Newbie - VC Encore NC

[Slow1]

Well.. I can tell that I'm at risk for a rocky experience here based on the reading I've done over the last few days. Seems I should have read first, and bought/installed after, but here I am. It seems more folks dislike my choice of stove than like it. At this point returning it is not an option for me (bought online, installed 2 months after delivery... just not up to a fight to return it because folks on forum don't like it..).

So - I'm hoping to hear from some other owners of this stove who can give positive advice on managing good burns on it. I have a new 6" double-wall chimney (outside) that is pretty tall - goes up two floors plus roof height.. So I have a serious draft. I have had some problems controlling hot burns already - now I have a good idea why (even with air control all the way closed fire just kept getting hotter... talk about feeling helpless!). I need to find that secondary air intake so I can block it off if/when this happens again.

I'm wondering what the manual means when it recommends a 3" bed of coals - do they mean covering the whole bottom of the stove? this seems like a lot of coals and certain to overheat if I then load it full of wood. The most I've added yet was 4 splits (oak) and this resulted in a seriously hot stove (hit 700+ middle of griddle) that I couldn't bring down and was sweating it out hoping to see the needle go down.. I didn't see any glows, but didn't look at the back of the stove which I now know I should have...

Thoughts/suggestions welcome. (please, refrain from the "just return it and replace with xyz stove" if possible unless you have connections to do this w/o pain and significant cost on my part!).

 

[Diabel]

This stove is great....keeps you on your toes ;-)

Lots info here!

 

[Northern NH Mike]

This response is more encouragement than info.

I'm learning how to use this stove myself and the archives have been very helpful in troubleshooting things like overdraft, checking gaskets, wood load and air management. Despite the challenge, and I'd likely have had this learning curve with any stove, I like the stove. I'm learning how my particular setup and daily weather conditions impact performance and I think that is key to safe, effective burns. My humble advice is start with small hot fires, observe the temp cycles and read the Florida Bungalow article (sorry, don't have the link) as that is how I'm understanding this unit. Observation, research, patience.

 

[Crabbypatty]

it's not a bad stove......it just takes patience and trial and error to perfect the burn. Mine ran away on me last week and i replaced some gaskets and paid closer attention to it and it's purring along in everburn now. i keep a thermo on the top of the stove in the left rear corner and use that to regulate the stove. at 550 i shut the damper and it goes into everburn......then regulate the air to keep it there. if the ash bed is at the bottom of the doors i reload and close the damper almost immediately....don't forget to stir the ash bed when reloading. all in all i like the stove, although i miss running my father's 1978 VC defiant smoke dragon, it was so much easier.

 

[Slow1]

Thanks folks for replies. I am currently out of town for the holiday so I'm spending more time than usual reading the forums here. I am eager to get home and try some of the many things that I'm learning about.

I have read the "Florida Bungalo Syndrome" article and plan to check my door gaskets when I get home I had not really considered that they may not be tight given that it is a new install... gee, you mean it's not perfect when first installed ?!?

 

[schortie]

I too am learning to master the VC everburn system with my defiant. I'm sure you've read by now to check your doors, and your ash pan seal using the dollar bill test. You are able to make some adjustments to the doors and ash pan with the screw on the inside of the handles check your manual. If that doesn't do it, you can pull out the gasket and add some more cement to build it up, or merely replace the gaskets.

I would imagine that your temps would rage with four splits of oak and an open damper on an existing bed of coals. I do not cover the floor of my firebox with three inches of coals, but I rake them to the back bottom throat of the secondary chamber. I have found that the coals need to cover at least the width of the main refractory and at least 3/4's the depth of the stove. After you build up the coals, place the splits and let them flame for about 10 minutes, then it is time to close the damper. When you do, you should hear a definite rumble from your stove. You shouldn't have to listen very hard for it. Some people have compared the rumble to wave crashing from a distance (how poetic). You will also have no emissions from your chimney. In my stove, the rumble slows and is near silent when the wood has coaled.

You will probably notice a drop in griddle temperature after you close the damper, but it will come back up - and hopefully hold at a reasonable temp. 500-650 is reasonable for me, but I have a bigger stove. I'm not sure if they're the same for the encore.

I have found that engaging the everburn consistently has been my biggest challenge. I realized that coal depth, log placement, outside temp, size of the load, and DRY WOOD all have an impact on the stove's effectiveness. It could be that the stove chooses to work when it wants to, but I like to think that I have at least some control over the situation.

I am not claiming to be an expert as I still have plenty kinks and concerns to work out myself, but this is what I've learned from the folks here, and personal experience - but mostly from the folks here. I am confident that if you've read many of the posts on the subject, you have learned nothing new from me.

 

[tradergordo]

Search the forum for "everburn" and you'll find lots of info, and maybe check out the everburn series of videos I made - they aren't that great but as far as I know they are the only everburn videos on the web...
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/14536/

Don't get too pessimistic, there were also a bunch of new folks here on the forums over the last few months with very favorable opinions. All I can say is that given enough time, you get used to this design and they can work very well. If you have a problem, there is usually a solution. You need well seasoned wood, you need a decent coal bed to damper down, and you must clean the rear chambers out annually being careful not to damage the refractory, etc. Good luck.