vc encore 2040 air control help

[jamesm14000]

Hi new to forum sorry if this a repeat. How do I know if my air is shutting down all the way. When I close my air control I don't heat the "flap" ping. When I reach back the I can pull very slightly on the cable and choke the fire more. Stove is level and I took the inside of fire box apart and checked the cable it seem to move fine, however my flapper does seem slightly off center of its opening and does move a bit up and down. I'm only getting 6 hours of burn time and wood is around 17- 24%. Thanks

 

[begreen]

The flapper should close easily and completely. Try when the stove is cold. It may need a little adjusting to get it centered properly if it isn't already. One trick I used on our Resolute was to put a tiny magnet on its edge. That ensured that it closed completely. Otherwise under certain conditions it would tap tap tap like a nervvous grandma.

 

[OK_Bill]

+1

I too had an issue with the primary air door not fully closing. I took it apart and investigated. Found the cable for the air control was a bit hung up on a casting edge. Fixed that and now it closes fully with a "click" if I move the air lever closed quickly.

Dis-assembly is easy:

• Take the airwash manifold out (part #58 on exploded part diagram; above doors)
• Take right side refractory plate out (remove clip at top of plate)
• Take right side air manifold out (part #31)

Now you have access and full view of the thermostat assy and the cable. From here, its easy and intuitive to see if there are problems. If needed, the cable can be adjusted using the allen screw on the back side of the air door.

You might want to investigate further. My stove had 4 separate issues all leading to extra air getting into the stove: Ash pan latch was too loose. I found play in the ash door casting even when latched. So I adjusted the ash door latch tighter. Then I found the door glass (both) to be loose enough to where I could move the glass around. I bent a small amount of pre-load into the glass keepers so they'd press just a little harder against the glass. Fixed that. Then I took the air damper housing (parts blowup #18) out and found the housing gasket completely out of place. Glued the gasket in place with stove gasket cement and reassembled. Fixed. Finally I found the primary air door not fully closing.

Now I have a TIGHT stove. It runs like it should. Really really nice control over running temps.

 

[Fsappo]

+1

I too had an issue with the primary air door not fully closing. I took it apart and investigated. Found the cable for the air control was a bit hung up on a casting edge. Fixed that and now it closes fully with a "click" if I move the air lever closed quickly.

Dis-assembly is easy:

• Take the airwash manifold out (part #58 on exploded part diagram; above doors)
• Take right side refractory plate out (remove clip at top of plate)
• Take right side air manifold out (part #31)

Now you have access and full view of the thermostat assy and the cable. From here, its easy and intuitive to see if there are problems. If needed, the cable can be adjusted using the allen screw on the back side of the air door.

You might want to investigate further. My stove had 4 separate issues all leading to extra air getting into the stove: Ash pan latch was too loose. I found play in the ash door casting even when latched. So I adjusted the ash door latch tighter. Then I found the door glass (both) to be loose enough to where I could move the glass around. I bent a small amount of pre-load into the glass keepers so they'd press just a little harder against the glass. Fixed that. Then I took the air damper housing (parts blowup #18) out and found the housing gasket completely out of place. Glued the gasket in place with stove gasket cement and reassembled. Fixed. Finally I found the primary air door not fully closing.

Now I have a TIGHT stove. It runs like it should. Really really nice control over running temps.

Great step by step advice on how to address that problem. A lot of folks would just adjust with the screw on the door without finding the real cause of the hang up. Ever drop one of those hockey stick shape linkages between the inner and outer wall of the stove?

 

[OK_Bill]

Fsappo, thank you. My Encore 2040 doesn't appear to have any linkages as you describe.

However, I am qualified expert at dropping things into places where they become either impossible to retrieve or invisible.

 

[defiant3]

All good advice, but don't overlook the fact that that stove has a thermostatic draft control. There's a bi-metal coil in there which expands when hot, so before taking everything apart, just see if the flap closes all the way WHEN THE STOVE IS HOT. It probably will.

 

[Fsappo]

Fsappo, thank you. My Encore 2040 doesn't appear to have any linkages as you describe.

However, I am qualified expert at dropping things into places where they become either impossible to retrieve or invisible.

Maybe they changed things inside for the better. I'm sure anyone who worked on the older Encores back when VC was VC remembers the ole hockey stick.

I wonder if the OP figured this out?

 

[jamesm14000]

Thanks for all of the input