* for the first three hours of the burn, then slowly drops.

I am concerned however with the emissions.
When we had the cold snap I was seeing lots of white smoke-steam out the pipe in the first three hours of the burn. Now that the temps are more human... in the 30s, I still see a bit of white smoke. Did not see this before I did the mod.

I am not sure what to think of it.

 

[jharkin]

I have never seen the "only heat waves" with my stove no matter what I do with it, FWIW.

 

[RandyBoBandy]

My stove pipe sounds like a rain stick when I close the damper.