Encore 2550 primary thermostat problem and question?

[Dave Topd]

After my stove rebuild this year, I had to replace the primary thermostat and cable. Once done, I found the stove seemed to not be getting enough air, so I adjusted the thermostat cable adjustment in the primary air intake in the back...hoping to have a bit more air flow. Now, I'm getting more air, but this is strange;

When the stove is cool, the air intake lever will spring back towards the rear of the stove...effectively limiting the amount of air into the stove. As the stove heats (and it burns very well in non-catalytic mode), the lever is then capable of being moved forward without springing back.

I'm not a pro here, but this seems like the action of the bimetallic spring is working backwards....or is it just the result of my having the cable adjusted too tight?

I had installed a steel cat when I did the rebuild, and have had a problem with it lighting off consistently. Condor was great, and I am going to install the ceramic catalyst this week, so it is a good opportunity to fix the thermostat if I have something wrong.

FYI....griddle temps will stay at about 550 in both cat and non cat modes with a well stoked and hot stove...the stove will not overfire under any circumstance. I was unable to reach these temps before tweeking the thermostat adjustment.

The stove seems VERY tight after the rebuild, and FWIW, the steel cat seems to restrict air flow more that the old style ceramic combustor.

Do I have this installed wrong or is there an issue somewhere that I am missing?

Could it be a cable placement issue? I have the cable running below the thermostat spring...which seemed correct based on diagram....but my cable was broken when I replace the spring so not sure what it looked like before.

Also, could I just now have a stove that is too tight if I have to tweek the thermostat cable adjustment?


THANKS!

 

[jharkin]

Thats an odd one - am I understnding right that you pull the handle forward and let go and the handle itself actually turns back?

That sounds to me like something in the handle mechanism is actually too loose, allowing the bimetallic spring to move it.

On mine, I have the cable adjusted so when the stove is closed, the air door in the back just closes as you bottom out the lever. When you open the lever on a cold stove the air door will hit the full open stop before the lever gets halfway, but you can continue turning it, just winds up the bimetallic spring. As the stove heats up the bimettalic coil closes the door so that you have to pull the lever farther forward to fully open the air door the hotter the stove gets.


If you are having light off issues, also check the secondary air adjustment... we have had lots of discussion and experimenting around this in the 2013 VC operating thread. Many of us are achieving better lightoffs and catalyst temp control by adjusting outside the VC recommended range (more open cold)

 

[Dave Topd]

Thats an odd one - am I understnding right that you pull the handle forward and let go and the handle itself actually turns back?

That sounds to me like something in the handle mechanism is actually too loose, allowing the bimetallic spring to move it.

On mine, I have the cable adjusted so when the stove is closed, the air door in the back just closes as you bottom out the lever. When you open the lever on a cold stove the air door will hit the full open stop before the lever gets halfway, but you can continue turning it, just winds up the bimetallic spring. As the stove heats up the bimettalic coil closes the door so that you have to pull the lever farther forward to fully open the air door the hotter the stove gets.


If you are having light off issues, also check the secondary air adjustment... we have had lots of discussion and experimenting around this in the 2013 VC operating thread. Many of us are achieving better lightoffs and catalyst temp control by adjusting outside the VC recommended range (more open cold)

Actually, it will not go all the way forward when the stove is cold....if I force it I feel a "springee" feeling. As the stove heats, it allows the handle to smoothly move forward. When burning hot, the primary handle is able to stay in the full forward position.

 

[Dave Topd]

Actually, it will not go all the way forward when the stove is cold....if I force it I feel a "springee" feeling. As the stove heats, it allows the handle to smoothly move forward. When burning hot, the primary handle is able to stay in the full forward position.

Well, it must have been the guy that installed it ...removed the inner panel when I had it apart for the new cat and went through the install again from scratch. Running like a new stove.

I sure wanted that steel cat to work...but just wasn't doin it!

Thanks for the help!!

Dave