Had to light a fire this morning...

[Slow1]

Forecast last night was for a low around 40, high today of 60. Was discussing this with the wife and she said "I guess I'll set the thermostat on 66 just in case it gets too cool".

Got up this morning and house had lost 3* so thermostat was reading 65. Guess guy with a new stove and a stack of wood just has to do what he has to do eh?

By time she was up it was 68 in the kitchen, thermostat in hall was still 65 but was up to 66 by time I left for work 3 hrs later (it is very slow to register heat from stove as we have to warm the upstairs first - it is at the foot of the stairs so cold air is flooding down right onto it...). I left with the stove burning nice and low - 420 surface temp, not a flame visible in the box. The chunk wood I used this morning looking like large pieces of charcoal and perhaps filling 1/5 of the box. Will be interesting to see what I find when I get home, but I don't expect any oil burned today. Chimney check on way to work - nothing but heatwaves, sweet!

So I guess this was my first non-burnin, non-playing with the stove fire. Has my heating season just started?

She still doesn't get my desire to not burn any oil for heating. But I suppose there are a lot of things about me that she doesn't get yet but that's fair - I don't have her totally figured out and never expect to

 

[BrotherBart]

But don't you miss getting it ripping, waiting for the Neverburn to light off, watching the back of the stove glow...

 

[Slow1]

But don't you miss getting it ripping, waiting for the Neverburn to light off, watching the back of the stove glow...

You know it was almost surreal. I had already laid the fire earlier so all I had to do was get a draft (exterior SS chimney - have to use a hair drier for 30 seconds), light it off - modified top-down method, then shut the door. About 5 minutes later I reduced air to 2 from 4. Then I kept looking at it expecting to have to do something and it was just.. well, burning nicely. I went on with my morning chores to get ready for kids to wake up. About 40 minutes after first light I put in three more chunks (leftovers from cutting ends off 22+" splits I picked up last spring) on top of the coals, then about 10 minutes later I took air down to 1, engaged cat and that was it before I left to drive the carpool. Never really had to do any fiddling, no feeling like I was about to lose control, no roaring sounds to listen for to be sure it was clean or checking on the chimney to see if it was clean since I trust that it was smoke free. Miss it? Not a bit. I also know I just used the same amount of wood to heat for the day that would have been used to MAYBE establish enough of a coal bed to get the old stove ready for the first attempt to engage the everburn. The peak flue temp this morning (400) would have been the minimum to engage (if lucky) last year for a clean burn.

Yeah, I'm going to miss that stove.. if I can ever sell it. As my wife said - how can you ethically sell it to anyone knowing what you know anyway?

 

[sullystull]

But don't you miss getting it ripping, waiting for the Neverburn to light off, watching the back of the stove glow...

You know it was almost surreal. I had already laid the fire earlier so all I had to do was get a draft (exterior SS chimney - have to use a hair drier for 30 seconds), light it off - modified top-down method, then shut the door. About 5 minutes later I reduced air to 2 from 4. Then I kept looking at it expecting to have to do something and it was just.. well, burning nicely. I went on with my morning chores to get ready for kids to wake up. About 40 minutes after first light I put in three more chunks (leftovers from cutting ends off 22+" splits I picked up last spring) on top of the coals, then about 10 minutes later I took air down to 1, engaged cat and that was it before I left to drive the carpool. Never really had to do any fiddling, no feeling like I was about to lose control, no roaring sounds to listen for to be sure it was clean or checking on the chimney to see if it was clean since I trust that it was smoke free. Miss it? Not a bit. I also know I just used the same amount of wood to heat for the day that would have been used to MAYBE establish enough of a coal bed to get the old stove ready for the first attempt to engage the everburn. The peak flue temp this morning (400) would have been the minimum to engage (if lucky) last year for a clean burn.

Yeah, I'm going to miss that stove.. if I can ever sell it. As my wife said - how can you ethically sell it to anyone knowing what you know anyway?

I'm with ya! Having ditched the Dutchwest for the Oslo, I am loving life.

 

[SolarAndWood]

how can you ethically sell it to anyone knowing what you know anyway?

You would be amazed how easy it is...full disclosure, take what you can get for it and start the healing process. Watching my VCs drive away was a beautiful thing.

 

[sullystull]

how can you ethically sell it to anyone knowing what you know anyway?

You would be amazed how easy it is...full disclosure, take what you can get for it and start the healing process. Watching my VCs drive away was a beautiful thing.

I live in the northern mountains of WV. I advertised my dutchwest on western maryland craigslist and had a guy drive up from Tennessee to buy it--some 8+ hrs. He asked very few questions and requested even fewer pics of the stove. After we loaded it in his truck I asked if he was familiar with their everburn technology and he said no. The whole process took less than 5 minutes. I sent him on his way with some basic information and told him if he had any questions to let me know. I haven't heard anything yet. Along those same lines, the guy I bought the stove from had owned it for a couple of years--when I asked him if he was familiar with the everburn, he said he didn't know what I was talking about.

When I bought my oslo, I was all over the inside and out of that stove with a fine toothed comb.

 

[greythorn3]

are the dutchwest VC a bad stove? i rented a cabin with one and it seemed to work good.

 

[firefighterjake]

are the dutchwest VC a bad stove? i rented a cabin with one and it seemed to work good.

Mixed bag . . . seems like I read a lot more from folks here who are not happy with their VC stoves than I read about people who love them . . . but VC is still fondly remembered by many folks from their hey day years.

I would suspect some of the dissatisfaction comes with the Everburn tech, some from expensive parts or parts that seem to break down pretty quickly and some with the company going bankrupt and not honoring warrantees.

As for me personally . . . I wouldn't go with a VC stove . . . but a lot of folks out there aren't members of hearth.com and only have fond memories of this company -- sadly a company that is quite different than from what it was.

 

[firefighterjake]

But don't you miss getting it ripping, waiting for the Neverburn to light off, watching the back of the stove glow...

You know it was almost surreal. I had already laid the fire earlier so all I had to do was get a draft (exterior SS chimney - have to use a hair drier for 30 seconds), light it off - modified top-down method, then shut the door. About 5 minutes later I reduced air to 2 from 4. Then I kept looking at it expecting to have to do something and it was just.. well, burning nicely. I went on with my morning chores to get ready for kids to wake up. About 40 minutes after first light I put in three more chunks (leftovers from cutting ends off 22+" splits I picked up last spring) on top of the coals, then about 10 minutes later I took air down to 1, engaged cat and that was it before I left to drive the carpool. Never really had to do any fiddling, no feeling like I was about to lose control, no roaring sounds to listen for to be sure it was clean or checking on the chimney to see if it was clean since I trust that it was smoke free. Miss it? Not a bit. I also know I just used the same amount of wood to heat for the day that would have been used to MAYBE establish enough of a coal bed to get the old stove ready for the first attempt to engage the everburn. The peak flue temp this morning (400) would have been the minimum to engage (if lucky) last year for a clean burn.

Yeah, I'm going to miss that stove.. if I can ever sell it. As my wife said - how can you ethically sell it to anyone knowing what you know anyway?

Sell it for a song . . . but be truthful about any problems with the mechanicals . . . and I suspect you will still make a quick sale. VCs are still highly regarded by many folks in the general public . . . for better or for worse . . . in your case, probably for the better.

 

[Hanko]

are the dutchwest VC a bad stove? i rented a cabin with one and it seemed to work good.

No they are not a bad stove. I think that folks that have had problems might have had chimney issues or wet wood, or possibly a tight house and poor draft. Ive have said this before and there have been alot of bad mouthing on the DW stoves. Mine works great, so does brothers and sons. In fact it works as good as my F 500. On its fifht year, no issues at all. Dry wood and a good chimney is a must. I was un informed about stoves when I bought it. Would I buy one again? Probably not after reading what I have read hear.

 

[Slow1]

I was asked privately to update with what I found in stove when I got home from work.. here it is

Stove top temp was 150 and there were lots of chunks of what I'm calling charcoal, several of which were glowing so I piled them up in the front middle, turned the air up and let them get glowing (and flaming in fact) before tossing three splits on top which lit up and now I have it choked down again - no smoke of course (I keep saying this, but it just amazes me that I can do it). So... I had enough fire left after 10-11 hours to start without kindling. Oh - and the kitchen thermometer was reading 68, the hall (difficult one to heat) read 67 so it did keep the house warm enough too (high didn't hit 60 - more like 58 I think and I don't think I saw the sun peek out at all so no solar gain to speak of).

 

[Todd]

Not bad for a few chunks of wood eh? Sounds like this stove will be like night and day difference from the old stove. You made the right choice.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

But don't you miss getting it ripping, waiting for the Neverburn to light off, watching the back of the stove glow...

You know it was almost surreal. I had already laid the fire earlier so all I had to do was get a draft (exterior SS chimney - have to use a hair drier for 30 seconds),

Slow1, we also have an exterior SS chimney and have never did anything to get a draft going other than lighting a fire. My wife asked me what I was answering and when I told her she just sat there with her mouth open, like, "What?!" She's never heard of someone doing this. I have but have never seen the need for it. Light the kindling and that will warm the chimney.

 

[Slow1]

But don't you miss getting it ripping, waiting for the Neverburn to light off, watching the back of the stove glow...

You know it was almost surreal. I had already laid the fire earlier so all I had to do was get a draft (exterior SS chimney - have to use a hair drier for 30 seconds),

Slow1, we also have an exterior SS chimney and have never did anything to get a draft going other than lighting a fire. My wife asked me what I was answering and when I told her she just sat there with her mouth open, like, "What?!" She's never heard of someone doing this. I have but have never seen the need for it. Light the kindling and that will warm the chimney.

Well - if I hold a lighter at the mouth of the flue the flame will blow toward my hand on those days that I need to do this. Once I shoot the warm air up the pipe for 30 seconds, the flame will practically be blown out by the air rushing into the flue. Now, I imagine I COULD just light up some tinder/kindling and let it warm up the firebox etc, but during that time the air headed down the chimney is going to be pushing down against whatever smoke is headed up and frankly I don't want that inversion in the stove to come into the house. Sure, eventually it will go up the pipe, but if I can skip the whole thing with a 30 second blast of the old hair drier, why not?

Note - again this is something that become a no-op once the stove is running every day. For example although the fire was out last night, there was enough warmth this morning that when I lit up I didn't even worry to check the draft, I knew I would be fine (when I opened the stove door I could feel the air pulling in).

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Hey, if it works, that's great. It did surprise me though. Our chimney is actually shorter than recommended but we don't have a problem.

 

[Slow1]

I have wondered about it sometimes. Even discussed adding another piece of pipe to the top to see if it would help. IF I have any draft issues this winter then I'll go there, but I'd rather not since I already have a pretty tall extension (with supports) above the edge of the roof. I also wonder if adding more on top will simply give more distance to cool things down on way out since we run cool to begin with.