Encore advice needed. Does everyones stove get hotter about an hour into it?

[Eddie24361]

Whenever I burn a load of wood, about an hour into it the stovetop temperature (375-450) goes up about 100 degrees (more wood = more rise) with some flames on the logs. This process last about 30 to 45 minutes until the flames go out and the temperature drops about 150 degrees and stays there. Is this normal? Is there a way to prevent the temp increase in the 2nd hour because this is when most of the wood turns into charcoal. Would larger splits make this better or worse?

Encore 2550

 

[Valhalla]

Ed,

It seems quite normal, if you are igniting the entire fuel load. Temps can vary. Yes, yours is a cat and my is not, but the basic procedure is similar.

My opinion and suggestion, and that of others, is to load your fuel load on top of a substantial hot coal bed, somewhat raked to the front of the stove. Then, after at least a few minutes, but before the wood load ignites upward, turn to Everburn, also called secondary burn by some folks. Your fuel load will then burn mostly at the bottom and back into the Everburn (secondary) area of the stove. Yes, you have a cat, but here the concept is very similar. The fuel load will drop slowly as it is consumed by the coals. This will maintain the temperatures you have set in and maximize your burn time as possible by the fuel used.

Enjoy your Encore! I do mine.

The more you use it, the greater your knowledge of it's capabilities will grow. Let us know how this works for you.

 

[redhat]

My Encore 2550 will do the same thing with a full load. About an hour in the temperature will ramp up an extra 100 degrees and hold for about 30 minutes, and then settle in at 500 degrees and stay there rock solid for 7+ hours. When the temp rises It doesn't get above 650 so I don't worry about it and accept it as part of the normal burn cycle.

 

[Scamp]

Oh, I'm glad to read that someone else's Encore gets to 650. I've been burning quick hot fires and was a bit unnerved to see it at 650. I saw someone mentioned 600 being "overburn" for their stove. Is there an overburn for the Encore NC?

 

[Eddie24361]

From page 21 under the section A Surface Thermometer is a Valuable Guide to Operation

Readings in the 350-500F range indicate low to medium heat output.

500-600F readings indicate medium heat output.

Readings of 600-750F indicate high heat output. Operating your Encore continuously at a griddle temperature over 750 may damage the cast iron or enamel finish

 

[Valhalla]

Hello Ed and scampea,

We have two similar, but not identical stoves. As Ed has a cat version, and scampea and I have NC. There are many similarities, but some obvious operational and design differences. The owners manuals for each intentionally reflect the difference. Also, the good people at MHSC and Vermont Castings have rewritten the owners manuals for more clarity. Good for them!

As far as the stove/griddle temperature goes, I see a reduced measurable temp at the griddle as normal, since the full wood fuel load is now blocking the flames from reaching the griddle. As as the fuel load in the fire box burns and lowers the fuel, the flames will reach the griddle, but also with an increased hot coal bed. This where the stove temp will then increase over the burn time, and be different in the operation of the cat and NC versions.

Hey, we could start a Vermont Castings Encore club section, or for all models of VC stoves, in Hearth.com! Vermont Castings had a large market share, with that popularity there are now many current owners of all VC stove models. Their stoves have a huge following and brand loyalty. Just a thought.

Other Encore owners on Hearth.com should comment on this. You are invited!

Keep in touch. Burn wisely and enjoy your stove.

 

[schortie]

I am all for a VC group here. It would be great to share stories and insights about function, design, and correct procedure. It seems like there are some aspects of our stoves that differ greatly from traditional or other stoves. I'll keep an eye out for it.

 

[Scamp]

I too like the idea of a VC group. I burned in an Intrepid as my sole heat source for about 15 years and thought I was great at heating with wood. However, since finding this site, I've found out that I did not know how to use the stove. It was a studio apt and I never had the nerve to sleep with the fire going all night. In fact, I usually burned with the doors open.

Now, with the Encore, I would like to learn how to use it at its capacity. I would like to be confident and not afraid to try an all-night burn when it gets cold enough.

And I would like to figure out what the damper is good for. It sounds like other stoves can close it part way, but this one seems either open or closed, unless I'm missing something...

 

[Valhalla]

I too like the idea of a VC group. I burned in an Intrepid as my sole heat source for about 15 years and thought I was great at heating with wood. However, since finding this site, I've found out that I did not know how to use the stove. It was a studio apt and I never had the nerve to sleep with the fire going all night. In fact, I usually burned with the doors open.

Now, with the Encore, I would like to learn how to use it at its capacity. I would like to be confident and not afraid to try an all-night burn when it gets cold enough.

And I would like to figure out what the damper is good for. It sounds like other stoves can close it part way, but this one seems either open or closed, unless I'm missing something...

scampea,

The "damper" puts your Encore NC into Everburn or secondary combustion! It maximizes the heat output, burn time and temperature control of the stove. It makes the smoke path go into the EverBurn section at the bottom, back of the firebox, instead of up and out the flue. It is very well described in the owners manual and literature.

Read up on it, and give it a try.

 

[Scamp]

Okay, Valhalla. Yes, I read that and I will read it again. It seemed all the stove did, though, was smoke when I closed the damper, so I kinda gave up. Maybe the stove was not hot enough. I will try it again this evening when the stove is hot. Does it take a bit of time for it to catch its breath and do the secondary burn thing?

Ha, you can tell I need help learning to run this stove!

 

[Diabel]

Count me in! I agree these units are different in terms of ops.

 

[Valhalla]

Okay, Valhalla. Yes, I read that and I will read it again. It seemed all the stove did, though, was smoke when I closed the damper, so I kinda gave up. Maybe the stove was not hot enough. I will try it again this evening when the stove is hot. Does it take a bit of time for it to catch its breath and do the secondary burn thing?

Ha, you can tell I need help learning to run this stove!

Good for you! Study up.

There will be a quiz in the morning. ;>)

 

[tradergordo]

Okay, Valhalla. Yes, I read that and I will read it again. It seemed all the stove did, though, was smoke when I closed the damper, so I kinda gave up. Maybe the stove was not hot enough. I will try it again this evening when the stove is hot. Does it take a bit of time for it to catch its breath and do the secondary burn thing?

Ha, you can tell I need help learning to run this stove!

You really should read the manual cover to cover before using the stove. Lots of info here about operating the everburn stoves. If it doesn't burn clean (smoke free) immediately after closing the damper, then it isn't hot enough. You need a BIG coal bed for this, preferably with coals pushed against the back where the "shoe" is in the lower center back of the firebox. If you listen closely by the rear air intake, you will actually hear the secondary combustion, this has become known as the "everburn rumble". Most new users don't burn hot enough. Also it doesn't work well, and maybe not at all, if you have wood that hasn't been properly dried (seasoned) - ideally your wood should have been split and stacked off the ground over a year before burning. IF you don't have dry wood, you can buy a small bundle of it from a grocery or hardware store just for testing purposes - to see the difference in how the stove works with proper fuel.

 

[tradergordo]

Also, the good people at MHSC and Vermont Castings have rewritten the owners manuals for more clarity. Good for them!

This is the first I have heard this. I'm curious to know what your source is for this information? And do you have any idea which manuals have been rewritten? or when they were rewritten? I've always thought their newer manuals were quite poor compared to their old manuals from the 80's. The old manuals actually explained in great detail how the stoves worked. They also addressed issues like excessive draft which is completely ignored by almost all manufacturers today (who seem to pretend such a problem can't exist with their modern stoves even though they are wrong).

 

[Scamp]

Wow, Tradergordo, your explanation is FAR more comprehensive than the owner's manual. I just skimmed through the whole thing again, and just don't find anything about the function of the damper. In places it says to open it before opening de-ashing, but not much more. I have the "Homeowner's Installation and Operating Manual" for Model 1450. I keep thinking I have missed something in the manual. Maybe they should have given me another manual?

I'm getting a better idea what to expect with your explanation. Many, many thanks!

 

[tradergordo]

Wow, Tradergordo, your explanation is FAR more comprehensive than the owner's manual. I just skimmed through the whole thing again, and just don't find anything about the function of the damper. In places it says to open it before opening de-ashing, but not much more. I have the "Homeowner's Installation and Operating Manual" for Model 1450. I keep thinking I have missed something in the manual. Maybe they should have given me another manual?

I'm getting a better idea what to expect with your explanation. Many, many thanks!

I made a sort of "lame" set of videos showing how I use my everburn stove. Even though its not the same model as yours, the concept is pretty much identical with all of the everburn stoves. You might want to check out the videos, a few people have told me they found them helpful. One of these days I should create a new series that is a little better done, this is pretty much a hack job, but they can be found here:

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/14536/

 

[Valhalla]

Also, the good people at MHSC and Vermont Castings have rewritten the owners manuals for more clarity. Good for them!

This is the first I have heard this. I'm curious to know what your source is for this information? And do you have any idea which manuals have been rewritten? or when they were rewritten? I've always thought their newer manuals were quite poor compared to their old manuals from the 80's. The old manuals actually explained in great detail how the stoves worked. They also addressed issues like excessive draft which is completely ignored by almost all manufacturers today (who seem to pretend such a problem can't exist with their modern stoves even though they are wrong).

I'm comparing current PDF files on the Vermont Castings website, to what I downloaded last winter '07. There are now some MHSC versions, compared to CFM docs in the recent past. I'm sure that they are in the middle of editing and revising all of their product documentation. It is a very good sign! More revs may come, as this is an ongoing and quite tedious process. I admit to have some past experience in this area, but for a completely different kind of manufacturer.

I repeat that it seems to me that MHSC is recently very proactive by their new presence on the web, and some direct customer support materials. See their respective web pages.

Good for you, MHSC corporate and Vermont Castings! Keep going!

 

[Scamp]

The videos were terrific even unedited! It was fun to see the little toddler and the cat . And this is the first time I have seen a wood burning stove actually in action. I've never heard the rumble in my stove. Thank you for sending me to the links for the videos.

So, rumble, here we come....

 

[Scamp]

I DO, absolutely think that the downdraft stoves are more temperamental to outside temps (and pressure). When I made the video the outside temp was between 22 and 25 degrees F. I have much more difficulty when the outside temps are around 35+ and/or certain low pressure conditions. Under poor conditions, I usually have to burn more with the air up after dampering down and be careful to maintain a good coal bed. Burning hotter compensates for other factors that lower draft. Of course if its warmer outside, you don’t always want so much heat inside, which means you might have to let the stove linger in the coal stage for much longer or even let it basically go out.

I wonder if outside temperature will make a difference for me. Ummm, we are in California, and lows right now are in the high 40's. Also, will it make a difference as the stovepipe heads back into the fireplace before shooting up?

 

[Valhalla]

Scampea,

Hey, our highs today were in the high 30s! Yes, Calif. folks can have a good chimney draft too! Besides the Encore NC was designed for a great draft.

Some stove in the fireplace installs have at least one 90 degree bend! You can overcome it... by doing all the right stuff!

So study up, remember there is a quiz tomorrow! The reference text is your Encore NC Owners Manual.

Good night from New York

 

[Scamp]

OKAY! Got my manual in hand to study this evening...

 

[postandbeam]

Good info in this thread. I've just finished restoring my VC Encore 2190, new gaskets, upper stoveback, and she is much tighter than ever before. I also have a thermometer on the griddle for the first time, and have been paying close attention to temps. When I get my griddle temp up to 450-500 degrees, I close the damper, and engage my cat. I have actually reached temps of 650-700, but seemingly at the end of the burn cycle, it spikes up on me. What I'm trying to get more comfortable with is loading the firebox full at the end of the night, for an all night burn. If I load it around 9 pm, I have very little left at 5:30 am, and nearly always have to start over. Is an 8 hour burn time on a load of wood in this stove too long to expect? I do agree the size of the splits makes all the difference. If I plug in two or three very large splits to fill the box, I'm much more apt to get a longer burn time, than various smaller splits. Can you overfill the firebox in the Encore?