Refurbishing and Installing 1977 Vigilant - Help!

[jefflach]

Hello everyone,

When we bought our house a couple of years ago the prior homeowner left a VC Vigilant stove in the basement. We have electric heat with an open floor plan and the cost is KILLING me in the winter. We replaced the windows this summer so I'm hoping that will help a little bit, but my electric baseboards run constantly on colder days and I'm still not happy with the heat they produce.

I currently have an open fireplace in my open living room / dining room area (approx 600 sq feet). My friend has been on my case about refinishing the wood stove and I'm thinking of taking the plunge. I'm fairly mechanically inclined, but have no experience with wood stoves so I want to do my homework before embarking on this venture. The stove appears to be in okay shape, so I'm thinking of getting it outside and cleaning it up with a wire brush, replacing the gaskets, and painting it with a nice stove paint. I called a couple of chimney guys and am waiting for calls back to have them come out and give an estimate to install the "plumbing". Here are the main questions I was hoping I might be able to ask on the forum (thank you in advance!):

1) Is this too much stove for my house (1500 sq foot cape)?

2) How much should I expect to pay to have the pipe installed in my existing fireplace?

3) How much hearth space should I have in front of the stove?

4) What are the key things to look for to make sure the stove is in good working order?

5) If need be, are parts available for this stove? What is the best place?

 

[webbie]

1. No, it's not too much - should be fine, just that you may not want to fire it up until it gets and stays cold.
2. Depends on the condition of the chimney and other factors - it takes an 8" pipe and a full relining is suggested (and often mandated), which is not going to be cheap. Sit down. $2,000 - a lot less if you have handy friends and DIY.
3. It's a large stove - I'd suggest 20" which is probably current code anyway.
4. Lack of warped or heavily discolored (orange-red) parts on the inside...
5. Some parts are available....

There is a point of diminished returns here. A 6" chimney lining is 30% or more less - the difference, plus the sales price (used) of your Vigilant might buy you a newer cleaner stove.

It depends whether you are a fan of "classics" or just want the best and safest heat for the lowest price. If you want the 2nd, consider my suggestion of selling the Vigilant.