Maintenance - Vermont Castings The Intrepid II 1990 Installation And Operating Manual

Intrepid ® II Woodburning Stove
firebox; a lazy, smoky fire is inefficient and can contribute
to creosote buildup in the chimney.
Draft Testing
An easy way to test your chimney draft is to close the stove's
damper, wait a few minutes to let the airflow stabilize,
then see whether you can vary the strength of the fire by
swinging the air control open and closed. Results are not
always instant; you may need to wait a few minutes for a
change in the air control setting to have an effect on the
fire. If there's no change, then the draft isn't strong enough
yet to let you close the damper, and you'll need to open
it for a while longer and manage the fire with the air inlet
until the draft strengthens. If you keep track of your burn-
ing habits and relate them to their effects on the stove's
operation, you'll be rewarded with good performance and
a safe system.
Negative pressure
Good draft also depends on a supply of air to the stove; a
chimney can't pull in more air than is available to it. Sluggish
draft results when a house is tight enough to prevent the
ready flow of air to the stove, or by competition between
the stove and other equipment that sends indoor air outside
- especially power-driven equipment like range hoods,
clothes dryers, etc. If the chimney draws well with all other
equipment turned off (or sealed, in the case of fireplaces
and/or other stoves), then you simply need to be careful
with timing the use of the other equipment. If you need to
crack a nearby window or door to enable the chimney to
draw well, that's a sign that you should install an outside-air
intake to bring combustion air directly to the stove. Vermont
Castings dealers carry adapters to attach to the stove to
connect an air duct for outdoor combustion air.
conclusion
Wood-burning is an art rather than a science. Once the stove
and chimney system are in place, the stove user can only
vary technique, mostly your timing, to achieve good results.
If you keep track of your burning habits and relate them to
their effects on the stove's operation, you'll be rewarded
with good performance and a safe system.
26

Maintenance

Let the fire in the stove go out and allow the stove to cool
completely before beginning any maintenance proce-
dure.
care of the cast Iron Surface
An occasional dusting with a dry rag will keep the painted
cast iron of your Intrepid looking new.
The stove's paint can be touched up as needed. First, clean
the areas to be painted with a wire brush. Then, touch up
the stove with high temperature stove paint. Apply the paint
sparingly, and keep in mind that two light coats of paint are
better than a single heavy one.
care of porcelain enamel Finish
Use a dry or slightly damp rag or a soft brush to remove
spills or stains. For difficult jobs that require a cleaning
agent, use only a kitchen appliance cleaner or polish rec-
ommended for use on enamel surfaces.
cleaning the glass
Most of the carbon deposits on the glass will burn off during
hot fires. However, the ash residue that accumulates on
the glass surface should be removed regularly to prevent
etching. Follow this procedure to clean the glass:
•
Be sure the glass is completely cool.
•
Clean the glass with water or a cleaner made espe-
cially for this purpose. Do not use abrasive clean-
ers.
•
Rinse the glass thoroughly.
•
Dry the glass completely.
glass Replacement
Replace glass only with Part no. 140-1156 right side and
140-1157 left side glass panels. The glass panel rests on
a cushion provided by a rope gasket part no 1203556, and
is held in place by clips. (Fig. 42) The glass is IR coated on
one side which is marked "THIS SIDE OUT".
1. Remove the door from the stove and place it on a
sturdy, level work surface. Use a towel to protect the
porcelain enamel finish.
2. Remove the retainer clips. (Two phillips head screws
on each clip.)
3. Inspect the gasket. If the window gasket is in good
condition, you can leave it in place. If you replace it,
use only Part No. 1203556. Be sure the channel around
the window opening is clean, and free of dust.
4. Install the glass. Lay the glass on the inner gasket
with the coated side down (toward the outside of the
door). Tighten the screws snugly, but loose enough to
allow for a little movement of the glass when the stove
is in operation. Overtightening can crack the glass im-
mediately or cause it to crack if it is unable to expand
when hot.
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