Hi all,
So glad to have found this website, as we moved to Maine and are getting into the whole wood-burning thing. We moved into a house with a preexisting Vermont Castings Resolute Acclaim. I have no idea how old it is, but there are some obvious problems with it (missing gaskets on the door, warped damper door). Please be patient with my terminology, as I am still learning!
However, the biggest problem, I think, is what's happening in the back of the firebox, behind the firebricks... I had someone take the pipe out so I could trouble shoot what was keeping the damper door from opening all the way. He reached his hand down into the back of the stove from the pipe opening and started pulling soft material out, which he called "insulation" but I'm not sure what it was. Anyway, he said something along the lines of hating air-tight stoves anyway, and we should do a test burn and see how the baby works.
I can build a fire, yes. It gets somewhat warm, yes. I don't know how warm, because I don't have a thermometer, maybe I need one? It slightly heats the kitchen but does not by a long shot heat up the other rooms. But the biggest issue is (again, I think this is the correct word) with the "draw." When I have the damper open, the fire seems tamer, but when I close the damper, the fire starts roaring.I can audibly hear the chimney suck the fire up. I have to put solid oak pieces in the stove every 30 minutes or so to keep to going. I am not sure if I'm doing something wrong... or if the stove is broken. Or is all of this normal?
What is supposed to happen behind the firebox? Is this something I can fix? Or should I get a new stove because the damper is warped anyway? I looked in a new resolute at the store, and there was a firebrick in there blocking my view so I have no idea what mine is missing.
Thanks for any help. I'd love to just get a new stove, but due to restraints from the tiny hearth and my very low thimble, I would probably be limited to buying the same exact stove anyway.
So glad to have found this website, as we moved to Maine and are getting into the whole wood-burning thing. We moved into a house with a preexisting Vermont Castings Resolute Acclaim. I have no idea how old it is, but there are some obvious problems with it (missing gaskets on the door, warped damper door). Please be patient with my terminology, as I am still learning!
However, the biggest problem, I think, is what's happening in the back of the firebox, behind the firebricks... I had someone take the pipe out so I could trouble shoot what was keeping the damper door from opening all the way. He reached his hand down into the back of the stove from the pipe opening and started pulling soft material out, which he called "insulation" but I'm not sure what it was. Anyway, he said something along the lines of hating air-tight stoves anyway, and we should do a test burn and see how the baby works.
I can build a fire, yes. It gets somewhat warm, yes. I don't know how warm, because I don't have a thermometer, maybe I need one? It slightly heats the kitchen but does not by a long shot heat up the other rooms. But the biggest issue is (again, I think this is the correct word) with the "draw." When I have the damper open, the fire seems tamer, but when I close the damper, the fire starts roaring.I can audibly hear the chimney suck the fire up. I have to put solid oak pieces in the stove every 30 minutes or so to keep to going. I am not sure if I'm doing something wrong... or if the stove is broken. Or is all of this normal?
What is supposed to happen behind the firebox? Is this something I can fix? Or should I get a new stove because the damper is warped anyway? I looked in a new resolute at the store, and there was a firebrick in there blocking my view so I have no idea what mine is missing.
Thanks for any help. I'd love to just get a new stove, but due to restraints from the tiny hearth and my very low thimble, I would probably be limited to buying the same exact stove anyway.