2016/2017 VC owners thread

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it sure felt good to have the stove going again... got the stove room to 78 yesterday and I wasn't even trying :)
 
A few minutes on the Internet has that kit's price down to $486 delivered. I think that's the route I'm going to go.

Anything else to check or automatically replace as long as I'm in there?
 
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A few minutes on the Internet has that kit's price down to $486 delivered. I think that's the route I'm going to go.

Anything else to check or automatically replace as long as I'm in there?
might need spare stove bolts if any break but they are tough bolys and dont break easy
 
might need spare stove bolts if any break but they are tough bolys and dont break easy
Good tip about the bolts; I hadn't thought about them specifically for the some-time-this-spring rebuild. I'll shoot some penetrating oil on them the day before I try to back them out.
 
Strange. I haven't received any notification of new posts since Jan 20th. Glad to hear everyone is still burning good. Bron, how you making out with your stove?
 
Very quiet room this year must be the mild winter...


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Hi I have a small home (1,100sq feet) we have a Jotul stove now that is very small. The stove is in the living room with cathedral ceilings. My home is a reverse salt box. The stove we have now will heat the house if someone is home all day to feed the thing. The problem is the size of it. I have to cut the wood real small and I can barely fit 3 logs in there so it will not burn very long. I found a really good deal on a newer (2011) Vermont castings encore 2040. It says that it will heat up to 1800 square feet, do you think this stove would blow us out of the house. I like having the house warm in the winter I am just tired of having to start a fire from scratch with no coals every time, and the house cooling down during the day to where the heat turns on. Thank you.
 
With the encore being a cat stove you can run it pretty low and still be clean. My house is 1400 square and if I let it the stove, it will burn us out in mild weather. Just have to learn to build smaller fires when it's 35 and above. I have been able to restart a fire after 16 hours a couple of times. It's rare but possible. 10 hours is a pretty achievable restart on coals. Is your house drafty? Direct sun? How good is your insulation?
 
I haven't had the house tested for heat loss I need to have that done soon mass save does it for free. The windows are all original it seems and the house was built in 78 so it feels drafty. Insulation in walls is standard for the time built....not enough. The attic is blow in insulation though which helps. The house does get cold very fast though I think due to Windows/insulation so I am just looking for something that will burn over night without issue. I figured like you said I could have smaller fires when we are home and load it up before bed/work
 
Is stove in good shape? Nothing's warped? Cat is good? Refractory?
 
Is stove in good shape? Nothing's warped? Cat is good? Refractory?
This is the new one is looking at it seems to be in good shape. It's pretty new. Made in 2011
 

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You can run the stove pretty low. When not so cold its smaller fires and when its cold its 18 inch logs. I can say the stove runs well. It has delivered everything that i have asked of it. Your well north of me. I think you're fine. As for the burn times, i shut my stove down like 8pm at 6am the next morning i drop logs on the coles and its back up and running. I've had it running 24/7 when its been cold.
 
The new one I'm looking at?
Yeah the encore. If everything is in good shape I would buy it. The outside looks to be in really good shape. I've never seen anyone put a thermo on the side of the stove before...odd. If you end up getting it you should read through this thread and maybe even last years. Lots of good ideas on how to run the stove. Also invest in an Auber Instruments AT100 digital thermo. It will be your best friend in keeping the cat temps under control.
 
there are actually a couple of threads specific to this stove. I have this stove, and it will burn 10 hours regularly in a cold house that is super drafty. its a great stove!
 
Haven't posted in a while but learning a lot from all of you. I'm nearing end of 3rd heating season and just now learning that most of you got a cat probe with your stoves. The dealer just have me a griddle therm. Anyway thankfully I don't have much trouble with engaging cat but I do have trouble controlling the air flow. Therefore burntime really varies. But even of I have it on low, within a few hrs the griddle will read 650 -700. I can't do anything about it at that point so I just go to bed hoping it doesn't melt while I sleep. Any tips here would be appreciated. Also, in looking for hole where cat probe would go if I had one, I took a pic and saw this, anyone experience This? Come spring I will take rear heat shield off and see what else I find any advice welcome
 

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I don't think that is it. I believe the heat shield does not come with a predrilled cat probe hole.

If you have easy assess then it will be a piece of cake to drill through the shield.
 
Haven't posted in a while but learning a lot from all of you. I'm nearing end of 3rd heating season and just now learning that most of you got a cat probe with your stoves. The dealer just have me a griddle therm. Anyway thankfully I don't have much trouble with engaging cat but I do have trouble controlling the air flow. Therefore burntime really varies. But even of I have it on low, within a few hrs the griddle will read 650 -700. I can't do anything about it at that point so I just go to bed hoping it doesn't melt while I sleep. Any tips here would be appreciated. Also, in looking for hole where cat probe would go if I had one, I took a pic and saw this, anyone experience This? Come spring I will take rear heat shield off and see what else I find any advice welcome

Is your stove an encore 2024. If so is the cat probe still in the back
 
Is your stove an encore 2024. If so is the cat probe still in the back
Model 2040
Bought it brand new 2014. I never received the cat probe but I did discover a hole in the back where i believe it would go. I also discovered what appears to be rusted leaks.
 
Model 2040
Bought it brand new 2014. I never received the cat probe but I did discover a hole in the back where i believe it would go. I also discovered what appears to be rusted leaks.
Also the air intake even while on low still gets griddle temp to 700. I tried stuffing the aluminum foil back where air enters at bottom and it seemed to help a little but should I keep foil there?
 
Also the air intake even while on low still gets griddle temp to 700. I tried stuffing the aluminum foil back where air enters at bottom and it seemed to help a little but should I keep foil there?
You should check all of your gaskets. If I close the primary air all the way I can cruise around 400GT. My secondary is also modified to completely close so this also helps. You should probably go ahead and order the AT100 from Auber Instruments. It is a digital real time thermo. Flying blind on the cat would make me nervous. At what GT temp are you engaging the cat?
 
You should check all of your gaskets. If I close the primary air all the way I can cruise around 400GT. My secondary is also modified to completely close so this also helps. You should probably go ahead and order the AT100 from Auber Instruments. It is a digital real time thermo. Flying blind on the cat would make me nervous. At what GT temp are you engaging the cat?
I will look into AT100. The GT temp could be anywhere from 450 before it starts to light off, flicker but by 550 is usually steady. First load is usually half full so I can crouch down and see cat light off which is annoying but trying to slowly advance tech. I notice a lot of you have a blower connected in back. Looking into that too
 
I will look into AT100. The GT temp could be anywhere from 450 before it starts to light off, flicker but by 550 is usually steady. First load is usually half full so I can crouch down and see cat light off which is annoying but trying to slowly advance tech. I notice a lot of you have a blower connected in back. Looking into that too


Sounds like a gasket problem. When i turn my air all the way back the flames go out and the wood just glowes. The griddle gose to like 325. If you turn your air back and there is little change to the fire you have air entering from somewhere. It could be a gasket, it could be your primary air not closing all the way. Does anyone else that has a 2014.. vc 2024 with out a cat probe.. i thought they all came with one.
 
how tight is your ash door? it definitely seems like a gasket issue somewhere.
 
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