Vermont Castings Aspen C3 2022

  • Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.

    We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.

    We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil.

wjohn

Member
Jul 27, 2021
231
KS
That looks like the perfect size. I remember measuring the bottoms of dutch ovens at Cabelas to find the biggest one that would fit inside the ring.
 

Y35

New Member
Feb 15, 2023
2
Georgia
Thanks so much for this review! I'm about to pull the trigger on a new Aspen and I've been doing as much review-searching as possible. I understand the potential drawbacks/difficulties that some people express with this stove, but its the one I keep coming back to as ideal for our new place. Thanks and the pictures are lovely!
 
  • Like
Reactions: 30WCF

30WCF

Feeling the Heat
Aug 31, 2016
376
North Carolina
Thanks so much for this review! I'm about to pull the trigger on a new Aspen and I've been doing as much review-searching as possible. I understand the potential drawbacks/difficulties that some people express with this stove, but its the one I keep coming back to as ideal for our new place. Thanks and the pictures are lovely!
Thanks.
I can defiantly get long burn times if you are only looking at the ability to relight off of coals with minimal effort.
If you are defining long burn time to useable heat, 4-5 hrs is about all I’ve been getting with the wood I have this year when it’s cold cold. On mild days I can get 6-7 hrs pretty easy.
 
Last edited:

30WCF

Feeling the Heat
Aug 31, 2016
376
North Carolina
12:15AM feeding
35F outside
Flue and STT both about 450 by the time I made it back from the kitchen for some chicken nuggets.
House 70F

1B6ED9C9-9E6C-44C1-8A8A-6716783AAA5B.jpeg
 
  • Like
Reactions: EbS-P

30WCF

Feeling the Heat
Aug 31, 2016
376
North Carolina
All I can report back is I woke up at 8:15 somehow.
32 outside.
Auber was 100F and the LP heat was on. Raked the coals around and have it going again. So, 8 hrs on those two splits was too long.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: EbS-P

Woodsplitter67

Minister of Fire
Jan 19, 2017
2,977
Woolwich nj
All I can report back is I woke up at 8:15 somehow.
32 outside.
Auber was 100F and the LP heat was on. Raked the coals around and have it going again. So, 8 hrs on those two splits was too long.

this is a good report and review.. keep it up, it looks good.. you should be proud..
 
  • Like
Reactions: 30WCF

30WCF

Feeling the Heat
Aug 31, 2016
376
North Carolina
56D27E60-3A32-421E-AB64-7FBA7AA501B1.jpeg

Fed it about 8:30, hoping to top it off once more before bed.
35 outside
70 inside
9:30 P
369 on the Auber (24” above the collar since the key damper section was added)
410 on the IR and ReoTemp

8CE7EAD1-D11F-47E3-91B3-F18432B0196A.jpeg
 

30WCF

Feeling the Heat
Aug 31, 2016
376
North Carolina
Ended up not feeding it again last night, so, 8:30p - 4:15a, it got down to 150 flue temp and a small amount of coals.
67F inside
35F outside
Had it rolling again before the coffee was even done.

A790E7A9-06E5-4C81-9630-2710F25EBDBC.jpeg
 
  • Like
Reactions: EbS-P

wjohn

Member
Jul 27, 2021
231
KS
All I can report back is I woke up at 8:15 somehow.
32 outside.
Auber was 100F and the LP heat was on. Raked the coals around and have it going again. So, 8 hrs on those two splits was too long.
Definitely sounds like you have room for improvement with sealing and insulating the house!
 

30WCF

Feeling the Heat
Aug 31, 2016
376
North Carolina
Last night it cooled off enough again for a fire. It’s been warm here. But we even had a bit of winter mix this morning.
8143989D-9CF0-498F-B430-4D67E53F2DF1.jpeg

8FD7BF0B-A48E-47CC-A3B4-618B8C600B30.jpeg

Two or three splits at a time did a good job at knocking off the chill.

Tonight, just as cool out.
Two splits went off like nobody’s business. Dry hickory and it got toasty.
I shut the flue damper when it got around 630 on the Auber. STT was about 800-850. It cruised there for a while then started to crawl back down.
You can see behind the IR gun, the needle on the ReoTemp isn’t even reading on the numbers anymore. It maxes out at 750.
52DB0107-E7EE-4471-BBA1-92EAA2712331.jpeg

5DA01E70-ADEC-4DD9-A084-73DD9471C85F.jpeg

F0FDE296-EDE8-4411-8AC2-9E1729124E15.jpeg
It’s just weird that some days I can stuff it full and cruise right along as planned, then every once in a while it starts to get a little western on two splits.
Who knows, maybe if I hadn’t shut the flue damper it would have gassed off faster and been over, maybe the shape of the splits and the fact that I didn’t rake the coals left more airflow from underneath…
I’m gonna check the door gaskets when it cools down.
 
Last edited:

30WCF

Feeling the Heat
Aug 31, 2016
376
North Carolina
Definitely sounds like you have room for improvement with sealing and insulating the house!
Yep. There is no insulation in the exterior walls, and the house moves a lot between summer and winter.
 

Y35

New Member
Feb 15, 2023
2
Georgia
Sorry if I missed this somewhere but do you have an exterior air supply installed (through the floor or wall)? I’m thinking you don’t, and I’m contemplating if I should install one when I put the stove in. Curious how you decided not to if that’s the case.

Love the updates!
 

30WCF

Feeling the Heat
Aug 31, 2016
376
North Carolina
I do not.
My house is 75 years old stud frame wood sided house with no insulation. It has plenty of leaks. The front door is 5’ from the stove, and in the summer the door is tight. In the winter, you can see daylight. Not a straight shot outside, but it’s loose enough that light can illuminate the reveal between the door panel and the jamb.
 

30WCF

Feeling the Heat
Aug 31, 2016
376
North Carolina
I would try it without it first. If having a window in the stove room open makes a positive change in performance, you can then add one. If having an open window lets you run too hot, then you’ll be happy you didn’t cut a hole in the floor.
 

30WCF

Feeling the Heat
Aug 31, 2016
376
North Carolina
I think winter has left me high and dry here in NC. I had a couple fires last week, just because I wanted to and it was a little cool out, but, it’s done for. Strawberries growing on the porch, apples growing, and been cooking with fresh herbs from the garden. In fact, I’ve been cutting the herbs back enough that I have excess drying.

Potato soup with fresh rosemary and thyme.
Thyme to clean the stove and pipe one last thyme.

IMG_8352.jpeg

IMG_8361.jpeg
 
  • Like
Reactions: EbS-P

30WCF

Feeling the Heat
Aug 31, 2016
376
North Carolina
yeah.. kinda sucks.. im hoping for a couple more fires.. haven't burned in a week
Yep. Time to move on to the bee hives and probably gonna turn the wood stack upside down for the summer and put the wood I just cut in the back. I’ll keep some of the pine on top to dry out and try next year.
I have some big clunker logs in the shed that need to be re-split since they were sized for my old stove and are too big for the Aspen.