W
hich raises a question that I have been thinking about, and isn’t TOO much of a thread hijack.
What the heck do those Jotul and VC insert owners do when it is time to reseal the seams? Heck I know every cast iron stove I have ever owned had some seam leakage just from the jostuling of shipping and delivery. With a Winterwarm or Kennebec that would be a real pain having to drag that irom sucker out for a rebuild. Much less how the heck do you check for leaks with it in the fireplace?
Great questions: Mo heats problems with his his winter warm, were credited to the newly assembled winter warm castings fitting shifting during transport. One then beggs to ask why VC would ship a product before proper curing had occured?
Leak testing: Some have placed a large wattage light bulb inside the fire box and looked for light leaks Prefferly done in the dark
My way discovered by accident; I was blowing out a used stove with compressed air. It stired up so much ash one could actually see it leaking out the seams and gaskets. I Took this step further using the plumbing principle of testing vent pipes. I deflate a soft plastic /rubber ball. I place the compressor hose in the vent outlet ,with the un inflated rubber ball, I use my portable air can and inflate the ball in the vent opening. Adjust the compressor to only deliver 25/30 psi and pressurize the stove. The leaks either push out the ash cloud or wistle indicating the location of the leak. Depending upon what happens I judge the degree of work needed. If not too bad, I simply lay a healthy bead of refactory caulk on the seam inside the fire box. Where it is impossible to get the caulking gun at, I use a squeeze tube. I then let it cure and pressure test it again, luckilly I solved the leakage. In the case of my older intrepit II, all I did was expose leakage to other seams. Too much leakage. So T took it apart with a putty knife scrapped and cleanned all joints and also wire wheeled them. I re caulked them and using ratchet straps and bar clamps held them together long enough to fasten the assenmbly bolts. All nuts and bolts were replaced with stainless steel. I let it cure and pressurized it again. Also pressurization will indicate gasket leaks. You will know which gaskets need to be replaced.
This is done outside in my driveway. If done in the home,, I'd be cleaning the ash film up for days and have a very pissed off wife
When blowing out a stove I used a spray painter hood and a respirator.
As for dragging out that heavy insert: I would use car jacks rollers piano dolly and or 600lb rated two wheeler and decent rope.
Another way is to get 4 very strong motivated friends.
Next post here, one buys a 12 year stove or older cast iron from a yard
sale, you now know what is involved to bring it back to spec and safe opperations. Your best bet of older stoves, is to buy plate seel welded seams, if you do not want to get involved in a rebuild. Again cantion should be mentioned ,check for broken welds seem, warpage, and cracks. That whitish color half way up the side, is a clear indication of over firing and expect the metal properties to have been altered. Steer clear of these. Enamal cast iron stoves will have pot marks, where over firing caused the enamal to chip off in the middle to upper areas. If not warped too bad, these stoves already need rebuilding. If warped, chances are they the cast parts will never seat right again. This info probably should be edited and saved so it can be refferenced again and again.
Many sellers on Ebay have repainted their stoves. this will cover up the whitish evidence of over firing. Some do it to present a clean looking stove,others to cover it up. I would never buy a repainted stove unless, I knew it was for appearance only and from a very honest person. I rather see surface rust I can wire brush off and repaint my self, then buy the covered up unknown
BB I hope I answered at least some of your questons. I got a bit carried away sorry
