Griddle gastket on VC Defiant

[dtabor]

Today when I loaded up my stove, I brushed the gasket around the griddle on the Defiant, the whole length of the front came out of the channel, unattached! The stove is only a couple months old, can I just re-glue this in or does it need to be replaced. If I can re-glue, what do I use and can it be done while the stove is in use, before a reload maybe?

D

 

[swestall]

Hey, just put some stove gasket cement on it every couple of inches and press it back into place. The only reason to replace it is if it was leaking. You recall that you will have white spots at the griddle edge if it is leaking?

How is that "thing" burning these days?

 

[dtabor]

Well, I dont want to jinx it or anything but its doing "OK". Temps this AM were -2 when we woke up but the big drafty house was at 63 in the middle of the room and the kitchen. When I left she was rumbling away and griddle temp was 600 on full air. I told my wife to close it down a bit when she left.

 

[swestall]

Well that sounds pretty good. You shouldn't be afraid to damp down since that only controls the air coming in to the front of the stove above the glass. The air for the secondary burn is coming in through the small siphon holes in the ceramic refractory assy. "Theoretically' when you shut the primary damper down, it should increase the draw in from the secondary air supply. If you have a GOOD draft, that should work OK.
Try it when you are home to see how it goes.

 

[dtabor]

Im going to the stove store where I bought it on Saturday and speak of that poorly connected adapter on the stovepipe and see where I get with them this time. AT worst I can get some gasket material or cement to seal it up. At the same time I'll get the gasket cement for the griddle top.

The real test for this thing will be Saturday night and Sunday. I'll be there the whole time and can keep it cranking and see if it can keep up with the frigid temps we're supposed to get. I cant expect too much when we're not there as once it burns down, it cant keep up with the large house cooling down. Not the stove's fault, we're going to have to work on the drafts etc as we find them.