New to wood stoves and helpless!

[Evenhanded]

Hi there! Very excited to have a house with a wood stove but clueless as to how to use it. I’ve looked around on the site but the terms are confusing. Grew up in an apt building in NYC so this is all new to me. It’s an older Vermont Castings Defiant. Seems pretty basic but there are two primary questions.
1. On the back there is a metal rod. When you move it to the right it opens up a little trap door on the back. I assume you want this open to let air get to the fire when you light it. If that is correct do I close it once the fire is on or do I close it when I want to stop burning? Is there ever a reason to leave it half-way open?
2. On the side there is a lever to what I think is the “damper” from what I’ve read here. It is currently pointed down, or perpendicular to the floor, when the handle is inserted. I can pull it towards the front so that it runs parallel to the floor. When I do this something unseen but metallic opens up inside. Kind of falls and clangs like a drawbridge. When I point it back down it changes position in a much more controlled manner. Not sure which position is OPEN or CLOSED. Also, I think I’m supposed to open it when I start a fire. If so do I leave it open while the fire is on? When do I close it? What happens if I guess wrong and start and run a fire in the wrong position?

The doors are metal. The main reason we want to run it is for hear.

Thanks in advance for the help - sorry for being such a newb.

 

[begreen]

It's important to know what model Defiant this is. There are several. Is there a UL label on the rear of the stove that says the model number? If not, can you post a picture of the front and the back of the stove?

 

[Evenhanded]

It's important to know what model Defiant this is. There are several. Is there a UL label on the rear of the stove that says the model number? If not, can you post a picture of the front and the back of the stove?

There is no label but here are some photos. Thank you for your help!

 

[peakbagger]

Its also very important that if the installation is new to you that the entire system is inspected.If operated improperly they like many stoves can cause large amounts of creosote that could be built up in the chimney.

 

[Evenhanded]

Thanks. It was inspected when we purchased the house. But he didn’t explain the operation. Thanks for looking out though!

 

[begreen]

This is the original Defiant, from around 1979. I'll send you the manual. Note this manual covers all VC stoves of that Vintage.

Defiant

The Defiant stove originally designed by Duncan Syme became the foundation of his new stove company. The stove combined classic looks with more modern heating efficiency. It was the first and only product produced by the up and coming stove company and served as the company flagship for the...

www.hearth.com

 

[logfarmer]

The metal rod in the back is the “thermostat” handle, on the right is the damper. That stove needs to be burned hot to be clean, I had the vigilant stove which was just a little smaller but same principle. Decent stoves in their day, but keep an eye on the chimney every 3-4 wks. Burn seasoned wood

 

[Evenhanded]

Thanks! What do I look for on the chimney? I don’t think I can look IN it though. Is it ok to add a small piece of wet wood once there is a roaring fire?

 

[logfarmer]

Thanks! What do I look for on the chimney? I don’t think I can look IN it though. Is it ok to add a small piece of wet wood once there is a roaring fire?

In the chimney you will see if it is burning “clean” as like just a powder or dusty look to it, or like mine was when I had it was big black shiny flakes of creosote which darn near plugged my chimney solid in one spot. But I was burning 25%+ moisture wood which isn’t good! I use a mirror and stick my arm through the thimble and use the daylight outside to see to the top, I don’t have a cap on my chimney so that’s why I can just use daylight. My fist chimney sweep was 5+ gallons of creosote. You live and learn...

 

[Evenhanded]

Thanks. Maybe I’ll have it professionally cleaned and pay close attention. The manual had the answer to the position of the damper thanks!

 

[peakbagger]

That stove has a hidden smoke chamber that plugs up with fly ash. Unless you have the manual or the person cleaning the stove knows how to access the smoke chamber, it will eventually plug up. It also can lead to a cracked and warped fireback.

 

[logfarmer]

That stove has a hidden smoke chamber that plugs up with fly ash. Unless you have the manual or the person cleaning the stove knows how to access the smoke chamber, it will eventually plug up. It also can lead to a cracked and warped fireback.

That is correct

 

[Evenhanded]

uh oh. I’ll see if I can find it in the manual that be green sent me

 

[peakbagger]

Unless you skipped a step, I think you still need to determine exactly which model you have and find a manual for the specific model. If Its a rear outlet model that implies its not the original design which was a top outlet. I think that is good news as I think it should have the two piece fire back. From an insurance perspective, depending on the insurance company you may need to prove it was tested by a third party rating agency and is installed to the meet or exceed the clearances on the label.

 

[Evenhanded]

Why do I need to involve Insurancecompany at this time?

 

[Rickb]

A lot of insurance companies will not insure your house if you use a non UL listed stove.

 

[peakbagger]

Most insurance companies have to be notified if there is a wood heating appliance in the home and usually charge some premium to the policy for wood heating appliances. They also typically have requirements that the heating appliance is certified and the installation inspected by third party. If they are not notified, they may be within their rights to not pay any claims arising from the installation. Claims from wood fired equipment can be significant including burning the entire house down. Although wood burning can be safe, houses do burn from wood heating. I have not seen any breakdown on what risk causes the most claims, but chimney fires and improper ash disposal are probably in the lead with improper installs coming in strong second.

Some insurance companies are somewhat more flexible on wood heating appliances and on occasion people will shop their policies around to find a company that is more friendly.

 

[Evenhanded]

Aah gotcha. We are already insured but I’ll make sure it includes the stove. Thanks everyone