Cracked ceramic baffle Hearthstone Homestead

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leakypuppy

Member
Mar 3, 2008
103
Northern NJ
Can I keep burning with it like this? How difficult is it to replace and can it be done from inside or does the stove need to be pulled out of the hearth?

Thanks in advance

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1424060134.831850.jpg
 
It's a Hearthstone Homestead?
 
That's definitely not a Woodstock stove. How did it happen?
Some Hearthstone guys should be along soon to chime in on the repair options....
 
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Yeah it's a Homestead, sorry for the typo. I don't know when the baffle cracked but I'm sure I did it when loading splits.
 
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Do you have enough clearance to lift it up and tilt it until it will clear between two sec. tubes. I have a different stove than you, and i have to take the front sec. tube out to get mine out.
 
I never pulled mine on the Homestead, but I have on the Mansfield, and it sure looks similar (actually, exactly the same from the view of your picture).. I had to pull a cotter key on the left, then drop a kind of flat lock bar on the right that fits in a groove in the tubes. It's just in a couple holes in the air box with a couple tabs. Then shift the tubes left, then down, then right, to remove. Front tube and deflector thing has a cotter key also. The baffle is very light and fragile.
 
In your original post you asked if it was safe to continue burning with the baffle damaged as it is. I don't think I would if that was my stove. Without the baffle in place the flames are going to be shooting straight up, hitting whatever is up above the baffle. With all that additional heat you probably run a risk of warping some internal components or perhaps cracking the soapstone top if it gets too hot. Remember, the top of the stove is always going to be the hottest part of the stove. The baffle is there to help mediate against this intense heat damaging other stove components.
 
Get it changed, and it is a pain in the arse. I've done two on Homesteads. Had to trim the baffle and jump thru hoops to get the tubes out. Just go slow, use a lot of wd40. Very labor intensive but from a technical standpoint, a homeowner can do it.
 
Get it changed, and it is a pain in the arse. I've done two on Homesteads. Had to trim the baffle and jump thru hoops to get the tubes out. Just go slow, use a lot of wd40. Very labor intensive but from a technical standpoint, a homeowner can do it.
Can it be done from the inside of the stove or will I need to slide the stove out of the hearth?
 
Can all be done from inside. You know that puzzle where there are 2 horse shoes welded together with 2 short lengths of chain and the trick is to remove the ring? It was like that for me. Taking the tubes out and wondering how the baffle is going to fit up there. Just a lot of swearing, spinning it around, upside down, different angles, and then all of a sudden, blam, it just slid into place.
 
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Thanks. I have no idea how long it's been broken but I'm glad I took a look inside.
 
Don't have that style baffle in my Hearthstone, so I can't offer any first hand experience. You may want to look at the video that Begreen posted in this thread:

https://www.hearth.com/talk/index.php?threads/139514/

It doesn't specifically mention your stove, but probably get you pointed in the right direction and give you an idea of what you're in for.
 
A parts schematic is here:
http://www.hearthstoneparts.com/cgi/display.cgi?item_num=8570

There should be 4 cotter pins that hold the baffle onto part 34. Find those and remove them from the inside of the stove, then remove the baffle support and tubes, the the baffle should fall out. I would vacuum everything at the top when the stove is cold and then the new baffle should slide back in. If you have any questions or doubts, call Hearthstone.

I think you could run your stove but not at max. with the baffle that is broken. To be sure, I would call Hearthstone support and ask. I can't see how or why the soapstone could be damaged with a moderate fire. You will have less efficiency with a broken baffle but that may not be as important as staying warm right now.
 
I don't know the Homestead and haven't had to deal with this yet on my Heritage, but when the baffle broke on my little Hearthstone Tribute, I didn't have to pull any pins, never mind the tubes, the new baffle just slid in from underneath.

You'll have to let the stove go cold, but then have a good look at how the baffle is seated and see if you can't just slide the new one in between the tubes from the bottom-- with mine, I had to slip in up from in between the tubes, slide it back enough so I could then slide the front end over the front tube. The End. It took a little bit of fussing, but that's all there was to it.

If you bought the stove from a dealer, call them and ask before you go taking out pins and tubes and things. This is what mine told me to do with the Tribute.
 
not a chance on this planet that the baffle (even though it shipped in 2 pieces) will go up there without removing at least the front air tube. When you order the part it will come with detailed directions. Follow them and be prepared to make some on site audibles
 
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That is exactly what comes with the baffle kit. Thanks for the memories! I forgot I had to cut the baffle on site.
 
Got the new baffle today, it is one piece with instructions to cut in two pieces and cement the seam when done. Gone also are the wires or cotter pins to hold it in place.
 
Took me about 50 minutes, not too bad at all
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Fantastic. Very good to know.