2021/22 VC Owner thread

[Diabel]

My hatred for this stove is increasing by the day. Umm. Once the lower is installed I can’t tell. I suppose I can take the cat and cat cover back out, put the lower in and check. I did have some refractory cement laying around. So I sort of patched over the cracks. Trying gently push some into the cracks. At this point I think I’m going to just run with it. I’m tired of sinking money into this stove. I would rather start saving for the next stove.
It is cracked for sure but no separation. So no gap. Hoping for the best at this point. I really don’t feel like taking the upper out again nor do I want to spend and $250.00 on another refractory box. Above all I do want to do what is right and safe. I’m open to suggestions and advice.

If the pieces did not break completely off then you should be ok. I remember when I did mine I was stressed like hell! You know how to run/control that stove, it will serve you well for some yrs now. In the past three winters I have not used mine full time since I have been away a lot during winter. But I tell you this fall it has been fun running my VC.
Btw bk too but bloody boring!

 

[RandyBoBandy]

If the pieces did not break completely off then you should be ok. I remember when I did mine I was stressed like hell! You know how to run/control that stove, it will serve you well for some yrs now. In the past three winters I have not used mine full time since I have been away a lot during winter. But I tell you this fall it has been fun running my VC.
Btw bk too but bloody boring!

Yeah, all in all I do know how to run this stove and it heats well. In my opinion it is still the best looking classic stove out there. I just wish it wasn’t such a headache to work on. I will run it for a month or so and take the lower and cat out to inspect the box. Outside of some gasket work here and there I should get a good number of years out of the stove before this needs to happen again. And at that point I will just slide a brand new stove under the pipe and call it good.

 

[NewGuy132]

Being new to this I will probably have 1000 questions this year and I apologize.

I am running a flexburn and when I close the damper I get a jet noise. I just assume that is the cat doing it’s thing. Is that a correct assumption? It seems to stop after not too long.

 

[RandyBoBandy]

Being new to this I will probably have 1000 questions this year and I apologize.

I am running a flexburn and when I close the damper I get a jet noise. I just assume that is the cat doing it’s thing. Is that a correct assumption? It seems to stop after not too long.

One thing it could be is the stove adjusting to a sudden change in flow mixed with the cat lighting off. Once you shut the damper everything has to change paths. Mainly your exhaust flow. Just a theory. Don’t take my word as gospel. I don’t have any experience with a flex burn. Just my 2550 and my 1945 defiant.

 

[RandyBoBandy]

I do wish the VC thread had a resident professional who would chime in here when all of us have questions. It’s awesome that we all help each other out, however, someone who knew all the models inside and out would a great bonus.

 

[NewGuy132]

One thing it could be is the stove adjusting to a sudden change in flow mixed with the cat lighting off. Once you shut the damper everything has to change paths. Mainly your exhaust flow. Just a theory. Don’t take my word as gospel. I don’t have any experience with a flex burn. Just my 2550 and my 1945 defiant.

I think that it has to be the cat kicking off. If I don't wait until it is hot enough to flip the damper I don't get the noise. If I open it back up and wait for it to heat up a little more then close it I get the noise.

 

[RandyBoBandy]

Guys familiar with the 2550. Are you putting gasket down the handle side of the door where it overlaps the other door or just gasket on the non handle door?

 

[Diabel]

Stove is running, cannot remember

 

[RandyBoBandy]

Stove is running, cannot remember

Haha. I know, I can’t neither..

 

[ajayabb]

 

[ajayabb]

View attachment 284189

Here’s how I ran my gasket on the non handle side

 

[ajayabb]

Here’s the door side Gasket runs all around

 

[RandyBoBandy]

View attachment 284189

What’s on the inside of the handle side door?

 

[ajayabb]

What’s on the inside of the handle side door?

Picture above shows handle side door with gasket running the perimeter of the inside of the door. Sorry for the crappy pictures

 

[RandyBoBandy]

Picture above shows handle side door with gasket running the perimeter of the inside of the door. Sorry for the crappy pictures

No worries. And did you wrap the gasket around on the left door and run it down the outside of the door on the mating side?

 

[ajayabb]

No worries. And did you wrap the gasket around on the left door and run it down the outside of the door on the mating side?

No. I didn’t run it down the side where the doors meet.

 

[Diabel]

As I recall one door has gasket all around and the other has a gap. I am letting my stove go out (relatively warm out), will check in the morning

 

[RandyBoBandy]

Thanks guys. I look forward to your feedback in the morning diabel.

 

[RandyBoBandy]

It’s alive! Just going to do a small fire right now to cure the gasket cement. I ended up running the gasket on the left door down the front groove and nothing on the mating edge of the right door. I also included a pic of how I clip the probe wire to the stove.

 

[Jimmy C]

Guys familiar with the 2550. Are you putting gasket down the handle side of the door where it overlaps the other door or just gasket on the non handle door?

I just did my door gaskets. where they meet i only have gasket on the non handle side. Thats how its always been, for me at least

 

[Jimmy C]

It’s alive! Just going to do a small fire right now to cure the gasket cement. I ended up running the gasket on the left door down the front groove and nothing on the mating edge of the right door. I also included a pic of how I clip the probe wire to the stove.

View attachment 284329 View attachment 284330

Thanks for the probe pic! I didnt know they made high temp ones short enough to not have half the probe hanging out. What probe is that?

Also, I didnt want to take the shutter cover off so I used a hanger (see pic). It's super ghetto but I will be looking for a way to use the same metal clip to hold the wire.

 

[RandyBoBandy]

Thanks for the probe pic! I didnt know they made high temp ones short enough to not have half the probe hanging out. What probe is that?

Also, I didnt want to take the shutter cover off so I used a hanger (see pic). It's super ghetto but I will be looking for a way to use the same metal clip to hold the wire.

The probe itself is a condor probe. I had a crappy over priced condor digital probe before my AT100. It’s a 4 inch probe. I believe Auber only has a 6 inch. I have the back heat shield on my stove so leaving the shutter cover off isn’t a big deal for me. I didn’t even install the secondary probe in this new refractory box so the shutter is shut permanently

 

[Reckless]

Glad to see everyone back for another season of torment hahaha. Need to regasket nonhandle door but running maple and all seems good. Hope everyone is doing well.

 

[clancey]

lol glad your back for your torture too. lol ha ha. old mrs clancey
Have fun fixing your door...lol

 

[Billyhawknh]

Hello All

I have a VC defiant encore and have had it for 23 years. The lower fireback is cracked and warped. The upper fireback and the refractory are perfect. The lower fireback price is reasonable so I'm going to replace it soon. I can't find anything on replacing just the lower. Does anyone know if I need to take out the upper to replace the lower? Hate to mess with the damper, wedges and have to re-cement etc... I did remove the two lower bolts and the grate to see if it would kind of just pop out but doesn't seem to want to budge as the top of the lower is behind the upper... Thanks in advance...

Anyone have any thoughts on the above ? Thanks In advance