Intrepid Rebuild complete - I Hope!

[babolu333]

VC Intrepid II Rebuild is complete. Dropped a double walled, insulated liner down my chimney. Connected the flu to to the stove with a T (I had to buy a $50 crimping tool, my wife wasn't happy).

One question - if you look at the closer picture, picture 2... do you think that is too much flame for a wood stove that has the air intake turned DOWN but the damper open? I am afraid that flame is telling me there are air leaks somewhere. let me know what you think!

 

[fbelec]

that does look like a lot of flame. how far is it turned down? and that second picture looks like the front door with the handle is not closed enough get a smoke stick or a cigar something that smokes and see if the smoke gets drawn in anywhere.

 

[babolu333]

that does look like a lot of flame. how far is it turned down? and that second picture looks like the front door with the handle is not closed enough get a smoke stick or a cigar something that smokes and see if the smoke gets drawn in anywhere.

It was turned down all the way. Are you familiar with this type of stove? There is a primary air intake and a secondary air intake at the base of the catalytic converter. I think the door was sealed all the way. I may need to play with the setting on the handle. I tried a quick smoke test but didn't notice anything sucking in. Also, it may be important to note the wood is 2 year dried sycamore.

 

[rwh63]

congrats on the rebuild!

 

[Eman85]

I have an Encore and if I turn my primary air down the fire smolders and no flames are visible, just a glow.
Tell me about your secondary air! You can look at my posts about trying to understand secondary air. Did you install a temperature sensor in the catalyst chamber?

 

[babolu333]

I have an Encore and if I turn my primary air down the fire smolders and no flames are visible, just a glow.
Tell me about your secondary air! You can look at my posts about trying to understand secondary air. Did you install a temperature sensor in the catalyst chamber?

Thanks for the info. I assume mine is supposed to also smolder when turned all the way down. I reseated the flu pipe and sealed around it as well as fixed the door tightness and gasket. I am currently having a tough time keeping it lit, so I assume I have cut off some extraneous air flow. Once I get it up to temp, I’ll try to bank it down.

The secondary air is a small slit. There is a door that covers the slit. As the lower back end of the stove that is attached to a thermostat probe. As the back heats up, the door drops down and closes off the air. I believe it’s purpose is to ensure the flue gases go up through the catalytic converter l, even when the the stove starts to cool
.

 

[Eman85]

Thanks for the info. I assume mine is supposed to also smolder when turned all the way down. I reseated the flu pipe and sealed around it as well as fixed the door tightness and gasket. I am currently having a tough time keeping it lit, so I assume I have cut off some extraneous air flow. Once I get it up to temp, I’ll try to bank it down.

The secondary air is a small slit. There is a door that covers the slit. As the lower back end of the stove that is attached to a thermostat probe. As the back heats up, the door drops down and closes off the air. I believe it’s purpose is to ensure the flue gases go up through the catalytic converter l, even when the the stove starts to cool
.

Look at some of my previous posts about the secondary air, some pics there too. Seems there are a lot of theories about what that shutter is supposed to do but no documentation anywhere of exactly what it does. What it can do is cause a problem.

 

[babolu333]

I have an Encore and if I turn my primary air down the fire smolders and no flames are visible, just a glow.
Tell me about your secondary air! You can look at my posts about trying to understand secondary air. Did you install a temperature sensor in the catalyst chamber?

read your thread. Mine works as expected. The first answer in the thread is the right one. I never researched what the secondary air does, but understanding the physics of the stove my assumptions and what I have witnessed the secondary air doing lines up with that answer.

Essentially as the stove cools, the secondary air opens to maintain the draft until the fuel burns itself out.

Update - after sealing everything, when I close the damper and bank it down it goes down to coals!

 

[Eman85]

funny how VC can't tell me how the secondary should work. It's interesting what they do say. file:///C:/Users/Emil/AppData/Local/Packages/microsoft.windowscommunicationsapps_8wekyb3d8bbwe/LocalState/Files/S0/3/Attachments/DISC%20-%20Defiant%20Encore%200028%20200-0915A[4282].pdf

 

[Kevin Weis]

The secondary air sounds like it's operating as designed. Should see some flame with it opened at least halfway and virtually no flame with it turned all the way down. My Intrepid is a flexburn and has a different semi downdraft design but the Intrepid II is an updraft design I believe but the controls sort of operate the same. If I had a choice I'd prefer the 2 over the flexburn. Congrats on the re-build.