Defiant Encore grate warping.

[Investment Camper]

I have a Defiant Encore and the trapezoidal grate that lets ash fall into the pan is starting to warp. My stove is on an unheated porch in Maryland. Thinking perhaps the heat to cold is doing the bowing, as I watch the stove thermometer pretty closely and don’t run it past normal. Anyhow, I see I can buy a replacement for 100 bucks. Figure I’ll finish out the season and just swap that out. Anyone else have a warped grate?

 

[Stoney Meadow Maple]

My parents have had 2 defiant encores and 2 encores. My observation is that they are hypersensitive to warping internal components, once they have warped even slightly they problem compounds and gets worse quickly.
You have to be extremely careful about gaskets being in good condition, the ash door gasket tends to want to fall out of place and it allows the fire to get too hot directly on the grate. Also the casting that the damper shuts against can warp which causes issues in that you cant seal against it and then you constantly have uncontrollable draft up the chimney.
Go through your gaskets thoroughly and make sure they are sealing tightly, check the damper to ensure it is closing properly.
Routine tear down and rebuild seems to be key with these.

 

[Investment Camper]

Gotcha! Thanks!

 

[Eman85]

37 years on my Encore and I haven't warped anything. I don't see how you could warp the lower grate as heat travels upward. Are you opening the ash pan door to promote burning? Or is the gasket bad on the ashpan door?

 

[Investment Camper]

No I checked the gasket it’s weird. No warping of the fireback. My stove is on an enclosed porch that is suspended off the ground. All I can think is that the heating/cooling is much more rapid than a stove that is inside a house. I could replace it for$100. Just watching it for now it’s kind of convex right now