We have a 1977 VC Vigilant that was installed in 1984 when my now deceased in-laws built that is now our home. It has always done a great job of keeping about 3000 square feet comfortable. The two upstairs lofts can get downright toasty. The rest of the house, upper 60's to 70. It does such a fine job that we haven't turned on our two, new heat pumps in two years, except for this week when the lows were mid teens and my bride has been sick.
The stove sits in a huge, cathedral ceiling 'great room.' The flue is totally exposed and goes straight up from the stove through the roof, basically two stories. We have three acres of heavy woods that keep me supplied with mostly oak, usually seasoned for about a year but often the tree had been topped or totally downed in a storm months before I ever log and split it.
Okay, my questions:
1. The gasket around the griddle door is really loose and deteriorated and sometimes just hangs down in the fire. I realize this needs to be replaced.
The door gaskets are very secure but extremely flattened and very hard. However, it definitely still passes the 'paper pull' test so it appears the seal is very tight.
Should I go ahead and remove and replace the door gaskets while I'm doing the griddle?
2. I saw a video demo of this exact model in which there was a removable floor that sat on top of the ribbed, cast iron bottom. There has never been such a floor in
this stove. What is it for and should I have one?
3. People talk about having firebricks in the bottom of the stove. Why? Should I have bricks? Where do you get them? I keep ashes to a level about even with the
top of the ribs.
4. When I get a really hot fire (vertical draft) going I hear a sort of krinkly sound in the flue. Is that creosote burning off? Is that a problem?
5. I get little specks (sometimes not so little) of dried, burned creosote on top of the stove/griddle. How does it get there?
6. It's been several years since my dad-in-law had the stove professionally cleaned and the flue "swept." I 'spect both need to be done soon, though I'll probably wait
til this season is over. We live in the country near only small towns. Finding a Sweep or stove tech may be hard. Besides a good cosmetic what can I do in the way of cleaning? How do you access the back 'baffles' to clean soot and ash out that winds up there due to horizontal burns?
7. I understand the workings of the damper to control vertical vs horizontal burn, and I have a good grasp of the thermostat and primary air source. What is the little
'peephole' on the side of the stove for? The one with the little cover than can partially or totally cover the hole?
8. When I am top filling the box I sometimes have smoke escaping into the house. Mama don't like that! My understanding is that, before opening the griddle door,
you should have the damper handle in the horizontal burn position (pointing down.) I am guessing that it is not drafting well in horizontal mode if smoke is coming
out of the top when I open the griddle door.
I've probably forgotten somethings I wanted to ask. I have read through the archives and have learned a lot but did not see answers to these questions.
Thanks for your help
Ken in Bellville, TX
The stove sits in a huge, cathedral ceiling 'great room.' The flue is totally exposed and goes straight up from the stove through the roof, basically two stories. We have three acres of heavy woods that keep me supplied with mostly oak, usually seasoned for about a year but often the tree had been topped or totally downed in a storm months before I ever log and split it.
Okay, my questions:
1. The gasket around the griddle door is really loose and deteriorated and sometimes just hangs down in the fire. I realize this needs to be replaced.
The door gaskets are very secure but extremely flattened and very hard. However, it definitely still passes the 'paper pull' test so it appears the seal is very tight.
Should I go ahead and remove and replace the door gaskets while I'm doing the griddle?
2. I saw a video demo of this exact model in which there was a removable floor that sat on top of the ribbed, cast iron bottom. There has never been such a floor in
this stove. What is it for and should I have one?
3. People talk about having firebricks in the bottom of the stove. Why? Should I have bricks? Where do you get them? I keep ashes to a level about even with the
top of the ribs.
4. When I get a really hot fire (vertical draft) going I hear a sort of krinkly sound in the flue. Is that creosote burning off? Is that a problem?
5. I get little specks (sometimes not so little) of dried, burned creosote on top of the stove/griddle. How does it get there?
6. It's been several years since my dad-in-law had the stove professionally cleaned and the flue "swept." I 'spect both need to be done soon, though I'll probably wait
til this season is over. We live in the country near only small towns. Finding a Sweep or stove tech may be hard. Besides a good cosmetic what can I do in the way of cleaning? How do you access the back 'baffles' to clean soot and ash out that winds up there due to horizontal burns?
7. I understand the workings of the damper to control vertical vs horizontal burn, and I have a good grasp of the thermostat and primary air source. What is the little
'peephole' on the side of the stove for? The one with the little cover than can partially or totally cover the hole?
8. When I am top filling the box I sometimes have smoke escaping into the house. Mama don't like that! My understanding is that, before opening the griddle door,
you should have the damper handle in the horizontal burn position (pointing down.) I am guessing that it is not drafting well in horizontal mode if smoke is coming
out of the top when I open the griddle door.
I've probably forgotten somethings I wanted to ask. I have read through the archives and have learned a lot but did not see answers to these questions.
Thanks for your help
Ken in Bellville, TX
