2025/26 VC performance discussion thread

[Woodsplitter67]

This is a general discussion of stove temperature and performance.

 

[Woodsplitter67]

We had our first fire this morning. Slept with the windows open house was on the chilly side at 56 degrees.

I did open up the stove last month and did a thorough cleaning. I took down the stovepipe inside and checked the double wall. I removed the top portion of the stove and checked the tightness of the bolts holding the damper housing. Did a complete cleaning. I didn't clean the stove after I cleaned the stove pipe this past spring.

Stove ran well from what little wood was put in it. The stovepipe got just warm enough to get the cat engaged. Cat temperature peaked at a little.over 800 which I thought was good the this time of year

Sat with the wife for a period of time and enjoyed her company

 

[kborndale]

Shouldn't it be 2025/26?

 

[Woodsplitter67]

yeah.. IDK what happened

 

[begreen]

Shouldn't it be 2025/26?

Fixed

 

[weee123]

Today was definitely a chilly one this morning and if it was Saturday I definitely would’ve lit the stove up as well!

 

[dmccoole]

Note to self, don't wait for the first frost to clean the stove! 28 this morning and 55 in the house! So I spent the first part of the morning cleaning out the stove. Once the frost was off the roof, I got up there and took off of the stainless cap, wire brushed that and then spun the cleaner brush down the pipe. Got it all back together before lunch. Now it's ready for the next frosty morning!

 

[arnermd]

All,

If you own a newer catalytic Defiant / Encore (after 2010) I am interested in your stack design and how clean it runs. See my thread in the main forum link below.

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/should-i-insulate-my-liner.208090/

Would appreciate If you could respond to that thread and tell me:

• General description: single / double wall, insulated, exterior or liner, height, diameter
• How much wood you burn
• How much stuff you get out when you clean
• Any draft issues

Thanks....

 

[Woodsplitter67]

Hopefully having a fire this week.. probably maybe mid-week

 

[AsylumResident]

Good to be back at it...soon. Hasn't been cold enough here yet to fire it up but it's coming!

 

[Smokey Da Bears]

I've been following and reading this thread for the last 4 years and for whatever reason I haven't previously been able to set up a Hearth account. I tried again today and well, it finally worked and here I am. A lot of the things I've read in this specific sub forum have helped me tremendously over the years in learning my stove. So thanks to many of you for posting your first hand experiences. And to be transparent, I have also experienced quite a bit of what has been described by many of you.

So to introduce myself I live on the South Shore of Massachusetts near "America's Hometown" of Plymouth. Been running a VC Defiant 1975 Cat C installed in 2021 to an unfinished basement. About 30 feet of Class A to the top of the house. The original ceramic catalyst that came with my stove lasted about 2 months before it crumpled. I switched to a metal catalyst at that time thanks to this forum - but I'm also already on my 2nd one of those after marked performance loss last season. I also use an Auber to monitor catalyst temperatures, also gleaned from this forum. Mostly burning red and white oak with some maple thrown in. I've never paid for wood and love bucking and splitting. Since installing the stove to compliment our primary source of heat (oil), we've cut the oil heating bill by 50% and we're actually a lot warmer. Also not a Bears fan...just an old fantasy football name that seemed appropriate.

I lit our first fire this last weekend but was glad to be able to have all the windows open as I repainted our single wall pipe and had some terrible burn off smells. Glad that's out of the way. Ready for winter!

 

[begreen]

Sorry to hear about the challenges getting on, but welcome aboard. If it's possible to insulate the basement the heat loss reduction will be large. About 1/3 of the heat generated, or one cord out of three, is typically sucked through the uninsulated walls.

 

[Woodsplitter67]

I've been following and reading this thread for the last 4 years and for whatever reason I haven't previously been able to set up a Hearth account. I tried again today and well, it finally worked and here I am. A lot of the things I've read in this specific sub forum have helped me tremendously over the years in learning my stove. So thanks to many of you for posting your first hand experiences. And to be transparent, I have also experienced quite a bit of what has been described by many of you.

So to introduce myself I live on the South Shore of Massachusetts near "America's Hometown" of Plymouth. Been running a VC Defiant 1975 Cat C installed in 2021 to an unfinished basement. About 30 feet of Class A to the top of the house. The original ceramic catalyst that came with my stove lasted about 2 months before it crumpled. I switched to a metal catalyst at that time thanks to this forum - but I'm also already on my 2nd one of those after marked performance loss last season. I also use an Auber to monitor catalyst temperatures, also gleaned from this forum. Mostly burning red and white oak with some maple thrown in. I've never paid for wood and love bucking and splitting. Since installing the stove to compliment our primary source of heat (oil), we've cut the oil heating bill by 50% and we're actually a lot warmer. Also not a Bears fan...just an old fantasy football name that seemed appropriate.

I lit our first fire this last weekend but was glad to be able to have all the windows open as I repainted our single wall pipe and had some terrible burn off smells. Glad that's out of the way. Ready for winter!

Welcome aboard

 

[Smokey Da Bears]

Sorry to hear about the challenges getting on, but welcome aboard. If it's possible to insulate the basement the heat loss reduction will be large. About 1/3 of the heat generated, or one cord out of three, is typically sucked through the uninsulated walls.

We're insulated, just not finished walls (sheet rock, etc.). Some day I hope to get around to that.

 

[begreen]

Ah good, all is well then. Enjoy the warmth.