vigilant coal stove model 2310?

Hi, I am new to coal burning, I have been burning wood for 30 years and I Just purchased a used in very good condition Vermont castings vigilant coal stove model 2310. I am hoping someone can help me. It just doesn't seem to burn well unless I keep the bottom door open, it just doesn't seem to be getting enough air. I have tried keeping the internal damper open and the thermostat all the way open. But its not doing the trick. anyone have any suggestions?

Hi, and welcome to the forum. Coal needs all the air coming into the stove to go through the coal bed. Unlike wood, which burns just fine with air added over the top of the fire, a coal fire will just go out unless all the air is being pulled through the coal bed.
Make sure your air vents in the loading doors are closed, and the gaskets or rope seals on the doors and glass [if you have glass in the doors] are in good shape.

Then make sure your chimney is clean, if you just replaced a wood stove, with this new stove, you may have an accumulation of creosote clogging or restricting your chimney.

Leave any hand dampers in the chimney wide open untill you either get a manometer to measure draft or get a lot of expertice with burning coal. You want to maximize your draft for now.

Next is the coal itself, all coal is not equal, like wood, coal is a product of nature, and therefore lots of variations. What company or brand of coal are you burning?? Some coal is very difficult to burn well, some is a dream. Let us know.

You must have the coal covering the entire firebox. Don't allow an open corner or edge. Remember the air will 'sneak' around the fire if it can, starving the rest of the coal bed for needed combustion air. once you have the coal fire established you need to fill the firebox up to the top of the firebricks, the deeper the better. You wil control the heat output with the air control in the ashpan door.

You might want to read this thread, I think it is the same or similar stove to yours: Great burn, no heat, what am I doing wrong?

Hope this helps. Greg L

The Vigilant comes either prepared to burn Anthracite or Bituminous coal. Restrictor plates are fitted into the air inlet channels when burning Bituminous coal and these plates have to be removed when burning hard coal. That may be your problem. Check to see if they are there.

Hi marilynshere. I'm new here as well. I've got a similar bacground with solid fuel as well; ~ 20 years with a 1979 Defiant ( stil going strong ) and now six years with the Vigilant II. There was a learning curve with both units. Once on top, they both are good heaters. The previous posts from Corie On and LsFarm are on the mark.

I too had troubles keeping a fire in the 2310 but soon overcame them. I got little help from my dealer. The dealer's installers didn't know about the air inlet restirctor plate on the left under the grates that had to be removed to burn anthracite. They also installed a piece of double walled pipe that didn't fit the oval outlet - lost a lot of draft there. When I removed the grates to look around, I found one of the three sheet metal clean out covers missing - more lost draft. Oh, yeah, they leveled one leg by placing a nickel under the foot! Glad it wasn't wooden Once I waded my way through all this, it hums along.

I'd be glad to share any of my Vigilant II experiences if you have any questions I might be able to answer.

Ok, I found the air inlet under the grates on the left side. Now are the plates inside that hole? Right now I am just holding the ash door open sightly with a brick. And it burning great, but I don't want to keep using a brick.

The air inlet is under/behind the grates on the back of the stove. The restrictor plate, with a 2" x 3/4" opening cut in it to allow air for bituminous burning, should be over the air inlet held in place by a screw. It's located on your left on the inside back of the stove. It measures 6.25" x 2.5". If it's there and you burn anthracite, remove it and the air inlet size will be increased about four fold. You must remove the grates to see it. I've tried to attach a picture of the removed restrictor plate.

There are three clean out cover plates; one on the left side, one on the right side and one on back of the stove to your right. No screws in any of the three plates. The cover plates have bit of a cap to them formed by the metal having been crimped to shed ashes toward the grate/ash pan. You can see the crimped top of the right and left side plates very close to the last grate on either side. You have to pull the grates to see the stove back's clean out cover plate (looking to your right). They need to be in place or you'll loose draft big time.

I took the whole stove apart this morning, Yes the The restrictor plate was already out. So that's not the problem, took out the three clean out cover plates and sucked everything out with my shop vac. Stove is all cleaned out. But I'm still having the same problem. Can you tell me what is your flute size? I'm using 8", I was wondering if maybe I should be using 6" pipe. But the flute is 8".

It's inside, 6" and a straight shot thru the atic; 6' SS double wall pipe inside the room, and a total of 10' metalvent style SS insulated chimney pipe.

Sorry, but I'm going to shotgun a bunch of questions your way....
Other than what LsFarm stated earlier (coal type, flue clean & open, check the other thread he linked), I was wondering what your flue is constructed of? Are there any other appliances or thimbles venting into it? Is there a clean out door and is it tightly secured? Is it the same chimney you used before with wood and does it need to be warmed to draw? If so,try this... open the stove's double doors and use it as a fireplace with wood for a while then use the wood coal base to fire up a ~ 1 1/2" layer of coal, close the doors and see what happens. I use mine for a wood fireplace in the early and late season. Got the screen from VC when I bought the stove.

Does the stove pipe fit tightly into the stove - that's were I had the biggest problem after the dealer's installers set it up (they really just made believe it was set up). Had exactly the same problems you are having until I discovered all the little problems.

Be certain that all your door latches are adjusted for a good seal & gaskets are tight. Shine a strong light from inside the stove around the double front doors and if you see light, replace the gasket or, if it's in good shape, build up behind it with furnace cement till it does seal. Is the glass seal tight? Then close the top and place the light in thru the double doors and look for leaks around the top-loading door. After checking these points, look closely at all the corners & top of the stove and make certain the joints are tightly sealed and if not, caulk with cement.

Please keep us updated on progress and discoveries....