Cracked Morso 1125

[mmiller]

I posted this to another thread but was afraid it might get lost there!

I just bought a used Morso 1125. It is an awesome looking stove. We wanted something to use as backup heat if our power goes out and maybe to supplement oil furnace. It would be in a finished basement so not under constant surveillance.

After getting it home, we noticed a hairline crack about five inched long near the top of the right side firebox! It does go all the way through, but we haven’t fired it up to see how big the crack gets once the stove is hot. At room temp you cannot see through it at all.

My questions:

1) Should I drill a hole at end of the crack to stop it? If so, how big?
2) Can this crack be patched good enough (read safely) with high-temp furnace cement?
3) If so, do you patch it inside and outside?
4) Have we just spent $100 and a broken back on an outdoor fireplace?

Any help would be appreciated!

 

[begreen]

You'll have to watch the crack to see. Hopefully this is just a small crack and not across the casting. If so, drilling a small 3/32" hole at the farthest extents of the crack may stop it for awhile. You could also screw a steel plate across it and pack the contact surface with furnace cement. Worth a try. If you chose that route, I'd do it on the inside of the stove so that you can keep a close eye on the crack. The fix may last a week or years.