Encore 0028 fireback

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The outer shell is easier to deal with than you might think. All you need to do is remove the back casting. The clean-out and re-gasketing is quite easy. A LOT easier than removing and re-installing the two piece fireback. That is a filthy mess of a re-install that offers little room for maneuvering. I would suggest doing the fireback (if needed) and back casting at the same time since the fireback install would be a lot easier to do when the back casting has been removed.

Good to know. I was thinking that I could probably take the flue collar off and get more room to reach the damper gasket that way, but if the entire back casting comes off easy why not. I imagine I need to get that off to replace the refractory anyway if the upper fireback doesn't come out...... I see what you mean, it does look like getting the upper fireback out would be a real *(&^^ even though its smaller in the 2550.

The stove heats just fine and Im sure I could get a few more seasons out of it before the refractory is totally shot.... but I know its getting to be due and Im crazy enough to want the challenge.
 
Good to know. I was thinking that I could probably take the flue collar off and get more room to reach the damper gasket that way, but if the entire back casting comes off easy why not. I imagine I need to get that off to replace the refractory anyway if the upper fireback doesn't come out...... I see what you mean, it does look like getting the upper fireback out would be a real *(&^^ even though its smaller in the 2550.

The stove heats just fine and Im sure I could get a few more seasons out of it before the refractory is totally shot.... but I know its getting to be due and Im crazy enough to want the challenge.
If you do, post photos of it as you do it. I'm interested in knowing the differences between the 0028 and the 2550.
 
If I do it will be next summer. ..... I wonder If I'll need to roll my floor jack into the living room to wheel it away from the hearth to get the flue apart.
 
WOW! to all of the above. This seems like alot of work to keep a stove running.
 
Vermont Castings stoves are complicated beasts... but keep in mind also we are talking about 20 odd year old stoves here.

Mine doesn't absolutely need it... I can probably get another 5 years out of it before its a must do.... more of a preventative now. I know a lot of folks would sell the stove rather than put the effort into it but I like the stove and for me $300 in parts and a weekend of my time is worth it to get a second 20 years from this heater.
 
Exactly what I said four years ago, when I rebuilt ours. Of course the parts are now 2x as expensive, and some of us suspect they quality is not as good, or maybe general wear and tear on the stoves makes them more prone to trash the refractory. All I know is it is very common for the stove to get 10 to 12 years from the first, factory refractory etc, then 8 or so on the next rebuilt, then 4 or 5. On the other hand, if all you need is the box and some seals then you'd be crazy not to (if nothing else it postpones having to figure out how to dispose of the damn thing.

BTW I am really disliking our new Jotul and there is a side of me that wishes I had rebuilt the encore "one last time".



I know a lot of folks would sell the stove rather than put the effort into it but I like the stove and for me $300 in parts and a weekend of my time is worth it to get a second 20 years from this heater.
 
BTW I am really disliking our new Jotul and there is a side of me that wishes I had rebuilt the encore "one last time".
What is wrong with the Jotul?
 
The encore seems to be running well without the fourth bolt in use. Had a scare two nights ago, but it seemed to just be a really strong draft. Looked as thou the fire was aiming right for the missing lot, but it turned out to be otherwise after a lot of poking around.
 
Exactly what I said four years ago, when I rebuilt ours. Of course the parts are now 2x as expensive, and some of us suspect they quality is not as good, or maybe general wear and tear on the stoves makes them more prone to trash the refractory. All I know is it is very common for the stove to get 10 to 12 years from the first, factory refractory etc, then 8 or so on the next rebuilt, then 4 or 5. On the other hand, if all you need is the box and some seals then you'd be crazy not to (if nothing else it postpones having to figure out how to dispose of the damn thing.

BTW I am really disliking our new Jotul and there is a side of me that wishes I had rebuilt the encore "one last time".

Yes I believe the only major part it needs is the main refractory box. I inherited the stove when I bought the house 3 years ago. Checking it out, the first two season I put in a new Condar SS cat, a new refractory access panel, new secondary probe and new gaskets for the ashpan, fireback and griddle.

So Im hoping for a rebuild the only big part is the refractory main box ($225) and gaskets for the doors, inner side panels, damper and back casting. Just depends on if I break anything or find any other damage when I get it apart.
 
If you do, post photos of it as you do it. I'm interested in knowing the differences between the 0028 and the 2550.

Biggest difference I think is that the catalyst is accessed from inside the firebox on mine. The entire lower fireback is held in place by two wedges that rest against notches in the side walls. Tap those out with a hammer and the lower fireback tilts forward and pulls out. Then you are staring at the entire refractory box.
 
Biggest difference I think is that the catalyst is accessed from inside the firebox on mine. The entire lower fireback is held in place by two wedges that rest against notches in the side walls. Tap those out with a hammer and the lower fireback tilts forward and pulls out. Then you are staring at the entire refractory box.
Interesting. The Intrepid is set up like that as well. That is a lot easier to work with than the 0028.

I had to use clamps to hold the top piece in place in order to align the bolts. Took me a while to figure out a solution for that.
 
Being old and stiff, I don't like having to get down on my knees like some benighted pagan to peer inside when its time to put in some wood. But I can't use the front door if I use it after the stove has been burning a while all crud of ash fall out if you open it. The ash tray is klutzy and also spills a lot, mainly because a lot of the ashes don't end up in the tray and have to be dug out. All in all, a very filthy stove requiring constant attention from the stove brush and dustpan. And then there's the temperature control. It's tiny and solid metal so it holds a lot of heat and will burn your fingers if you touch it when the stove is revved up. but its too small to operate reliably with a foot. And while Jotul boasts about the firebox size, without andirons there is no way to fill it full up without letting the wood touch the glass, which Jotul says is a no-no.

Some of these shortcomings, like the sideloading door, are the result of reasonable tradeoffs in the design in order to obtain other desirable features. Others, like the ash tray and the temperature control seem to be just plain bad design. It's a decent stove and I'm sure we'll get used to it but its just not the ultimate stove Jotul and Jotul admirers make it out to be.

Please note that we have only been running it a few weeks and are still subject to the "New Dishwasher syndrome", where one tries to make the new one work exactly like the old one did, and wonder why all the dishes won't fit where they are suppose to.



What is wrong with the Jotul?
 
Being old and stiff, I don't like having to get down on my knees like some benighted pagan to peer inside when its time to put in some wood. But I can't use the front door if I use it after the stove has been burning a while all crud of ash fall out if you open it. The ash tray is klutzy and also spills a lot, mainly because a lot of the ashes don't end up in the tray and have to be dug out. All in all, a very filthy stove requiring constant attention from the stove brush and dustpan. And then there's the temperature control. It's tiny and solid metal so it holds a lot of heat and will burn your fingers if you touch it when the stove is revved up. but its too small to operate reliably with a foot. And while Jotul boasts about the firebox size, without andirons there is no way to fill it full up without letting the wood touch the glass, which Jotul says is a no-no.

Some of these shortcomings, like the sideloading door, are the result of reasonable tradeoffs in the design in order to obtain other desirable features. Others, like the ash tray and the temperature control seem to be just plain bad design. It's a decent stove and I'm sure we'll get used to it but its just not the ultimate stove Jotul and Jotul admirers make it out to be.

Please note that we have only been running it a few weeks and are still subject to the "New Dishwasher syndrome", where one tries to make the new one work exactly like the old one did, and wonder why all the dishes won't fit where they are suppose to.

Random thoughts . . .

Agreed on the front door . . . it stinks with the ash build up. I rarely use it . . . preferring the side door.

Loading . . . I think most stoves you have to scoot down . . . unless you have a top loader or elevated hearth . . . I don't think that is a fault limited to just the Oslo.

Air control . . . agreed . . . for a while I would don one of my gloves . . . now I just have a small piece of slate on the hearth that I use to move it back and forth . . . or sometimes I balance on one foot like the Karate Kid doing the crane stance and move it with my foot.

Firebox . . . often thought some andirons would be nice . . . may eventually make up some . . . but as for the wood touching the glass . . . where did you see or hear this . . . I mean the glass is tough . . . only two potential negatives is that with wood touching the glass the airwash will not be effective and there could be some concern if you were to break the glass by pushing in wood to hard against the glass and slamming the door shut. I have wood roll up against the glass all the time with no ill effects . . . worse part is the gunking of the glass.

As stated . . . it's not the perfect stove . . . but then again what stove is . . . but it is a decent stove that produces heat . . . and produces heat reliably . . . without having to rebuild parts and pieces every few years.
 
The Encore is running really good. I got 11 hours of heat out of it last night. Loaded the stove up at 10 pm and at 9 am the stove top was sitting at 350. The Defiant was at 450.

I was up until 4 am this morning so I was able to watch the entire over night burn take place on both stoves. There were no temp swings in either stove and would stick at one temp for hours.

Right now I am Running Both VC stoves and leaving the 30 on the Bench right now. We have had mid to upper 20s at night and the two stoves have been heating the entire house. The difference between heat production and heat movement between the Defiant and the Heritage is massive.

The Defiant will sit at 500+ degrees for over 10 hours if I do it right. The Heritage was only able to do that for about an hour and spend the remaining 4-5 hours at 350-400 degrees. This doesn't mean the Heritage is a bad stove, it only shows the difference between stove sizes and technology.
 
11hrs that is great! Is this with full of hardwood? I have been burning boxelder (Manitoba maple ....very soft and stinky).
Four splits of that will provide heat for 6 hrs during this time of year. I still have not done the gasket job!!!!
 
11hrs that is great! Is this with full of hardwood? I have been burning boxelder (Manitoba maple ....very soft and stinky).
Four splits of that will provide heat for 6 hrs during this time of year. I still have not done the gasket job!!!!
Pretty much all I have is Ash and Oak. I have a few cord of Black Locust and Osage, but that won't be burnable until next winter.

And this was 11 hours of heat. The stove was still well over 300 degrees on reload. Also, with the Defiant in it's new location, the Encore provides more usable heat at lower temps.
 
How many splits would this be... to fill your fire box?
 
How many splits would this be... to fill your fire box?
The number of splits varies depending upon the bed of coals I have. For an overnight burn I try to time it where I throw in a couple of splits in the evening to be sure I have a big bed of coals for the overnight load. If I do that I can usually fit four large splits or 6 medium-ish splits into the Encore by the time 10 or 11 rolls around.
 
Yeah, so I get 6 hrs out of crap wood and you get 11 hrs out of the same amount of wood except best quality! Gaskets here I come!
 
11 hrs... Very nice work BBar. Ive gotten 12+ hr burns but I dont think I ever had temps over 300 at 11hr. Maybe 250-275. Hoping this year with a lot of 2-3yr old oak to do better:)
 
Yeah, so I get 6 hrs out of crap wood and you get 11 hrs out of the same amount of wood except best quality! Gaskets here I come!
Not sure if you could call my wood best quality, but I am definitely improving my fuel with each year. Makes running the stoves a lot easier when I don't have to beg the wood to catch fire.

Well see if I can duplicate these burn times on a regular basis, or if it is the occasional Lucky Long Burn.
 
11 hrs... Very nice work BBar. Ive gotten 12+ hr burns but I dont think I ever had temps over 300 at 11hr. Maybe 250-275. Hoping this year with a lot of 2-3yr old oak to do better:)
When I opened up the air while I went to bring in more wood, the stove temps crept up to over 400 before I came back in to reload. I'm interested to see how next year works out. I have 10 cord of really big slabs split and stacked for next year that should maximize the fireboxes to a greater extent... with some splits being too large. But it should be interesting to see what those do to burn times.

I like staying up and seeing how an overnight burn works. Helps me understand what going on when I sleep.
 
Not sure if you could call my wood best quality, but I am definitely improving my fuel with each year. Makes running the stoves a lot easier when I don't have to beg the wood to catch fire.

Well see if I can duplicate these burn times on a regular basis, or if it is the occasional Lucky Long Burn.


Do not forget...it is shoulder season still! Burn times will shorten once Jan. comes!!
 
Do not forget...it is shoulder season still! Burn times will shorten once Jan. comes!!
Yeah, but last night was in the 20s. So, it was a sort-of respectable comparison. Also, I was only running two stoves. If I can have all three stoves with temps in the 300 range 10 hours later in January and February, that is all I ask for from this setup.
 
Hi guys I have read the thread and believe it has helped me make a decision to rebuild my 1989 0028 Defiant Encore. With reading the posts it sounds like you guys would have a good source for parts without getting raked over the coals. Also if you would not mind a question or three as I delve into the project this next coming off season I would be great full. (and so will KC the cat)

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