I bought a new PH and installed last week of November. Huge improvement over our old VC Encore. Everything has been working beautifully so far, except for my draft control lever. When to stove is cool , the lever moves nice and easy. The warmer the stove gets, the more difficult it is to move (especially close). Above 450 stove top temps I have to apply so much pressure I'm afraid I may bend/break something. Any other PH owners experience this?
Progress Hybrid Air Control Lever
- Thread starter Hilltop
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I have not, but IIRC, the rear shield is what is causing the friction... Hopefully someone will chime in soon.
I've noticed that too now that you mention it. Not sure mine is as dramatic as yours as I'm not concerned about it breaking, but the plastic (?) end of the knob is starting to feel a bit loose from the pressure I've put on it regularly...
The end is definitely plastic, mine pulls right off.
I checked the shield, and made the hole a little larger just to make sure that was not my issue. I'll reach out to Woodstock next week and report back with what I find out. Thanks for feedback.
I checked the shield, and made the hole a little larger just to make sure that was not my issue. I'll reach out to Woodstock next week and report back with what I find out. Thanks for feedback.
31 bertram
Member
Hilltop...how does your new stove compare to your old VC Encore? I have been running a VC 2550 since they came out many years ago and I'm thinking about making a change in the future. This has been the first year that I've had problems and doing buisness with VC has been less than desirable. I would also like to get rid of the 8" dia. pipe.
31 Bertram - PH is far and away better stove than VC Encor. I had VC model 1450 (non-Cat). Bought it new in 2006 when we built house. Refractory / fountain assembly burned out. Parts were supposed to be under lifetime warranty, but CFM (parent company) went bankrupt in 2008. Lifetime Warranty voided. Was going to buy replacement parts but the 3 or 4 parts I needed added up to $1200 alone. I wasn't going to put that kind of money back into the stove....probably to have the same issue happen again.
I go through way less wood with the PH. Less heat up the chimney too. Pipe temp is consistently approx 100 degrees less than stove top temp. VC Encore had pipe temp same if not higher than stove top. I get up in the morning, house is still warm. Plenty of coals to get another fire going. I am one happy customer with the PH. Glass stays much cleaner too with double plane design. You might already know, but PH is VERY heavy. Took 4 of us to get it in the house and on hearth. But the difficulty moving was well worth it.
I go through way less wood with the PH. Less heat up the chimney too. Pipe temp is consistently approx 100 degrees less than stove top temp. VC Encore had pipe temp same if not higher than stove top. I get up in the morning, house is still warm. Plenty of coals to get another fire going. I am one happy customer with the PH. Glass stays much cleaner too with double plane design. You might already know, but PH is VERY heavy. Took 4 of us to get it in the house and on hearth. But the difficulty moving was well worth it.
Hilltop;
I'll be curious what Woodstock has to say. Mine act the same way as yours, kind of binds up on me when hot.
I think I heard they made a recent design change to the air control - I'm not sure if yours has it or not. Please let us know any details you find out.
You are gonna like this stove a lot. I almost went with a VC stove back around 2006, but after reading so many good things about the Woodstock Company, I decided on the Fireview, and later went with the Progress.
I have also noticed the stove outlet temperature is constantly about 100 degrees cooler than the stovetop temperature. I can't believe how cool the pipe temps are,even when reloading and firing it up.
I'll be curious what Woodstock has to say. Mine act the same way as yours, kind of binds up on me when hot.
I think I heard they made a recent design change to the air control - I'm not sure if yours has it or not. Please let us know any details you find out.
You are gonna like this stove a lot. I almost went with a VC stove back around 2006, but after reading so many good things about the Woodstock Company, I decided on the Fireview, and later went with the Progress.
I have also noticed the stove outlet temperature is constantly about 100 degrees cooler than the stovetop temperature. I can't believe how cool the pipe temps are,even when reloading and firing it up.
mine makes a little squeaking noise when i close it all the way, and than barely open it for a long burn. but i cant say its a problem at all. I took the part of the heatshield off that covers the air intake, but i doubt that really has anything to do with it.
as for the VC encore comparison, I too went from a VC Encore and find the PH to be far and away superior. Maybe because the stove was older, but i doubt it. The PH uses the same, or less, wood and provides a whole lot more heat for longer periods of time. Im glad i went with a soapstone stove and Im really happy with the PH. It is built to last
as for the VC encore comparison, I too went from a VC Encore and find the PH to be far and away superior. Maybe because the stove was older, but i doubt it. The PH uses the same, or less, wood and provides a whole lot more heat for longer periods of time. Im glad i went with a soapstone stove and Im really happy with the PH. It is built to last
My first stove was a VC Encore NC, I don't think there is any comparison really. In terms of size of stove one can compare the Encore NC to the Fireview, but performance wise the FV is far superior in my experience. Now that I've stepped up to the PH since we're heating a larger home than either the Encore NC or the FV is rated for, I'm even happier. Bottom line - If you can use the heat of the PH, I recommend it over the Encore NC, if you don't need that much heat go with the FV - it will give more effective heat than the Encore NC as well but not as much as the PH.
31 bertram
Member
Glad to hear good reports on the PH's. As I get older/wiser (maybe) I find myself looking more and more at products that are backed up by good Customer Service. I figured I would start looking around and researching now so I won't be left out in the cold (pun intended) when ole betsey goes belly up. I just don't have the "warm and fuzzy" with my VC and don't think I'll have another VC product.
teutonicking
Feeling the Heat
When I close my draft I actually find the opposite--the more the stove heats up the more I can close the draft without applying pressure. I actually use this as a gauge on how far I close the draft in stages--i just close it until I hit some resistence, and repeat two or three times every five or ten miutes until the draft is fully closed.
Problem solved. I took off rear sheild this morning after stove cooled to see if I could figure out the issue. Air control is simply a square rod with butterfly valves screwed in place. There are two "collars" at either end of the square rod with set screws that when tightened keep the rod from sliding back and forth. When I loosened one of the set screws, and slid the collar back away form the air control housing the lever moves freely. So freely that it will not stay in place if you put it halfway between open and closed (falls closed). I believe the purpose of those collars are to provide a bit of tension to allow the lever to stay where the user sets it. It was a two person job, but I pushed the collar back up against the housing with slight pressure and had my wife tighten the set screw to keep in place. Problem solved. I know this probably isn't too helpful without pictures, but if anyone needs help fixing this I'd be glad to offer more detail and eventually try to upload pictures.
It's odd to hear teutonicking is experience the opposite, but if a user wants more resistance on the lever they just need to apply more pressure to the collar before tightening the set screw.
Happy Burning!!
It's odd to hear teutonicking is experience the opposite, but if a user wants more resistance on the lever they just need to apply more pressure to the collar before tightening the set screw.
Happy Burning!!
Machria
Minister of Fire
Interesting. I too noticed my air control gets a little stiff the hotter the stove is, and wondered/worried I would push too hard and break/bend it when trying to close it. But I've gotten used to it...
One of my only complaints or wish list items on he PH is, I wish the air control had soem sort of reference for the setting. Numbers 1 to 10 or clicks or something.... just a way to know exactly where it is set, especially for allowing somebody who is not as familiar with it (like the wife) to set it easily. Example, we cudl say, "please put the air control on 2".
Regarding fue temps, I also see a 100 degree difference between flue pipe, and stove top. When cruising, my pipe temp is ussually at 250, and the stove top is 300 to 350.
One of my only complaints or wish list items on he PH is, I wish the air control had soem sort of reference for the setting. Numbers 1 to 10 or clicks or something.... just a way to know exactly where it is set, especially for allowing somebody who is not as familiar with it (like the wife) to set it easily. Example, we cudl say, "please put the air control on 2".
Regarding fue temps, I also see a 100 degree difference between flue pipe, and stove top. When cruising, my pipe temp is ussually at 250, and the stove top is 300 to 350.
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