How Not to Use A Vigilant 2310

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franco b
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Post by franco b » Tue. Mar. 26, 2013 10:25 pm

IMG_1003.jpg

This is after removing the left inner panel

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Saw an add for a Harman for $100. Emailed and was told it really was a Vigilant.

Went with a friend and picked it up. The price was right for another stove to check out.

Cleaned it up and took out more than two ash pans full of fly ash and coal from behind the inner lining plus what I vacuumed. No way this could have run in indirect mode since it was totally plugged. No wonder he got a pellet stove to replace it.

He was the original owner and the owner's manual was from 1997. It must have run all that time without once vacuuming the clean outs. Can't understand how so much coal got in there too.

Attachments

IMG_1004.jpg

Right side

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IMG_1005.jpg

behind the back panel

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IMG_1006.jpg

Showing the two ports for indirect

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Lightning
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Post by Lightning » Tue. Mar. 26, 2013 10:44 pm

So other than a good cleaning, was anything wrong with it?
If not, I'd say ya got a nice piece there partner 8-)

 
franco b
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Post by franco b » Tue. Mar. 26, 2013 11:05 pm

The front grate is warped but usable, and the ash pan cover is missing. Some bricks need replacing.

This was not a normal clean out. Recommended cleaning is just to remove the 3 clean out plates and vacuum. This involved removing the entire inner lining to get at things. No way can a thorough job be done just through the clean outs. Used properly and only shaking in direct draft I suppose fly ash will not build up to that degree and a major cleaning be done maybe every 5 years. The hardest part is getting the damper out in order to remove the back plate.

A second time around would go faster, knowing what to do.

 
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VigIIPeaBurner
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Post by VigIIPeaBurner » Wed. Mar. 27, 2013 6:42 am

After a few hours of fussing, you'll have yourself a great little heater! I'm always amazed at how much fly ash ends up inside the pathways. I use a piece of flexible plastic conduit to snake around inside the cleanouts - just don't get it stuck or it'll cost you some skin! :mad: Get an old carboy brush and that works well for knocking down that f-ash by snaking that down behind the back thru the stove pipe hole and a smaller brush to snake inside the side's top firebox exits.

I run my stove at max, I'd say 600-700*F, most of the time. My front grill sags too. I replace it about every third year or so. I think the last one cost me around $65. There's a tremendous amount of heat that radiates out of the front doors. After all, your'e looking at 6-8" of the side of a burning pile of anthracite! :)


 
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dcrane
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Post by dcrane » Wed. Mar. 27, 2013 7:14 am

Is their a grate buried in that mess somewhere? :lol: Im curious about that ashpan lid (is that one of those "roll top desk" designs?), I never could understand why its so hard to walk carefully outside with a full ashpan (maybe the owner ripped the top off out of frustration of having to deal with it), My only thought was it appears that some photo's of these VC's stoves have ashpans that hang underneath and outside the stove body and if the lid is Integral to making a good seal between the body of the stove and the ashpan then it might need to be replaced. if you have to open the doors of the main body of the stove to retrieve the ashpan then id just let the missing cover stay "missing" :lol:

 
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blrman07
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Post by blrman07 » Wed. Mar. 27, 2013 7:23 am

Ash pan covers are nice but not really necessary. If you take your time, move carefully, and DO NOT TRIP and drop the full ash pan on the kitchen floor like I did all is well.

Momma was not a happy camper when I did that. By the way if you drop the pan, a lid won't help you. :oops:

 
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carlherrnstein
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Post by carlherrnstein » Wed. Mar. 27, 2013 10:46 am

wheres the rest of the stove thers about 30 parts missing from the pic.
I like my ash pan cover, it keeps ash from blowing out when I open the front door on my way to the driveway.

 
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freetown fred
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Post by freetown fred » Wed. Mar. 27, 2013 10:57 am

Nice Richard, you found yourself a project my old friend. :)


 
franco b
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Post by franco b » Wed. Mar. 27, 2013 10:58 am

VigIIPeaBurner wrote:I'm always amazed at how much fly ash ends up inside the pathways. I use a piece of flexible plastic conduit to snake around inside the cleanouts - just don't get it stuck or it'll cost you some skin! Get an old carboy brush and that works well for knocking down that f-ash by snaking that down behind the back thru the stove pipe hole and a smaller brush to snake inside the side's top firebox exits.
Yes, I was thinking along those lines too.

It was you and Nortcan that kindled my interest in these stoves. Both of you with good objective posts, plus it is a nice looking stove. That you are heating 3,000 sq. ft. is remarkable.

 
franco b
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Post by franco b » Wed. Mar. 27, 2013 11:06 am

I will post some pictures of the rest of the stove assembled later.

Concerning the ash pan cover, it is nice to have because it slips over the ash pan and acts as a handle. Without it the pan is awkward to grasp as there is no other handle and it has to be lifted out of the frame it sits in.

 
franco b
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Post by franco b » Wed. Mar. 27, 2013 5:31 pm

Here are some pictures of the grates.

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IMG_1007.jpg
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IMG_1008.jpg
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VigIIPeaBurner
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Post by VigIIPeaBurner » Wed. Mar. 27, 2013 7:56 pm

franco b wrote:
VigIIPeaBurner wrote:I'm always amazed at how much fly ash ends up inside the pathways. I use a piece of flexible plastic conduit to snake around inside the cleanouts - just don't get it stuck or it'll cost you some skin! Get an old carboy brush and that works well for knocking down that f-ash by snaking that down behind the back thru the stove pipe hole and a smaller brush to snake inside the side's top firebox exits.
Yes, I was thinking along those lines too.

It was you and Nortcan that kindled my interest in these stoves. Both of you with good objective posts, plus it is a nice looking stove. That you are heating 3,000 sq. ft. is remarkable.
Thanks franco. It does the job for most of the winter. The house is also on the newer side, it was built in 1998 and is fairly tight. I do use ~ <100 gallons of #2 when it's hanging in the mid 20's and below. (edit) Still, it is only a 50k BTU stove and it has served me well

When you look at the picture you took of the inside back of the stove, you see just how much extra surface area for heat exchange the designers built into the bypass area. That helps it draw the heat out of the stove.

Good luck with it!

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