New Guy Here with VC Intrepid II Questions...

[Oregono]

Hello everyone...

Recently moved into a house built in 1900 and was pleased to find that in the dining room we have a VC Intrepid II wood burning stove.

Even more recently found these forums while looking for information on the stove itself.

I had my daughter take some photos of the stove and would like to get a general idea from the experienced folks here as to the condition, model # (from what I understand, the model number should be on the back of the stove but as you can see from the photos there is some kind of heat guard or resonator or some such thing back there covering it... so hopefully someone here will have enough experience to know what model Intrepid this is?) and whatever else I may need to purchase before firing this up for the first time.

I found a site that has the owners manual in .pdf form--which I've already downloaded and printed.

Thanks for having me aboard and hopefully all you nice folk can help me out here, thanks again!

The photos...

 

[njmeder]

Hello everyone...

Recently moved into a house built in 1900 and was pleased to find that in the dining room we have a VC Intrepid II wood burning stove.

Even more recently found these forums while looking for information on the stove itself.

I had my daughter take some photos of the stove and would like to get a general idea from the experienced folks here as to the condition, model # (from what I understand, the model number should be on the back of the stove but as you can see from the photos there is some kind of heat guard or resonator or some such thing back there covering it... so hopefully someone here will have enough experience to know what model Intrepid this is?) and whatever else I may need to purchase before firing this up for the first time.

I found a site that has the owners manual in .pdf form--which I've already downloaded and printed.

Thanks for having me aboard and hopefully all you nice folk can help me out here, thanks again!

The photos...

View attachment 144013 View attachment 144014 View attachment 144016 View attachment 144017 View attachment 144018 View attachment 144020 View attachment 144021 View attachment 144023

Model 1990. I've got one in the lower level of our split level home and it does surprisingly well. Make sure to give it a thorough cleaning before firing it off for the first time.

 

[1ruralmailman]

i would say it needs a door gasket as well,by the looks of that last picture.

 

[homebrewz]

I would inspect the condition of the catalyst and make sure it's not cracked or broken, or that it's even there. Also check the condition of the refractory material which surrounds it. It might be flaking off in places, but it shouldn't be falling apart.

How is your wood supply?

 

[Oregono]

Thank you for all the replies, much appreciated.

Okay, more questions...
Can someone point out where I am to look for the catalyst inside the stove?
How do I check the refractory material as well?
Where can I locate a door gasket replacement?
And last... we have no wood supply yet (wanted to get the stove in good working condition before looking around locally for wood delivery options).

Thank you all in advance!!

 

[homebrewz]

Thank you for all the replies, much appreciated.
And last... we have no wood supply yet (wanted to get the stove in good working condition before looking around locally for wood delivery options).

That's sort of putting the cart before the horse, as many people do. As you'll read in the Wood Shed room, finding seasoned wood in some areas, especially this time of year can be a challenge.

I believe on this stove the catalyst is accessed by taking the back panel off. There should be instructions in the manual for checking the catalyst (also called the cat, combustor, or catalytic converter). The refractory package is the soft, insulation-like material which houses it. It's kind of fragile, so be careful poking around in there. You can simply report back what it looks like, or better yet take a picture.

The gaskets can be found at any hearth shop or ordered online. The manual should indicate which size is needed for the doors. The other surfaces may have different sizes. If you take the back off, there will be gasketing material on those mating surfaces which will need to be replaced.

 

[Oregono]

That's sort of putting the cart before the horse, as many people do. As you'll read in the Wood Shed room, finding seasoned wood in some areas, especially this time of year can be a challenge.

I believe on this stove the catalyst is accessed by taking the back panel off. There should be instructions in the manual for checking the catalyst (also called the cat, combustor, or catalytic converter). The refractory package is the soft, insulation-like material which houses it. It's kind of fragile, so be careful poking around in there. You can simply report back what it looks like, or better yet take a picture.

The gaskets can be found at any hearth shop or ordered online. The manual should indicate which size is needed for the doors. The other surfaces may have different sizes. If you take the back off, there will be gasketing material on those mating surfaces which will need to be replaced.

Okay, I'll start probing into the wood situation asap.

Thank you for the other info as well--as soon as I get the back off and have a look/see I'll take photos and report back in here.

Thanks again!!

 

[njmeder]

Dry wood will be key to the success of your operation. I had a steep learning curve as this was my first catalytic stove, don't be discouraged with performance if you find yourself forced to burn wood that isn't fully seasoned. I'm finally 3 years ahead(surplus of red/white oak) and what a difference between years 2 and 3. These stoves certainly don't tolerate wet wood.

In addition to the advice given by others I'd recommend buying a stove top thermometer to help ensure you are burning as clean and efficiently as possible. I've got a Condar which seems to be accurate but there are a few other brands to choose from.

 

[Oregono]

Dry wood will be key to the success of your operation. I had a steep learning curve as this was my first catalytic stove, don't be discouraged with performance if you find yourself forced to burn wood that isn't fully seasoned. I'm finally 3 years ahead(surplus of red/white oak) and what a difference between years 2 and 3. These stoves certainly don't tolerate wet wood.

In addition to the advice given by others I'd recommend buying a stove top thermometer to help ensure you are burning as clean and efficiently as possible. I've got a Condar which seems to be accurate but there are a few other brands to choose from.

Thank you much... I'll be sure to get a thermometer as well then!

Locally, I am finding choices in single/double/triple cords of 1, 1-2, and 2 year old 16 to 18" split soft, soft/hard, hard mixes of delivered woods. The varieties are:
Juniper,
Fir,
Lodgepool & Ponderosa Pine,
Tamarack,
Maple,
Oak,
Alder,
Cherry,
Ash,
and Madrone (those last 6 varieties are their most expensive and they have those listed as "Premium Hardwoods").

Question concerning cords... if we, as a family, were to burn say 1-2 fires per day, how long would a cord last us?

 

[njmeder]

Too many variables to accurately answer but for reference I burn about 1.5 cords per year, keeping in mind I only supplement with wood. Burning season out here is mid October to early April, burning 3 nights a week and all weekend.

 

[Oregono]

Slight update... (haven't had a chance to begin cleaning the stove or looking around to see what's there or gone missing) spoke with the guy who we are renting from and he said that the stove works great and that the chimney was inspected a year or two ago and that we should go right ahead and begin using it.

I am just a tiny bit suspect about jumping right in for a few reasons:

1. I want to fully learn how to run this stove properly (the manual and this forum should help that along I would think), and as such want to take delivery of the Condar stove top thermometer before I fire it.
2. I am noticing, obvious to even my uneducated brain, that the andirons are missing/the door gaskets do seem well-worn/the griddle has the tab (for lifting it) broken off... so once I clean the stove and start looking around I have a sneaking suspicion that other things may need attention.

Two new questions...

1. When cleaning the stove, is there a certain amount of ash I should leave inside it for the first burn or is it best to thoroughly clean it all out?

2. If things, specifically the CAT, are missing/worn or broken, can the stove still be used before replacing it?

 

[homebrewz]

1. Don't know.. is there an ash pan below? If so, you probably don't need to leave ash on the bottom. Otherwise, it couldn't hurt.

2. Without the catalyst, you can run the stove in bypass mode, but there will be less heat and more pollution leaving the stack.

My friends had a VC Defiant Encore 2190 for years. The tab was broken off of the griddle and they used vice grips, or loaded from the front. I'd replace the andirons as they stop splits from rolling into the glass.

 

[Oregono]

1. Don't know.. is there an ash pan below? If so, you probably don't need to leave ash on the bottom. Otherwise, it couldn't hurt.

2. Without the catalyst, you can run the stove in bypass mode, but there will be less heat and more pollution leaving the stack.

My friends had a VC Defiant Encore 2190 for years. The tab was broken off of the griddle and they used vice grips, or loaded from the front. I'd replace the andirons as they stop splits from rolling into the glass.

Thanks for responding.

Yes, there is an ash pan.

Question--- how do I run the stove in bypass mode? I am not seeing that in the manual I downloaded--perhaps I have the wrong manual for my actual model.

 

[homebrewz]

Bypass simply means when the damper is open, because you are bypassing the catalyst. I can see the damper lever in the pictures you posted. There is an open circle on the side of the stove for the open position, and a filled in circle to indicate the closed position. When you close the damper, you force the exhaust to go through the catalyst and (hopefully) secondary combustion gasses will be reburned by the catalyst and contribute heat to the stove.

 

[Oregono]

Okay, I finally got into the inner vortex of this beast earlier this evening, and while holding everything I could -including a flashlight- had my daughter take photos.

Hopefully the photos will illustrate an accurate picture of the condition of the parts featured (side note: some of the photos are slightly over-exposed so where you see red or orange tinted parts, that would be inaccurate).

And last, I tried my best to have my daughter take a photo while I angled the flashlight up and into the flue/chimney pipe to get an opinion on any creosote issues that any of you might feel warrant looking into.

Thanks in advance!!

 

[njmeder]

Refractory looks good, probably want to get a vacuum in where the cat sits as ash tends to collect in the housing. Don't be afraid to remove everything from the stove, just be careful and mindful of how it came out. Snap some photos for help with the reassembly.

The cat looks okay, obviously not new condition but I've seen much worse. Looks like a few small cracks but other than that it should work just fine. Again take a vacuum or lightly apply some compressed air to clean the honeycomb out. I usually rotate or flip the cat each time I remove/reinstall for even wear.

Pictures of the fireback, throat hood and flue collar look like the stove has been burned properly in the past. I'll have a small accumulation of fly ash on the inside stove panels as well as the flue collar and pipe connection after burning all winter so some should be normal. Too tough to tell condition of chimney but sweep or have it swept before burning. It'll ensure its clean and that nothing nested in there over the summer months. What is your chimney composed of?

 

[Oregono]

Refractory looks good, probably want to get a vacuum in where the cat sits as ash tends to collect in the housing. Don't be afraid to remove everything from the stove, just be careful and mindful of how it came out. Snap some photos for help with the reassembly.

The cat looks okay, obviously not new condition but I've seen much worse. Looks like a few small cracks but other than that it should work just fine. Again take a vacuum or lightly apply some compressed air to clean the honeycomb out. I usually rotate or flip the cat each time I remove/reinstall for even wear.

Pictures of the fireback, throat hood and flue collar look like the stove has been burned properly in the past. I'll have a small accumulation of fly ash on the inside stove panels as well as the flue collar and pipe connection after burning all winter so some should be normal. Too tough to tell condition of chimney but sweep or have it swept before burning. It'll ensure its clean and that nothing nested in there over the summer months. What is your chimney composed of?

That's great news to read, thank you!!
The chimney, as far as I can see (looking at it from inside the attic) is brick... once it leaves the roof though, it's an aluminum round pipe with a end piece/hood.
I'll get onto a thorough cleaning as soon as the ash vacuum I ordered yesterday arrives--hopefully Tuesday.
Question... typically what does an inspection/cleaning cost for a single chimney? I ask because looking around our area there is an abundance of chimney sweeps but the pricing (at least the ones that list their fees on their websites) seems to be all over the place ($100 to $300 to a masonry/inspector/sweep fella who's minimum was $500).

 

[homebrewz]

It looks OK. If you have trouble getting a vacuum into some places, you can duct tape some plastic tubing onto the end of the vacuum hose to try and get some of the accumulated fly ash from hard to reach places. Be careful poking around the refractory. They get more fragile with use and age. The cat looks OK. It's hard to tell from the angle of the photos, but it looks like one side has some scooping, or peaks and valleys from use. It might be from running it hot, and/or higher moisture wood. You might get another year out of it.