Dutchwest 2460 - Refractory Pictures and Question

[Jeff from KY]

Hey guys. We had a couple very warm days a couple of weeks ago so I decided to do a serious cleaning. As background, I bought this 2460 in 2012 to replace a 25 year old Dutchwest Federal Airtight. Our wood stove is our primary heat source in our passive solar house here in western KY.

So, cleaned the chimney good, no creosote or unusual conditions in the chimney. I then decided to remove the top and do an inspection and vacuum out the inside. Here's a couple of pictures showing the refractory package and the catalytic converter. Everything was good, a bit of fly ash on the bottom of the converter.

The old FA did not have a refractory package. I noticed that there was a little dust from the refractory which I assume is normal.

Here's my question. How long should I expect the refractory to last (assuming I don't break it during one of the cleanings ) in normal use? Would you purchase an extra refractory to have on hand?

Thanks,
Jeff
Paducah, KY

 

[Hardrockmaple]

I've bought one refractory package in the 16 years I've heated with my DW.. I had to replace the one I dropped during a cleaning......

 

[Jeff from KY]

Thanks, that's good to know. Though I probably WILL drop it at some time. Because of that, I'll only clean that area of the stove after the burning season is done, not during heating season.

Jeff
Paducah, KY

 

[lopiliberty]

Mine lasted from the time the stove was installed in 93 till the liberty was put in 4 years ago. I ordered a replacement but due the inner top of mine cracking and warping around the bypass the new one didn't fit. I can't remember exactly what the price of the new refractory was but i'm thinking around $150 maybe more maybe less. Because of Vermont Castings reputation of taking forever to get parts to customers, I would go ahead and order one. Doesn't hurt to have an extra on hand

 

[homebrewz]

I hate those things.. the one for my Defiant Encore was somewhere around $200. Folks have experimented with building their own, but with those curves in yours, I don't think its possible. Yours looks pretty good and that wear and tear is normal. If you can a get good deal on one, and you're planning to have the stove for a while, might as well get one.

 

[Jeff from KY]

Thanks for the input, guys. I might just go ahead and get a spare.