2nd season with my Encore is not going well...Help!

[coal2wood]

Last Season I bought an older Vermont Castings Encore stove. I put new gasket on the griddle and it burned nicely all season. I had to replace the griddle top this season so I put new gasket in again. I can't keep the stove under control now. It burns really hot and acts like there's too much air coming in. Does anyone have an idea what I'm missing or doing wrong?

 

[edthesweep]

sure sounds like your griddle / gasket / is leaking and allowing in too much air.
Or something somewhere is and its just coincidence...

 

[defiant3]

Asn pan doors are the Achille's heel of these stoves. Check carefully to be sure it's well sealed. Also, does the glass rattle when you tap it with your finger? If so regasket the glass. If it's not gaskets, next up is the seal around the top. Try an incense stick and see if smoke gets pulled in anywhere around the top where it meets sides, front, and back.

 

[edthesweep]

Asn pan doors are the Achille's heel of these stoves. Check carefully to be sure it's well sealed. Also, does the glass rattle when you tap it with your finger? If so regasket the glass. If it's not gaskets, next up is the seal around the top. Try an incense stick and see if smoke gets pulled in anywhere around the top where it meets sides, front, and back.

incense stick - good idea! or a cigarette...

 

[coal2wood]

Asn pan doors are the Achille's heel of these stoves. Check carefully to be sure it's well sealed. Also, does the glass rattle when you tap it with your finger? If so regasket the glass. If it's not gaskets, next up is the seal around the top. Try an incense stick and see if smoke gets pulled in anywhere around the top where it meets sides, front, and back.

I checked the ash pan gasket. It was leaking, removed and replaced it. Also, tightened up the catch on the handle. That helped a good bit. Thanks for the advice.

 

[DUMF]

Those Encore griddle wire gaskets are too small for a tight seal. The great original Vermont Castings techs FROM Vermont long ago recommended to try a larger non wire gasket for the griddle top like 5/8" or smaller rather than the spec wire gasket. Try it.
Please send a new $20. bill.

 

[webby3650]

Hardly...
You need to use the shielded gasket that's OEM. The gasket is very vulnerable given its position, logs dragging across it.etc..

 

[RandyBoBandy]

Hardly...
You need to use the shielded gasket that's OEM. The gasket is very vulnerable given its position, logs dragging across it.etc..

I think a lot of VC guys use regular gasket rope on the griddle top. When I bought my encore it had regular rope. Downfall however is you have to replace it every year.

 

[DUMF]

Hardly...
You need to use the shielded gasket that's OEM. The gasket is very vulnerable given its position, logs dragging across it.etc..

No Webby. OEM specs are often not correct for use, but need to follow the attorney speak for the makers. That wire gasket leaves room for air infiltration even when those older VC stoves were new. Top loading should not drag any logs on the gasket; users realise this. The wire design was for any weight like pots on the griddle not impact.
The Randolph, VT techs and the designers ( now long gone from anything "VC" ) recommended a larger plain gasket for the griddle top. Yes, it needs replacing with use.

 

[webby3650]

No Webby. OEM specs are often not correct for use, but need to follow the attorney speak for the makers. That wire gasket leaves room for air infiltration even when those older VC stoves were new. Top loading should not drag any logs on the gasket; users realise this. The wire design was for any weight like pots on the griddle not impact.
The Randolph, VT techs and the designers ( now long gone from anything "VC" ) recommended a larger plain gasket for the griddle top. Yes, it needs replacing with use.

Users may realize this, but it still happens. Unfortunately I have the privilege of working on these stoves all the time. I see tons of them, wood gets dragged across the gasket, not on purpose of course, it happens.

Use the shielded gasket.

 

[webby3650]

I think a lot of VC guys use regular gasket rope on the griddle top. When I bought my encore it had regular rope. Downfall however is you have to replace it every year.

Yes they did, because most didn't know any better, and/or couldn't source the correct gasket.