Our Vermont Castings Aspen C3 was installed in September 2020 and we started using it in October. Though my parents had a wood burning stove when I was young, it was my dad's domain and I had little involvement with it. Husband had no direct experience with wood burning stoves before this one. I mention this because I want to admit we are novices, but I also know people who could talk us through problems - except that this is not my father's wood stove.
I mentioned briefly in a previous post that we were having some issues and we questioned whether it was operator error. The problem was that smoke was coming out of the door when it was opened and the fire seemed to die down too easily when the door was latched shut. These problems continued and came to a head on Christmas Eve when it became impossible to open the door at all without smoke billowing out of the door into the house. Since the kids sleep in lofts where the smoke rises this was extremely distressing and stressful. We had to let the fire die down instead of risk opening the door, smoking the place up, having to wake the kids and make them move outside as I stuffed stockings and wrapping the final gifts to put under the tree. Drama.
Christmas morning was a cold one. The kids opened their gifts but Husband's attention was directed toward the stove. As soon as the presents were unwrapped he tried to light it, but the results were terrible as the house filled with smoke, the alarms were going off and we all had to evacuate until the air cleared (and of course I had to climb up in a loft in the thick smoke to find the family cat hiding under a bed and bring him down). Ultimately we had to take the smoldering logs out of the stove and through the front door in order to empty the stove. Of course we were unable to reach anyone for service on Christmas Day. We ran our generator and two small space heaters to try and warm the house for the night, but on the day after Christmas (Saturday) we left for the valley (Christmas toys and all). I felt defeated as we drove away from the homestead. On Monday I was able to reach the stove professionals (Wizards Hearth and Home) and they scheduled a tech to visit on Tuesday. I am so thankful for their quick response.
As it turns out there are a couple of important components inside the fire box lining the top - the baffle and the blanket - and they hang below the flue, but close to it. We didn't even realize they were there and did not understand their purpose. The owners manual mentions these parts, but does not say anything about them. When we were initially having trouble with smoke coming out of the door we called and spoke to a tech and they told us when we start the fire to "stuff the stove full of kindling" and get a good hot kindling fire going before adding larger logs. Perhaps the baffle and blanket were dislodged during the stove's journey to our house, but we clearly dislodged it further. We took the tech's instructions to mean we should "stuff the stove" and in doing so I think we further dislodged the baffle and blanket and partially obstructed the flue. On Christmas Eve Husband inserted a particularly large log and tried to angle it in, but that must have shifted the baffle and blanket to completely obstruct the flue - hence the smoke pouring out of the door. When the tech removed the pipe attached to the top of the stove he said "I found the problem" and it was clear to see that the flue was blocked by the blanket which was flush against the top of the stove not allowing any air to flow. In fact the baffle is broken/cracked and a new one will be ordered. Once the tech arranged the blanket and baffle back in their proper place he lit the stove and for the first time we could watch the fire blaze with the door open and the smoke did not flow into the house.
In the weeks leading up to Christmas Eve our friends and family were puzzled by the fact that the Aspen C3 does not allow the user to adjust the external air flow - rather it is self-regulated by a thermostatic controlled air intake - a new feature which allows the stove to perform at optimal efficiency and produce the least amount of particulate matter. These self-regulating features are new to the 2020 models to ensure conformance to EPA emissions standards.
Because of the self-regulating air flow it is necessary to keep the door unlatched as the initial fire is started. Once the kindling is burning the door can be latched, but there is a right amount of time that the door has to be open when the fire is starting. However, I can finally report that after the tech left we have had much better fires, though at times the thermostatic control seems to still not let in enough air. As the tech said, the stove is finicky - and we completely agree.
While the tech was here they ran a chimney brush up the pipe and there was a minimal amount of debris - it was not overly dirty. We also learned (by watching) how to remove the 90 degree pipe inside the house so that we can clean it when needed.
The final issue we have had is with the door handle - it does not latch well and though the tech fiddled with it when he was here it is not fixed. They looked at again when they came back to install the baffle and still it doesn't work well. I have fixed it a number of times and don't think it will ever work well. The design is poor.
A month later the new baffle arrived. The tech returned to install it and he had a heck of a time with it. Husband ultimately had to show him the manual to ensure it was installed properly. Once the baffle was installed we were able to burn, but the airflow is still not ideal. After doing a lot more research it is clear that the two 90 degree bends in the pipe are located too close to the stove. The installation does not follow the guidance in the manual. We are left with a dilemma - put another hole in our steel building to ensure a proper installation (and airflow) or deal with what we have. Given the track record of the installers we decided to just get through the end of the winter and deal with it. Husband has gotten the hang of it - though it needs a lot of babysitting (he calls it his third child).
Though the wood stove can make this place toasty warm, it is a hassle. We are glad we can clear our land of down wood and use it for heating and, when the stove works well, it seems to be very efficient (you can't see smoke coming out of the outside pipe). Our goal was to use renewable energy as much as possible and that is what we are doing!
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