17
Vermont Castings Vigilant
2000898
3. Continue building up the fire until there is a thick bed
of hot embers on the grates.
IMPORTANT:
Don’t hurry this part of the burn. Inad-
equate preheating of the chimney system is the most
common cause of poor coal stove performance.
NOTE:
The cast iron plates in your Vigilant will “sea-
son” as they heat and cool over a period of time. The
thermal shock of very rapid temperature changes can
cause the cast iron to crack. NEVER build a roaring fire
in a cold stove.
4. Add a moderate layer (1” - 2” ) of coal. When this
is burning well, indicated by a blue flame just above
the first layer, you may add coal layer by layer. Be
sure each new layer is burning well before adding
the next layer.
CAUTION: Hot while in operation. Keep children,
clothing, and furniture away. Contact may cause
skin burns.
5. Coal may be loaded to the top of the front grill, and
to within one inch of the exhaust ports in the top of
the left and right side plates. Keep the coal level at
least an inch below the exhaust ports.
SAFETY NOTE: Do not burn garbage or flammable
fluids such as gasoline, naphtha, or engine oil. Do
not use charcoal lighter fluid or any flammable liq-
uid to kindle or re-establish a fire in your coal burn-
ing stove. Also, never use self-starting charcoal
briquettes. The volatile gases given off by these
materials when heated may explode if ignited.
CAUTION:
Follow these instructions carefully to get the
safest, most efficient results with your stove. Failure
to follow these instructions may result in a dangerous
chimney or house fire.
Daily Operation
Surface Thermometer
Use a surface thermometer to monitor stove perfor-
mance.
The Vigilant’s surface temperature, determined by plac-
ing a stove thermometer in the middle of the griddle,
can provide helpful information about how the stove is
performing.
ST698
Vigilant
surface therm
08/01
Surface Thermometer
ST698
Fig. 23
A stove thermometer can provide helpful information
about how the stove is performing.
The normal range of operating temperatures is between
400° and 700° F, although temperatures slightly outside
of this range may be expected. However, if tempera-
tures go above 700° F for extended periods, decrease
the air supply (move the thermostat lever to the right)
and slow the fire to avoid overfiring.
When starting a new fire, or after re-loading the stove,
leave the damper open until the surface temperature
reaches at least 500° F. Do not close the damper on a
fire before it is well-established.
If the surface temperature drops below 400° F, revive
the fire by one of the following:
• Increase the air supply by moving the thermo
stat lever to the left.
• Open the damper.
• Clear ash from the grates and empty the ash
pan.
• Re-load the stove.
• Add a layer of untreated charcoal or NON-
SELF-STARTING charcoal briquettes.
• If the coal needs to be re-ignited, try placing a
small amount of very dry, finely split kindling
on top of the coal bed. The heat produced
by the burning kindling will increase the draft,
and the improved draft will increase the air flow
through the coal bed to create better conditions
for ignition.
Internal Damper
The internal damper provides operating flexibility
Operate the Vigilant with the damper open when start-
ing the fire, when re-building the fire after a long burn,
or when burning a small fire with moderate heat output.
Close the damper only after establishing a strong fire
and a good draft by burning the stove with the damper
open.
Because installation characteristics vary, the time nec-
essary to establish a good draft may also vary, from ap-
proximately 5 to 30 minutes or more. Exterior chimneys
are generally more difficult to heat up, and may require
the longest period of time.
On large and/or outside chimneys, the damper may
always need to be open for the flue to be sufficiently
warmed so that it will support an adequate draft. Even
if this is necessary, the Vigilant will operate effectively.
Be sure to open the damper and run the stove for a few
minutes before opening either the griddle or the front
doors. This will direct extra heat to the flue to increase
the draft, and will clear exhaust gases from the baffle
system. Do not leave doors and griddle open simulta-
neously to avoid having gases escape.
