Vermont Castings Defiant question

[Devita10]

Hello! I'm looking to get into the wood stove life and have found a used Vermont Castings Defiant that I'm hoping to purchase. Looking for some guidance on if this looks like a stove in good condition, and worth investing in.

*I saw the Vermont Castings sub thread but wasn't sure if this question fit that category*

Thanks in advance!

 

[begreen]

It's about 40 yrs old, but they were good stoves in their day.

 

[peakbagger]

Looks like its Defiant 1A with two piece fireback that looks in good shape from what I can see. I have twin in my basement. It is the original VC design that built the company. Its was designed for drafty old Vermont homes and tend to be overkill in a single room application unless its a really big room. They eventually came out with two smaller desings that fit in a typical house better. They are more efficient than a typical "smoke dragon" when run in bypass mode if the secondary air tube is clear. There is a hidden chamber behind the fireback that is a PITA to clean. The manual is available to download that shows you how to get to that hidden chamber. If you operate it with the front open, its not very efficient. Like any older cast iron stove, its sealed with refractory which gets brittle with age. Its likely that the refractory could crack when you move it. Resealing it is not that hard but it takes time. Getting the secondary air sealed is PITA. Its two C shaped rough cast iron sections that sort of mate up in hard to get at spot. The two faces are buttered with refractory then a piece of metal screening is laid on top one the two sections are facing each other and in place and then refractory is buttered down onto the screen and smoother out to form the bottom of the hidden chamber I mentioned, do it right and conduct air along the back of the fireback and its preheated and introduced into the secondary burn chamber on the right of the fire box . Do it wrong and seal it up and the secondary air will not work. Put the refactory cement in too thin and it leaks up into the hidden chamber.

They are good old workhorses with good rep but the design i close to 50 years old, newer EPA stoves are cleaner and more efficient. If you want to install it in a house with insurance make sure there is a rating tag on the back usually the lower left hand corner when looking at the back. If the rating tag is not there many insurance companies will not approve it.

It also requires an 8" diameter flue and unless you have ideal stack draft it may not run when connected to a 6" flue.If your need to put in a reducer on the outlet stove pipe to fit the thimble, its probably not a good fit.

Stove prices vary by area and heating costs but a Defiant in good shape with a good fireback is in the $500 to $600 range. This one looks in pretty good shape so it could go a bit higher.

I have mine in my basement, during a power outage years ago I was heating my entire 2 story house with it. There were some cold spots but the rest of the place was T shirt warm. I dont use it anymore as I have wood boiler.

 

[fbelec]

Hello! I'm looking to get into the wood stove life and have found a used Vermont Castings Defiant that I'm hoping to purchase. Looking for some guidance on if this looks like a stove in good condition, and worth investing in.

*I saw the Vermont Castings sub thread but wasn't sure if this question fit that category*

Thanks in advance!

View attachment 268841 View attachment 268842 View attachment 268843 View attachment 268844

welcome to the forum. like said above it's not a good stove for small area's. it's meant to heat 2500 square feet. i run the same stove now and love it. i've got the same thermometer on mine also that needs to be placed another foot up on the pipe or on the cook plate of the stove. i run mine at 575 to 625 on the stove if you have a small place and try burning low you will make a lot of creosote for a chimney fire. great stove tho. i get about 6 to9 hours of burn time on a full load depending on type of wood

frank

 

[5buford]

Looks like its Defiant 1A with two piece fireback that looks in good shape from what I can see. I have twin in my basement. It is the original VC design that built the company. Its was designed for drafty old Vermont homes and tend to be overkill in a single room application unless its a really big room. They eventually came out with two smaller desings that fit in a typical house better. They are more efficient than a typical "smoke dragon" when run in bypass mode if the secondary air tube is clear. There is a hidden chamber behind the fireback that is a PITA to clean. The manual is available to download that shows you how to get to that hidden chamber. If you operate it with the front open, its not very efficient. Like any older cast iron stove, its sealed with refractory which gets brittle with age. Its likely that the refractory could crack when you move it. Resealing it is not that hard but it takes time. Getting the secondary air sealed is PITA. Its two C shaped rough cast iron sections that sort of mate up in hard to get at spot. The two faces are buttered with refractory then a piece of metal screening is laid on top one the two sections are facing each other and in place and then refractory is buttered down onto the screen and smoother out to form the bottom of the hidden chamber I mentioned, do it right and conduct air along the back of the fireback and its preheated and introduced into the secondary burn chamber on the right of the fire box . Do it wrong and seal it up and the secondary air will not work. Put the refactory cement in too thin and it leaks up into the hidden chamber.

They are good old workhorses with good rep but the design i close to 50 years old, newer EPA stoves are cleaner and more efficient. If you want to install it in a house with insurance make sure there is a rating tag on the back usually the lower left hand corner when looking at the back. If the rating tag is not there many insurance companies will not approve it.

It also requires an 8" diameter flue and unless you have ideal stack draft it may not run when connected to a 6" flue.If your need to put in a reducer on the outlet stove pipe to fit the thimble, its probably not a good fit.

Stove prices vary by area and heating costs but a Defiant in good shape with a good fireback is in the $500 to $600 range. This one looks in pretty good shape so it could go a bit higher.

I have mine in my basement, during a power outage years ago I was heating my entire 2 story house with it. There were some cold spots but the rest of the place was T shirt warm. I dont use it anymore as I have wood boiler.

Great info. I have a 2009 Defiant Non Cat Model 1610. You mentioned the "hidden chamber" which I think I just noticed. Was getting a lot of puff back like the stove was starving with the primary air wide open. I got a vacuum and my hand back behind the fireback and found several large flakes of what I assume is the refractory breaking down. I am looking for information on how to get a look at that hidden chamber and possibly replace the fireback and refractory pieces. Any help in finding this information or info on how to proceed with a rebuild would be appreciated.

 

[defiant3]

Great info. I have a 2009 Defiant Non Cat Model 1610. You mentioned the "hidden chamber" which I think I just noticed. Was getting a lot of puff back like the stove was starving with the primary air wide open. I got a vacuum and my hand back behind the fireback and found several large flakes of what I assume is the refractory breaking down. I am looking for information on how to get a look at that hidden chamber and possibly replace the fireback and refractory pieces. Any help in finding this information or info on how to proceed with a rebuild would be appreciated.

Well actually your 1610 is a world apart from the stove the o.p. showed. Yours has a "fountain assy." which enables a more complete secondary burn, is a pita to work on, and far more expensive to maintain sadly. The Defiant II pictured ( not IAI, sorry Peakbagger) is nothing but good old cast iron!

 

[peakbagger]

Not a problem being corrected by Defiant "pro". Sad to see folks who get the later VCs that look like the originals and then find out they may look good outside but not worth the trouble to rebuild them.

 

[defiant3]

The secret about servicing 1610's is that the top is GASKETED not CEMENTED on! So br removing the screw under the griddle handle and bolts near the rear corners ( inside) the top comes off, then you can access the 4 bolts that secure the upper fireback and damper assy. Oh yeah, rear heat shield has to come off. Even WITHOUT removing the U.FB./D you'll have access to the smoke chamber for cleaning which is often sufficient though be sure the ports in the side of the fountain assy. are clear. Then sell it & get an old Def. II LOL.