Vermont Castings resolute victim of hurricane Sandy

[CTwith3]

My wife's uncle lived on Southern Long Island and his house was flooded with about 4 feet of water. Inside his house was his Vermont Castings Resolute Parlor stove which I rescued after the floodwaters left home.
The stove has a lot of rust and it looks like some parts need to be replaced such as hinges, hinge pins, and the tray underneath the stove.
Looking down into the stove from the pipe hole I see rust, and it looks like there something there is crosspiece that may be rusted all the way through.
I called Vermont castings technical support and they told me that since it was underwater there may be debris that I could never get out, and I should get a new stove and not use this one. I don't know if this is true, or if they just would like me to buy another stove and help build their sales volume. I was hoping that I could buy any parts that I might need and maybe find somebody who could sand blast the stove and then repaint it.
This is my first wood stove, I know nothing. Please, educate me. In the meantime, I will post some questions about new stoves in the appropriate forum.
Thanks.

 

[fbelec]

welcome to the forum

the thing that might give me 2nd thoughts is there is alot of stuff floating in that water. some stuff might come off others my be difficult. for it to be worth it you might have to do all the work yourself. if there was a chemical that might not come off easy the paint might not stick. or it might emit bad smells. might not be worth it. if you can use that size stove find one in craigslist might be cheaper

good luck
frank

 

[Charles1981]

It sounds like a CYA policy (cover your a$$) but there is always some reason to have that policy. The stove would benefit from a complete rebuilt probably as there are air-intakes that may have debris ect in them that you will never know about. It could be coated in oil and other crap from the water as well. I don't know how all the gasketing is going to hold up to water exposure and probably some portion saltish/brakish.

If you can take it apart. Evaluate all the components, and put it back together go for it, but time is money and those things are a bit of work to take apart, clean, and then put back together even when they aren't waterlogged and rusted.

 

[defiant3]

It has a tray? Resolutes didn't have trays. But whatever it is, let it go. I'm guessing it was 4 feet of salt water? Even if not, every screw, nut, bolt, and tie rod will be rusted solid and have to be drilled and tapped. Betcha there will be an exterior panel cracked, too. Don't know why, but water just destroys old stoves. Something happens to the old cement and it sort of turns into some unholy substance nearly impossible to work with.

Give it last rights and after an appropriate period of mourning, move on. Sorry.