Just realized I'm starting my third decade this season heating our Maine home with an Encore 2550 we bought new in 2002. I love the stove and it has been rock-steady reliable each and every year. I installed it myself and the setup works well--8-inch pipe into a 35-foot chimney in the center of the house with outside air duct feeding the stove.
After blowing through the factory cat in 2 seasons due to ignorance (flame impingement), I got 10 years out of the second cat, then tried out the Condar Steelcat which lasted 8 years before the metal started to sag out of the frame. Decided to go back to ceramic and put a brand new one in last week.
Replaced the refractory assembly a few years ago (had a crack in the area where the combustor sits) and also the "combustion throat" which warped but besides that all I've ever had to do is change gaskets and an annual cleaning. Our local dealer kept telling me I need to disassemble and rebuild the thing but I was skeptical as the performance has remained strong. Another dealer told me that was hogwash and that trying to disassemble a 20-year old stove was going to cause all kinds of issues.
Unfortunately the digital probe thermometer I picked up from Condar back in '09 has stopped working. They have a new version but it's $150 and I'm not sure I need the digital unit. Does anyone have a thermometer they like using with this stove? I can get by with the griddle top thermometer, it's just that I like knowing exactly how hot the cat is getting.
Thanks for any advice.
Here's a photo: still need to clean up the outside and do a little touch-up painting, already did all the other fall maintenance and had a test fire the other night.
Hope everyone's having a good fall and you've got plenty of dry seasoned firewood on hand!
After blowing through the factory cat in 2 seasons due to ignorance (flame impingement), I got 10 years out of the second cat, then tried out the Condar Steelcat which lasted 8 years before the metal started to sag out of the frame. Decided to go back to ceramic and put a brand new one in last week.
Replaced the refractory assembly a few years ago (had a crack in the area where the combustor sits) and also the "combustion throat" which warped but besides that all I've ever had to do is change gaskets and an annual cleaning. Our local dealer kept telling me I need to disassemble and rebuild the thing but I was skeptical as the performance has remained strong. Another dealer told me that was hogwash and that trying to disassemble a 20-year old stove was going to cause all kinds of issues.
Unfortunately the digital probe thermometer I picked up from Condar back in '09 has stopped working. They have a new version but it's $150 and I'm not sure I need the digital unit. Does anyone have a thermometer they like using with this stove? I can get by with the griddle top thermometer, it's just that I like knowing exactly how hot the cat is getting.
Thanks for any advice.
Here's a photo: still need to clean up the outside and do a little touch-up painting, already did all the other fall maintenance and had a test fire the other night.
Hope everyone's having a good fall and you've got plenty of dry seasoned firewood on hand!
