Secondary burn concerns

[Woodsman(old yeller)]

Does anyone here know why the secondary probe bi-metal spring would get so hot that it rotates 180 degrees from it's origin and then starts to open the valve plate instead. The stove is an 89 VC Defiant Encore 0028. The secondary air passage where the cat sits is glowing much brighter than usual even though the primary is turned down all the way. HELP!

 

[defiant3]

When the stove was refurbed, I assume the probe was replaced, yes? I' refurbed a gazzillion of these and never had a bad probe that I KNOW of, though not many would think to check. Serious stuff! That $250.00 catalyst will only last about another half hour at this rate! Fortunately, there just isn't much that could be wrong . It's either a bad probe, or the screw that holds it in place is missing or something crazy. It's nearly impossible to install the probe incorrectly.

 

[Woodsman(old yeller)]

I did replace the seconday probe. It worked fine until this most recent change in performance. It seems like the stove is behaving entirely different all of a sudden. I'm not comfortable with this. Pissin me off in fact. Still learning. I know I got a stove that can be cranky, I've seen all the posts.

 

[defiant3]

Woodsman, it's just occured to me that YOU are the one tnat did the refurb, yes? Have you done other Encores? Cause like there's alot goin' on in there! I mean having worked on many many different stoves I can say and I think most would agre that the Encores are the most complicated durned woodstove ever to hold a log. Please don't be offended though, really, all that would mean is that the possible noumber of things that could be wrong just went up...

Bad probe? Does it look like it's messed up? p.m. with pic.s or is the tab with the hole that connects to the linkage in the 4 o'clock pos. when the tab for the mounting screw is at 12 o'clock? Is the white box that holds the catalyst (refractory assy.) intact? Does the stove behave othewrwise or does it want to overfire? Is the BACK of the stove properly gasketed and bolted on? Will Republicans and Democrats ever agree on any thing!!?? So many questions, and it may be time to find a 'stoveman" in your area.

Meantime, I'd disconnect the probe and have that gate closed all the time to preserve the cat. Hopefully the cat. will fire anyway?

 

[begreen]

Is it possible that a Resolute thermostatic coil was installed instead of an Encore coil? I'm not sure if it is still this way, but they used to be wound in the opposite direction.

 

[Woodsman(old yeller)]

For Firestarter and Moderator, To answer your questions All are a yes. It is the correct probe. The stove was working great until earlier this week. The probe is the right one. The old one was burnt short and did not reach into the new refractory. The back of the stove is newly gasketed and bolted tight, had to drill and tap two holes. The probe is at 12 and 4 o'clock. The only things I didn't take off the stove are the top and the two inner wear plates. The stove has very little if any warpage. The only air I know that's leaking in is from the sides of the griddle. I think the griddle is bowed up on the sides. Last night I started to get puffing with the primary totally closed. I adjusted it and it stopped. It was very windy last night. I have a Stainless Class A double wall through the wall with an 30 degree offset to go around a soffet. I will be notching out the edge of the roof eventually to eliminate that though. I checked my chimney top to bottom due to the fact that some guys so-called seasoned wood is in fact freshly cut and split wood. There was about about a quarter of an inch of creosote in the bottom of the tee and a little sitting on the top elbow but my draft seems ok. I did get some better wood and I'm no longer burning the green stuff. Thanks for your replies