I just got an old Defiant 2 which seemed to be in excellent shape, but when I vacuumed the inside I discovered a 6 inch hairline crack in the middle of the bottom of the stove.
The crack may go through to the underside. There is a hairline crack (barely visible) on the underside, also about 6 inches long, also in the middle, running in the same direction as the one on top.
I have attached 2 pictures of the crack on the top side of the bottom. The first is a closeup and the second shows its location on the bottom of the stove. The blue triangles show the start and end points of the crack. Only the middle portion is visible in the pictures (the start and end are barely visible on the stove).
I couldn't get the crack on the underside to show up in a picture.
My guess is that the stove was used without the recommended layer of ash or sand.
Is it safe to use the stove as it is (with a layer of ash or sand), or does the bottom have to be replaced? I would run the stove 24/7 through the winter.
The crack may go through to the underside. There is a hairline crack (barely visible) on the underside, also about 6 inches long, also in the middle, running in the same direction as the one on top.
I have attached 2 pictures of the crack on the top side of the bottom. The first is a closeup and the second shows its location on the bottom of the stove. The blue triangles show the start and end points of the crack. Only the middle portion is visible in the pictures (the start and end are barely visible on the stove).
I couldn't get the crack on the underside to show up in a picture.
My guess is that the stove was used without the recommended layer of ash or sand.
Is it safe to use the stove as it is (with a layer of ash or sand), or does the bottom have to be replaced? I would run the stove 24/7 through the winter.