Sounds like you are fine. If you want to use this stove to heat for long periods, buy the coal hopper. I don't know how long the vigilant will run with one, but probably 18 hours or more. Once cold weather sets in and you want the stove to kick out significantly more heat the entire time, you'll want the greater coal reserve the hopper gives you. The web page sent earlier has the hopper parts for a very reasonable price. If you have the spare cash to buy it, it would be a worthwhile investment.
In the coldest parts of winter. my little resolute will run 14 to 16 hours with the stove at about 550. If I drop that to about 450 it adds a couple hours to the burn time....
Enjoy!
dj
BingeBob wrote:Yes, I do not have the hopper. I started this bad boy last night at around 830 because our temp was supposed to drop down to close to freezing last night. This was the most coal I have ever loaded into it.
I got the first layer of coal going pretty good, loaded her up to a couple inches below top of firebrick and adjusted my airflow in to low. Woke up this morning at 420am (yes...im the only schmuck waking up before 5am on a saturday) and it hadnt burned through the top layer of coal yet! It was still hot with little blue flames and bright orange coal on the bottom. I checked my air flapper and it had sunken closed as it does when it gets hot...And then I gave it a shake to clear the grates.
Before I started it up last night I re-checked the gaskets and they do look pretty new (they are white)
-Bob
PS. I am in the hampstead/sandown area