I let the stove die the other morning so I could clean the glass, and while I had it cold was looking around to see if I could figure out why it was puffing. The Defiant Encore, like most VC woodstoves has a pretty complicated air intake tract - the air comes in the thermostatically controlled door at the bottom rear, comes up through both sides (which have an inner and outer wall), then past a removable cover that gives access to the damper mechanism, through into a manifold that goes across the whole front of the stove, and in intended to direct the incoming air downward in order to keep the windows clean.
At both ends, where the front manifold joins the sides, there were gaps where the iron parts went together and the stove cement had eroded away over the years. I never paid much attention to this area of the stove apart before since it doesn't have to come apart at rebuild, so I hadn't really noticed the gaps let alone resealed them. If I had noticed them, I probably would have said "well the air is getting in anyhow so what difference does it make". But having noticed the gaps, I figured I should reseal them, which I did.
Fired the stove up, and it was transformed! I'd mentioned here earlier that if didn't seem to want to get really hot, now it does effortlessly. And no more puffing, even turned low.
I am at a loss to explain how such a small change could make such a difference. Even if all the air coming into the stove was coming out the cracks rather than out the manifold where it was supposed to, it would still be getting into the firebox, and only a few inches away from where it would otherwise emerge. The only thing I can think of, is that possibly by leaking out a few inches higher the incoming air was getting sucked directly up the flue, and not making it down to where the primary combustion was taking places, so that primary combustion was being starved even as there was plenty of air at the top of the stove.
One more reminder that stoves - iron ones especially - are perverse and illogical devices, and one must not take anything for granted.
At both ends, where the front manifold joins the sides, there were gaps where the iron parts went together and the stove cement had eroded away over the years. I never paid much attention to this area of the stove apart before since it doesn't have to come apart at rebuild, so I hadn't really noticed the gaps let alone resealed them. If I had noticed them, I probably would have said "well the air is getting in anyhow so what difference does it make". But having noticed the gaps, I figured I should reseal them, which I did.
Fired the stove up, and it was transformed! I'd mentioned here earlier that if didn't seem to want to get really hot, now it does effortlessly. And no more puffing, even turned low.
I am at a loss to explain how such a small change could make such a difference. Even if all the air coming into the stove was coming out the cracks rather than out the manifold where it was supposed to, it would still be getting into the firebox, and only a few inches away from where it would otherwise emerge. The only thing I can think of, is that possibly by leaking out a few inches higher the incoming air was getting sucked directly up the flue, and not making it down to where the primary combustion was taking places, so that primary combustion was being starved even as there was plenty of air at the top of the stove.
One more reminder that stoves - iron ones especially - are perverse and illogical devices, and one must not take anything for granted.
