Osburn 2400 wood insert baffle warped

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Gary Briggs

New Member
Sep 16, 2012
9
Oakland County, Michigan
Approximately 3 years ago I had 2 wood burning inserts installed in 2 different rooms in my house.
The smaller unit was an Osburn 1100 which I have no problem with.
The second unit was an Osburn 2400 that is in the main living area.
I burn about 30 cords of wood every year. I have been burning mainly ash from my property.
I have a temperature gauge on the insert and keep the temperature between 500 and 550 degrees.
The baffle is so badly warped in the middle the firebrick are sagging. The air tubes also look pretty bad.
The installing company wants $ 500.00 just for the parts. They told be the manufacturer said the only way these would fail was from over firing. That is not the case. It occasionally reaches 600 to 650 degrees but that is for a very short time. I don't want to use this insert until the parts are replaced. I thought all of the metal had a lifetime warranty. Parts are ordered because I want to use it this winter. The metal warping didn't happen until last winter. I was told I can keep this insert fired up as long as I want and that is what I do. Does anybody else have any of these problems with any of your inserts.

P1090401-001.JPG
 
Even if you are talking 30 face cords (a face cord being 1/3 of a cord) that would be 10 full cord, and that is still a lot of wood to put through 2 stoves in a year.

Where do you have the thermometer located on the unit? What style of thermometer are you using?

Do you use the blower regularly? Is it an automatic unit or do you manually adjust it?

Welcome to the site!

pen
 
Pen,
Thanks for the reply. The thermometer is a spring type that fastens to the curved flange over the door. I have the same kind on the other insert. The other insert has an automatic thermostat that turns the blower on automatically.
The 2400 with the damage is manual. I turn it on when it gets into the burn zone at about 200 degrees. I bought these inserts to cut down on my natural gas bill. I let the fire burn down during the winter until the morning. The insert isn't always at 500 +
degrees. When it cools down below the burn zone I turn the fan off and feed it more wood.P1090403.JPG
 
It almost looks like there was an air leak in that area that caused overheating. Contact fyrebug, he may be able to help you out here.
 
I have an Osburn 2300 and nothing to this extent has happened to mine. Is your thermometer accurate? I think BeGreen could be right, there may be a leak. I know that I must replace my gasket this year. I have had it 2 years and the door seems to simply close wayyy too easily. I have not tried the dollar bill test yet though.

hopefully Fyrebug ( a sales rep for SBI products who takes part of these forums) can help...

ANdrew
 
I have contacted Osburn and they have told me to remove the firebrick on top and replace with 2 C - cast baffles. He told me this is how the new inserts are being manufactured. I have checked the thermometer, it is accurate.
 
I've been thinking of where to mount a thermometer on my insert. It's not easy finding a place that's both representative of what's happening on the other side of a piece of steel containing a fire, and readability.
 
Hi guys, your stainless steel tubes are also drooping which indicates overfiring. As you may know, steel begins degrading & delaminating around 1,200f. If you reached 650f at the front of the insert that's a pretty good indication it was much hotter inside.

An overdraft situation can occur if you have a very long chimney, your wood is exceptionally dry and if your gasket is leaking.

What is the overall length of your chimney? Is it lined and what is the diameter of your liner? Is you liner insulated? Is your chimney inside or outside? Have you burned treated wood or compressed wood logs?

PM me your serial number and i'll check how your claim is processing. I just want to make sure you have all the parts to fix this.
 
FyreBug,
Thanks for your response. The chimney runs through the center of the house on the 2400. The section of the house that this chimney exits this house is one story. The top of the flue is 4' above the peak.
This has a 12 x 12 flue. As far as I know the liner is the flex tube stainless. I don't believe it is insulated. That's why I hired an Osburn distributor so that it would be installed properly. They have cleaned the chimney
every year since I have had it. The insulation blanket has been replaced. The liner is 6" in diameter. I will replace the door gasket before any more fires are put in and after the repair. No I have never burned treated wood.
Osburn tells me to remove the firebrick and put in 2 c cast baffles. Is this correct ? By the way I am a mason contractor that has been in business since 1976. Serial number is 018661
I burn only hard wood. The insert has only had ash off from my property for the last 3 seasons.
Thanks for your time and response.
 
I picked up the Osburn 2000 insert this summer and I already have my thermometer in the same spot as you. Im going to hit the stove top with the laser gun to see how accurate the magnetic thermometer is.
 
I've owned 3 rutlands. And in my experience, each one read OK up until about 400 degrees, then their accuracy would drop off like a rock.

Also, with an insert, you have to remember that the given location may not necessarily be the hottest spot of the stove.


pen
 
I've owned 3 rutlands. And in my experience, each one read OK up until about 400 degrees, then their accuracy would drop off like a rock.

Also, with an insert, you have to remember that the given location may not necessarily be the hottest spot of the stove.


pen

So who makes an accurate magnetic thermometer? Or what would you use?
 
I believe that stove is made similar to the Century so I am somewhat familiar with it.
Can you confirm whether there is a air gap between the upper metal surface area where the magnetic temp gauage is located and the stove jacket itself ?
If its the same as the Century then there is a gap between the top metal and the metal stove jacket.
IF there is a air gap (where the blower pushes air out and around the stove jacket) then the location of that temp gauge is giving you a reading that should be weighed against the air gap.
In other words - I wouldnt run that stove hotter than 500F based on the location of the temp gauge.
And I have used many brands of magnetic temp gauges - they behave just as someone else said- they are seriously 'off' once over 500-550.
I have hit my stoves (coal and wood) with the Centech and while the mag temp gauge said 650 the centech read well over 700.
My opinion - if that stove is built like the Century with the upper steel surface - then air gap - then steel jacket around stove - then it was way overfired if you had ever reached 650F using the mag gauge.
To answer your other question ? Which magnetic temp gauge to use ? Many of them I've tried are decent up to 500-550. But I would not use a stove as much as you do without the $20 Centech IR Temp guns.
 
I've had good luck with the condar line.

pen

I will check the one i have when i get home from work, I think it is a Condar, its black and gold. I do have a laser heat gun, and I will do a comparison with pics to see how they both read.
 
Sorry for the delay. This is all covered under warranty. Either go through the dealer to get the stuff or email our tech support at [email protected] and we'lls send you the parts. Make sure to reference your model & serial number and include the pics.

Would take care of it myself but currently at trade show
 
Wi
But, you have to aim it through the slot onto the steel shell.

With my 2000 the air gap is actually ontop of the stove top plate the magnetic thermometer is located, so the thermometer gets hot air blown on it. So if I aim at the stove top ill be good because thats what the magnet and laser will read. . Ill post picks tonight after work. If you look at the pic earlier in the thread of the thermometer on his stove top, mine is in the same location the difference is my hot air comes out between the surround and the stove top plate.
 
Wi


With my 2000 the air gap is actually ontop of the stove top plate the magnetic thermometer is located, so the thermometer gets hot air blown on it. So if I aim at the stove top ill be good because thats what the magnet and laser will read. . Ill post picks tonight after work. If you look at the pic earlier in the thread of the thermometer on his stove top, mine is in the same location the difference is my hot air comes out between the surround and the stove top plate.

Looking forward to pics - after looking at googled pics more closely - I see the air gap is on top of the top plate - but I'm willing to bet a soda that top plate is not the top plate of the stove combustion chamber. I'm betting there is "room" air below and some space - say an inch that seperates the top plate and the stove itself. Maybe Fyerbug can confirm.
I suspect if there is any air gap - any reading of temps will not be a one to one comparison with someone operating a differently designed stove.
 
On my insert, I can look into the gap and see the stove top. It's hard to get the IR gun aimed there, but do-able. I know, on mine, that it's the right spot because I've seen it glow red once. <eek>
 
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On my insert, I can look into the gap and see the stove top. It's hard to get the IR gun aimed there, but do-able. I know, on mine, that it's the right spot because I've seen it glow red once. <eek>

Yep, that's what the original poster needs to be looking for.

pen
 
I have the Osburn 2400 insert. The stove top is the stove top as far as I understand. The jacket that creates the duct for the fan to blow the hot air terminates 9" or so from the front of the stove. I regularly get this unit above 650*. Etiger did a test with his ir gun and his stove top thermometer. They seemed to be reading pretty much the same temps. Magnet vs Laser thermometer

For the record my manual says something like 820* is an overfire with this unit.
 

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