2016/2017 VC owners thread

[jharkin]

Per request... https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/2015-2016-vc-owners-thread.146842/page-12#post-2103277


Continue on ladies and gentlemen...

 

[jharkin]

No updates here. Has not been cool enough to even think about burning yet and I still have some house project to finish before I get around to sweeping out the flue. Wood supply is in excellent shape thanks to the record hot summer.

 

[Dobish]

So far, we've had 2 fires.... temps are supposed to drop again in a few days!

 

[defiant3]

Got a fire in the old Defiant III right now. 55 degrees and raining. Too chilly w/o the stove, little too warm w/it going. Short fire, pine, hemlock and half rotten birch. Save the good stuff for later.

 

[Woody Stover]

The Dutchwest 2460 will be cold this season, waiting for a tear-down and re-cement...unless I had to press it back into service this season for some reason. If I get another stove at some point I might end up selling the DW (with blower) to my BIL for his basement...he's got an old Resolute III down there now.

 

[Diabel]

I have had few fires so far, this warm fall.
This morning it was wet and windy, got the fire going with hemlock (I have at least 1 cord of it designated for this fall), reloaded with more of the same around 5pm. House nice and toasty....all of the females of the house love it!

 

[jharkin]

Ok, so I finally got around to the cleanout yesterday. Nothing exciting to report, got about 2 coffee cans of fine black soot out of the flue, which is typical. Stove innards looked good, ceramic cat and refractory in great shape, all gaskets pass the dollar test.

I powered up the AT100 and it still remembers the peak temp from the last burn of last season.

We are ready to rock here.

 

[jharkin]

Also the annual reminder to VC rebuilders: I have lots of 10-24 and 1/4-20 hardware left over from my rebuild. Anybody who needs some send me a PM, I'll mail you a handful of screws for the cost of postage.

 

[Excavator]

Lit my old Encore today. Feels great to feel the heat

 

[Diabel]

Yeah, this is a perfect woodstove heat weather.
Mine has been going since yesterday afternoon.

 

[defiant3]

Wait, so jharkin, what's holding your stove together?

 

[Diabel]

New stainless steel bolts I assume!!

 

[jharkin]

I had to buy the fasteners in 50 packs. I have lots of extras and have offered them up to members the last two seasons.

 

[DMoloney]

Reassembled my Encore today--may need to adjust the damper a bit but looks like I'm ready to cook. Chimney swept clean.
I look forward to my first fire but looks like we've got mild air for a while yet...
I really appreciate this forum, VC owners are few and far between in my neck of the woods. Thank you Jeremy (and others) for the Encore rebuild posted 2013--it was a huge help to me. I had already fixed my doors last season and are still in good shape, but may take you up on some of those screws next year, thanks.

 

[newburn]

any ideas why my catalyst isn't glowing red? I have a factory installed cat probe (with just a white section that reads operate catalyst) yet it never seems to get into the white section on the probe. My girdle was reading 500 when I closed the bypass damper. I really feel like the probe isn't working properly. Anyone else using this probe?

 

[RandyBoBandy]

Been lighting small fires in the morning here in Michigan. It's enough to keep the house above 70 all day with out the furnace kicking on. I have just under 10 full cord laying around do I think I'm in good shape for the winter

 

[Mich woodcutter]

Here in Michigan...have a 15 year old Defiant that was overfired last year and needs rebuilt. Considering either new Defiant or Drolet stove from Farm store ......Any suggestions?

 

[begreen]

The Defiant is a winner in looks, but if you are looking for simple to maintain good heat then I would consider the Drolet HT2000.

 

[jharkin]

any ideas why my catalyst isn't glowing red? I have a factory installed cat probe (with just a white section that reads operate catalyst) yet it never seems to get into the white section on the probe. My girdle was reading 500 when I closed the bypass damper. I really feel like the probe isn't working properly. Anyone else using this probe?

The only time I ever see a red glow coming from under the cat hood is when my probe is into the overfire range. Maybe the 2040 is different, but in the 2550 at least the hood covers up the cat so well you rarely actually see it glow.


If you want to try a better probe, many of us have switched to the Auber AT100. Seems to be more accurate and gives you exact degree readings all the way down to room temp so its easier to tell when the cat lights off. there is some discussion in the later pages of the 2015/16 thread on how to set it up.

 

[RandyBoBandy]

Hello fellow VC burners. Question for the guys using the AT100. what probe are you guys using? My AT replaced the condar so I just used the condar probe. I am wanting to get another AT for my cabin and vaguely remember Aubers options for probes being different lengths or something weird.

 

[Diabel]

6". Works fine

 

[RandyBoBandy]

Does the six inch stick farther out from the back of the stove or in the cat box more? I have the rear heat shield on my stove.

 

[Diabel]

Sticks further out the back. Then you need to source out a 4". Strange that Auber does not sell a 4" that is good to 2000*f

 

[RandyBoBandy]

So I have smoke coming out the chimney. Cat cruises anywhere between 1100-1400 on a full load of splits in the 6" range. Stove top 400-500. Flue around 250-300. Damper plate gasket? Or complete upper fire back service? I'm guess it's impossible to re do the damper plate gasket with the upper fire back in place. Any thoughts?

13' stack. 7' of it is single wall inside. Straight shot
Wood MC is 14-20

 

[Diabel]

Do the $$ test on the gasket first.