Secondary burn...Does it make noise ?

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newguyjoe

Member
Nov 7, 2008
104
Monroe,NY
Hi all,
So im new to wood burning this year, i left the pellet world. I bought a VC Dauntless. So, on start up the bypass is open for a while till i have some coals going. when the stove gets hot(out of the "creosote zone" on my stovetop thermometer) ill close the bypass and ill hear a constant sound, kinda like a big blow torch. when i hear this and look outside at the cap there is no smoke and that is good. when its not making the sound there usually is smoke. i didnt buy and the stove didnt come with the catalyst. so i guess my question is, Is that sound the secondary burn or do i not get a secondary without the cat ?
Thanks,
Joe
 
I'm not familiar with this stove specifically, but if it is a 2020 stove, it either has a cat, or does an intense secondary burn...that must be what you are hearing...I've heard of other stoves that had a "rumble" when they were doing their thing...
 
I don’t think so. You may be hearing some noise/whistling as your stove is breathing in air...
 
Calling Corie to the front desk with the first Dauntless question. This sounds like secondary afterburner operation. How are the stove temps?
 
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Stove temps have been good i think .i try to keep it in the 500-550 range. Last nights fire was a little confusing. It was getting HOT like into the red zone(not for long,i closed off some air) and there was still smoke coming out of the chimney with no "sound" . i tried to move around the logs and stuff to get the air flow that i thought it needed but the fire got too hot to be in front of with the door open poking around so i left it kinda smokey. although when i woke up this morning it was out and thats fine, the glass was clean and so was the rear of the firebox. It mentions in the manual keeping the rear clean was a goal- i dont remember the actual wording. just having the smoke worries me about the inside of the chimney pipe.
 
Both my noncat and cat stoves makes a light roar like a small torch blowing. Air is rushing through a restriction and then a convoluted path through the stove. This makes a sound when the fire is strong. The noncat makes a louder roar as it’s sucking lots of air.
 
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I have a VC intrepid that makes that sound. It's usually the loudest right when I close the bypass and then quiets down as the burn continues, but it's always there a little bit. I assumed it was the sound of air being drawn through the secondary intake.

My Encore which is on a shorter chimney isn't nearly as loud.
 
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I remember old threads of VC guys hearing the rumble noise of the secondary chamber in their down draft non cat stoves. I also remember them having to make sure there was a good coal bed up against the back of the stove to get it to work properly, I think the Dauntless manual states this as well. It will probably take some trial and error to learn this stove. Sure is a good looker and the top load feature is nice as well.
 
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Yes, that sound is a good thing! That rumble turbulent combustion happening inside the insulated combustion chamber - I actually use that noise on my Encore as an indication that it's lit and running properly - It prevents me from running outside like a moron to check the chimney for smoke.
 
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Yes, that sound is a good thing! That rumble turbulent combustion happening inside the insulated combustion chamber - I actually use that noise on my Encore as an indication that it's lit and running properly - It prevents me from running outside like a moron to check the chimney for smoke.
Awesome, thanks for getting back to me. so im having another issue. my damper bypass lever is popping open while the stove is running. it doesnt usually open the damper itself but id like to fix this.in the manual it says there is an adjustment but i cant figure it out.im sure its simple but...any help would be appreciated. Thank you ! Joe
 
Awesome, thanks for getting back to me. so im having another issue. my damper bypass lever is popping open while the stove is running. it doesnt usually open the damper itself but id like to fix this.in the manual it says there is an adjustment but i cant figure it out.im sure its simple but...any help would be appreciated. Thank you ! Joe

Yessir - On the face of the damper is a set screw with is jammed in place with a nut. You'll need a 5/32" allen wrench and a 7/16" wrench if memory serves. Loosen the jam nut, twist the allen screw in a bit and close the damper. See if you're happy with the level of compression and tighteness. If not, going a little further in with the allen. Once you're happy with tightness, lock it in place with the jam nut and you should be good to go!
 
Yessir - On the face of the damper is a set screw with is jammed in place with a nut. You'll need a 5/32" allen wrench and a 7/16" wrench if memory serves. Loosen the jam nut, twist the allen screw in a bit and close the damper. See if you're happy with the level of compression and tighteness. If not, going a little further in with the allen. Once you're happy with tightness, lock it in place with the jam nut and you should be good to go!
Thanks again for getting back to me. Do i need to remove the nut totally to get to the set screw? otherwise i dont see any set screw and didnt want to remove the nut because i dont know what its holding on to behind the damper.i even called my dealer yesterday and they said there was no set screw anymore. i will try again later when i get home.Thanks !!
 
Thanks again for getting back to me. Do i need to remove the nut totally to get to the set screw? otherwise i dont see any set screw and didnt want to remove the nut because i dont know what its holding on to behind the damper.i even called my dealer yesterday and they said there was no set screw anymore. i will try again later when i get home.Thanks !!

Sorry, it's not a set screw on yours, it's a bolt and nut - The manual has all the info you need!
 
Sorry, it's not a set screw on yours, it's a bolt and nut - The manual has all the info you need!
The manual says it has a set screw and even came with the allen wrench. the bolt and nut are in my stove but moving them doesnt do anything.
 
The manual says it has a set screw and even came with the allen wrench. the bolt and nut are in my stove but moving them doesnt do anything.

Loosening the nut and then tightening the bolt pushes the damper ramp (on the backside of the damper, not visible) further towards the rear of the unit, effectively tightening the rod/ramp engagement.
 
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Loosening the nut and then tightening the bolt pushes the damper ramp (on the backside of the damper, not visible) further towards the rear of the unit, effectively tightening the rod/ramp engagement.
Thanks again for the reply. So, i did tighten the damper handle with the allen wrench BUT that didnt solve my issue(it was loose). when i pull the damper handle to the down position to close the bypass, the handle does not stay down- the bypass stays closed but if i open the griddle and touch the bypass it will drop back(stove cold of course) is that a better description? the nut and bolt are all the way in and tight also. can i remove the nut and tighten just the bolt ? is that bolt actually holding something on the back of the damper door ? Thanks again and happy new year !