VC Intrepid 1

[samueldnewman]

Hi all,

I've just bought and am fixing up a 1400 sf house in Ulster County, NY. I know I want a wood stove in there, and have been cruising local classifieds. I found a Vermont Castings Intrepid nearby that I really like the look of, and am hoping to get some opinions on its practicality.

I think it's the first generation Intrepid, before the catalyst chamber was added. It has the smaller windows on the front than the mark II model.

I know it's too small to heat the whole house, but I'm really looking for something that will be a point source in my living room, and help the first floor feel cozier. Living room is approximately 350 sf, whole first floor is an open plan, about 800 sf.

I guess my question is, since this stove predates the EPA changes, is it impractical to go to the trouble of buying and installing? I can't afford a new stove right now, but I could save up for a bit. I don't want something that burns way more wood than I need to or that is dirtying up the air more than it needs to.

Thanks!
Sam

 

[begreen]

It's a cute little area heater that should do what you want. Do the infrastructure (chimney or chimney liner + hearth) safely and it may be adaptable to a different stove if you later want to upgrade.

Will this be going in a fireplace or are you starting out from scratch?

 

[samueldnewman]

Starting from scratch, so I was figuring 6" double wall pipe for the first 6 or so feet to the ceiling, and then Class A chimney through the second floor, attic, and roof. That way I can put in a bigger, newer stove down the road.

 

[begreen]

That's a good start. Feel free to ask questions as you proceed. Do you have the manual for the stove? If not, it's located here in 3 parts.
https://www.hearth.com/talk/wiki/vermont-castings-older-stove-models/

PS: Moving this thread to the older VC forum so that it catches the eye of the experts there.

 

[begreen]

Consider exceeding the minimum requirements for the hearth and clearances so that if you want to upgrade it is easier. A proper ventilated wall shield can reduce clearance down to 12" behind the stove. More info on that here:
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/wood-stove-wall-clearances-primer.147785/

 

[samueldnewman]

That's really helpful, thanks! I will definitely build it out so that it can handle a bigger stove down the road. I'm going to look at this one later today, so we'll see how it goes. I'll report back.

Thanks again!

 

[Old puffer]

I have one, look to the left. This is an old stove that I completely dissembled to individual components and put back together so, I may be able to answer some questions. Old Puffer is my name but, it also describes the stove. A non cat stove is going to make it smokey outside. But, let's get down to my experiences with this one. You are correct, this is not a whole house heater. It is a parlor stove. Max burn time is about 6 hours. It does put out heat and will fit what you need.

Check for any warping from over firing. You can still get parts for it but, it may not be worth the money and effort.
Check the fire bricks (two) for cracks.
Check under the top lip of the stove. You should see a bit of cement. It is cracked, missing chunks? When we first got her you could see smoke leaking from under the top lip. I knew then we had to rebuild it and it is as good as new.
Look on the inside corners and check for the cement too. Should look like a line of caulk.
Check the hinges. Open the doors and lift them up to remove them.
Gaskets are no biggie to replace.

The stove is easy to do maintenance on. In fact, I took the guts out of it to move it. That made it a lot lighter to move.

What are they asking for it?

 

[Old puffer]

Go to my profile page and click the media tab and select the pic for a bigger image.

 

[samueldnewman]

Thanks, Old puffer! I've done some maintenance on a Resolute Acclaim, so I'm familiar with things like gaskets, but have never replaced any of the guts.

The stove has the white enamel finish and they're asking $495. He says it's in good shape, but I haven't seen it yet.

 

[samueldnewman]

Oh, I do have another question - I don't know what sort of controls this stove has. Should I be thinking about installing a damper in the pipe above the stove, and if so, is there a rule of thumb for how far up to put it?

 

[Old puffer]

I have not seen a need for a damper on the pipe. Once the stove reaches 500 (thermometer placed on top the stove off the griddle, toward the back) I pull the handle on the left and run it at 640. The thermostat leaver is on the right. Mine is slightly warped and on a rare occasion get a little sticky.

Check to see if it is coming with the front screen for open door burning.

$495 only if it is in good shape and the enamel is nice.

 

[samueldnewman]

Copy that; thanks!

 

[Old puffer]

Post pics if you see something odd. My account here pings my phone with an e-mail.

 

[Old puffer]

You get it?

 

[samueldnewman]

I did! It seems to meet be in great shape, and he had the shelves, warmers, screen, and about 6 feet of matching enameled stove pipe. The corner and top joints don't seem to have any cement in them, so I'm thinking it might make sense to reseal those, or maybe just go ahead and rebuild the thing. I assume that's fairly straightforward - take it apart, clean it, and put it back together, but is there some kind of guide on how to do that? Also, what do you recommend for a product to reseal the joints?

 

[Old puffer]

If you got the warmers and the pipe, you got a deal! Rutland brand cement, comes in a caulk tube. Is it cleaned out inside or are you working on that now? Post a pic of the inside when you can.

 

[safinnart]

I have one, look to the left. This is an old stove that I completely dissembled to individual components and put back together so, I may be able to answer some questions. Old Puffer is my name but, it also describes the stove. A non cat stove is going to make it smokey outside. But, let's get down to my experiences with this one. You are correct, this is not a whole house heater. It is a parlor stove. Max burn time is about 6 hours. It does put out heat and will fit what you need.

Check for any warping from over firing. You can still get parts for it but, it may not be worth the money and effort.
Check the fire bricks (two) for cracks.
Check under the top lip of the stove. You should see a bit of cement. It is cracked, missing chunks? When we first got her you could see smoke leaking from under the top lip. I knew then we had to rebuild it and it is as good as new.
Look on the inside corners and check for the cement too. Should look like a line of caulk.
Check the hinges. Open the doors and lift them up to remove them.
Gaskets are no biggie to replace.

The stove is easy to do maintenance on. In fact, I took the guts out of it to move it. That made it a lot lighter to move.

What are they asking for it?

I have this stove and just got it hooked up and am having a draft problem. I have to keep the door open to keep the fire going. Any ideas?

 

[begreen]

I have this stove and just got it hooked up and am having a draft problem. I have to keep the door open to keep the fire going. Any ideas?

Is the bypass open? Is the wood dry and fully seasoned?

 

[safinnart]

yes bypass is open and wood is dry. Standing deadwood and no hissing. Chimney is new thru the roof and 6 inch and about 16feet high

 

[Rob711]

You have to keep door open all the time? With mine I'd keep it slightly open with a cold stove. Once a decent fire going I could close up and top load from there. Any smoke leakage? Instead of your wood, make a fire with just clean 2x4s, see how it performs. I bet wood is not as dry as you need. That stove with less than ideal wood heated my little drafty house well last winter. Good luck, let us know.
Rob

 

[safinnart]

After research, Vermont castings says that the Intrepid needs a minimum of15 foot chimney, measuring from the stovetop. This is my problem. Mine is only 12 feet.

 

[safinnart]

Is the bypass open? Is the wood dry and fully seasoned?

I notice you post a lot of responses to peoples questions. Measured my chimney and it is 14 feet. Brand new thru the roof. Vermont castings says chimney needs to be 16 feet from top of stove. I have a Tempwood downdraft stove I can hook up. In your opinion would the 14 foot chimney be ok for the tempwood? really didnt want to have to buy more pipe with the brackets to accomidate this stove. Thank you