Replacing Defiant 1975

[Berkshires1]

Dear all,
I bought a house with a nice Defiant 1975 that I thought was working well. We were advised to change it because there is a crack in the back (see pic).
Is it safe to run it for one more year. I pointed a flash light to the crack at night and no light is coming out.
I have been researching replacements but it is not so easy because the flue is 8 inches. Any recommendation? I also really like the look and feel of this stove and it puts a nice amount of heat pretty fast. We only heat with wood. We are in the Berkshires MA. We have big cathedral ceilings and the performance of the stove seems fine to me. But I am not an expert since I grew up in a country with very mild winters, which is not the case in the Berkshires.
Any advice would be welcome. I learned how to use this stove in this forum, so I am really grateful to all of you!

 

[begreen]

Is this an original Defiant? If so, it's not a model 1975. That is the part's casting mould date.

It looks like the fireback is warping, but not cracked.

 

[Berkshires1]

Thank you so much for the quick answer! Yes, it is original Defiant. The house is from 1978. I agree with you it looks like warped. I think it has two pieces in the back and they are not matching now. Is it safe to use it another winter? I worry about safety because I am not an expert at all. I would love to have it fixed, if possible, because it is both very good and very good looking, but I am not sure if there is someone in the Berkshires MA who could fix it. Also, if it really needs replacement, which one in the market is as good at putting the amount of heat as the Defiant 1975? Thanks again. I really appreciate your advice.

 

[begreen]

I can't say if the stove is safe or not. This requires a thorough inspection of the whole stove to determine if there are other issues. If the stove has been run like this already for a season then that may have caused other issues like bypass warping or cracks in the stove body. Also the stovepipe and chimney need to be cleaned and inspected for safety. The fireback replacement part will be around $350.

There's also the matter of firewood which needs to be fully seasoned for proper operation of the stove. Is there a good supply of seasoned wood available?

 

[retlaw]

My main heat source was a Defiant II for 35 years. I foolishly let the back plenum fill with ash many years ago and warped the back. Its not hard to replace. You should inspect that area by removing the plate on the inside top. You'll have to remove the stovepipe.
BTW...Last year I replaced it with a Lopi Liberty and now I wonder why I waited so long. After a winter of heating, I had a few cups of ash compared to several gallons of creosote in the clean-out.
If your stove and chimney appear safe otherwise, you could seal that crack with stove cement as a short-term fix. I loved the looks of mine too and it still sits in the garage waiting for me decide its fate.