Vermont Castings Resolute III Issues

[ntomsw]

I recently bought a house that already had a Vermont Castings Resolute (III?) wood stove in it, and I have some questions.

The stove is stamped 1979 on the inside, and the previous owner left the paperwork here, where he had it installed in 1981 I think.

I know nothing about wood stoves as this is my first house and my first stove. I had the stove checked out in August when we first moved in, and also had the chimney cleaned, etc before using it.

My problem is: I just can't seem to keep this thing hot. Especially now that it has started getting really cold up here in NH. It hovers at 300-400, and if I pack too much wood in it, the fire just goes out. So I literally have to load 1-2 pieces at a time, wait for that to burn nice and hot, and then throw more in, etc. Over and over again. Then, I can sometimes get it up to 400-500. Just seems like a lot of work for little reward.

Is this stove now to the point of not being efficient anymore, or am I just doing something wrong?

I am seriously considering buying a new stove. Maybe a Jotul F500 or something similar. Not sure what a new, good stove even costs.

Can anyone provide any help? Thanks!

 

[begreen]

That is a good heater. Was it cleaned out with compressed air? Sometimes the secondary passages get clogged up with ash. Are you closing the bypass once the stove is warmed up? That will heat the stove up more. Are you using the air control at the rear left top of the stove and leaving it open until the fire is burning well?

This sounds like it could be a damp or poorly seasoned wood problem. The stove should run at 500-600F without a problem. When was the wood split and stacked? As a test you could pick up a couple bundles of store bought wood and try them out.

PS: Do you have the manual for this stove?

 

[ntomsw]

I downloaded a manual online. Although not sure it is the right one.

The stove has never stayed at 500-600 like I would like it too. 300-400 is the highest it will go. Maybe hit 500 for a minute or 2, and then it slows right down.

I know nothing about wood stoves, so not sure what "secondary passages" you mean?? Also, what is the bypass? The air valve/damper at the top left, I open all the way. Then, as the fire gets hotter, it closes automatically. Stays shut, until the fire starts to cool down, and then I can open it more.

I bought "seasoned firewood" locally a month or so ago. Late I know, but we just bought the house in August. So I cannot even guess as to how "seasoned" it actually is. I already have a few cords (maybe 4 or 5) of my own wood cut down off of my own property, and it just needs to be split. That will be next years wood though, or the year after.

Even with store bought kiln dried wood, it just won't heat up hot enough. With videos online, it shows people packing wood stoves with 5 or 6 pieces of wood and it heats up good and hot. If I did that with this, it would just smoke like hell and die right out. Then, I have to start all over.

I am baffled as to what is wrong, or to what I might be doing wrong.

 

[ntomsw]

This is my wood stove. Up close it's a little rusty, and definitely has age to it. But, as far as I can tell, it doesn't leak anywhere or anything like that. Not sure what to do, or what I am doing wrong.

 

[begreen]

The bypass damper is the lever on the left rear side of the stove.


It has two positions. One position (up mode?) allows flue gases to go right up the flue from the fire box. Use this mode to start fires and warm up the stove. The second position is the horiz. mode. In this mode the flue gases are forced to go down and through a secondary burn chamber before exiting the flue. Note that there is a little flapper door on the lower left side. Leave that open, it admits secondary air to the fire.

Experiment with the bypass with the stove out while the top lid is open. You will see it diverting the smoke path in one position, but not the other.

Don't trust any wood as being "seasoned" unless you know the wood seller has kept if under cover or in a barn for a couple years. The wood split on the hearth looks pretty fresh. And get the chimney cleaned after each cord burned.Green wood creates creosote.

PS: Are you reading temps on the flue or on the stove top?

 

[ntomsw]

I had the temp gauge on the stove, and then I moved it to the pipe. Is it better on the stove??

And I had no idea what that bypass lever was/is. I was told by the guy who cleaned my chimney, (I know I know) that he thought it was a way to close off the stove so I could cook food with it or some damn thing. So I have ALWAYS left it open.

You're saying, start fire with that open, then once hot, close that totally off? Because I have it open, so the smoke/fire goes out that way and straight into flute pipe. So, that's wrong?

That tiny flapper door I did start to leave open all the time. Didn't seem to help much. But that could be because I had the other door open all the time.

So, with the bypass door shut off, how does the fire/smoke go out chimney?

Will fire burn better/hotter with the bypass shut off?

 

[begreen]

With the bypass open the hot flue gases are going right up the chimney. That is also the fireplace mode for this stove if you have a door screen. With the bypass closed the flue gases are forced to circulate through a secondary burn chamber. With that little flapper open, this extracts more heat from the wood and increases burn efficiency. It also heats up more of the stove body. The stove will burn hotter and slower because of the more complete combustion. That is, if the wood is reasonably well seasoned. Green wood introduces other problems, like this:

and if I pack too much wood in it, the fire just goes out.

VC recommended keeping the thermometer on the stove top for this stove. But if you want to see it in action having a thermometer in both locations is more informative.

The manual for the stove (and it's siblings) is here in 2 parts:
https://www.hearth.com/talk/wiki/vermont-castings-older-stove-models/

 

[ntomsw]

Ok great information, thank you very much!

What about the passages that might need to be cleaned with compressed air? Is that the 5 or 6 little holes in the back of the stove? Because I have no idea as to when the stove was ever cleaned out, if at all.

We only ever shovel out the ashes everyday, or every other day. That's the only "cleaning" we have ever done.

Also, how much wood should I be able to pack in there and have it still burn? Because now, any more then a few pieces and it usually dies out. Most times though, once it's really hot with coals, it will burn anything. I just have a problem keeping it that hot, without having to check it every 20 minutes.

Maybe I will buy a bunch of kiln dried wood or seasoned wood from the store and see how that burns with this new technique.

With the bypass door shut, will I get more of a smokey, wood burning smell as well? Just want to know how the stove will react since I have not tried it that way at all. If any of those passages are clogged up and need to be cleaned, will I know right away?

 

[begreen]

Wish I lived close by. This was the first real stove I had purchased. With good wood it's a joy to run and a decent little heater.

The service manual may have more info on cleaning. But really it sounds like the wood is not seasoned. Buy some grocery store wood and try that out.

 

[begreen]

If you can get a good hot coal bed, then load the stove up, keep the bypass open until the wood is aflame, then close it, the stove should burn for 6-8 hrs.

 

[ntomsw]

I really wish they had wood stove classes. I feel like such a failure for not knowing something that seems to be easy for everyone else.

 

[begreen]

That's why we're here. We all start somewhere. I bought that stove new in 1979.

 

[ntomsw]

It seems like a good stove. I actually would like to possibly move this stove to another part of my house off of the kitchen, and use it to heat those areas, and get something else for the living room where this is currently.

Not sure if you saw, but what about those passages you mentioned cleaning out? Should I do that, and where are they? I know the gaskets need to be replaced as well. They look pretty beat up.

also, if I try this method with truly seasoned wood and I am still having issues, then what? When do I know that this stove is no longer cutting it? is there a sure fire way to tell? Or should I be able to get much longer life out of this one?

 

[snydley]

I also have a Resolute. It really sounds to me like you're burning "greenish" wood. Does water "boil" out of the ends of the wood? If so it's green. With good wood, the damper and air inlet open, you should get a very hot fire that will completely cover the glass. Do you have a screen with yours? If so, a good air test is to build a good fire with the screen in place, once it's going good, remove the screen, close the door, make sure the damper and air inlets are open, and you shouldn't see much change in the fire, if you do, there's a serious problem with it not getting air, but like I said it sounds like you're not burning good wood.

 

[ntomsw]

I do have a screen.

So you're saying leave the bypass door open? What about when I close the doors? Do I shut it then? Also, the little arm on the top left corner of stove shuts automatically when fire gets hot. So I can only leave that open for so long and then it shuts by itself.

I'll try it later. If I still get nothing, I am going to go to a tree farm this weekend, to buy some kiln dried firewood. Maybe a bundle or 2. They guarantee no more than 14% moisture content, and that the wood is ready to burn right away. It's called Tree Hugger Farm up in Westmoreland NH. I'll try that and see what happens. I fear that it is something else besides the wood.

Because the first few fires we had, we were burning wood that was at least 2-3 years old left here from the previous owner, and we still weren't getting great heat out of it.

 

[Defiant]

1979 is the year the stove was designed, does not refer to year it was made. The primary air shutter (which you describe as the little arm on the top left corner) allows air into the stove to regulate the heat. This lever should have a bimetal coil and spring for tension, it might need to be tightened with another turn or 2 for this adjustment.

 

[snydley]

Yes. I was saying, as a test, build a big hot fire and put the screen in place, this allows maximum air into the stove. Then remove the screen, close the door and leave the air intake,(flapper on the back), and the damper, (arm on the left) fully open, air flapper to the right when viewed from the front, and damper arm straight up, this allows maximum air into, and the path of least resistance for the exhaust out of, the stove. Is the chain connected to the coil and the flapper on the air intake?. You can look behind the stove and see that it is connected. Does it move to both the the fully closed, and open,(might not go fully open, but you can tell if it goes far enough), positions as you move the arm back and forth? Get some good wood and try this test, if you notice the fire dying out once you close the door with the stove set up like this then I would presume the stove's air intake is clogged somewhere. You can see, by my picture on the left, that when it's working correctly the fire will cover the glass, yours should too.

 

[ntomsw]

There is a chain connected to the arm and then to the little door on bottom of stove. It does move back and forth. Closed or open.

Is it not suppose to close automatically as fire gets hot? Because when fire is hot I cannot open it at all. It stays shut. As fire dies down, then I am able to open it back up again. Then it shuts, etc etc.

As far as the glass, I see nothing with doors shut. Glass is extremely dirty, or maybe painted over.

Only way I can see fire, is if I open top cover. Which is the easiest I can see it. If I open the front doors, crap just spills all over.

 

[ntomsw]

Wood is definitely not seasoned. Water dripping out of it now that I actually looked. So I got screwed there, where he assured me it was seasoned for at least a year.

So, when I have more money, I'll get some of the wood from that farm I mentioned. It's debarked kiln dried. They have won a bunch of awards for their wood I guess, and they guarantee it will burn really efficient.

I'll also need to figure out how to properly get this stove cleaned and have it thoroughly checked by someone who knows wood stoves. Because on top of the wood, there is still other issues. Even before this batch of wood, when I was using seasoned wood, it still wasn't burning/heating properly, and staying that way for any length of time at all.

 

[snydley]

Ok, sounds like your air inlet control is ok. Yes, there is a bi-metalic coil connecting the handle and the chain, and the chain to the door. As the stove warms up the coil expands and the door closes, when it cools the coil constricts opening the door. Your Resolute is a different model than mine, I'm not sure if yours has glass in the door. I have the Resolute with 2 doors in the front that opens from the center to the right and left, if that makes any sense, with a small glass in each door, though I can't see much in mine either unless I clean them every day, which I don't.
Unfortunately your firewood dealer, (more like stealer in this case), sold you green wood. We all go through this at the beginning. After it happened to me a couple times I decided the only way I was ever going to know what kind of wood I was getting is if I cut and split it myself. I now buy 20 Ton log loads of wood from someone in my area and cut, split and stack my own. I bought a couple of Stihl chainsaws and a hydraulic spitter. I live in the country on 2.5 acres in western NY state and have all kinds of room for this, plus I'm retired, so I have all kinds of time for this nonsense.

 

[begreen]

You may need to save that wood until next year. Getting good dry wood in the fall/winter is hard unless you have a good professional in the area that can store under cover or has kiln dried wood.

 

[ntomsw]

Ok, sounds like your air inlet control is ok. Yes, there is a bi-metalic coil connecting the handle and the chain, and the chain to the door. As the stove warms up the coil expands and the door closes, when it cools the coil constricts opening the door. Your Resolute is a different model than mine, I'm not sure if yours has glass in the door. I have the Resolute with 2 doors in the front that opens from the center to the right and left, if that makes any sense, with a small glass in each door, though I can't see much in mine either unless I clean them every day, which I don't.
Unfortunately your firewood dealer, (more like stealer in this case), sold you green wood. We all go through this at the beginning. After it happened to me a couple times I decided the only way I was ever going to know what kind of wood I was getting is if I cut and split it myself. I now buy 20 Ton log loads of wood from someone in my area and cut, split and stack my own. I bought a couple of Stihl chainsaws and a hydraulic spitter. I live in the country on 2.5 acres in western NY state and have all kinds of room for this, plus I'm retired, so I have all kinds of time for this nonsense.

I'll leave this 2 cords until next year.

I also have maybe 4-6 cords of wood that I already have cut up from my property. Just needs to be split, once I buy a splitter. We wanted a bigger back yard when we bought this house, so I started clearing the land in October of last year. I want to clear maybe an acre or 2. We have 10 acres total. By the time I am done, I will probably have 20 cords of my own wood. So like you, at least I'll know when it's seasoned, and I can't lie to myself, or try and cheat myself. Man that gets me mad.

 

[ntomsw]

You may need to save that wood until next year. Getting good dry wood in the fall/winter is hard unless you have a good professional in the area that can store under cover or has kiln dried wood.

There is a tree farm local to me that sells debarked kiln dried wood. (http://www.treehuggerfarms.com/kiln_dried_debarked_firewood.html)

I am going to try and get some wood from them, and then still have my stove thoroughly checked, cleaned and inspected.

 

[begreen]

Good plan. To clean it with compressed air it needs to be taken outside. There will be soot and ash flying everywhere. I would wait until summer for that if the stove shows a dramatic improvement with the kiln dried wood and the bypass damper in the horiz. mode.

 

[fbelec]

also keep in mind that the lever on the top is how you get the stove to run at your preferred temp. if your fire is going at 300 and the flap is closed down you need to move the lever to open it up more until you get it up to 500 to 650. if you can't open any more then shorten the chain a bit. once you find the spot you can leave it there start a fire and the stove will take over and adjust itself. i'm running the big brother to that stove. the defiant. it works the same. it's a easy stove to run. 2 trips to the stove. start it when it hits 600 to 750 on top of the stove load it to the gills let that go 5 mins the close your damper on the left and thats it until the next load.