VC encore lower refractory crack

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Crabbypatty

New Member
Nov 22, 2008
81
Western MA
I have a crack in my lower refracory on the right side of center. It is from top to bottom. My warranty states the refractory is covered for the lifetime of the stove. I have heard that VC is not honoring the warranty due to the selling off of the company. I have not tried to put in a claim as of yet. Anyone have experience dealing with VC warranty claims?

What would cause this to crack? Can I patch it with anything? What are the repurcussions of running the stove with it cracked? I am thinking about just buying a new part ( $235.00) replacing it, and moving on.
 
Is it a hairline crack or did it come apart? I had a hairline crack in my 1450 for couple of years before I sold it....and it did not affect its performance.
 
I have the same stove and i had the same crack, it did not affect operation, but i decided to test the warrantee, I bought stove in 2008 . i called dealer where i bought it and they ordered all the refractory parts, gasket , shoe, fountain assembly, ect. then when they came in they came to house and installed all new parts . it took 1 and 1/2 hours, stove works great, and i was happily surprised by warrantee
 
Diabel said:
Is it a hairline crack or did it come apart? I had a hairline crack in my 1450 for couple of years before I sold it....and it did not affect its performance.

It was a hairline, but it is growing....

I bought the stove new, but it was a leftover, in a discontinued color. I don't have the reciept, so this may be my problem.

I have used a rutland product to fix a small piece of the shoe, I wonder if that is worth trying.

When they replaced the lower, did they have to replace all the other parts too????
 
TTT
Any more advice?
 
Crabbypatty, yes you can replace the shoe (lower refractory pc.) only. in fact it is easy, lift the grate out and remove then slide out shoe
 
If its the same refractory material used in the Defiant Encore stoves, could the crack be repaired with some refractory cement?
 
The piece that is cracked is the refractory lower, not the shoe, It sits on top of the shoe. It looks like it should come out, without a complete dissasembly
I am thinking about using Rutlands fireplace mortar to repair it. It is rated at 2000 °F and it says it will set hard a brick. Does anyone think this is a bad idea?
 
Crabbypatty said:
The piece that is cracked is the refractory lower, not the shoe, It sits on top of the shoe. It looks like it should come out, without a complete dissasembly
I am thinking about using Rutlands fireplace mortar to repair it. It is rated at 2000 °F and it says it will set hard a brick. Does anyone think this is a bad idea?


I don't think you have anything to lose by trying it,
 
I have been burning for 4 weeks straight, without a prob. I am gonna keep an eye on it and when we get a warm spell I am gonna try it
 
VCBurner said:
I can't wait to get mine!! VC Defiant Encore 2190 on the way!

For the basement? Are you entering the world of multiple stoves?
 
BrowningBAR said:
VCBurner said:
I can't wait to get mine!! VC Defiant Encore 2190 on the way!

For the basement? Are you entering the world of multiple stoves?
Yes! I do have three in the house right now but only one is EPA and it's the only active one. Though the Surdiac is a pretty good stove, it can't hold an overnight fire. We are only heating 1000 sq ft now. By next winter I'll have a breezeway turned into a new dinning room and 750 sq ft of the basement finished into an open bedroom/playroom. The total will increase to 2000 sq ft. So I'm getting a Defiant Encore in Blue Enamel from a guy in NH. The Encore is rated for 1900 sq ft but I don't expect it will heat the entire 2000 by itself! I'm curious to see if it does at least 1750 sq ft most of the time, though. All I'll have to do to test it is to shut the door to the dinning room. I'll still have an eat in kitchen, so the dinning room will be open for the hollidays or weekends when the kids are home and want to color or do arts and crafts in the room. I was thinking of putting the Surdiac in there w/ a through the wall into a class A in the garage up throught the roof. If I did that, it would make it 3 stoves. The surdiac is ideal for fast heating and is easily converted to coal, which could prove to be handy in case of wood shortages.
 
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