Vigilant leaking

[Turkey66]

I have an older VC Vigilant multi fuel. It is leaking around the top where it meets the sides. What is the best way to seal this up? TIA

 

[DAKSY]

You can try to use a caulk gun & force some furnace cement into the gaps, but that’s just a temporary fix, IF it even works. The best way is to tear the stove down, clean out the remaining cement & reseal with new. You will need new tie rods, & probably gaskets, if you do tear it down.

 

[Turkey66]

You can try to use a caulk gun & force some furnace cement into the gaps, but that’s just a temporary fix, IF it even works. The best way is to tear the stove down, clean out the remaining cement & reseal with new. You will need new tie rods, & probably gaskets, if you do tear it down.

ok thank you. Will high heat silicone work any better?

 

[DAKSY]

Possibly.

 

[Defiant 3]

Actually not so much with the silicone, Rutland brand Furnace Cement is a long time fav of mine. I'd go with that!

 

[Turkey66]

Thank you for the responses. I have taken the the whole stove apart & cleaned all of the joints very good. I am going to use refractory cement to reassemble it. How long should I wait to fire it up after reassembly? The directions on the cement container does not say.

 

[Defiant 3]

Refractory cement?

 

[Defiant 3]

Not sure that'll do it...

 

[Turkey66]

Ok, I thought that would be better? It is rated for 3000 deg. Why do you think that it would not work? It was rather pricey.

 

[Turkey66]

Defiant3 thank you for your information. I have bought what you suggested. I have the stove all back together. How long should I wait to burn in it? If I did everything correctly with the rebuild, how long will it typically last before another rebuild? This is my first VC. will it be airtight after the rebuild?

 

[Defiant 3]

Yeah, give it 3-4 days indoors at room temp before having break in fires. (consult the manual for break in.). Put sand in the bottom, be ready for stinky paint smell if you painted it. Should be tight if you did your bit, good for maybe 50-60 cords of wood? We'll see...