Broken Refractory Cover in VC Defiant 1945; What to Do?

[Gridlock]

I went to examine and clean the CAT in my VC Defiant 1945 last night, and noticed that the refractory cover was broken in two pieces, more or less down the middle width-wise. It also is seems to be starting to crumble more than I remember when I checked it last time at the end of last season. The refractory box is also deteriorating, but not as badly as the cover. I've only been using this stove for a season and a half (24x7), so was surprised to see this. To be fair however, I had a lot of draft issues (which have been subsequently taken care of by installing a larger 8" flue) the first season which caused the CAT to run VERY hot, sometimes as high as 2300 degrees (as measured on the Condar digital probe). I'm guessing that this may have caused premature deterioration of the refractory assembly.

So the question is, what should I do about this now? Even though the refractory cover is broken in two pieces, I can for now still reinstall it. Will a broken refractory cover affect the performance of the stove? Should I leave it as is for now, replace the refractory cover, or entire refractory box? I'd certainly rather spend the money/time now to replace something, rather than experience a lot of problems this season.

I did happen to find the parts at a reasonable prices here:
Entire assembly: (broken link removed)
Conver only: (broken link removed)

Anyone know if these parts are as good as what I'd get from VC?

Any opinions greatly appreciated!

 

[daryl]

Can you submit a warranty claim. Your dealer should be able to help you with this.

 

[JV_Thimble]

Had these parts replaced under warranty, but I've had my stove for less than a year now.

Here's a post on the experience, in case it helps - https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/77851/

 

[VCBurner]

BrowninBAR seems to have good ideas on prices for VC parts, he has an Encore and a Vigillant. It sounds like a good deal and the parts from them are usually good. If you can't get them under warranty, I'd buy them if that's the best price and keep your cat under 1600 or you'll likely be replacing them again. Lots of posts around here about those refractory parts. You can search defiant encore as well and find lots of info on VC refractory parts.

 

[BrowningBAR]

I went to examine and clean the CAT in my VC Defiant 1945 last night, and noticed that the refractory cover was broken in two pieces, more or less down the middle width-wise. It also is seems to be starting to crumble more than I remember when I checked it last time at the end of last season. The refractory box is also deteriorating, but not as badly as the cover. I've only been using this stove for a season and a half (24x7), so was surprised to see this. To be fair however, I had a lot of draft issues (which have been subsequently taken care of by installing a larger 8" flue) the first season which caused the CAT to run VERY hot, sometimes as high as 2300 degrees (as measured on the Condar digital probe). I'm guessing that this may have caused premature deterioration of the refractory assembly.

So the question is, what should I do about this now? Even though the refractory cover is broken in two pieces, I can for now still reinstall it. Will a broken refractory cover affect the performance of the stove? Should I leave it as is for now, replace the refractory cover, or entire refractory box? I'd certainly rather spend the money/time now to replace something, rather than experience a lot of problems this season.

I did happen to find the parts at a reasonable prices here:
Entire assembly: (broken link removed)
Conver only: (broken link removed)

Anyone know if these parts are as good as what I'd get from VC?

Any opinions greatly appreciated!

I'm no expert, but the back panel looks right to me. In fact, I didn't realize Woodmans' carried refractory/cat parts for the VC stoves.

I've been getting my VC parts from Black Swan for the most part. Haven't had an issue with the parts, turn-around time, or customer service... yet. Here's a link to their access panel, which I believe is VC made. Which shouldn't matter since they are made from the same materials.
(broken link removed to http://www.blackswanhome.com/product/refractory-access-panel-various-models)

What would I do? I'd give Woodsman a call to find out two things:
1. What is the turn-around time for the part since it isn't a VC made part (VC parts can take time to arrive since they are rarely in-stock. And arrival time seems to become longer the closer you get to winter)
2. Verify that it will fit your model Defiant and what the return policy is if it does not fit properly.

 

[Gridlock]

Thanks everyone. I talked with the dealer, who mentioned that the current broken refractory cover can still be used, since it's purpose is to keep the CAT in place, which it can still do since it's a fairly clean break. I asked about warranty coverage, but didn't hear the response as he was on a cell phone with bad coverage. It's a bit touchy dealing with them, since they spent a ton of money replacing my flue for no cost, since they suggested getting my current stove, which did not work with the older 6" flue. At this point, I would actually prefer to get the parts myself and not deal with them about this.

Even though the dealer mentioned I can still use the existing broken cover, I would prefer to get a replacement since I believe the cover will continue to crumble; it's probably worth the $50. The question is whether I should bit the bullet at this point and get the whole refractory assembly, or just get the cover. I'm leaning on just getting the cover for now, since the refactory box doesn't appear too bad. Thanks for the suggestion on Black Swan; not really sure which place I should go through, but I'll call both places.