Help with Vermont castings overfiring!

[cblack12]

Hi everyone, we have a Vermont castings encore catalytic model from approximately 1994 which has started burning real hot. I used to be able to close the thermostat and bring the temp down just fine but now there seems to still be air getting in somewhere and the only way I can get t he temp under control is to turn the thermostat all the way down and also close the damper which routes the smoke through the catalyst. I thought it was just the gaskets so I replaced the glass, door, ash pan, and griddle gaskets which didn't fix a thing. If anyone has any experience with these stoves or has any suggestions on what to try next I'd sure appreciate it as I'm not sure how to trouble shoot anything further. Thanks in advance!

Charlie.

 

[pen]

Was routing smoke through the catalyst not part of a standard burn in the past?

Is the wood you are burning this year any different,,,, drier, different species, smaller pieces, etc, than what you have been used to running?

Welcome to the site and keep the info coming for the best response. The more folks know about how this thing is run, the better advice you may get.

pen

 

[defiant3]

Well there are a few things you can look at/ do actually. First, though you regasketed the ash pan door, have a closer look at it, even do the dollar bill test . The hinges on those tend to wear over the years, and they just seem to get sloppy so make sure the seal is good all the way around.

Second, though it's a pain, the top should probably be resealed after this much time. The cement in the seam around the top is another one of those wear items on Encores. You could just get a tube of furnace cement and go around the edges "injecting" it in and see if it helps. It may! ( BTW, it cleans up nicely with a wet sponge) Or remove and recement it.

If it's really necessary you can plug the bleeder holes in the bottom of the stove. Yeah this is kind of like cheating, but who wants to tear down their stove this time of year? (that would "kill the fly with the shotgun" as it were) Open the ashpan door, get the ash pan out of the way, and look on the lef tand right sides of the compartment for 5/16" holes one each side sort of near the top of the ash pan area all the way towards the front and up at the top edge. Us ecement, fiberglass insulation, piece of gasketing, whatever. It may help and it's easy.

The othe rseams to run a bead of cement into are the vertical ones where the back meets each side. Again, injection from a caulking tube works well enough and is easy.

It's really time for a rebuild or replacement but that can wait till spring if you want. Good luck and keep the questions coming

 

[Heatsource]

do a smoke check, get the fire going and trace around all the gaskets, glass, doors, and all the seams where the castings join with an incense stick. smoke will get sucked in anywhere there is a big leak.

these stoves were assembled with furnace cement, which can crack and leak over time...