VC Encore 1450 Mistake? Need advice!

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7river

7river

Member
Hearth Supporter
Oct 15, 2008
12
Three Lakes WI
Hello everyone. I came her to get advice on buying a woodstove back in 2008 and got a summit that I was very happy with. Now I moved to the north woods of Wisconsin and am struggling with a Fisher mama bear. Seems a bad design but when you go from a PC Summit I guess I can expect that!
We just picked up a used Encore 1450 for $350. Seller said it was 5 years old but date code ends in 4 so I guess it is 2004? Seems the refractory brick is in pretty bad shape. I didn't do my homework before buying and only noticed crack on back brick that I thought was no big deal. Now after reading some posts on here it seems a big issue.
The stove will be in a common space in a communal house at a school. Most of our wood is scraps of oak maple and pine T&G from a local hardwood supplier. A little cord wood that is not very seasoned dead oak from forest. Maybe 2-3 different people operating the stove. 1500-1600 sq ft ranch, avg insulation.
1st pic is looking down exhaust, It shows the top lip of refractory brick broken off.
Last pic is looking up the hole in the bottom under the clam shell design in second pic. This is the hole right in the center of the second picture. Sticking my hand up there it is very thin, jagged and deteriorated.
We are a non profit school so don't have the money to replace the bricks, also I read these parts will need replacing again in 5 years?
What do you think? Should we even hook it up?
Thank you in advance!
photo 1.JPG photo 2.JPG photo 3.JPG
 
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I can't tell what pic two is showing, but the assembly isn't in that bad of shape. Unless I am missing something it looks very usable. The Everburn models were notoriously hit or miss in terms of locking in a temp. But, give it a go. Even if you need to by a new assembly in the next year or two, it's still cheaper than buying a new stove.

Yes, you would have been better off with another type of stove, but this one will work if your budget is tight.
 
Your wood supply will probably be the bigger challenge.
 
Pic 2 is the port I guess all the combustion gases draw up when in everburn mode. In pic 3 there are 5 little air holes below that scallop design. This port is between the two, basically right in the middle of pic 3. This port is super corroded inside. Very thin and crumbly.
Thanks for all the advice.
 
Also in case it isn't clear, pic 1 shows the top lip of refractory brick is broken off. It looks like someone tried to re-adhere it with nails and some tpe of cement that melted. 6-8" in the middle is detached and just sitting there.
 
BrowningBAR said:
I can't tell what pic two is showing, but the assembly isn't in that bad of shape. Unless I am missing something it looks very usable. The Everburn models were notoriously hit or miss in terms of locking in a temp. But, give it a go. Even if you need to by a new assembly in the next year or two, it's still cheaper than buying a new stove.

Yes, you would have been better off with another type of stove, but this one will work if your budget is tight.
Click to expand...

Any suggestions where we would buy these assemblies? Seem to be expensive ($400 per part) from what I found online.
Any other opinions on this stove?
 
Honestly, I think you made a mistake and would be better off to cut your losses and sell it. There has to be a better stove out there. Maybe hearth.com members can step up to the plate and help you find a good stove for under $500, though this would have been easier before the heating season started. What is your closest city? Binghampton, Albany, Newburg?
 
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Re: wood. Tell us more about the living situation in this communal house. Teachers? Adult students? Children? Long-term vs. short-term? Any chance you can get the group started on a wood collecting program, so that future years residents can sustain, and have reliable heat? Having owned a Summit for 5 years, I'm assuming you're already aware of the importance of seasoned cord wood.
 
You could be right. I was going by the school being in the Catskills, but need to know which side. Guessed it might be on the west side where the slope is gentler so I picked Binghampton. Both of those stove seem like good bargains. If he can sell the VC for $2-300 and get either one I think he would be in much better shape.
 
Why would a Heatilator be better than an Encore 1450? Seems I've not read many positive things about those, either.

I'd be shopping the list of stoves that tend to get mostly positive reviews here (in alphabetical order):

Appalachian
Blaze King
England
Harman
Hearthstone
High Sierra
Jotul
Kuma
Lopi
"New Buck Corp." (Buck Stove)
Pacific Energy
Travis (Lopi / Avalon)
Woodstock

Yes... I intentionally left Vermont Castings off that list. Beautiful stoves, with the worst possible reliability and "F-you" customer situation in the industry. The only commonality between this company and the great Vermont Castings of 40 years ago is the name.
 
Don't forget SBI stoves (Drolet, Osburn, Enerzone), Quadrafire, Regency, Morso and Napoleon.
 
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Apologies for not updating the location. Thanks begreen, Joful, and jeff_t for the ideas.
The school does have revolving students/staff. The house in question is a staff house occupied 60% by me my wife and 4 children.
http://www.teachingdrum.org/
We are working on a wood collecting program. Plenty around, just short staffed. Focus is on supporting students and wild harvesting. These folks (not me!) can walk out into the forest middle of winter with nothing but their clothes and be fine, so priorities on wood collecting is a little different :eek:. I just don't want to drag a big headache (encore) into the family room. I also know I'm biased and don't want to create problems that don't exist...but picture #2 sure does scare me.
 
So where is the school located? What's the nearest craigslist city?
 
Since it sounds like the wood will be scrounged and not all dry/seasoned and of standard size, and that there will be multiple operators, you likely WILL be dragging a headache into the family room regardless of stove choice, to some degree, in your words. My advice: since you have the Encore, use it, but do NOT invest in the new parts to upgrade it, as it will likely still be a headache. Whatever choice of stove, wood and operators, you want to make safety your primary concern, meaning flue condition, user experience/caution, ash disposal, etc. are more important than good heat.

As I believe is discussed in the below-linked thread, learning what a pain bad wood is and what a joy good wood is primary to wood heat, and before investing in a more efficient EPA stove you want to invest in preparing a full winter's worth of decent wood well BEFORE winter arrives. If the wood supply can be maintained a year in advance for several years on end, a good EPA stove is well worth buying, as its ease and efficiency will provide great ROI in short order.
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/general-stove-questions.111380/#post-1476109
 
On craigslist it's all "northern wi" The closest city is Wausau WI
Most of the wood we seem to burn is cut offs from a local flooring/hardwood supplier. About 60% hardwood t&G and rest pine spruce, fir and cedar.
That stuff is all real dry, just hard to get any coals when it's 3/4" flooring :confused:.
If the previous owner is original owner, what's the chances of VC warranting the refractory brick? Paperwork says lifetime...bet someone is snickering right now.
 
I
jeff_t said:
Sounds like the location hasn't been updated, since the original post states northern Wisconsin.

Perhaps this one? Though it might be a bit small, given the climate.
http://northernwi.craigslist.org/for/4130816423.html
Click to expand...
saw this listing two days ago when we got the encore. That was my concern too, maybe too small. Anyone know much about it? I think I wrote them, maybe I should call.
 
7river said:
Apologies for not updating the location. Thanks begreen, Joful, and jeff_t for the ideas.
The school does have revolving students/staff. The house in question is a staff house occupied 60% by me my wife and 4 children.
http://www.teachingdrum.org/
We are working on a wood collecting program. Plenty around, just short staffed. Focus is on supporting students and wild harvesting. These folks (not me!) can walk out into the forest middle of winter with nothing but their clothes and be fine, so priorities on wood collecting is a little different :eek:. I just don't want to drag a big headache (encore) into the family room. I also know I'm biased and don't want to create problems that don't exist...but picture #2 sure does scare me.
Click to expand...

I think you are exactly right in your concerns with the Encore. It might limp through the season, or maybe not. But considering would be in your family room with a hot fire and perhaps multiple people running it, I would pass. Sell it for the best you can.

How large an area would the stove be heating. Is there a chimney already in place that is in good condition and safe to use? If the Encore would take say $500 + labor to get working right - TBD, then you would be into it for $800. Depending on your needs you could have a new stove for about that price. Needless to say the latter would be far more reliable.
 
7river said:
I

saw this listing two days ago when we got the encore. That was my concern too, maybe too small. Anyone know much about it? I think I wrote them, maybe I should call.
Click to expand...

The Encore has about a 2 cu ft firebox? This can't be that much smaller. I would take it over the Encore at $350, due to futures costs and drawbacks of the Encore downdraft system (very unforgiving of wet wood, and prone to overfiring damage on the type of scrap wood you are discussing -- though that is a danger with any stove, so best to mix with larger splits).
 
The Heatilator is a cheap Quadrafire. Not the best stove perhaps, but most likely more reliable as long as it hasn't been trashed or overfired.
 
begreen- The room the stove is in is a kitchen/dinning/living room combo. Maybe 25x35
Chimney is a 6" class A, maybe 8ft, it's a ranch. It's clean and sound.
branchburner- I'm concerned about that same thing.

Jeff I emailed the CL ad. Will call when I get to the phone.
 
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