Vermont Castings Vigilant
Maintenance
The fire must be out and the stove no longer hot before you work on the stove. We suggest you wear gloves and safety goggles when working on your stove.
Cleaning Cast Iron
An occasional dusting with a dry rag is usually all that is necessary to keep your Vigilant looking new. From time to time, you may wish to go over the cast iron surface with a damp cloth; do this while the stove is cool, and make sure no water remains on the stove surface.
If your stove’s paint needs retouching, allow the stove to cool completely. Brush any areas needing atten- tion with a wire brush, and make sure the entire stove is clean and dry. Remove the griddle and set it aside. Touch up the stove with Vermont Castings High Tem- perature Stove Paint. Apply the paint sparingly. Two
light coats are better than one heavy one.
Cleaning Porcelain Enamel
Use a dry rag or soft brush as necessary. Do not use water or other liquids on your stove. Fingerprints usu- ally can be buffed off porcelain enamel with a dry, soft rag. If marks remain, allow the stove to cool com- pletely, then buff with a slightly damp, soft rag. Dry completely before starting a fire to avoid streaking. Never use abrasives or harsh chemical cleaners on the porcelain finish.
If you must remove spills or stains from porcelain surfaces, make sure the fire is out and the stove is completely cold before cleaning. Use ONLY a kitchen appliance cleaner and polish especially formulated for enamel surfaces. Apply cleaner sparingly with a soft
rag, and buff away ALL traces of the cleaner.
Adjusting The Door Latch
The front doors should be securely closed when the handle is pointing down. If the doors are loose when closed, adjust the latch by loosening the small locking nut, extending the striker screw one turn, and
Pawl
SmallLocking Nut
Striker Screw
Large
Locking Nut 
Set Screw
Handle Stub | ST531 |
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Fig. 24 Turn the door latch striker screw in or out to tighten or loosen the door latch.
Check the Air Inlet Shutter
The air inlet shutter must open and close freely. If it doesn’t, check to be sure the shutter or shutter pin is not bent.
Be sure the gaskets are in good condition
The gaskets used in the assembly of your Vigilant Coal Stove play an important part in ensuring consistent, reliable performance. Inspection of the gaskets and replacement when necessary is an important part of routine maintenance. Gasketing is used to guarantee that the incoming air and outgoing combustion gases flow through the stove along the proper pathways. All the gaskets in your Vigilant are fiberglass, secured with Vermont Castings High Temperature Stove Gasket Ce- ment.
Light colored streaks on the inside of the stove near the door or griddle openings may indicate air leaks due to worn or damaged gasketing. You may also check for leaks by shining a strong light along gasketed seams to see if light leaks through. While minor leaks may be repaired by building up the gasketing in just the area of the leak, it is usually better to replace the gasketing in the door or griddle.
Anytime you remove or replace parts is a good time to examine the exposed gasketing. Replace any gasket which appears frayed or worn. Pay particular attention to any point where a continuous gasket meets itself.
Follow this procedure to replace worn gaskets:
•Remove the old gasketing.
•Clean the gasket channel or groove with a wire brush. Remove stubborn deposits of cement with a cold chisel if necessary.
•Clean all parts to be gasketed. Place on a level clean surface.
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