Agreed. My full load last night was 11 hours. Full load now, air all the way back and it will go all day. Cats been cruising between 1100-1250 so far. STT now is 500. House has been 67-70
2022/23 VC Owner thread
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Full load last night and some of my splits are smaller and the stove ran like a champ. 11 hours later opened the air and cat temps rose nicely from the load of coals. Threw a 1/2 box of splits in and they took off closed the damper and all was good. Had the air cut back and the stove was cruising nicely. By the 2nd cup of coffee flames lightly dancing in the box and the cat at 1350 damn if it didn't have the flashover and a light back puff. Just when you are really feeling good about it!
Woodsplitter67
Minister of Fire
That sounds nice guys.. last ningh I loaded the stove with 3 large oak squares 5x5x18 in kinda stuff and closed the bypass at 6.45pm this morning I slept in and got up at 6.15 am and shes still going.. opened up the air.. dropped in 3 splits and got it to temp.. closed the bypass shut the air and its still going a 1pm.. house staying at a steady 70 degrees
So it was 9 AM when I loaded 1/2 box and let the stove do it's thing all day. It was in the high 50's and I was busy so I just let it burn down. House stayed warm to the point of opening a window in the room I was working in. 8PM I piled the coals threw a couple of pieces of kindling in a few small splits emptied the ash tray and we're rolling again.
Same scenario this morning, this time when I opened the air and let the coals get hot when I looked at cat temps they were at 900 after a few minutes. Reloaded about 1/2 and away we go again. Rainy and in the 40's so I'll be keeping a small fire all day.
One thing I do notice is even with the cat in 1300's to 1400 range I'll get wispy white smoke until later in the burn. This wood is very dry to start with and what I'm burning now has been in the rack near the stove for weeks or longer. I'm using up what I have at the house, indoor rack is 2'x2' and porch rack is 4x8.
One thing I do notice is even with the cat in 1300's to 1400 range I'll get wispy white smoke until later in the burn. This wood is very dry to start with and what I'm burning now has been in the rack near the stove for weeks or longer. I'm using up what I have at the house, indoor rack is 2'x2' and porch rack is 4x8.
Woodsplitter67
Minister of Fire
its hard to believe that its warmer here in nj then TN... on a side note.. I cut the grass today
It's been crazy warm here now it's started to turn back to cold. I should have mowed a week ago, went and started the mowers today so I'm ready when it stops raining.
Ummm what? Seriously? You guys are cutting grass? I still got piles of snow here.... First cutting might be early mid April.....
Exactly my thoughts. we have 12-18 inches coming tomorrow depending on who you ask.
Daffodills have bloomed and are withering, Magnolias have blossomed out and so have the Bradford Pears and fruit trees. other trees are leafing out and now this week it's going to dip into the 20's. Temps have been all over the board this winter from 0-80. I can't imagine what this is going to do to agriculture if this keeps up. I can't keep up with the dead trees on my property from previous stress and disease.
Woodsplitter67
Minister of Fire
It was one of my first cleanups.. of the year also blew the lawn... the grasses need to be cut back, I sprayed the beds for weeds and my son started the garden, raking cutting back the asparagus.
Honestly I dont like it to wait to long as things get harder to work on. Im transferring all my plants to the greenhouse this weekend and should be planting in a month or so. I would have done it this past weekend but its super cloudy this week so Ill wait a few days
Woodsplitter67
Minister of Fire
Your way ahead.. Only forsythia is starting to bloom here.. got some small signs of life.. like buds really swelling, but this is it.. couple weeks and we'll see some real change
Had a string of really nice burns lately.... plot below.
Key damper has been full open the entire time
Generally air is set to 100% till cat >1000 then I cut it back to 40-45% for cruise. Minimal adjustments once up to temp.
What changed?
Wood: I finally got through my junk wood (stuff that came from neighbor and was sitting on ground for 3-4 years) It is 2 years dry but definitely a bit light. So now I am into some fresher stuff, heavier and bigger splits (some barely go through the griddle opening)
Also coming up on 1 month on the metal cat, maybe it is calming down a bit?
Ready for winter now.... bring it on.
Key damper has been full open the entire time
Generally air is set to 100% till cat >1000 then I cut it back to 40-45% for cruise. Minimal adjustments once up to temp.
What changed?
Wood: I finally got through my junk wood (stuff that came from neighbor and was sitting on ground for 3-4 years) It is 2 years dry but definitely a bit light. So now I am into some fresher stuff, heavier and bigger splits (some barely go through the griddle opening)
Also coming up on 1 month on the metal cat, maybe it is calming down a bit?
Ready for winter now.... bring it on.
Woodsplitter67
Minister of Fire
Totally awesome... Wood has a lot to do with the burn.. I fined that the really large splits like 5x5 kinda stuff offgass a little slower and dont dump all at once. Having alot of small in sometimes wreaks Havoc. The temperatures have been warmer lately so Iv been trying to slow the burn down.. not letting as much catch and using large splits.. lastnighs cruise was 925 on the cat.. and believe it or not.. the glass was extremely clean .. the box wasn't filled neither
Stevepupnorth
Member
30” snow on the ground here in north central Wisconsin. I went to the dark side and put a catalyst in my intrepid flexburn and like it a lot. Got it from condar. Yeah, there’s some learning involved but no tragedies yet. Burning red oak that was harvested three years ago, cut two years ago, and split last spring, measuring mid to upper teens for moisture content. I’m definitely burning less wood and making it overnigh a bit easier now. It’s been up around 1700 a time or two but the catalyst looked fine last time I cleaned things. So, very low-drama here. I guess once in a while things work as expected.
I get spikes too and I stopped caring or looking honestly. I took the cat out to save it for shoulder season as I never burn below 450 or 475. Aside from the last gasps of a full load but by then I'm on coals , my glass is clean with white flakes on it, and my room is toasty. Reload, refire, kick over to secondary when the time is right. Boom.
Of course I say that and just a few days ago I left a reload take off on high for over and hour and I overheated my stove pipe a bit. I overheat my stove pipe more than the cat area.
Stove looks great there btw. Love the color.
Woodsplitter67
Minister of Fire
Stove looking good, I hsve a similar drystack mine is a little more gray in it. The catalyst is a good 5hing to have installed, keeping the stack cleaner, the stove will burn longer and have a more even heat distribution.. Good job putting it in, you'll certainly see the difference also when it warms.up outside and you dont need as much heat
Do you have a link to the CAT that you bought? I'm thinking that its time to replace mine on my Intrepid.
Woodsplitter67
Minister of Fire
You can just go on amazon.. they have most of the vc catalyst it will be a midway hearth brand.. in the description.. will be the models of the stove
Stevepupnorth
Member
From the condar website I ordered what they listed for the intrepid flexburn and it wasn’t right so they hooked me up with a CC-802 used in the dauntless. The correct dimensions are around 6x2x1. I shoved a little rope gasket material around it to fill the minor gap and everything works. Condar was super to work with.
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Excellent. I'll measure mine when I get a chance and see what is closest. Seems like the ones specifically for the Intrepid Flexburn are hard to come by.
Applied Ceramics makes the ceramic part of the cat for some and the whole cat for VC and Midwest Hearth. MW Hearth is great to deal with and fast shipping, they also sell on Amazon.
Woodsplitter67
Minister of Fire
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