VC Aspen C3 Door Handle Fix

[wjohn]

I reloaded my Aspen C3 at 3am today, and when I went to push the door handle downwards to close it, it wouldn't go. I worked it up and down as much as I could to try to get it to pop to the closed position but it wouldn't do it. Obviously I was trying to get the door shut ASAP on what was a fairly hot reload. I eventually got the handle to go down but I could feel something giving. It latched securely and I figured I'd deal with it later.

Turns out the giving I felt was the bending of the retention bracket holding the little ball/spring detent below the handle. Something must have seized up or gotten out of position so I was fighting the entire thing instead of just the little metal ball on the spring. I removed it when I got home today and the fire had burned down, and it appears to only be there to hold the handle in the up/open position so you don't just smash it into the striker when you close the door. The latch/handle is profiled underneath to ramp up and lock into place with the handle open, using that detent ball.

I removed the screw, retention bracket, and detent and the latch still holds and locks in like it did back when the detent was working. So, at least the profile of the door latch itself seems to have been designed well. I just have to be sure to lift up on the handle while closing the door so the latch reaches under the striker first. If this causes any other issues I will follow up, but hopefully this is helpful to someone else in the future if they encounter the same issue and have to address this while they are under fire.

Kind of a chintzy design so assuming it can be done without, it's nice to be able to remove it when it does cause problems.

 

[MiguelSP]

I had problems with mine last year. After no support from VC and being blown off by my dealer I decided to fix it myself. I flattened the detent retainer plate and reinstalled it. It promptly bent again so I just removed it. I assumed the plate steel they used just can’t handle the heat.

 

[wjohn]

I had problems with mine last year. After no support from VC and being blown off by my dealer I decided to fix it myself. I flattened the detent retainer plate and reinstalled it. It promptly bent again so I just removed it. I assumed the plate steel they used just can’t handle the heat.

Good to see it's not just me. I briefly had the same thought about trying to bend it back to flat but figured it would just bend again.

I am 4 months outside of the 1 year warranty period that applies to parts like these, but I may drop by my dealer next time I'm in town and take the parts with me to show him what happened.

 

[student2016]

Any suggestions if the door is stuck closed? Thought cooling it down will help but no luck so far.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Can the door be compressed against the stove to give a little more latch play? Maybe a ratchet strap would pull it closed enough for the latch to work?

 

[wjohn]

Any suggestions if the door is stuck closed? Thought cooling it down will help but no luck so far.

Not having had to do this myself, I'm not sure if this is a good idea or not... but if pushing in on the door while pulling up on the handle like EatenByLimestone suggested doesn't work, I wonder if removing the Allen head screw from the side of the door might do the trick (you can see it very clearly in my last photo above). I think it is the pivot point for the handle/latch, and what holds the handle/latch in place.

There may be some risk of dinging a thread by removing the screw with the latch pulling on it still. It's an idea, though... If nothing else works.

I'm happy to report I have been using the stove without the little detent parts since this post and am very used to holding the door handle up as I close the door. It's just how I close the door now - hold handle slightly up, close door, and push handle down to latch all in one motion.

 

[student2016]

Can the door be compressed against the stove to give a little more latch play? Maybe a ratchet strap would pull it closed enough for the latch to work?

I don't think so, it's pretty tight, I used a screwdriver to get a little more play but it did not help

Not having had to do this myself, I'm not sure if this is a good idea or not... but if pushing in on the door while pulling up on the handle like EatenByLimestone suggested doesn't work, I wonder if removing the Allen head screw from the side of the door might do the trick (you can see it very clearly in my last photo above). I think it is the pivot point for the handle/latch, and what holds the handle/latch in place.

There may be some risk of dinging a thread by removing the screw with the latch pulling on it still. It's an idea, though... If nothing else works.

I'm happy to report I have been using the stove without the little detent parts since this post and am very used to holding the door handle up as I close the door. It's just how I close the door now - hold handle slightly up, close door, and push handle down to latch all in one motion.

Yeah, I'm thinking about removing the pins to remove the door since pushing too hard on the handle may break something. Weird it happened a week since I started to use the stove.

Appreciate you provided a procedure for closing the door. I think I did the same but not 100% confident, next time will be careful when closing the door.

Hopefully the dealer will be able to handle this.

 

[student2016]

Had to remove the door myself since no available appointments for the next 3 weeks.

Here is what's going on, pictures attached.

wjohn,​

Is it the same as your issue showed in the first post?

 

[smartakita]

Any suggestions if the door is stuck closed? Thought cooling it down will help but no luck so far.

My Aspen door is now stuck closed also. I am glad there is not an emergency need for heat at this time! I had some issues with the handle a few other times. I should not have closed it, it works better just cracked a little. The installer left only 1 inch clearance behind it too in my masonry fireplace. I always run it in the zone of less than 500 degrees Fahrenheit.

 

[student2016]

sounds like a pretty common issue...

 

[30WCF]

I’m gonna have to start peeking at mine every so often and watch for movement.

 

[smartakita]

My Aspen door is now stuck closed also. I am glad there is not an emergency need for heat at this time! I had some issues with the handle a few other times. I should not have closed it, it works better just cracked a little. The installer left only 1 inch clearance behind it too in my masonry fireplace. I always run it in the zone of less than 500 degrees Fahrenheit.

After cooling the stove I stood over the top of the stove and really pulled the handle up hard and it released the latch, I might try the fix in the other post or just not close it any more.

 

[skitten]

I noticed my door was starting to get hard to open and yes, that little plate was bent. Unscrewed it and straigtened it as much as I could. Tricky to get it back on with the ball mechanism in place, and I presumably did it wrong since the ball no longer does it's job, but I least I can open and close the door more easily.

 

[wjohn]

Had to remove the door myself since no available appointments for the next 3 weeks.

Here is what's going on, pictures attached.

wjohn,​

Is it the same as your issue showed in the first post?

View attachment 318825 View attachment 318826

Yes, sorry - never got a notification for this. Interesting to see that several others are also having this issue now and that mine was not just a one off.

I am not sure if:
1. The metal tab that holds the little ball/spring detent is too thin and slowly bends more and more with each opening/closing, and eventually gets to the point where it lets the detent move to a point where it just kind of hangs up on the latch lever
2. The ball/spring detent carbons up or otherwise won't allow the ball to move freely anymore
3. The ball or latch surfaces wear to a point where they grab on each other and eventually hang up

Whatever the case is, the most concerning thing to me is being unable to latch the door shut after reloading on coals. I got lucky and smacked the handle hard enough to get the latch to close - which I'm sure happened by bending that tab out. After things cool down it's easy enough to remove.

 

[30WCF]

Mine is still fine. I just look at it a little closer from time to time. 👍

 

[cold-feet]

Yes, sorry - never got a notification for this. Interesting to see that several others are also having this issue now and that mine was not just a one off.

I am not sure if:
1. The metal tab that holds the little ball/spring detent is too thin and slowly bends more and more with each opening/closing, and eventually gets to the point where it lets the detent move to a point where it just kind of hangs up on the latch lever
2. The ball/spring detent carbons up or otherwise won't allow the ball to move freely anymore
3. The ball or latch surfaces wear to a point where they grab on each other and eventually hang up

Whatever the case is, the most concerning thing to me is being unable to latch the door shut after reloading on coals. I got lucky and smacked the handle hard enough to get the latch to close - which I'm sure happened by bending that tab out. After things cool down it's easy enough to remove.

I'm posting in January 2025 about my Aspen stove which I've been using for about three weeks, and until a few minutes ago was very pleased with. I just attempted to add some wood and found the door stuck closed. I see that I am clearly not the first one to have this problem. It seems that Vermont Castings has not been successful at correcting it.
The stove is too hot to attempt to deal with it at the moment but i certainly appreciate all of your past postings.

 

[30WCF]

I'm posting in January 2025 about my Aspen stove which I've been using for about three weeks, and until a few minutes ago was very pleased with. I just attempted to add some wood and found the door stuck closed. I see that I am clearly not the first one to have this problem. It seems that Vermont Castings has not been successful at correcting it.
The stove is too hot to attempt to deal with it at the moment but i certainly appreciate all of your past postings.

On a normal day does yours cam-over heavily or is it pretty easy?

 

[cold-feet]

I never paid attention to the latch function so can't really answer your question. It just worked the way it worked. I think it took slightly more force to latch the last time I closed the door but nothing excessive. The stove has cooled now and I have devoted some time to jiggling and wiggling the handle. I'll wait until tomorrow qnd see if I can get advice from the dealer and their installers. I'd rather they cause any additional damage rather than doing it myself. At this point as the frustration increases so does the amount of force I am tmpted to apply to the parts involved.

 

[30WCF]

If the fire is out and stove is cold, take the Allan screw out from the side of the door.

It’s the hinge pin. You should be able to lift the handle assembly straight up and out of the door.

All that is in there is a spring and a detent ball head. I’m guessing that somehow the ball got caught behind the last detent where there is a notch in the handle.

 

[cold-feet]

Thank you for these excellent photos. They were brilliant.
First off I am embarrassed to admit II hadn't noticed the Allen screw that the latch pivots or hinges on. that side of the door is facing a masonry wall that iisn't all that well lit. my initial reaction to seeing your photo was "he may have a screw there on his stove, but I couldn't possibly have one." It's amazing what a flashlight will reveal when you turn it on../.
I've added a p[arts diagram as these interesting names you have for these little bits of metal are mostly new to me.

Thiis little piece of metal that holds the wee stainless cylinder topped with a ball bearing, it was 12.4 in the diagram but alas I seem to have cut off the number. I've goot the part and number visible now. 12.4, the small rectangular plate that holds the dohiickey iin place. I assuume that plate is supposed to be flat, except for the small tab that is bent in/. Mind angles toward the interior of the stove and in so doing this, it prevents the latch to hook the horizontal crossbar iin the interior of the stove/. I've read your earlier post that this bit isn't necessary for the door latch to hold the door shut. I'm going to go out to the garage though and smack it with a hammer to see if it was fllatter it might engage the door properly, and also to vent the frustration of a new and not inexpensive stove acting up so early in our relationship.

Thank you for the help. It's 9 degrees out and I'm looking forward to getting this thing lit.

 

[30WCF]

I've added a p[arts diagram as these interesting names you have for these little bits of metal are mostly new to me.

I must admit, I’m making up most of those names. They may be listed with their correct names in the manual.

Thiis little piece of metal that holds the wee stainless cylinder topped with a ball bearing, it was 12.4 in the diagram but alas I seem to have cut off the number. I've goot the part and number visible now. 12.4, the small rectangular plate that holds the dohiickey iin place. I assuume that plate is supposed to be flat, except for the small tab that is bent in/. Mind angles toward the interior of the stove and in so doing this, it prevents the latch to hook the horizontal crossbar iin the interior of the stove/.

My plate that holds the wee stainless cylinder topped with a ball bearing is flat except for the tab that is intentionally bent towards the doohickey to keep the stainless doohickey solidly captured and aligned under the handle.

I've read your earlier post that this bit isn't necessary for the door latch to hold the door shut.

That wasn’t my post, but it makes sense that it may not be completely required, and if the latch securely cams over the crossbar it may hold the door shut.
I would still imagine the detent does apply some resistance to the handle accidentally opening as the stove expands and contracts during a burn cycle.

I'm going to go out to the garage though and smack it with a hammer to see if it was fllatter it might engage the door properly, and also to vent the frustration of a new and not inexpensive stove acting up so early in our relationship.

Thank you for the help. It's 9 degrees out and I'm looking forward to getting this thing lit.

I think you got it whooped now. A little love from a hammer and something for an anvil should get you back in business.

When you get it back together make sure the “handle stop” is NOT captured behind the metal plate that holds the detent doohickey. Mine has never caused an issue and in its third season. My plate is spun a little out of square to keep the doohickey pinned all the way to the glass side of the recess. If it is installed plumb it would allow the detent to walk around and tip over.

I do wonder if some amount of doors are assembled with the handle stop pinned behind the plate along with the detent and bends out the first time the door is latched. After it’s bent out it’s just a matter of time until the handle gets stuck as the detent doohickey shifts around and gets out of alignment.

 

[30WCF]

It's 9 degrees out and I'm looking forward to getting this thing lit.

You got fire tonight?

 

[cold-feet]

You got fire tonight?

Cozy and Warm.

I spent some time on the telephone thiis morning with our local stove dealer, who had us on the schedule to drive out and make the repair to our stove but I was able to cancel . We were set to be their second stop of the day after making the same repair to another Aspen C-3. It feels like this is a common problem.
Sadly as I still like the stove. It burns steady and long with even heat. What more do we ask? Well being able to pen and shut the door.

So in summary for those with a problem openiing or shutting the door to a Vermont Castings Aspen -3 wood stove, here's what we have learned:

There is a long standing design fault in the latch. The small metal plate that holds the ballbearing/spring mechanism in place that makes the latch mechanism feel like it is sealing in place can get bent out of shape preventing the latch from eiither engaging to shut the door or releasing to open the door. Neither the spring/ball bearing bit or the plate are necessary for the latch to functiion and can be removed wither temporarily or long term.

If the door is stuck closed, wait until the stove is cool and release the latch by removing the allen headed screw from the side of the left side of the door (#12.5) (lookers left facing the outside of the door). If the door is stuck open, remove the metal plate and spring loaded ball bearing. (numbers 12..4 and 12.5 in the diagram)The latch will work without them. You can hammer the metal plate flat or order a replacement and install them. Having the springy thing in place gives the latch a nice feel as it is secured.

Our local stove dealer here in Naples, Maine who, has provided us excellent service btw, is https://altheatsource.com/

I'm thiinking that part of the problem is that the plate, 12.4, has a larger screw hole than needed allowing some adjustment too be made in how the spriiing dohickey is held in place. Either the plate wobbles a bit or whoever assembles it does not position the plate exactly as required and that leads to problems. I'm uncertain but it feels like negligence on Vermont Castings side.

 

[30WCF]

It seems like this could also be remedied by having the plate be more 3D than 2D. Seems you could weld a very small piece or two of bar stock the full length from top to bottom of the plate that would stiffen the plate. It would have to be positioned to not interfere with the door stop, but it would substantially strengthen the plate. Maybe even just stacking some beads of welds may be enough. It just needs some dimension or angles on it. Just like angle iron is stiffer than flat stock, and C-channel is more rigid than angle iron.

 

[wjohn]

I'm posting in January 2025 about my Aspen stove which I've been using for about three weeks, and until a few minutes ago was very pleased with. I just attempted to add some wood and found the door stuck closed. I see that I am clearly not the first one to have this problem. It seems that Vermont Castings has not been successful at correcting it.
The stove is too hot to attempt to deal with it at the moment but i certainly appreciate all of your past postings.

I'm glad this thread has been helpful, and for me it's interesting to see how many others have had this problem. I think the spring and ball detent do nothing regarding actually holding the latch/door closed. They are purely there to hold the handle up after you open the door and until you close it (so that you don't have to lift up on the handle while closing the door to clear the striker). I don't think twice about it as it became muscle memory very quickly. What holds the latch/door closed is the action of the latch mechanism into the striker (sort of a cam-over). It takes the same amount of effort to close the latch with or without the detent/ball.

You do seem to have a good dealer if they volunteered the information that they had another Aspen C3 to fix this issue on as well. It is clearly a design flaw at this point. Like you said, for the price of the stove this sure is a chintzy little mechanism - more like something I would've expected on the competitive US Stove model I considered at the time I ended up purchasing the C3. The tab/spring/ball can potentially cause a big issue if your stove is hot and you can't get the door latch closed.