I BOUGHT A NEW NOT WARRENTEED VC DEFIANT 2N1 CAT WOOD STOVE THIS SUMMER. STOVE MUST HAVE BEEN FLOODED LAST YEAR FULL OF MUD. EBAY VENDER TOOK APART WITH ME AND WE CLEANED AND REPLACED ALL GASKETS. STOVE BURNS BUT NOT GETTING ENOUGH AIR IN CAT MODE. ONLY WAY TO GET TEMP UP HIGH IS TO LEAVE ASH PAN OPEN. I HAD A VIGALANT FOR 15 YEARS WAS GREAT BUT JUST ALITTLE TO SMALL HOUSE 2400SF. ALSO NO GLASS. JUMPED ON THIS PURCHASE 1/2 PRICE. I HAVE REPLACED CAT, BOUGHT INTERNAL TEMP PROBE, REPLACED ALL GASKETS & JUST PUT 8" SS LINNER IN MY 12" X12" CHIMINEY YESTURDAY. I HAVE NOW SPENT APPROX WHAT IT WOULD HAVE COST TO BUY NEW FROM DEALER. I JUST CAN NOT GET GOOD SECONDARY BURN. I ALSO ONLY GET ABOUT 5-6 HRS OUT OF LOAD OF WOOD. LOAD HER UP AT MIDNIGHT AND ONLY COALS AT 7 AM IN THE MORNING. I HOPE SOMEONE CAN HELP ME I ASK FOR HELP ON VC SITE AND THEY NEVER REPLY.
NEW VC DEFIANT 2N1 CAT PROBLEMS
- Thread starter MIKE GREEN
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THANKS SOMETIMES A GREAT DEAL IS ONLY A PROBLEM. I HAVE HEATED MY HOUSE WITH WOOD STOVES FOR OVER 30 YEARS THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I HAVE HAD A PROBLEM I CAN'T FIX. I HOPE SOMEONE HAS THE MAGICAL ANSWER
If this was filled with mud, how were the secondary air passages cleaned?
PS: Please turn off the caps. NO NEED TO SHOUT, we hear ya.
PS: Please turn off the caps. NO NEED TO SHOUT, we hear ya.
dougand3
Minister of Fire
Welcome, Mike Green. Some possibilities...
1. Your wood is too wet for the new Defiant. New stoves like REALLY DRY wood. The old Vigilant could handle wetter wood. Try some 2 by scraps and see.
2. Draft isn't good enough for new Defiant. Older stoves weren't as draft finicky.
1. Your wood is too wet for the new Defiant. New stoves like REALLY DRY wood. The old Vigilant could handle wetter wood. Try some 2 by scraps and see.
2. Draft isn't good enough for new Defiant. Older stoves weren't as draft finicky.
BrowningBAR
Minister of Fire
I have owned a Vigilant and a Defiant.
Your wood is wet.
With good wood you will be able to get at least 9 hours of heat out of the stove. You can get over 14 hours of heat depending upon your home.
Your wood is wet.
With good wood you will be able to get at least 9 hours of heat out of the stove. You can get over 14 hours of heat depending upon your home.
BrowningBAR
Minister of Fire
The new Defiants do not have the waffle-like griddle in front of the cat assembly.
With my 2040 I have a small slot across the top of the access cover plate and can actually see the flames inside when the cat is burning. But keep in mind, if wood is in the way, then I can't.
leeave96
Minister of Fire
None of my business, but your stove is a 2N1 which as I understand it can burn with or without the cat. If you suspect the cat is causing a problem, try the stove without it. If it burns like a champ, maybe you've solved your problem.
Good luck,
Bill
Good luck,
Bill
I want to thank all that replied to my query. All had great ideas. Believe it or not for some reason I decided to switch out cats to my old one. The stove started to crank out heat like never before. I guess it needed to reduce flue size. I was so happy i threw out new cat. Last night I loaded stove at 10:30pm put in cat mode turned air down to half. At 7:00 am stove still putting out 400 and wood fell apart when I touched it. Seems to be working now.
Keeping my finger crossed. Again thanks everyone.
Keeping my finger crossed. Again thanks everyone.
That's great news. What do you think is wrong with the other cat? Did you buy it new? Did it get poisoned some how?
BrowningBAR
Minister of Fire
If it's not too late, I would grab the cat out of the trash and return it, if it was in fact a new cat.
I bought it on ebay for a very discounted price. It was brand new & it was suposed to be direct replacement for OEM cat. I very rarely get burned on E-Bay but this is twice on this stove. No more bargins for me on this stove I will be only buying OEM parts. The sanitation truck came by at 7 am missed it so cat is gone.
I replaced cat thinking it was contaminated from flood & mud. But it seems to work ok now. This is the first time that i had to reduce flue size to get draft. Live & learn.
When I take out the cat it burns the same. Since I reduced flue size & changed cats the stove seems to burn like it should. When weather turns colder we will find out. Right now it is pumping out 600-700 on griddle and lasting 7-10 hrs on load of wood. That is with the air at 1/2. The next couple of weeks I will play and fine tune it. Again thanks for replies
When the vendor & myself took it apart to replace gaskets we used a shop vac and brushes & scrappers to clean out all the mud. That is when I learned of it being flooded out. Thank God it was fresh water and not salt water.If this was filled with mud, how were the secondary air passages cleaned?
PS: Please turn off the caps. NO NEED TO SHOUT, we hear ya.
jharkin
Minister of Fire
Glad to hear it worked out for you. The VC is a harsh mistress no doubt but when you treat her right she will warm you well.
Ebay had been going downhill for a long time. I used to buy and sell all the time but lately the place seems full of trouble.
mellow
Resident Stove Connoisseur
No my flue size was 12" X 12" and I never had a problem before with any stove I used. But when I could not get correct burn I saw on some forum that someone had to reduce flue size to correct draft problem. So I tried it. I put in a 8" SS linner and it seems to have resolved issue.
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