One way to know when your "airtight" stove is leaking air at the seams.

[elmoleaf]

This is my recent experience with my Intrepid II leaking air at a seam between the plates.
I noticed that my stove seemed to throwing much more heat lately from the left side than from the right. I didn't think much of it at first, and assumed maybe it was something to do with the stove's design.

Then, I gave it more thought.....hmm, the firebox inside looks identical on the left and right...single casting, no extra insulation or anything else to affect the heat output. What's going on here?

I studied the outside left casting. That's when I noticed a spot at the vertical seam between the side and front casting. Years ago, a few chips of the enamel had fallen off here. I noticed a new chip missing, but nothing had hit the stove.
I looked at the right side....the seam over there looked narrower and had no chips at all.

Now it all made sense...the left seam was leaking air, leading to a blast furnace effect on that side of the stove. More air=hotter fire=enamel damage & more heat coming out of that side of the stove. I chinked up and cemented that seam...apparently over the last year the cement there had failed, even though the stove has never been moved etc. since I rebuilt it on site. The original chips were from before I bought and a rebuilt the stove. Same air leak must have happened with the previous owner.

Since it's been fixed, the left side of the stove is no longer overheated compared to the right. So, if you notice changes like this with your cast-iron stove, give it a closer look.

 

[rydaddy]

This is my recent experience with my Intrepid II leaking air at a seam between the plates.
I noticed that my stove seemed to throwing much more heat lately from the left side than from the right. I didn't think much of it at first, and assumed maybe it was something to do with the stove's design.

Then, I gave it more thought.....hmm, the firebox inside looks identical on the left and right...single casting, no extra insulation or anything else to affect the heat output. What's going on here?

I studied the outside left casting. That's when I noticed a spot at the vertical seam between the side and front casting. Years ago, a few chips of the enamel had fallen off here. I noticed a new chip missing, but nothing had hit the stove.
I looked at the right side....the seam over there looked narrower and had no chips at all.

Now it all made sense...the left seam was leaking air, leading to a blast furnace effect on that side of the stove. More air=hotter fire=enamel damage & more heat coming out of that side of the stove. I chinked up and cemented that seam...apparently over the last year the cement there had failed, even though the stove has never been moved etc. since I rebuilt it on site. The original chips were from before I bought and a rebuilt the stove. Same air leak must have happened with the previous owner.

Since it's been fixed, the left side of the stove is no longer overheated compared to the right. So, if you notice changes like this with your cast-iron stove, give it a closer look.

Excellent Advise

 

[LeonMSPT]

VC's like to be torn down and resealed, I guess every 3-5 yrs... ? Mine is beginning to show some signs, and not sure it's going to be worth it. May look around at some different models and see what my cousin can scare up for me this coming summer. Don't necessarily mind a cat, and an afterburning model might get overdrafted on the smokestack sticking 30 odd feet up through the peak of the house... Three floors, ten foot ceilings, plus the attic...

Suppose I couple cut a hole in the brick surround for a cleanout door and stick a BDD in there, but don't like the idea of having it where I can't "see" it...

From what I have read and heard, the cat models are less likely to run away under high draft conditions?

This is my recent experience with my Intrepid II leaking air at a seam between the plates.
I noticed that my stove seemed to throwing much more heat lately from the left side than from the right. I didn't think much of it at first, and assumed maybe it was something to do with the stove's design.

Then, I gave it more thought.....hmm, the firebox inside looks identical on the left and right...single casting, no extra insulation or anything else to affect the heat output. What's going on here?

I studied the outside left casting. That's when I noticed a spot at the vertical seam between the side and front casting. Years ago, a few chips of the enamel had fallen off here. I noticed a new chip missing, but nothing had hit the stove.
I looked at the right side....the seam over there looked narrower and had no chips at all.

Now it all made sense...the left seam was leaking air, leading to a blast furnace effect on that side of the stove. More air=hotter fire=enamel damage & more heat coming out of that side of the stove. I chinked up and cemented that seam...apparently over the last year the cement there had failed, even though the stove has never been moved etc. since I rebuilt it on site. The original chips were from before I bought and a rebuilt the stove. Same air leak must have happened with the previous owner.

Since it's been fixed, the left side of the stove is no longer overheated compared to the right. So, if you notice changes like this with your cast-iron stove, give it a closer look.

Excellent Advise