VC Aspen C3 (2023) Can’t Heat Small Room

[meagloth]

Understand the frustration, but at least hopefully you can get that fixed, and it will work correctly in future. Your tenacity and persistence has seemed to find the issue at least. Good luck.

Thanks. There was a lot of slack in the cabin dangling so I thought I could pop it out on top and lengthen in. I did and it broke again I think where it was clipped in but not sure. I guess I need a new chain.

 

[bigealta]

Good clear pics. Nice work.

While u are deciding what to do, You can "borrow" some chain from your ceiling fan, pull chain light, toilet to get this running again now.
Not sure if those chains are heavier than that broken one. To make the least impact if you can just get a "coupler" link and use that to mend the existing one that would probably be the best way to go for now. (until you get a replacement)

 

[30WCF]

That’s very clean.
You can grab a chain a the home store like Lowe’s or Home Depot or whatever you have. They are usually on an end cap near the glass lamp globes with fan switches and small parts. Keep the two pieces to use as a gauge for how long to cut yours.

 

[meagloth]

That’s very clean.
You can grab a chain a the home store like Lowe’s or Home Depot or whatever you have. They are usually on an end cap near the glass lamp globes with fan switches and small parts. Keep the two pieces to use as a gauge for how long to cut yours.

Local dealer can get the part in 2 weeks for$35, so I went on a treasure hunt. Because of the heat and soot I think it would be very inadvisable to use a plated steel chain from a hardware store. If you look they are all “chrome” which is plated carbon steel. They are not rated as strong and will be less resistant to heat and corrosion.
I looked and big box stores did not have stainless. Called around jewelry stores and craft supplies, no luck. After much searching i discovered that toilet pulls and drain plug chains (danco brand) are stainless and the correct size (#6 or 1/8” balls) I resolved to go buy some toilet plugs, but got very lucky at the local Ace hardware and they actually had 20” of stainless number 6. That was the only size they had in stainless and it was the last of the roll. It was $3. Feeling lucky today.

 

[meagloth]

I got it installed. Since the old chain broke in two spot it was hard to know for sure how long it had been. I tried to get it close but ultimately just had to put it one there. I used a blowtorch to heat the probe and watched it move. I tried to get it to be fully closed at 900 F on the probe. But it was just a guess.

I got it back together and shoved the stove back it. It’s acting the same, going out as soon as I close the door. Now that I know where the valve is I realized I can see it if I drill a hole in my air intake. I did so and the flapper is fully closed at 300f stove top temp. Not sure how I will proceed. It’s a big pain in the ass to drag the stove out but now that I know how, it’d go faster.
With the new hole drilled in the air intake I can hold the flapper open with a wire. I’m going to try that and sit here to see how hot it gets

 

[meagloth]

Holding the flapper open with a wire gets it burning good and stove top temp up to 700. I think I need to shorten it several links. But the stove is hot now so I’ll have to do it some other time.

 

[bigealta]

Sounds good to shorten the chain by a couple or so.
Nice problem solving.

I have those furniture sliders under the feet of my f400,.... makes sliding the stove out Much easier. They've been there for 5 years no problem.

 

[meagloth]

Works pretty good if you peg the flap open. Probably the first time I’ve ever felt it put out heat like this.
The proof will be in the cold temps coming tommorow and Sunday.
Really frustrating that I bought this brand new and it never ran right and dealers and everyone just told me it was wet wood or I wasn’t running it right or I need to clean it and Vermont has no information on how to adjust it or that it might not be right… just that it’s “automatic” and “maintenance free”

 

[bigealta]

How is your "air intake" set up?

 

[30WCF]

How is your "air intake" set up?

Yeah. Looking at the pics again, I’m not sure what’s going on here. I thought he drilled a bigger hole in the damper and used a wire like I did with the pencil.
I want to see what happens if we remove the duct going into the Outside Air, and just let it breathe air from the room. If it’s an old leaky house it won’t need that duct work anyway. Sounds like there is a restriction in the duct work or it doesn’t go where we think it goes.

 

[meagloth]

Yeah. Looking at the pics again, I’m not sure what’s going on here. I thought he drilled a bigger hole in the damper and used a wire like I did with the pencil.
I want to see what happens if we remove the duct going into the Outside Air, and just let it breathe air from the room. If it’s an old leaky house it won’t need that duct work anyway. Sounds like there is a restriction in the duct work or it doesn’t go where we think it goes.

It was set up without an outside air intake the first year we had it and it behaved exactly the same way. Here is a cross section drawing I made on my phone of the setup. The sheet metal ducts down into the Crawlspace. It’s like a box that’s been sealed to the brick chimney. The flow restriction is very minimal. The cross section is comparable to the 4” duct. It goes down to to the Crawlspace and hooks into a flexible duct. Because of the way the chimney and the joists are this is favorable way to do this and I did not actually have to drill a 4” hole in the floor. There is a 2” gap between the brick stack below the chimney and the joist. If fits in there.

 

[bigealta]

How has it been burning today?

 

[meagloth]

How has it been burning today?

It’s been alright. Definitely hotter but never 850 on the cooktop. Maybe 750. With the flapper open in burns with big flames and keeps the glass clean really well. I have never seen it keep the glass so clean.
Loaded it up 3 times through the night last night, still got pretty cold in the house. Burns to a big pile of coals and can only load one is two splits in. Hard to scoop out the hot coals.

 

[bigealta]

850 is hot.

700F or 750F seems a very good running temp.

At 675F on my f400 that's about as hot as i let it get.
Cruising for the f400 is usually 500-650F Range

 

[begreen]

It’s been alright. Definitely hotter but never 850 on the cooktop. Maybe 750. With the flapper open in burns with big flames and keeps the glass clean really well. I have never seen it keep the glass so clean.
Loaded it up 3 times through the night last night, still got pretty cold in the house. Burns to a big pile of coals and can only load one is two splits in. Hard to scoop out the hot coals.

That's hot enough. Running the stove to the limit frequently will shorten the life of components.
To burn down the coals faster, put a few 2" sticks of pine or fir on the hot coals with the air open.

 

[CamaroMan]

I havent read all the comments but I literally just bought another brass flame to take up to our off grid cabin. Was there in Dec now and that stupid thing (Vermont Aspen!!) could hardly heat up coffee! (ok it can but SLOWLY.. could hardly cook burger patties on top). I tried all kinds of things, added a damper- it helped but what a pathetic stove.. Sadly cos it is very cute.

I JUST found this video 15 minutes ago - temps are now in the 30s at night up there and we plan to go up for 3 days to furnish it.. and cannot deal with this useless thing. Get yourself a brass flame! I have one at home (sitting right next to it now) - its VERY cute, brass legs / window- and WORKS INSANELY WELL. In fact i just put board shorts on it was too hot!

FWIW the new aspen models did away with that stupid gimmicky rear trap door thermistor junk- closed it up far as i know. For the price these ppls shd pay for the financial damage theyve done to a once good brand.

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Ive been burning wood almost 40 years and tired of all the purists on fb calling you stupid etc- this stove is a hack..

This is EXACTLY what I have - for reference.

 

[begreen]

The original Aspen was a problem stove. The Aspen C3 is a complete redo.