Vermont Castings wood stove, gaskets ----

fireweed farm · #1 10/29/14, 08:55 AM

I've got a Defiant, bought new and has 4 winters on it. Main heat source so used daily oct-nov to March-April.

Last winter I woke up to smoke in the house several times. Turned out some of the gaskets deteriorated.

Is this a common issue with VC? The woodstove we grew up with never had the gaskets go, actually it's still good (35 years?)

Looks like a big dirty job. Whole stove needs to come apart.

(Seems the word 'shot' was mistyped in the title)

Ramblin Wreck · #2 10/29/14, 10:14 AM

I had a VC Dutch West stove for 15 heating seasons, and the gaskets held up fine. I had to replace the catalytic converter once, but otherwise the stove was still in good shape when I gave it to my son. I bought a new VC stove exactly like the old one, but I only used it for a few fires late last heating season. I hope there is not a problem with gaskets in this new one, and I'm sorry you are having to repair yours so soon.

simi-steading · #3 10/29/14, 10:22 AM

I'm on my second season of burning on mine, I bought it used, but it appeared to be a few years old. Sat out in the weather before I got it for a year..

I've replaced the side and front door gaskets, but I think they get worn because of all the opening and closing... All the other ones are fine.

I did replace the top gasket because I replaced the Combustor. It looked fine other wise, it it would have not needed replacing if it hadn't been taken apart.

belties · #4 10/29/14, 08:20 PM

Are you certain that it is a gasket issue and not back puffing? We have that exact stove and we have issues with the back puffing, and with some research I discovered this is a common issue with these stoves. Hearth.com has some discussions about back puffing.

fireweed farm · #5 10/29/14, 08:26 PM

Thank you for the link I will look into back puffing! I am sure some gaskets are shot, I had the original salesman out to see why it kept...back puffing(!) and he showed me a few gaskets that were ruined, not sure how...

simi-steading · #6 10/30/14, 07:10 AM

I had an issue with mine back puffing.. It would only do it if I had the vent open, and had the tray door open. Other wise mine draws really well and doesn't puff back..

HOWEVER...

Last night at about 3:30 in the morning my wife wakes me up and says she smells smoke.. I jump up and run down, and some how, two of the tabs that hold the glass in the door had gotten out of place, and allowed the glass to slide down some and leave about a 1/4" gap on one side...

Boy was that fun trying to take off a hot door, with hot glass, and get the gasket back in place (not glued in.. Just stuffed in) and the door back on, all while trying to keep the fire as low as possible with all that air flow.. Thankfully I got fire fighter gloves. They still got pretty dang hot inside..

I don't believe there would have been a problem had I have not been home and it happened, but I do think the house would have really smelled bad.. or good.. depending how much you like the smell of wood fires...

Carol K · #7 10/30/14, 08:43 AM

I bought a used Resolute from the 70's and replaced all the gaskets, it's not a hard job but a bit messy. Good to get that done now before you get well into the season. We are burning already.

Carol K