VC 0046

[redwolf]

Just bought a Vermont Castings model 46 off of craigslist. Installed into fireplace and found seals were bad, so going through the process of replacing seals right now (could not adjust the dampener for secondary burn process). I am hopping the seals were the problem of insert not heating up. There was nothing warped or cracked in stove and newer blower was installed on insert before I had purchased off of seller. If anyone many have additional info on this insert, it would be of great value to me, starting fire, controls, seals, how to get insert hot enough to heat room, ect. Thanks

 

[kwburn]

what is a vermont castings 46?

 

[LeonMSPT]

Must be one like this one?

The damper controller was likely rusted and stuck... if it's still out of the fireplace, take the blower jacket off, pull the damper out of it, remove the operating rod and put some "neverseize" on it... not too much, just a thin layer, reinstall the thing. Did mine four years ago and it's still slippery.

The door gaskets and such things are important, as if they leak the thing will be overfiring certain parts and ruining them, but not as hot overall as it could be.

Just put some newspaper and kindling in it, a few small splits, and light it.. the air control knob is on the right side. Turn it away from you to open it wider and toward you to close it. Don't go nuts closing it when the fire gets roaring. You'll smother your fire and soot up your glass. Work it a few times, open to closed to open... leave it about halfway to begin with. As you get more heat out of it, close it a little as needed.

To close the damper for secondary burn, you want the insert HOT. It's burning the gasses that pass through the secondary air, allowed into the insert through the bottom of the unit, under the firebricks along the back bottom edge. Take a shop vacuum, no fire recently in the insert, and vacuum along the edge of those bricks carefully and allow it to pull good. Now, with a flashlight, look under the edge of the bricks and you're going to see some rectangular holes. Make sure they're not plugged with ash. Use a piece of mechanics wire to break up any ash plugs, and vacuum it again. Now, when you make a fire, you're going to get a whopping secondary burn.

Don't start the blower until you have a secondary burn going, or you might have a time getting it "up on step".

Heat the room? If it's connected to a chimney with a decent draft, and all the pieces are there, you're going to want a fan on the floor at the most distant place in the house, blowing back to the room the insert is in. Or it will drive you out.

Just bought a Vermont Castings model 46 off of craigslist. Installed into fireplace and found seals were bad, so going through the process of replacing seals right now (could not adjust the dampener for secondary burn process). I am hopping the seals were the problem of insert not heating up. There was nothing warped or cracked in stove and newer blower was installed on insert before I had purchased off of seller. If anyone many have additional info on this insert, it would be of great value to me, starting fire, controls, seals, how to get insert hot enough to heat room, ect. Thanks

 

[LeonMSPT]

Any problems with the bottom grate interfering with the doors opening and closing? Not uncommon, I can walk you through a fix... worked for me anyway.

 

[redwolf]

Thanks for the help, I will let you know how the fix worked. Will take a few days till I can get back to it.
Thanks again.

 

[redwolf]

OK, replace the seals around the hearth and around the doors, checked out the dampener and looks to be working properly, but still have some type of leakage into the firebox. Still, cannot control the burn rate on the firebox. There is some heat coming out, but not enough to heat the room and using around 15 logs a day(16hr time frame). Havent been able to check the fire bricks or triangle shaped holes yet, but will do in the morning.
Thanks.

 

[LeonMSPT]

Is the fire centered, and flaming, or pushing one way or the other, or pulling? A low velocity leak will draw the flame, a high velocity leak will push it. Might indicate where there is a leak.

The secondaries allow alot of air into the box... one reason why I throttled mine down, but it took a few cycles of taking it apart and making small adjustments and putting it all back together again.

When I tear it down this summer, I can foresee fabricating a box and rigging a valve to manually set the secondary air. Check your ash door gasket, and make sure there isn't an accumulation of ash or anything interfering in the tray going all the way in. Heard that the thing can block the door from sealing completely... will result in a rather rapid and full flame pattern and over firing if it is anything more than a slight leak. The door is a little weird sometimes and if it's not aligned well, squarely over the gasket material when it's latched... not great.

The latching pawls on the ash door were just little "set screws". I didn't like them. Took two "carriage bolts" of the appropriate size... dremeled the letters off the head and replaced the little set screws with a nice rounded surface to seat with the latching surface. Worked out good...

OK, replace the seals around the hearth and around the doors, checked out the dampener and looks to be working properly, but still have some type of leakage into the firebox. Still, cannot control the burn rate on the firebox. There is some heat coming out, but not enough to heat the room and using around 15 logs a day(16hr time frame). Havent been able to check the fire bricks or triangle shaped holes yet, but will do in the morning.
Thanks.