VC Montpelier Questions

[Cold Mark]

First time stove user with questions. I'm new to the world of modern wood stoves, but have done a lot of reading and now I need some help.

I just had a Vermont Castings Montpelier insert installed this year. So far I have done four break in burns, and one weekend of all day long fires.My observation that I need some expert advice about, is that it seems that the primary air flow is not balanced.

It seems visually that there is more air on the left side (facing the stove) than on the right. I base this on visually observing the fire on the left side being more active or robust.

When reloading, the fire picks up on the left long before the right hand side. Also The glass is getting dirty on the right. This may be related to the airflow, or that I think i have been too timid and maybe under-firing the stove (i know there has been a fair amount of discussion about dirty glass, so I want to focus on the air flow inside the stove).

Can anyone explain the basics of the design of the stove with respect to air flow?

Thanks, looking forward to the discussion

 

[canboy]

ColdMark, I have had my Montpelier for about 9 years. I have the same observation as you wrt air flowing left to right. I think you'll find others on the forum that will say the same. I have taken things apart trying to determine why, but never figured it out. I have tested the gasket on the door thinking that it was air leakage around the handle, but it seemed to be good, so that does not appear to be the issue. The main air supply to the fire comes thru the 3 holes underneath the firebrick at the front of the stove. My take is, that air flow is constant, as in, there is no adjustment that you can make to the supply. Additional air to the fire is provided by the air wash above the doors to the stove. That air flow is regulated by you adjusting the lever above the door. I have taken the air wash apart to see if any holes were plugged. Nothing was plugged and the air supply holes are equally distributed above the door.

If you maintain a nice hot fire using dry hardwood, there will be very little accumulation of soot on your glass. I find that softwood just doesn't get hot enough and if the wood is not dry and well seasoned, soot will accumulate. Also, late fall fires when outside temperatures aren't that cold, are often sooty, as the chimney isn't drawing as hard. Once my fire is burning well, I usually dial the air supply to about half open. That seems to allow enough air to fuel the fire and keep the glass clean.

 

[canboy]

Coldmark, one other thing. If you slow down the blower, the firebox will get hotter and the soot on the glass will be less. You should be able to find a happy balance there.

 

[Cold Mark]

canboy, thanks for responding. I definitely see that there is more to operating a modern stove than just stacking up some wood and lighting it on fire. It sounds like the airflow is typical and I probably just need to learn how to operate the stove at optimum conditions.

On that note, do you have any tips on loading the stove. The design of the firebox makes me think I should only load wood in the deeper area in the back. Do you ever load wood all the way up to the andirons on the front firebrick? Do you let the deeper portion fill with coals/ashes?

The quality of my wood may indeed be an issue right now. So far I have only used purchased wood. The small bundles available at a local grocery. The supplier says it is all seasoned hardwood, but some of it seems pretty heavy (yes I know this is a very expensive way to get wood). I will have a cord of 1 yr seasoned oak delivered this weekend. I don't have a moisture meter, but I will probably get one just to check the quality of my wood.

Thanks again for your input

 

[canboy]

To start....I put a big log across the back, crumpled newspaper & kindling & small sticks on the floor in front of that, one smallish log directly on the ledge in front of the andirons, and then one or two smaller logs running north-south (or diagonally) resting on top of the logs at the front and back. I light the paper and close the door leaving it open a crack and secured (somewhat), by reversing the handle into the catch (it'll hold there but not real well - you want to keep an eye on it in case a log falls against the door and it opens). I let the fire go that way about 10 minutes. Then I close the door properly and leave the air supply wide open until the fire is strong enough that I can back the air supply off to the mid point. I let it burn down until there are just red embers and no flame, then add 3 or 4 logs in whatever direction they fit. At this point you usually get full engagement pretty quickly and can close the door up soon and let it go. I operate the fan at about 20% of its potential. It's quieter that way and a much hotter fire.

My approach is bigger, hotter, cleaner fires. There's enough mass in this stove that it will be providing substantial heat, long after the flames have stopped.

Once the fire gets going, if you see water bubbling on the logs or hear a hissing sound, your wood is wet. If not, it should be fine.

The bad news is that once you get the stove working properly, you'll want to have more fires and a cord of wood will disappear very quickly.

 

[missedbass]

I usually keep the fan speed control at the 3 o'clock position. I keep the air about 1/2 to 3/4 closed once it gets going. The flames seem pretty uniform to me. No problems yet

 

[Cold Mark]

Thanks for the tips. I haven't had a fire in a while, since it's been kind of warm here in Virginia. I will continue the learning process over the holiday weekend.

Compared to what I have been paying for Oil, burning through a few cords of wood will be an improvement. I expect to use the stove mostly on weekends. Hopefully I can get a decent amount of supplemental heating from this stove.