Installation - Vermont Castings Vigilant II 2310 Homeowner's Installation And Operating Instructions Manual

Vermont Castings Vigilant
Codes and listings
Conforming to local building codes will be an important part
of your planning. Local authorities make the final decision
on whether or not an installation will be approved. They
need to know that your installation is safe and meets local
codes.
The metal label permanently attached to every Vermont
Castings stove indicates that the stove has been tested to
current UL and ULC standards, and gives the name of the
testing laboratory. Clearance and installation information
is also printed on the label. In most cases, local authori-
ties will accept the label as evidence that, when the stove
is installed according to the information on the label and
in this manual, the installation meets codes and can be
approved.
However, codes vary in different areas. Be sure to review
your installation plans with your local authority before start-
ing the installation. Check with your local Vermont Cast-
ings Authorized Dealer for help in providing the necessary
information to local officials.
This section will answer clearance and construction
questions for almost all installations. Your local Vermont
Castings Authorized Dealer will also be able to help. For
questions left unanswered, we recommend that you refer
to the National Fire Protection Association ANSI/NFPA 211-
1988 Standard for Chimneys, Fireplaces, Vents and Solid
Fuel Burning Appliances, or in Canada, CSA B365. These
standards are the basis for many national codes.
Remember, your local building official makes the final deci-
sion on approvals of installations.
CaUTIoN: Follow all installation and use instructions ex-
actly. Failure to follow instructions may result in a danger-
ous situation, including a chimney or house fire.
Chimneys and Draft
Understanding how your chimney contributes to stove oper-
ation is essential if you are to obtain optimum performance
from your Vigilant Coal Stove. The chimney provides a safe
pathway for hot smoke and exhaust gases to exit from the
stove, but in addition, the chimney strongly influences the
"draft" necessary for operation of your stove.
Draft is the force which produces a flow of warm gases up
and out of the chimney, and draws fresh combustion air
into the stove. Your Vigilant does not come equipped with
"draft". Draft is the result of a difference in weight (due
largely to a difference in temperature) between the gases
inside the chimney, and gases outside the chimney. Be-
cause gas expands when heated, warm gases inside the
chimney weigh less than cool gases outside. This weight
difference creates the pressure necessary to produce and
sustain draft.
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Installation

As the lighter, more buoyant gases rise up the chimney,
draft causes a flow of cooler air into the stove. When
starting a fire in a cold stove on an unheated chimney, it
may be necessary to provide some assistance by igniting
several sheets of crumpled newspaper which have been
placed in the flue collar area.
There are other factors which influence draft, such as
barometric pressure, wind speed and direction, the height,
configuration and size of the chimney, and the airtightness
of the home itself.
Improving Draft with outside air
In some modern, super-insulated homes, the air necessary
for combustion is inadequate due to restricted air infiltration
into the dwelling. (Infiltrated air is simply that air which finds
its way into a home through various cracks and openings
in the foundation, along windows and doors, and at other
non-weathertight areas.) If the stove is competing with
kitchen or bath exhaust fans for available air, the situation
is aggravated further. Where poor draft is the result of a
low infiltration rate, opening a ground floor window in the
vicinity of the stove, or installing a permanent outside air
supply, will often alleviate the problem.
In some areas, bringing air for combustion from outside the
home directly to the air inlet of the stove is required for new
construction. When the air supply for the fire is brought
directly from the outside, it is not affected by variations in
air pressure within the house. Improved stove performance
often results. An Outside Air Adaptor Kit is available from
your local Vermont Castings Authorized Dealer.
how Draft affects Stove performance
A strong draft will allow you to successfully fine-tune the
Vigilant's performance by adjusting the primary air supply
to determine the rate of combustion and heat output. With
a strong draft, you can restrict the primary air supply and
lower the heat output without risk of suffocating the fire.
A strong draft will be maintained by operating your stove
so that combustion gases entering the chimney are hot,
and stay hot. Air must not be allowed to enter the chimney
without first having passed through the stove. Make sure
that clean-out doors and thimbles are sealed tightly, and
that the chimney is structurally sound.
Weak draft situations are characterized by smoking and
odor problems in the house, low heat output, and difficulty
maintaining a fire, especially at low thermostat settings.
The reverse situation, overdraft, is rare, but can be recog-
nized by short burn time, poor response when trying to slow
down the fire, or by any part of the stove glowing red.
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