2023/24 VC owners thread general discussion

[Jmorg]

Glad to see another dauntless owner doing well and enjoying the stove.
Outside high temps of 35 here and the stove has been running for about 2 weeks of not shutting it down. No cold starts for 2 weeks.
So here's a new one to me.
Stove top temp is currently 500f, flew is 350f I can hear the cat eating away and I run outside to feed the horses. As I head back to the cabin zero smoke but I can see water vapor leaving the top of the stack.
Out of curiosity I climb up on the roof to look a little closer and I can see moisture vapor leaving the chimney. Zero smoke smell, but a slight chemical scent.
Bizarre and cool!

This is my 3rd year with the Dauntless and it seems to run better every year. It took some getting used to at first, but I never had any of the issues that others seem to have. My only issue with it now is that I just wish the ash pan was slightly bigger. I’m glad to hear you’re enjoying yours as well!

 

[Jmorg]

Iv been waiting to be able to do a steady burn.. looks like this will be a test of my patience

Looks like the cold temps might be more steady after New Year’s. Only reason I’ve been running for a straight week is my wife’s a teacher and she’s been out for Christmas break and she wanted it running non stop.

 

[sargeott]

This is my 3rd year with the Dauntless and it seems to run better every year. It took some getting used to at first, but I never had any of the issues that others seem to have. My only issue with it now is that I just wish the ash pan was slightly bigger. I’m glad to hear you’re enjoying yours as well!

Agreed, it seems I have to empty mine every 8 hours. If I let it go over 10 hours on a burn, it's over full and makes a mess.

Sometimes I feel like VC should hire some of us as consultants.

Merry Christmas gents. I hope you all are blessed this year.

 

[U235]

150+ cold starts and I had my first overnight burn earlier this week. Biggest breakthrough was dollar bill checking my gaskets. Both doors and the ash pan were very loose. Also got the primary air door set - now just need some cold weather.

Huge change from last year this Christmas. Last year, the high was +1 deg F (low of -9) and windy. The encore kept the heat pump from needing aux heat (huge victory).
This year, high tomorrow is 61 low is 47. Been lighting a fire so that it intentionally dies a couple hours after we go to bed.

 

[arnermd]

Glad to see another dauntless owner doing well and enjoying the stove.
Outside high temps of 35 here and the stove has been running for about 2 weeks of not shutting it down. No cold starts for 2 weeks.
So here's a new one to me.
Stove top temp is currently 500f, flew is 350f I can hear the cat eating away and I run outside to feed the horses. As I head back to the cabin zero smoke but I can see water vapor leaving the top of the stack.
Out of curiosity I climb up on the roof to look a little closer and I can see moisture vapor leaving the chimney. Zero smoke smell, but a slight chemical scent.
Bizarre and cool!

I can second the chemical smell, when the wind blows right and the cat is working I notice a distinctive smell on the ground too.

Interesting you can hear your cat, the only time I can hear it is when something is wrong and I can hear combustion noise back there. Always leads to a cat over-temp event....

 

[Eman85]

I'm with @arnermd on the cat noise, when I hear a whoosh in the stove from the cat it usually isn't a good sign. Are you monitoring cat temps with a digital probe?
My ash pan might be larger but it's usually once a day if burning steady. I wake and rake the coals from the top and later that day empty the pan.

 

[sargeott]

I'm with @arnermd on the cat noise, when I hear a whoosh in the stove from the cat it usually isn't a good sign. Are you monitoring cat temps with a digital probe?

Nope, I refuse to live my life based on the cat temp like some other folks. I just monitor flu stove top temp and griddle temp.
I keep a spare cat on hand and inspect the one in the stove every few weeks after a clean out.

 

[arnermd]

Nope, I refuse to live my life based on the cat temp like some other folks. I just monitor flu stove top temp and griddle temp.
I keep a spare cat on hand and inspect the one in the stove every few weeks after a clean out.

A thrill seeker living on the edge! hahaha YOLO.....

Merry Christmas to all you fine folks, I hope your day is filled with wonder and joy. Or at least some relaxing peace and quiet.....

 

[Woodsplitter67]

My stove makes noise when the cats engaged.. kinda like a light blow torch sound.. It really doesn't mean much.. I hear it and my cat temps never go out of wack

 

[Rusty18]

Supposed to be 60 today…but it’s Christmas and the family is expecting a warm stove.

Merry Christmas everyone

 

[Woodsplitter67]

This sucks.. its warm.. Im down to starting the stove every morning.. wish it was a little cooler.. especially at night..

 

[sargeott]

We got an odd warmer spell yesterday.
Had the stove going for a few weeks solid and christmas am it was 39f outside. Did my normal am rutine and reloaded the stove, by 3pm it was 78f inside (way to warm) and outside temps jumped up to 52f. I opened windows and shut down the stove for the night.

Today I figured I would do my 30 day flew clean out and inspection. 52f outside again and the rain has stopped for an hour.
The chimney lid was super coked up and looked like tar. I was worried what I would find inside the chimney.
Not bad, some build up of ash and very light creosote. I scrubbed it out and got about 1/2 gallon of junk at the bottom with the vaccum. Proof that burning for almost a month and a half straight with the catalyst does do some good.
I'm frustrated at the chimney cap however.
That took 2 hours of scrubbing with muriatic acid and a wire brush.....
I need to buy a new cap soon anyway. Mine is falling apart and I have welded and rivetted it numerous times now already.

 

[Woodsplitter67]

We got an odd warmer spell yesterday.
Had the stove going for a few weeks solid and christmas am it was 39f outside. Did my normal am rutine and reloaded the stove, by 3pm it was 78f inside (way to warm) and outside temps jumped up to 52f. I opened windows and shut down the stove for the night.

Today I figured I would do my 30 day flew clean out and inspection. 52f outside again and the rain has stopped for an hour.
The chimney lid was super coked up and looked like tar. I was worried what I would find inside the chimney.
Not bad, some build up of ash and very light creosote. I scrubbed it out and got about 1/2 gallon of junk at the bottom with the vaccum. Proof that burning for almost a month and a half straight with the catalyst does do some good.
I'm frustrated at the chimney cap however.
That took 2 hours of scrubbing with muriatic acid and a wire brush.....
I need to buy a new cap soon anyway. Mine is falling apart and I have welded and rivetted it numerous times now already.

What cap do you have.. I never have to scrub mine. I just use my hand with the glove on and wipe off the crusty stuff.. Ill probably do my mid season cleaning this week..

 

[JohnDaileyNH]

Been warm here. Lots of rain. On and off fires. Looking like some colder temps maybe next week.

Still got out for some snowboarding though. That inverse fog makes VT look a little bigger than it is

 

[sargeott]

What cap do you have.. I never have to scrub mine. I just use my hand with the glove on and wipe off the crusty stuff.. Ill probably do my mid season cleaning this week..

Idk some cheap pile of crap tin top that's open all the way around with a tiny band around the mid section to keep birds out (which is where it keeps breaking).

 

[Woodsplitter67]

So I did my mid season clean out today. Nothing really better to do and the stove has been cold, so why not..
Picture 1 is my cap before I started.. picture 2 is the capnafter I wiped it clean with my glove.. jut the little crusty guys on it.. pic 3 is my pipe when I got done. Pic 4 is what was in the ear buds while cleaning up on the roof.. pics 5/6 is what I got out of my 8inch pipe.. no creosote.. just soot.. brown and dry.. not alot either.. thats 1 5 cups.. 2 max

For as low as Iv been burning this looks really good. in my opinion.. I know there has been some discussion about cat temperature and maybe at the lower temperatures the catalyst may not be burning everything up.. Im pretty convinced.. anything over 800 degrees is burning pretty clean..

 

[sargeott]

So I did my mid season clean out today. Nothing really better to do and the stove has been cold, so why not..
Picture 1 is my cap before I started.. picture 2 is the capnafter I wiped it clean with my glove.. jut the little crusty guys on it.. pic 3 is my pipe when I got done. Pic 4 is what was in the ear buds while cleaning up on the roof.. pics 5/6 is what I got out of my 8inch pipe.. no creosote.. just soot.. brown and dry.. not alot either.. thats 1 5 cups.. 2 max

For as low as Iv been burning this looks really good. in my opinion.. I know there has been some discussion about cat temperature and maybe at the lower temperatures the catalyst may not be burning everything up.. Im pretty convinced.. anything over 800 degrees is burning pretty clean..

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Thanks for the pics, I should have done that when I did my clean out the other day. As for the material you pulled out being clearly ash. The junk I got out was blacker than this and clumpy. It's apparent to me that I have been burning to much on the lower side outside of the cat efficiency range. Darn these warmer temps.

 

[Woodsplitter67]

So it got a little cooler this morning.. so i lit the stove.. Running beautifully.. cat temp is 1231.. was hangat 1058 for quite some time.. I got the secondary lazy flames over the larger log. The air is cut back to 1/3rd open.. glass is clean.. wife is super happy..

 

[AsylumResident]

I lit a fire this morning as well. Mid 20's, felt great. I've burned through all my locust so now on to my endless supply of ash. I haven't exclusively burned ash yet so we'll see how differently it burns.

 

[joop]

you know what they say, once you go ash you never go back

 

[Rusty18]

Was 34 and raining this morning . I’d rather it be 18 and snowing. Anyhow, tossed some maple and pine in the encore and now it’s 74 in the house and climbing! Did a reload with 2 big splits at 11, when they burn out stove is probably coming down cold again.

Made a tweak to the secondary air control, it was holding it a little too close to 1600 for my comfort. The down side is now it’s too open at “normal” temps and is robbing draft from my primary. I guess I’ll have to relearn my primary setting and see how everything else controls.

 

[Eman85]

I've kept my stove running continuously, 40's daytime 30's nights. Stove has been very predictable and controllable. 3/4 box full last night at 10PM plenty left at 9AM heat pump never comes on. Cat was in the high 600's this morning and jumpedto the 800's when I opened the air. Thought I screwed up after reload as I got a call and forgot to turn stove down. Went in the 1400's but was controllable after turning air down.
New Auber meter came today and it uses mini plug in connecter for the sensors. I can use this on my smoker and swap sensors easily.

 

[AsylumResident]

It is definitely different burning ash from locust. The fire box looks quite different in the morning after 10 hour burn. I understand why and it makes sense, but I think I'm going to miss the locust. Don't take that as a complaint, just an observation. I know there are plenty of people who don't have access to hardwoods that would kill to burn ash.

 

[Woodsplitter67]

It is definitely different burning ash from locust. The fire box looks quite different in the morning after 10 hour burn. I understand why and it makes sense, but I think I'm going to miss the locust. Don't take that as a complaint, just an observation. I know there are plenty of people who don't have access to hardwoods that would kill to burn ash.

Good post.. We all have our favorite species .. Im an oak.. black cherry kinda guy.. to me maple is ok.. copper Beach is also something special.. so now you know save the locust for the dead of winter

 

[Woodsplitter67]

Here's this mornings burn.. 1/3 air.. just got that 1 lazy flame.. cat was 1117.. glass stays clean with this kind of burn..