This is my first time posting here at hearth.com, but I've been here allot, just browsing and getting my questions answered by what others have posted before. I picked up a VC Encore 2550 a year and a half ago, and I've finally gotten it installed in my house. This week was the first burning that the stove has seen. The stove was in storage for a few years, don't know how many, but it's obvious that it was never burned before. I got a great deal on it, but with the chimney and misc accessories, I've got some money invested. Now I've read all sorts of bad things on this site about the VC stoves, but that's what I got, and I want to make it work. I've fired the 3-4 break in loads to heat up and cool down the stove in it's break in procedure per the manual. Last evening I loaded it up with oak actually started getting some usable heat out of it. I let the wood get burning 10-15 minutes, then closed the bypass to engage the cat. I had the air control lever set to low to 1/3, and I see a reduction of flaming of the wood. (still see plenty of flames, but there is definitely less than with the bypass open)
Here's the question:
After a 20 to 30 minutes burning with the cat engaged, I have my upper fireback and combustion throat hood glowing a nice red/orange. Flames off the wood are going up through the hood. Is this normal? Do I have an air leak on a new stove? At the point the stove was the hottest, I was hearing a slight rumble? from the back of the stove.
I imagine that I'm going to get hit by a bunch of "I'd take that stove out back and use it for target practice" type comments, but I really want to make this stove work!
I did the dollar bill test on the doors and ash pan door, these all test good!
Some info:
I have a 2.5 story house with a 6" flue selkirk 2100-ht chimney that I installed this fall. Maybe 35' chimney with a 6 ft 45degree offset partway up. using double wall stovepipe out the back of the stove, than elbow directly into the selkirk chimney.
Wood is 10" diameter oak logs that were stacked on a pline for a number of years, than more recently cross cut into 1"-2" frisbees. (my father ownes a chain saw shop, he test runs his saws and these are the byproduct)
Thanks in advance
Here's the question:
After a 20 to 30 minutes burning with the cat engaged, I have my upper fireback and combustion throat hood glowing a nice red/orange. Flames off the wood are going up through the hood. Is this normal? Do I have an air leak on a new stove? At the point the stove was the hottest, I was hearing a slight rumble? from the back of the stove.
I imagine that I'm going to get hit by a bunch of "I'd take that stove out back and use it for target practice" type comments, but I really want to make this stove work!
I did the dollar bill test on the doors and ash pan door, these all test good!
Some info:
I have a 2.5 story house with a 6" flue selkirk 2100-ht chimney that I installed this fall. Maybe 35' chimney with a 6 ft 45degree offset partway up. using double wall stovepipe out the back of the stove, than elbow directly into the selkirk chimney.
Wood is 10" diameter oak logs that were stacked on a pline for a number of years, than more recently cross cut into 1"-2" frisbees. (my father ownes a chain saw shop, he test runs his saws and these are the byproduct)
Thanks in advance