north star fire brick replacement suggestions HELP!!!

silversalmon586 · Nov 10, 2009

i have a heat n glo northstar fireplace that has a couple of broken bricks. we had it installed in 2005. the configuration is odd (really long - 12 or 13.5" long) anyone know where I can get about 6 or 7 replacement bricks? following sizes:
4 - (13.5x4.5x1.25)
2 - (12x4.5x1.25)
1 - (12.5x4.5x1.25)

i really only need 3, 2 and 0 respectively, but if i find someone who can cut bricks to my size i want to buy some spares.

any help would be greatly appreciated!

Dave_1 · Nov 10, 2009

Have you asked the mfgr?

http://www.heatnglo.com/contactUs/questions.asp

jtp10181 · Nov 10, 2009

Any Quad or Heat & Glo dealer can order them pre-cut for whatever bricks you need.

afblue · Nov 10, 2009

Black Hat Chimney in West Seneca is going to be your QF, Heat n Glow Rep. They can order them but I am sure they will be expensive.

silversalmon586 · Nov 10, 2009

Thanks all for your replies. I did check with my local store in Rochester, however they offered only the entire brick replacement package. It was $500. They even thought that was crazy and recommended I check around for any brick mfr's or local stores that might be able to get a larger brick and cut them to specs. They joked that the bricks cost about $3-$6 a piece normally and these were about $40 EACH. Just sounds crazy. They did confirm with me that the heat-n-glo rep said it was ok (short term) to burn with the bricks cracked. They also said the stock brick is very, very light to save weight in shipping and I guess to get a higher energy star rating. They recommended going with a more durable brick.

I just can't believe no one else has had an issue with North Star bricks - maybe we're doing something wrong if we've had 4 or 5 crack in only 3 years of burning?

Fsappo · Nov 10, 2009

how broken are they? if it is cracked but not falling apart you may be able to squeeze another year or two out of them.

Dave_1 · Nov 10, 2009

It's not just North Star, ss586. The rest jack their brick price up as well. :down:

If the stove's bricks are only cracked not to worry as ash will get in the crack.

The back bricks in my stove have been that way for more then 10 years.

And until they start falling apart they're not going to get changed, I'm too lazy.

silversalmon586 · Nov 10, 2009

Thanks guys. The dealer actually said the same thing - ash will work in and it should be ok for a while. They're just cracked, not crumbling. I can't believe there isn't a way to get out of this without dropping $40/brick. It's tough seeing all the 9" premium bricks for under $10 each (or half that still!).

Thanks for all your help. I'll post if I find any way of doing this without dipping into my son's 529B fund!

Dave_1 · Nov 11, 2009

silversalmon586 said:
... I'll post if I find any way of doing this without dipping into my son's 529B fund!

:lol:

Thanks for the laugh.

But your bricks are not shattered, nor do you have to pay $40 a brick.

You are not in a must replace those bricks now situation.

As stated earlier, my stove has run with cracked brick for 10 years.

So you have plenty of time to find replacement brick.

Just need to Google & then send the mfgr's your request.

Here are a few that I found near you.

HUDSON RIVER & NEW ENGLAND BRICK

http://brickcollecting.com/collection2.htm

Modern Industrial Firebrick Corp.

http://www.industrynet.com/info.asp?CID=251174

If the above don't pan out try these, after all the United States Post office needs your business.

This mfgr is @ St Louis. MO

http://www.hitempincusa.com/firebricks.asp

This mfgr is @ Columbus, OH

http://superiorclay.com/firebrick.php

Good luck with it.

tiber · Nov 11, 2009

Silly question - did you try home depot/lowes?

The lowes up here where I work (willow grove) has fireplaces, stoves and inserts and they do carry fire brick. They can also cut bricks/tiles.

silversalmon586 · Nov 11, 2009

Tried every local brick maker/big box store. The larger size than normal is the issue (12 and 13 1/2" long is the issue)

Thanks for all the help, definitely a site worth bookmarking and learning!!

TreePapa · Nov 11, 2009

If the issue is the larger size, can you have two smaller bricks cut down to replace the one oversize brick?

I don't know much from stoves, it just seems logical.

Peace,
- Sequoia

crazy_dan · Nov 11, 2009

TreePapa said:
If the issue is the larger size, can you have two smaller bricks cut down to replace the one oversize brick?

I don't know much from stoves, it just seems logical.

Peace,
- Sequoia

exactly esp since the tech/rep of the stove manufacturer said if they were cracked they were good to go, so what is the difference between a jagged crack and a seam? other than the seam is probably tighter.

I would just have two of the smaller bricks cut to fit a larger brick.

Nonprophet · Nov 12, 2009

silversalmon586 said:
Thanks all for your replies. I did check with my local store in Rochester, however they offered only the entire brick replacement package. It was $500. They even thought that was crazy and recommended I check around for any brick mfr's or local stores that might be able to get a larger brick and cut them to specs. They joked that the bricks cost about $3-$6 a piece normally and these were about $40 EACH. Just sounds crazy. They did confirm with me that the heat-n-glo rep said it was ok (short term) to burn with the bricks cracked.

Any company that quoted me $500 to replace the firebricks in their stove (and, tried to make me replace ALL of them) would very quickly find themselves the subject of every investigative reporter that I could get my hands on !!!

$500 dollars??? !!!

??? For Firebricks??? !!!

???

For SHAME Heat-n-Glo, for SHAME !!!

I would NEVER do business with a company like that...........

NP

jtp10181 · Nov 14, 2009

FYI I was out in the showroom and a customer was picking up a full brick set for a 7100FP and it was only around $150, no where near $500

I think whatever dealer is trying to sell a full northstar brick set for $500 is either ordering enough individual bricks to make a full set (instead of ordering the one part # that gives them a full set), or ripping people off big time.

silversalmon586 · Nov 15, 2009

Thanks, wonder if those replacement bricks were odd (or in my case about 1 1/2 times longer) than the standard 9" brick. The width and thickness are standard, it's the length that is killing me. Yep, $500, but to give the dealer credit he suggested I try other avenues and couldn't believe what the quote was from HNG.

joemeintzer · Nov 15, 2009

Just a thought... If you can get at the affected area you could shop for refractory cement and mud over the damaged area this could also bond smaller cheaper bricks together if needed. Don't take in the shorts with those guys' OEM replacements!

drmax · Jan 25, 2012

Reviving an old thread. Sliversalmon...what did you end up doing? I'm in the same boat. Guess I'll just get some and cut to size, unless you or anyone else found anything different. Thank you, DM

Village Idiot · Jan 25, 2012

My local dealer wants $8 per 9" x 4.5" x 1.25" brick. I was at a Tractor Supply recently and they had a pallet of the same bricks for under $3 each. As much as I like to support my local dealer, they are going to have to find another way to make their boat payment in this case.

drmax · Jan 25, 2012

Village Idiot said:
My local dealer wants $8 per 9" x 4.5" x 1.25" brick. I was at a Tractor Supply recently and they had a pallet of the same bricks for under $3 each. As much as I like to support my local dealer, they are going to have to find another way to make their boat payment in this case.

you had the 7100, i'm assuming by your signature. This take the 13" brick, as does my Northstar. Uh, so you sticking 9" brick in it? Please explain. I may get some "normal" sized (and price) and cut them to fit. $8 is WAY better than $40.

Village Idiot · Jan 25, 2012

drmax said:
you had the 7100, i'm assuming by your signature. This take the 13" brick, as does my Northstar. Uh, so you sticking 9" brick in it? Please explain. I may get some "normal" sized (and price) and cut them to fit. $8 is WAY better than $40.

My 7100 takes the 9" bricks, but I do not believe that a few tight seams between bricks will cause a problem. Ash will fill in any small gap. If seams were a problem, our stoves would come with monolithic refractory liners.

One scenario where you may reconsider using multiple pieces to replace a larger sized brick is where they stand on edge. (Just checked the Northstar install manual and this is the case.) One of the stacked pieces could be knocked out of position and come out from under the retaining clip. Perhaps some furnace cement between the pieces would be sufficient to hold them together.

Does anyone have experience with using furnace cement to bond bricks together?

silversalmon586 · Jan 27, 2012

Mine are still "ok" they fit together like a puzzle and i just used stovo over the cracks this year -they're not crumbling at all...yet. our local dealer is thinking of making a mold (i was picking up a blanket this past week) and selling them. My next option is cut regular bricks to piece together but i'd have what i do now. I got a price of $450 this past week with the caveat that i might owe shipping charges on top of that. the dealer thought it was complete lunacy to pay that much so about a year ago (after me and 2 others asked) they started looking to a mold. Nothing yet, but if/when they do i'll let you all know.

lowcostheat · Sep 14, 2013

Having had the same issue in the past, our company started stocking the 4.5" X 9" and 4.5" X 13.5" X 1.25" premium fire brick and can ship the next business day. Guaranteed the best price around. Cut to your needed size.

begreen · Sep 14, 2013

Please note the forum rules, except for the articles for sale forum, the rest are not for selling.

north star fire brick replacement suggestions HELP!!!

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