Kent Tile Fire (and Sherwood) stoves
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Hi, I have seen the Kent heater you installed it looks amazing. I have just purchased a second hand kent wood heater very similar to the one you posted. I am struggling to find a installation manual, how far the flue from the wall, our house is not brick so we need to ensure it is installed to specific installation rewuirements. Do have an electronic or a photos of a pictured manual?
j00fek
Feeling the Heat
hi, its been a bit but i got my classic kent back going in camp.
i need to replace my door + window gasket but im stumped on the sizes to get.
anyone have suggestions?
thanks
i need to replace my door + window gasket but im stumped on the sizes to get.
anyone have suggestions?
thanks
Jan Pijpelink
Minister of Fire
And here we are at the beginning of another heating season. I hope everyone is well and staying warm. I just finished chimney and heater maintenance and thought I'd make my annual check-in.
Last year NOAA had predicted a colder-and-wetter-than-normal winter for us, and it didn't pan out that way. Wood used in the Kent was pretty much the same as the prior year, about 3/4 of a cord. Looking down the chimney before cleaning, it didn't look bad at all. But creosote weight was way up - 11 oz. is more than double last year's 4.7 oz. But the volume was nearly halved. Much less fluffy stuff.
How to explain this? The only thing I can think of is, more 1-load fires from a cold start were burned. More moisture in the system before it completely warms up condenses the particulates more densely on the walls of the chimney. Got a better theory?
The X33 is still a joy to use and a keeper for life.
This year, NOAA is once again predicting much colder and wetter conditions here, due to the monster El Nino. Early evidence is that they are right this time. We have been in the path of every storm from the Pacific west of Mexico, and getting 3 times our normal average precip. It's going to be an "interesting" winter.
http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/predictions/multi_season/13_seasonal_outlooks/color/page2.gif
Last year NOAA had predicted a colder-and-wetter-than-normal winter for us, and it didn't pan out that way. Wood used in the Kent was pretty much the same as the prior year, about 3/4 of a cord. Looking down the chimney before cleaning, it didn't look bad at all. But creosote weight was way up - 11 oz. is more than double last year's 4.7 oz. But the volume was nearly halved. Much less fluffy stuff.
How to explain this? The only thing I can think of is, more 1-load fires from a cold start were burned. More moisture in the system before it completely warms up condenses the particulates more densely on the walls of the chimney. Got a better theory?
The X33 is still a joy to use and a keeper for life.
This year, NOAA is once again predicting much colder and wetter conditions here, due to the monster El Nino. Early evidence is that they are right this time. We have been in the path of every storm from the Pacific west of Mexico, and getting 3 times our normal average precip. It's going to be an "interesting" winter.
http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/predictions/multi_season/13_seasonal_outlooks/color/page2.gif
Welcome back precaud. Sounds like sunny New Mexico isn't. In the meantime we had record sunshine way up north. That was until last week. Now the fog and rains begin here too.
Hi BG, hope all's well your way. LOL, yeah, Sunny NM isn't, maybe I should edit my location 
Looks like El Nino is going to have the opposite impact for your area, warmer and maybe a bit drier. Should make your winter prep easier.
I recently had a warm reminder of your description of the Zircar insulation board that I used in my stove experiments. Member "Nola Mike" recently bought the remaining whole sheet of RS-1200 I had leftover from those experiments, along with a couple other items to tweak out his F602. No longer will my stoves be the only ones with "gold-plated innards". Hopefully he'll post his results.
Looks like El Nino is going to have the opposite impact for your area, warmer and maybe a bit drier. Should make your winter prep easier.
I recently had a warm reminder of your description of the Zircar insulation board that I used in my stove experiments. Member "Nola Mike" recently bought the remaining whole sheet of RS-1200 I had leftover from those experiments, along with a couple other items to tweak out his F602. No longer will my stoves be the only ones with "gold-plated innards".
Hopefully he'll post his results.
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Wow, I can't believe I missed this thread when I first got my tile fire from a friend 3 years ago. I was wondering about the tiles on the sides. Mine did not come with any tiles, so I just used ceramic tiles. When you started this thread you said the tiles weigh 30lbs?? If that's the case I'm thinking the tiles on the sides are special thick tile? If so, anyone know what I could use, because then I've been using the wrong tiles this whole time.. Thanks for any info!
Hey Woodturner, I picked up a Tile Fire from a friend a few years ago, I love it. I clicked on the link to that website, seems they don't have any of the old parts any more? My stove did not come with tiles, are the tiles just regular ceramic tiles, or are they made for wood stoves? Thanks for any info! Pete
Peter, as long as your tile are the right size, you're good to go. Any contribution from their heat storage is minimal.
Great, thanks for the info. I'm thinking maybe after this season I'll try some of the modifications you've done. I really love the stove.
We found the same. We purchased crimson and white to replace the originals.
I wondered if you could elaborate on your recommendation for single wall flue to the roof. We bought our TF in 1986 and originally had single wall all the way up to the cap. When that started to get thin, we replaced it with stainless double wall, which was supposed to last longer. The first thing we noticed was a dramatic drop in heat from the stove. Well, the SS flue did really last a bit longer, but it's now hard to clean, particularly at the transition at the roof line, so we're going to replace it. Any advice appreciated.Another issue, which I thought deserved another paragraph. In the almost 30 years we've had the stove, about three times, I've had the section of flue above the roof (double wall) clog with creosote extraordinarily quickly. Each time, there has been a cold snap. I cleaned the flue around two weeks ago and the draft started suffering after a cold spell, when the temps got down to about 12F here on our mountaintop, cold, but not nearly as cold as it can become. We are burning a mix of very dry wood and some not as cured as I would like. It is not green. It came from a pignut hickory which had been dead on the stump for about 1 1/2 years. However, I only cut and split it about four months ago. It rings and produces no bubbles on the ends while burning. However, when I went up to clean, the flue top, down to the roof line was completely clogged. The flue was clear below the clog.
Thank you for this forum. We live is Maine and bought our first Kent stove in 1984. Our son is still using that stove. He is the one that showed me we need to vacuum the ash at the top of the stove. We bought our Tile Fire in 1986 and still use it to stay warm here where it can get cold. I just love to watch the fire. We have had zero problems with these stoves.
Huntindog1
Minister of Fire
We found the same. We purchased crimson and white to replace the originals.
Another issue, which I thought deserved another paragraph. In the almost 30 years we've had the stove, about three times, I've had the section of flue above the roof (double wall) clog with creosote extraordinarily quickly. Each time, there has been a cold snap. I cleaned the flue around two weeks ago and the draft started suffering after a cold spell, when the temps got down to about 12F here on our mountaintop, cold, but not nearly as cold as it can become. We are burning a mix of very dry wood and some not as cured as I would like. It is not green. It came from a pignut hickory which had been dead on the stump for about 1 1/2 years. However, I only cut and split it about four months ago. It rings and produces no bubbles on the ends while burning. However, when I went up to clean, the flue top, down to the roof line was completely clogged. The flue was clear below the clog.
You can buy a moisture meter at Lowes for around $30. to test your fire wood. Split the wood one more time for a test and check the inside surface.
20% or less is ideal.
Kiwi Firemaster
Member
Just a possibility for those in possession of, or contemplating, a Kent Tile Fire or Sherwood. IMO they are a well build fire that will last a long time, and they do make an excellent candidate to update to modern technology with an IntensiFire.
But there are a few details to know if contemplating this. The internal damper has to be cut out, which generally requires oxy-acetylene. I have done one without removing the stove, the heat from cutting draws all the fumes up stack. The damper in the flue has to go also, and the hole where it fits through the outlet blocked off.
I know that the IntensiFire will make a stove work at around 83% efficiency, and these old kents are likely below 50%. So a great performance boost for an old stove, and I there are many happy converts in New Zealand.
But there are a few details to know if contemplating this. The internal damper has to be cut out, which generally requires oxy-acetylene. I have done one without removing the stove, the heat from cutting draws all the fumes up stack. The damper in the flue has to go also, and the hole where it fits through the outlet blocked off.
I know that the IntensiFire will make a stove work at around 83% efficiency, and these old kents are likely below 50%. So a great performance boost for an old stove, and I there are many happy converts in New Zealand.
CorkThigh
New Member
Our beloved Tile Fire happened to be pictured in a recent article in the New Zealand Herald. Children are pictured preparing a meal on the firebox due to power outages. It looks like an early '80s model – still cooking!
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I have an early 80s Kent Tile, unmodified. Once thing we have learned over the years is not to overstuff it. Last night, I made that mistake. My wood varies from around 12% (front of woodshed) to around 20% in the back. I rank it according to when I split it and what it measured in moisture content. We have had a much-delayed heating season here in the southeast and we've relied on our gas logs for AM heat. Last night, I overstuffed, using the heavier, damper wood from the back of the woodshed and was awakened by the smell of smoke. As it usually does when overstuffed, it was burning in the back. I raked the considerable remaining amount of wood forward and observed. I noticed there were flames licking around the intake to the baffle, something not seen before. After a couple of minutes, there was a small explosion and smoke blew out around the door, which has a brand new gasket. The flames around the baffle intake then went away. Anyone else experience this? Also, is there a chance the modification would prevent it? TIA...
We bought a home 28 years ago and it came with a Kent Tile Fire. It has served us well over the years but is not heating well any more. The bottom plate of the upper chamber is now badly warped (downward) both at the front below the series of holes and below the flue shut off plate. Is this stove now scrap? Or can it be repaired? If replacement is in order what equivalent stove would be recommended?
Thanks!
Thanks!
We bought a house 25 years ago with a Kent Tile Fire that we have enjoyed to the point where we are going to take it with us to another house - in fact I may be buried with this stove! I've done a lot of things wrong over the years (apparently), the damper as always been very difficult to move (vice grips to open, hammer to close), so I have burned 25 years of fires with the damper fully open and then just close it seasonally. After poking around on this site I gather either it is warped or full of ash. So what is the downside of burning with the damper fully open? Loss of efficiency? Also, did not even realize there is a secondary chamber so obviously have never cleaned that out. Since we are moving it would it be insane to just rinse all the ash out after we take it out of the house (as opposed to vacuuming) with a pressure washer? Last - the black enamel finish doesn't fit in the new local - can it be repainted with some of the heat paint available? I've painted woodstoves but they were more of a matte gunmetal type of finish so took paint - no idea if the baked on enamel can be painted.
So I've had this stove for half my life and have really enjoyed it, but now that I'm moving it would love to get some advice from some of you superusers! Thanks!
So I've had this stove for half my life and have really enjoyed it, but now that I'm moving it would love to get some advice from some of you superusers! Thanks!
Jan Pijpelink
Minister of Fire
Member precaud https://www.hearth.com/talk/members/precaud.482/ is a Kent expert. We have one too and we love it. But I am far from an expert.
I lubricate the damper rod with graphite powder every 2 years or so. The best way to clean the interior and the 2nd chamber is when you sweep the liner, remove the stove from its location (disconnect the liner) so you have access for vacuum the entire stove. It is not that heavy.
Start a new thread on what you want in the new stove and provide some details on what you are heating, budget, style, etc..
Here's a pic of the situation. If I were to cut away the warped portions would I be able to replace just those sections (front half behind plate with holes and rear half with flue hole), or should I try to replace the whole plate - including small holes at front, large flue hole, and internal baffle plate (not at all sure how I would be able to weld the internal baffle plate in place). It also appears that the internal baffle has prevented that part of the firebox roof from warping so may be best to leave it there and just weld new plates fore and aft of it? I would probably try to incorporate a narrow downward sloping lip just below the rows of holes to try to direct flame and forestall future warpage, similarly a reinforcing ring around the flue hole.?
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Thanks! So you just take the grill off the stove top and sprinkle graphite powder on the visible part of the rod?
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