Vermont castings montpelier problems

[big al73]

Hi! New to the forums and wood heating. Just moved from the deep south to Colorado and got me a rental house with a VC Montpelier. Being from the south we used wood fireplaces for looks more then heat but here I am planning on using it for my primary heat for the main part of the house. Hopefully one of ya'll can help me with my problem...

I had the chimney swept today so I could start using the fireplace and noticed the baffle above the secondary burn tubes was cracked in half and crumbling (touching in the front, about a 4" gap in the back) Also the primary air control arm is broken. Well I went to the local VC dealer to order a new baffle and to see if I could still burn while waiting on it to come in. Dealer told me it would be fine to keep burning until new baffle ships but to keep the fires smaller and to use a set of pliers for the primary control arm. Well when I got home I tried to turn the control arm with pliers to no avail so I took the shroud and small metal piece off the top to get better access to it. Well even with better access it is not turning at all! Has anyone heard of the air damper getting stuck? Is there any way of fixing it? Is this a serious fix? This being a rental and the landlord not wanting to put a lot of money into I am hoping for a cheap fix. Maybe some directions on how to access the damper and clean it?

Thank you so much for your time and help!

 

[DAKSY]

Hi! New to the forums and wood heating. Just moved from the deep south to Colorado and got me a rental house with a VC Montpelier. Being from the south we used wood fireplaces for looks more then heat but here I am planning on using it for my primary heat for the main part of the house. Hopefully one of ya'll can help me with my problem...

I had the chimney swept today so I could start using the fireplace and noticed the baffle above the secondary burn tubes was cracked in half and crumbling (touching in the front, about a 4" gap in the back) Also the primary air control arm is broken. Well I went to the local VC dealer to order a new baffle and to see if I could still burn while waiting on it to come in. Dealer told me it would be fine to keep burning until new baffle ships but to keep the fires smaller and to use a set of pliers for the primary control arm. Well when I got home I tried to turn the control arm with pliers to no avail so I took the shroud and small metal piece off the top to get better access to it. Well even with better access it is not turning at all! Has anyone heard of the air damper getting stuck? Is there any way of fixing it? Is this a serious fix? This being a rental and the landlord not wanting to put a lot of money into I am hoping for a cheap fix. Maybe some directions on how to access the damper and clean it?

Thank you so much for your time and help!

I don't know if this will help you at all, but go here:

(broken link removed to http://vermontcastings.com/family/Fireplaces/Wood-Burning/Montpelier/)

& scroll down the left side of the page til you see guides & literature. There's a user manual that you can download & there is a schematic exploded view near the end of the manual. Looks to me like the handle swings to the left & right & doesn't turn, per se...

 

[big al73]

I don't know if this will help you at all, but go here:

(broken link removed to http://vermontcastings.com/family/Fireplaces/Wood-Burning/Montpelier/)

& scroll down the left side of the page til you see guides & literature. There's a user manual that you can download & there is a schematic exploded view near the end of the manual. Looks to me like the handle swings to the left & right & doesn't turn, per se...

Thanks for the reply!

The problem is the handle arm is broken at the pinion. What I'm referring to turning is the pinion itself not the handle. Sorry for not explaining that better. Hope that clarifies the situation. From what I can tell from the exploded schematic is the handle swings which turns the pinion. Turning the pinion then slides the air plate back and forth.

 

[big al73]

anyone else have an ideas?

I've been searching the web and haven't came across anyone else who has had the primary air damper seise up. Maybe if no one has had this problem or knows anything about it maybe some instructions on how to take it apart? Looking for an easy way to get to the damper and see if there is something in there? hopefully I don't have to pull this thing out?

Thanks for your help

 

[flynn47]

I have a problem with the new Montpelier that I bought last Feb. I've had a Winter Warm for 20 years previously so I know a lot about the inserts. The problem I have is that the unit would backpuff when I opened the door to refuel. I had this problem with my previous insert and corrected it by opening the door very slowly. Not so with the Montpelier. I then noticed that the soapstone on the roof of the chamber was pushed all the way back directing the smoke to the front. I moved it to the front and that eliminated that problem. My newest problem is when the insert heats up I get smoke in the house. I have a good draft, burn only super dry wood, and the stainless steel chimney insert in my masonry chimney is brand new. Any thoughts before I call the installer back?

 

[canboy]

Flynn47: The baffle is supposed to be pushed to the back of the stove, forcing the smoke to come forward past all the secondary burn tubes, and then return over the baffle to reach the chimney at the back of the stove. You could then search these forums for answers on what to do when your stove is not drawing properly. Answers could range from too short a chimney, too tight a house, wet wood, open a window etc.

 

[canboy]

anyone else have an ideas?

I've been searching the web and haven't came across anyone else who has had the primary air damper seise up. Maybe if no one has had this problem or knows anything about it maybe some instructions on how to take it apart? Looking for an easy way to get to the damper and see if there is something in there? hopefully I don't have to pull this thing out?

Thanks for your help

My guess is that something (piece of metal) is blocking the plate from sliding. It is really a simple mechanism.

First though, if you look in from the front of the stove, to the area where air damper handle enters, is the "stopper" to the left of the handle? If the stopper is right of the handle, someone forced it too far left. You may be able to lift the handle up and over the stopper(without breaking anything) and you are good to go. Or you may have to go in thru the top, and take things apart.

I can't touch my stove right now, as it is running. So, ....referring to the parts blow-out in the user manual...you can reach the bottom of the air wash by removing 2 bolts on the item 58 (airwash). I have taken that part out in my stove a few years ago....easy, no problem if you are at all handy. Maybe something will fall out or you will see what the problem is. If not, put it back together.

I have not gone in thru the top, but you will have to pull out the stove a few inches. There are wheels on the back of the stove, so lift the front (it is heavy) and then roll out the stove gently - without damaging the chimney or disconnecting the liner. Then back to the parts blow-out. I think you are going to have to remove item 37 (shroud top)....which may make this job bigger than you want(because I think you may have to pull the stove all the way out. But maybe you can see item 25 "cover, top" without removing the shroud. If you can, remove the "cover, top" and then you will have access to the pinion, spring and air plate....hopefully the spring doesn't go flying in the air. It should be simple to determine why things aren't moving.

Alternatively to all that, call a Vermont Castings repair company. Good Luck.

 

[flynn47]

Flynn47: The baffle is supposed to be pushed to the back of the stove, forcing the smoke to come forward past all the secondary burn tubes, and then return over the baffle to reach the chimney at the back of the stove. You could then search these forums for answers on what to do when your stove is not drawing properly. Answers could range from too short a chimney, too tight a house, wet wood, open a window etc.

I moved the baffle to the back and also opened a window every time I fed the insert. No smoke whatsoever now. I also open a window a crack while I have the kitchen fan on. Thanks for your help!

 

[Smokehouse]

New to the forums, have been burning for several years in a VC Montpelier, without problems, until tonight. After cleaning and lubricating the fan motor, I made a mistake and didn't get the wiring tucked in correctly. The fan worked great, no noise, great airflow. When the door closed to the fan control, it was enough to smash the wire the rest of the way and I noticed a spark as the fan shutdown. I repaired the damaged wire and still no fan. I'm a fairly handy guy, but have not found any specs on the fan assembly to diagnose what component I have stupidly fried. Any help is welcomed. Thank you for taking time to read.