2018/19 VC Owners Thread
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It has been quiet here lately. Either people are not yet burning or things are just right with their VCs.
Has anyone try sweeping their Encores via the bypass door with a soot-eater? Bottom up.
Has anyone try sweeping their Encores via the bypass door with a soot-eater? Bottom up.
ajayabb
Member
Just swept my Encore with the soot eater. Removed the lower fire back and refractory and went up the chimney It was easier than trying to go through the open damper.
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Posted this elsewhere in the forum, but I'm a new VC Encore 2040 owner. Ran a few burns over the past week or so, getting used to running a cat stove. So far so good, but I'm still a little mystified by the thermostatic air control. As I mentioned over there, it seems to have little effect on lowering or raising the griddle temperature. If figured if I want to lower the heat output and have a longer burn time, I'd just turn the air control down to closed. But the griddle temp just stays at 500. From what I'm hearing so far, I guess that's normal? There's no way to adjust it lower--to say 400 or so if I want to cool things down?
The cat probe on the back of the stove seems fine--it's consistently in the middle of the white area, sometimes a little higher--and the griddle temperature hovers at around 500, maybe 550, consistently no matter how much wood I load it with and no matter how the air control is set. So I guess that's all good. Just expected to have a little more control over the burn.
Note that the little door in the back does open and close when I move the air control handle, so it is connected and doing its job, as far as I can tell.
Also, my burn times--with a pretty small sampling so far--are around 2-3 hours, which is another reason I'm thinking it's burning a little hotter than it needs to for my purposes.
Thanks.
The cat probe on the back of the stove seems fine--it's consistently in the middle of the white area, sometimes a little higher--and the griddle temperature hovers at around 500, maybe 550, consistently no matter how much wood I load it with and no matter how the air control is set. So I guess that's all good. Just expected to have a little more control over the burn.
Note that the little door in the back does open and close when I move the air control handle, so it is connected and doing its job, as far as I can tell.
Also, my burn times--with a pretty small sampling so far--are around 2-3 hours, which is another reason I'm thinking it's burning a little hotter than it needs to for my purposes.
Thanks.
RandyBoBandy
Minister of Fire
I’m not familiar with your model but it could be due to the secondary air inlet. If I’m not mistaken the newer models don’t have a secondary air plate that controls secondary air.
RandyBoBandy
Minister of Fire
RandyBoBandy
Minister of Fire
Ok I just read your other post. It’s possible you have a faulty gasket. You should be able to a good difference in flame between fully open and fully closed. Is woody helping you out?
Woodsplitter67
Minister of Fire
I spiking with pete last night it alos may be a draft issue. He said that he has a long chimney. Its 6in and i never got the lenth.. could you tell us about your chimney setup
Easy Livin’ 3000
Minister of Fire
I have a new VC project. Moving a replacement Resolute from my barn into my parents walkout basement. And getting the one that's currently there out. Eventually I'll try to replace the fireback that failed after 30 years. It's about 1/8 of a mile away, and down a flight of stairs.
Any moving tips? I think she weighs about 400 lbs.
Any moving tips? I think she weighs about 400 lbs.
you should be able to adjust the flame. If your griddle gets too much below 500, your stove isn't hot enough to engage the cat. When you talk about the little door, are you talking about the damper? are you moving the right or left handle?
If you move the right handle all the way from wide open (handle facing forward) to the back (fully closed) it might take few minutes to put out any flames. If you have the same active flame action with the air fully closed, then you have gasket issues.
RandyBoBandy
Minister of Fire
or your ash pan door is not closed all the way... or the damper is still open
New member to the forum. Have an encore 2550 that came with the house we purchased from the mother-in-law. It was bought new in about 1996 when the house was built. In the process of replacing the refractory assembly and catalyst plus gaskets on internal parts and doors. Have been reading about using a thermometer to monitor the burn temps at the catalyst. It seems a lot of folks use them but there isn't much information out there on exactly how one goes about installing one properly. Would anyone be willing to share their experiences? Thanks.
RandyBoBandy
Minister of Fire
Welcome. It’s pretty easy to install a cat probe. I suggest the Auber Instruments AT100. You will need to get the K-type thermocoupler with it. The probe access is just above the secondary air probe on the back of the stove. There will be a bolt or push tab that you need to remove first. Then take a drill bit that matches the diameter of the probe you have purchased and by hand drill a hole in the refractory box. Insert the probe in the hole and hook up to the thermometer. The probe from Auber is 6” I believe so if you are running the rear heat shield you will have to drill a hole in that as well and run the probe through that’s heat shield and into the stove. Position the tip of the probe in the middle of the refractory box. There are good tips, mods, and instructions on how to run these stoves in the past several years of the VC owners threads. Read up and happy burning as always feel free to ask any here. The thread has been pretty quiet this year but there are still some guys around to help.
ajayabb
Member
Just as Randy said. The 2550 has a removable push tab Having a Cat probe really helps to optimize burns and prevent overfiring of the stove. I have the Condar digital probe thermometer though I know people also love the Auber.
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Easy Livin’ 3000
Minister of Fire
We got the Resolute moved last weekend with no damage to the stoves, very minor cosmetic damage to the house, and some significant (but repairable) damage to the relationships.
If anyone ever needs to move a stove down stairs, ask me, I aquired some valuable wisdom that I am unlikely to ever need myself again. In short, get a come-along, heavy-duty hand truck, some ratcheting tie down straps, build a "sled" out of 2x6's, and take the legs off (at least on the Resolute).
Now, I just need to get the old one back up the stairs.
If anyone ever needs to move a stove down stairs, ask me, I aquired some valuable wisdom that I am unlikely to ever need myself again. In short, get a come-along, heavy-duty hand truck, some ratcheting tie down straps, build a "sled" out of 2x6's, and take the legs off (at least on the Resolute).
Now, I just need to get the old one back up the stairs.
RandyBoBandy
Minister of Fire
Didn’t I read that it’s a walkout basement? Why not use the walkout and avoid the stairs? Significant relationship damage? Is mom in law pisses you scratched her drywall?
The condar company is just up the road from me in NC. That is where I bought the replacement catalyst. Also purchased their watchman thermometer while I was there. Thanks for the info.
Is there any sealant required once the probe is inserted? Or is it essentially a press fit?
Easy Livin’ 3000
Minister of Fire
It's a semi- walkout. It has windows and a door, but the door opens into a dug out with a retaining wall. That recess into the ground has a set of steps too narrow to fit the stove down. Good to take wood in, though.
Not MIL, own mother. Long painful story, but the punchline is she said she wasn't going to use the stove at the end.
RandyBoBandy
Minister of Fire
Gotta love mom though. Even if they get cranky in their elderly years. My mom drives me absolutely nuts a lot of the time.
RandyBoBandy
Minister of Fire
Do you know anyone with a backhoe or mini excavator? Get the stove just outside the basement stove and strap and lift it out with hydraulics. I would be engineering some macgyver chit to avoid going up the stairs with a 400 lb boat anchor.
RandyBoBandy
Minister of Fire
If you get the condar I believe it has a 4” probe so what I did (had a condar before my Auber) was used a metal file clip thing (metal clip with the folding wire things) to hold the wire to the back casting. This keeps the probe from moving around. I also used a little stove cement around it but doubt it does any real sealing. I have to take the rear heat shield off this weekend to adjust my secondary timing so I can take a pic and post it.
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