Frustrated... Vermont Casting Aspen C3

[Timmysaint]

Hi everyone...

So I'm writing in here because I grew pretty frustrated with my VC stove. So, my wife and kids moved into a wall tent last year and, after using a little knico to heat the place which worked great, we decided to upgrade to a Vermont Casting.

Well, that was last fall and it was a bit of a disaster. We started using it in the fall and here was my experience.

Open door, get a small fire going to start the draft. There is an elbow and the stove vents out the side of the tent. Very dry wood. With door opened the fire got going pretty well. Nice draft with a decent blue smoke coming out of chimney. Air intake seemed to respond to heat. Let the fire get hot (20 minutes open door) and right when I closed and latched the door... Smolder and out. Glass Black after first burn.

After a few nights the stove was covered in creosote and we had to chimney fires in the course of two months. Little heat. Went back to knico and then spent jan-mar up north in a camp where we were logging.

So, when we got back in April... Tried out the VC, with a 16' straight pipe, cleaned the c**p out of it, and tried again.

Smolder.

So we're back to the knico for now but I'd really like to figure this thing out before going to another stove. The knico is awesome but can't burn long enough and don't think it will last much longer with daily use.

Help much appreciated.

Thanks.

 

[begreen]

If the wood is fully seasoned and below 20% moisture then it sounds draft-related. Can you post some pictures of the stove, stovepipe, and the chimney?

 

[EbS-P]

I have read a few reports of the Aspens being over cemented and severely restricting the internal air passages. There was a video on YouTube showing an regular (not the C3 version) and how clogged it was with stove cement. Might be worth following up with dealer or VC directly to see if they can help especially if you can rule out insufficient draft.
Evan

 

[begreen]

I have read a few reports of the Aspens being over cemented and severely restricting the internal air passages. There was a video on YouTube showing an regular (not the C3 version) and how clogged it was with stove cement. Might be worth following up with dealer or VC directly to see if they can help especially if you can rule out insufficient draft.
Evan

The prior Aspen did not have the best reputation. The C3 is the first HHT version and pretty much a different stove.

 

[D. Hermit]

IF you had that much creosote build up the first run, I would check the dog box/primary air channels for blockage. Something may be clogged in parts 7,8,9 on the diagram. The 1920 Aspens would fail quickly because you would need to take the ash out constantly to prevent the air channels that run underneath and into the front from getting blocked up and having to remove the front ash guard and vacuum it out and seal the guard back in. That and the old one had bricks for a baffle and like 1" of headspace above them.
(broken link removed to https://downloads.hearthnhome.com/installManuals/8390-950c_Aspen%20C3_Consumer.pdf)

 

[webby3650]

That’s the same experience I’ve had with several different asspens. I know they redesigned it, maybe they didn’t improve it though. It’s a terrible little stove... taking the top off and removing the front baffle brick was the only way I could get it to burn. I’m not sure how the baffle is designed on the new one. The old version has less than 1” between the top and baffle brick..

 

[Timmysaint]

Hey guys thanks so much for the help. I got a rusted US Stove 1269 from the folks barn and set it up. Totally different experience. With the existing chimney setup we have a clean burn and the tent is toasty. No smoke outta the chimney.

Argh... 1500.00 down the drain!

Well I'll see if they will warranty a part (it was bought new 9 months ago) and then put it up for sale! Recoup something.

 

[begreen]

That leaky box stove would work in a tent. It definitely is not draft fussy, but I wouldn't burn it in a home.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

I'd bet the issue comes from draft or wood.

 

[EbS-P]

This was posted to another forum in late January of this year. I have been considering installing one so I’ve read up on the new ones quite a bit.

We are a Vermont casting dealer. The newer 2020 complaint Aspens have had some issues. During the manufacturing process many of these models were over furnace cemented and the air channels were restricted. We've had 3 come back this burning season already. Try what others have suggested, dbl wall pipe, extend your chimney pipe a little more, if your still having issues, chances are its within the air channel.

Evan

 

[Jus144tice]

For anyone else with this issue, here is the video referenced above:

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These stoves are over-cemented during manufacturing which effectively blocks all of the air ducts. A full teardown and rebuild with a proper amount of cement fixes this issue. I just did it myself and the stove now works great for the first time ever!

 

[GrumpyDad]

For anyone else with this issue, here is the video referenced above:

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These stoves are over-cemented during manufacturing which effectively blocks all of the air ducts. A full teardown and rebuild with a proper amount of cement fixes this issue. I just did it myself and the stove now works great for the first time ever!

wow, kinda concerns me how the dauntless is constructed and if mine was put together w/ braindead workers like the Aspen can be.

This is what happens when you hire people to be robots rather than craftsmen.

I can get a good burn in mine, but Ive never seen that much flames...even fully open. And the one side seems to burn hotter as I see flames on one side more than the other.

So why is that construction cement there? Why isnt it just a gasket system? What cement did you end up using and how did you know where to apply the cement? Did you just follow the same areas you saw the other cement during assembly?

 

[Jus144tice]

wow, kinda concerns me how the dauntless is constructed and if mine was put together w/ braindead workers like the Aspen can be.

This is what happens when you hire people to be robots rather than craftsmen.

I can get a good burn in mine, but Ive never seen that much flames...even fully open. And the one side seems to burn hotter as I see flames on one side more than the other.

So why is that construction cement there? Why isnt it just a gasket system? What cement did you end up using and how did you know where to apply the cement? Did you just follow the same areas you saw the other cement during assembly?

I used Rutland furnace cement: https://rutland.com/products/furnace-cement

The manufacturer cemented even things that are meant to be replaceable. For example, I could not replace the firebricks without chiseling away cement off the pieces that held them in place. It was outrageous. When I put it back together, I just applied cement to the outer pieces that make up the shell of the stove. There were very convenient channels where the cement was intended to go as the pieces sort of interlock together.

As you say, I can picture some lazy workers not caring at all about what they are doing and just slapping in a ton of concrete to make it easier to assemble...

 

[GrumpyDad]

I used Rutland furnace cement: https://rutland.com/products/furnace-cement

The manufacturer cemented even things that are meant to be replaceable. For example, I could not replace the firebricks without chiseling away cement off the pieces that held them in place. It was outrageous. When I put it back together, I just applied cement to the outer pieces that make up the shell of the stove. There were very convenient channels where the cement was intended to go as the pieces sort of interlock together.

As you say, I can picture some lazy workers not caring at all about what they are doing and just slapping in a ton of concrete to make it easier to assemble...

Im kinda surprised they dont test these somehow. I guess it wouldnt be hard to put a hose on the back and then something on the flue collar to ensure the draft is proper and if not, they would know exactly why. Also pressure testing for leaks to adjust doors etc properly.
This makes me drop my confidence that my stove was put together properly especially adjusting things like the doors, gaskets etc.
Did you contact VC and show them what you had to deal with?

 

[bholler]

Im kinda surprised they dont test these somehow. I guess it wouldnt be hard to put a hose on the back and then something on the flue collar to ensure the draft is proper and if not, they would know exactly why. Also pressure testing for leaks to adjust doors etc properly.
This makes me drop my confidence that my stove was put together properly especially adjusting things like the doors, gaskets etc.
Did you contact VC and show them what you had to deal with?

The door adjustment etc is always done at the end of the install. But yes everything else is rediculous. It's surprising vc build quality was always excellent. Design and engineering not so much.

 

[GrumpyDad]

The door adjustment etc is always done at the end of the install. But yes everything else is rediculous. It's surprising vc build quality was always excellent. Design and engineering not so much.

I wonder if there is a repair manual for stove technicians? Id like to know where the proper cementing would be for my stove.

 

[bholler]

I wonder if there is a repair manual for stove technicians? Id like to know where the proper cementing would be for my stove.

There usually is a technical manual yes. But where to cement is usually pretty self explanatory

 

[EatenByLimestone]

It’s very possible that VC lost its culture during its time of turmoil. As people retired, left, etc they were not replaced with the same sort of people.

 

[bholler]

It’s very possible that VC lost its culture during its time of turmoil. As people retired, left, etc they were not replaced with the same sort of people.

They also moved assembly from Vermont to pa with the hht purchase

 

[EatenByLimestone]

That’d be functionality the same as people retiring out.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

That’s not saying the PA people are bad, but their culture/training may not have moved there. They might not want to stop the line to wipe up a flop of cement.

 

[bholler]

That’d be functionality the same as people retiring out.

Pretty much. It's now done at the harman plant. Which build quality was always good as well. But they were almost all welded stoves not cast iron

 

[hogrider50]

For anyone else with this issue, here is the video referenced above:

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These stoves are over-cemented during manufacturing which effectively blocks all of the air ducts. A full teardown and rebuild with a proper amount of cement fixes this issue. I just did it myself and the stove now works great for the first time ever!

Thanks for posting this video! I have been using an Aspen for about 7-8 years and it has worked fairly well for me. Perhaps I lucked out and received a stove that was assembled without quite so much assemble cement. You have confirmed my suspicions about the airflow track which is why I appreciate this video. I do remove the top annually for a cleanout when I am doing flue cleaning. I use the fresh air kit, and I do find that I have to remove the lower plate (part ID #17) just inside the door occasionally to remove ash which can block the combustion air. Once this is done my stove works well. It will not run well when full of ash, it seems, so my experience is the air vents need to be kept clean. The upper tube vents seem to work fine as well, at least the two closest to the door.