2022/23 VC Owner thread

[GrumpyDad]

I am bit confused.... are you saying airflow was restricted because you had ash built up the secondary smoke inlet and that was restricting the smoke from entering the secondary?

Assuming my interpretation is correct:

• I can see how that would cause a problem and result in smoke leakage to the house when in bypass.
• That is way too much ash..... I clean out my ash at least 2-3 times a week. I leave a thin layer in the firebox, ~1" thick on top of the grate.
• Nearly every time reload I stir the ash, some goes down the grate, and I pile hot coals up against the back if there is a small pile and the stove is colder.... If there is a heavy hot coal bed I just spread it evenly around the firebox.

yes, ash was clogging my secondary.

 

[Woodsplitter67]

this mornings burn..

 

[wolfize69]

Can you tell us what species of wood your burning.. do you know??

Ash, oak and birch are all I've burnt. Oak primarily though.

 

[dmccoole]

Speaking of the ash pan handle being difficult to open. I've noticed that mine has been getting harder and harder to open this season. My wife can no longer open it. Has anyone else noticed that? Is there a way to adjust it? I only found figure 3.3 on page 16 in the manual:

I'll play around with it to see if I can get it adjusted. The manual only mentions how to adjust the ash pan door alignment by referencing this video:

 

[wolfize69]

Speaking of the ash pan handle being difficult to open. I've noticed that mine has been getting harder and harder to open this season. My wife can no longer open it. Has anyone else noticed that? Is there a way to adjust it? I only found figure 3.3 on page 16 in the manual: View attachment 310801
I'll play around with it to see if I can get it adjusted. The manual only mentions how to adjust the ash pan door alignment by referencing this video:

My wife was only able to turn the handle twice then it was too difficult.

 

[Eman85]

Please let me know how you have been able to get more that 8 hours burn time on your stove We got almost 8 hours one time. We burn 24/7 for our primary heat source but have to reload every 3-4 hours. We've spent hundreds of hours of research and trial and error but to no avail.

I can get 8 hours easily without using the cat if I want. With the cat I can go way over that if I load the box. I am not familiar with your stove exactly but it should be the large original style of what my stove is. My stove is an antique, actually the first version of a downsized VC stove and the first gen with a cat.

 

[dmccoole]

I did find this on a generic latch adjusting site from a google search so maybe it's adjusting the # washers:
"Slide the latch cam from the shaft to expose the metal spacing washers. Remove one or more of the washers if the door latch is too loose. Add one or more washers if the door latch is too tight. If your door is too loose after removing any spacing washer, you may need to replace the door gasket."

 

[gthomas785]

We also did have an problem where there was a cake of ash gradually building up and getting compacted behind the ash pan. Way at the back. It made it difficult to close and also bowed the ash door out slightly causing an air leak. Maybe this is @wolfize69 's issue?

 

[Eman85]

What are your ash doors made of? Mine is cast iron with a strip of steel that the ash pan sits in. I can't see how someone has warped theirs. The ash door lever is made so it compresses the gasket when it tightens. Check the surface of the door where it contacts the gasket and the gasket itself. mine is hard to turn the last bit when it completely clses but I put new gaskets on this year and tight is good.

 

[GrumpyDad]

What are your ash doors made of? Mine is cast iron with a strip of steel that the ash pan sits in. I can't see how someone has warped theirs. The ash door lever is made so it compresses the gasket when it tightens. Check the surface of the door where it contacts the gasket and the gasket itself. mine is hard to turn the last bit when it completely clses but I put new gaskets on this year and tight is good.

The ash door itself is cast iron, the pan is a thinner steel. About the thickness of the metal used on a typical outdoor bargain grill (not a weber)

 

[wolfize69]

I can get 8 hours easily without using the cat if I want. With the cat I can go way over that if I load the box. I am not familiar with your stove exactly but it should be the large original style of what my stove is. My stove is an antique, actually the first version of a downsized VC stove and the first gen with a cat.

What I understand, our Cat is activated only when the damper is shut, which the manufacturer says should be as soon as the griddle plate hits 450°. That is pretty much around the clock except when loading. I am wondering if it is the size of pieces of wood I use. The biggest pieces I use are about 4x4. Some are weird shape like 6" long 3" wide triangles. But these are the sizes we bought our cords from people.

 

[Woodsplitter67]

What I understand, our Cat is activated only when the damper is shut, which the manufacturer says should be as soon as the griddle plate hits 450°. That is pretty much around the clock except when loading. I am wondering if it is the size of pieces of wood I use. The biggest pieces I use are about 4x4. Some are weird shape like 6" long 3" wide triangles. But these are the sizes we bought our cords from people.

that wood is kinda small for the sixe of the firebox you have

Your box size is like 3.2cuft. Your wood size for long burns should be roughly 20 to 21 inches long and 5x 5 inches thick or even a little thicker. My stove is smaller and Im putting in wood that thick in mine, just not as long. Your burn times are terrible for the size stove you have because of how small the wood is.

just as a suggestion.. You should stop purchasing wood and start splitting yourself. You have a box thats larger then average.. most people dont take wood over 18 inches and many stoves take 16.. Youll never fined a supplier who will supply 20 to 21in splits therfore your burn times will be down.

 

[arnermd]

that wood is kinda small for the sixe of the firebox you have

Your box size is like 3.2cuft. Your wood size for long burns should be roughly 20 to 21 inches long and 5x 5 inches thick or even a little thicker. My stove is smaller and Im putting in wood that thick in mine, just not as long. Your burn times are terrible for the size stove you have because of how small the wood is.

just as a suggestion.. You should stop purchasing wood and start splitting yourself. You have a box thats larger then average.. most people dont take wood over 18 inches and many stoves take 16.. Youll never fined a supplier who will supply 20 to 21in splits therfore your burn times will be down.

As a fellow model 1975 owner your wood size seems fine to me. You will get longer burns with bigger pieces but I burn plenty of wood same size as you, seasoned oak mostly, 2 years, 15-20% MC and it should go 8 hours (at least) with normal air settings, STT = 450-500. Bigger pieces will burn cooler (lower STT) and longer and need more air (maybe because they are not as dry in the middle).

I can confirm what @Woodsplitter67 said on the lengths, I buck 20" lengths but can stuff a 22.5" length in if it is one of the first pieces in. Towards the top you run out of room and angle, 18" is nice for the last few pieces.

If you are getting 3-4 hours burns on a full load something seems very wrong, that stove must be really hot or you have some very light wood.

You need to get a digital cat temp readout so I can compare to you.... you are the only one I know of here who has the same model I have, or pretty close.....

 

[Woodsplitter67]

As a fellow model 1975 owner your wood size seems fine to me. You will get longer burns with bigger pieces but I burn plenty of wood same size as you, seasoned oak mostly, 2 years, 15-20% MC and it should go 8 hours (at least) with normal air settings, STT = 450-500. Bigger pieces will burn cooler (lower STT) and longer and need more air (maybe because they are not as dry in the middle).

I can confirm what @Woodsplitter67 said on the lengths, I buck 20" lengths but can stuff a 22.5" length in if it is one of the first pieces in. Towards the top you run out of room and angle, 18" is nice for the last few pieces.

If you are getting 3-4 hours burns on a full load something seems very wrong, that stove must be really hot or you have some very light wood.

You need to get a digital cat temp readout so I can compare to you.... you are the only one I know of here who has the same model I have, or pretty close.....

I may be wrong.. sometimes I am.. If I read correctly one of the disappointments of the stove is short burn times.. Putting in small wood will definitely shorten that up. I believe the heat demand for dude is high living in Minnesota so a higher heat demand smaller wood, most likely subpar wood will = creosote, wrecked cat, warped ash pan and most likely some warped internal parts. The op doesn't have the following.. A digital probe, an accurate bi mettle confermed with an Ir gun on the griddle ,and experience.. and im sure there is information missing we haven't gotten yet regarding stove operation.

From alll of the experience we have burning year after year.. we all can agree that there is something atrociously wrong there.. Like most new burners they would have helped themselves by asking tons of questions while learning how to burn in the very beginning.

 

[Woodsplitter67]

the stove this morning.. coals, with splits on top.. air all the way back for a nice cruise the rest of the day

 

[arnermd]

I do not think we are in disagreement.... My only point was the size of the wood he mentioned is likely not the main cause for short burn times.

Something does not add up though....

• Wet wood would increase creosote potential but it would give you longer burn times and less heat output....
• Dry, small wood will yield hotter fires and shorter burn times but should burn clean....

Symptoms seem to be in conflict.... need more info.

Putting in small wood will definitely shorten that up.

Agreed.

I believe the heat demand for dude is high living in Minnesota

Agreed.... I did not see any info regarding where air control is set. Certainly if running wide open burn times will be shorter and smaller wood does not help.

most likely subpar wood will = creosote, wrecked cat, warped ash pan and most likely some warped internal parts.

Agreed.

and im sure there is information missing we haven't gotten yet regarding stove operation.

Yep.... would like to see some temp data (Griddle and flue) and typical air settings. I believe he stated draft was

we all can agree that there is something atrociously wrong there

For sure!

 

[arnermd]

I let the stove go out last night.... it was 80 deg in the house.

This morning lit it off (with a match), 3 smaller splits (~3x5 wedges), and one 2.5" round.
Ran 100% air, cat engaged at STT = 275 but flue gas was at 800.
Cat climbed to 1200 (STT=600) hung there for 20 min and is now slowly decaying, air still wide open.
3 hours from match strike I have a nice bed of coals, no flames, STT = 430, Cat= 708, flue = 466, air wide open.

Here is my point.... I ran barely a 1/4 load of smaller pieces, air wide open the whole time and got 3+ hours out of it....

I can't imagine how @wolfize69 is getting 3-4 hour burns on a full load.... something is really wrong.

 

[gthomas785]

If you have a warped ash pan on one of these stoves it is 100% due to an ash door air leak or it's not shut properly. I guarantee it.

 

[JohnDaileyNH]

I let the stove go out last night.... it was 80 deg in the house.

This morning lit it off (with a match), 3 smaller splits (~3x5 wedges), and one 2.5" round.
Ran 100% air, cat engaged at STT = 275 but flue gas was at 800.
Cat climbed to 1200 (STT=600) hung there for 20 min and is now slowly decaying, air still wide open.
3 hours from match strike I have a nice bed of coals, no flames, STT = 430, Cat= 708, flue = 466, air wide open.

Here is my point.... I ran barely a 1/4 load of smaller pieces, air wide open the whole time and got 3+ hours out of it....

I can't imagine how @wolfize69 is getting 3-4 hour burns on a full load.... something is really wrong.

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

 

[Eman85]

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]

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

 

[Eman85]

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.

 

[Eman85]

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.

 

[Woodsplitter67]

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.

its hard to believe that its warmer here in nj then TN... on a side note.. I cut the grass today

 

[Eman85]

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.