Hello from "Getting Colder South Central WI"
I have searched and read numerous threads concerning the overfiring and control of various stoves and VC issues. Now I am looking for assistance from the VC owners/rebuilders and other folks with great experience.
I have had my VC Encore 2550 since it was newly installed in 2000. I have learned to use the stove and love the stove. I can set it and forget it and keep it at 550. I could feed it, adjust heat, and do just about everything including leave it unattended while out and about.
This past Xmas, I filled her up and set it as usual. By the time I cleared the house of smoke and actually removed burning logs from the stove and tossed them in my driveway, I realized something changed. One day it was acting like it had for seven years and a day later, a completely different beast. It was so hot that my double walled stove pipe paint flaked in some places and when I touched it (with gloves), the paint was soft and smeared -- factory paint that was seven+ years old.
I have changed the ash pan door gasket, top load door gasket with the recommended "$6 per foot wire bound" gasket, both door gaskets, fireback gasket, and reseated/cemented the side panel gaskets. I performed all the dollar bill tests and still, I feel she is not behaving.
Back in the old days, I could set the primary air to one third opened with CAT engaged (damper closed) and she would sit at 550 (griddle top temp). Close primary air and she would cool down, open and she would warm up. I would load it to the top, set it down to 1/3 opened and she would hold overnight. Now, with just a couple of pieces of oak in her -- not even close to being fueled -- and the primary air completely closed down, she sits at 500+. This is not normal behaviour. I used to close it down and the fire would nearly extinguish.
I had my local dealer come out today for a look-see and he informed me:
1) even with primary air closed all the way, it should run at its most (or almost) efficient. Load it up, close it down, and you will have a nice 450 - 550 fire. Well, that is not how it worked for the past 7 years.
2) My gasketing work seemed fine and dandy... A slight adjustment of one door as the opposite door cross brace was rubbing the gasket slightly.
3) My griddle gasketing had some slight gaps... We attribute that to it not compressing well just yet. I expect that it will "settle in" with time.
4) With it burning, a little smoke or fire test shows that air is being drawn in in a couple of places -- At the primary air (he claims that is normal... it's not a complete seal) and where the bottom plate meets the primary air channel plate (he tells me it is not abnormal -- maybe a little cement gasket for an inch or two on the corner will do the trick).
5) The stove looks great and well cared for...
I have checked the secondary air and believe that is behaving correctly. Even so, with the damper closed, there should be no secondary air introduced into the burn chamber.... at least not enough to keep the fire burning hot.
I was accustomed to this behaving in a manner that it is now making me frightened. Suggestions are greatly appreciated.
AGE
I have searched and read numerous threads concerning the overfiring and control of various stoves and VC issues. Now I am looking for assistance from the VC owners/rebuilders and other folks with great experience.
I have had my VC Encore 2550 since it was newly installed in 2000. I have learned to use the stove and love the stove. I can set it and forget it and keep it at 550. I could feed it, adjust heat, and do just about everything including leave it unattended while out and about.
This past Xmas, I filled her up and set it as usual. By the time I cleared the house of smoke and actually removed burning logs from the stove and tossed them in my driveway, I realized something changed. One day it was acting like it had for seven years and a day later, a completely different beast. It was so hot that my double walled stove pipe paint flaked in some places and when I touched it (with gloves), the paint was soft and smeared -- factory paint that was seven+ years old.
I have changed the ash pan door gasket, top load door gasket with the recommended "$6 per foot wire bound" gasket, both door gaskets, fireback gasket, and reseated/cemented the side panel gaskets. I performed all the dollar bill tests and still, I feel she is not behaving.
Back in the old days, I could set the primary air to one third opened with CAT engaged (damper closed) and she would sit at 550 (griddle top temp). Close primary air and she would cool down, open and she would warm up. I would load it to the top, set it down to 1/3 opened and she would hold overnight. Now, with just a couple of pieces of oak in her -- not even close to being fueled -- and the primary air completely closed down, she sits at 500+. This is not normal behaviour. I used to close it down and the fire would nearly extinguish.
I had my local dealer come out today for a look-see and he informed me:
1) even with primary air closed all the way, it should run at its most (or almost) efficient. Load it up, close it down, and you will have a nice 450 - 550 fire. Well, that is not how it worked for the past 7 years.
2) My gasketing work seemed fine and dandy... A slight adjustment of one door as the opposite door cross brace was rubbing the gasket slightly.
3) My griddle gasketing had some slight gaps... We attribute that to it not compressing well just yet. I expect that it will "settle in" with time.
4) With it burning, a little smoke or fire test shows that air is being drawn in in a couple of places -- At the primary air (he claims that is normal... it's not a complete seal) and where the bottom plate meets the primary air channel plate (he tells me it is not abnormal -- maybe a little cement gasket for an inch or two on the corner will do the trick).
5) The stove looks great and well cared for...
I have checked the secondary air and believe that is behaving correctly. Even so, with the damper closed, there should be no secondary air introduced into the burn chamber.... at least not enough to keep the fire burning hot.
I was accustomed to this behaving in a manner that it is now making me frightened. Suggestions are greatly appreciated.
AGE