Englander 30NC fails dollar test badly - what do I do ?

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The first 30 I got kept running away on me. At first I just blamed it on the zipper air. Then after several hair raising nights I laid a steel ruler across the bottom of the front and it was bowed in. When I got the stove I only checked the top and sides of the door with the dollar bill for some reason before I hauled it inside. I doubled the gasket until I could put it in the back of a pickup and drive down to Monroe to meet Mike and get the replacement. It was already December and we have no other heat. He was gonna ship it to me but I was concerned about the freight company wrecking the stove. When the original got here via FedEx freight the pallet was destroyed.

I only know of one other forum member that has encountered that and his was on the hinge side of the door opening.

Of course the way Smokey is burning that stove, like it has pissed him off, no telling what is warped on it. I wrecked my old stove burning it too hot and slamming N/S large splits against the back wall of the firebox while it was hot. And it was a 1/4" stove body and 3/8" top plate. I knocked a weld loose at the top of the back wall.

I take a lot better care of this sucker.
 
I hear ya North of 60. All of those warped cylinder heads were made of very good cast iron. And bolted down tight. Didn't matter. Get'em hot and they warp.
 
After I found the front of the Mag slightly less than straight I wish I had checked it before I put it in service. That way I could say one way or another positively it was heat or mfg. It was partially the door thing and the primary air thing that turned me away from the Mag. I started seeing door issues in the first 4wks of service. Yes I was firing it like I was pissed but also it was hard to slow it down. No idle speed on er.
I have fires that approach 800 weekly on the Elm and the door works and seals perfectly on just a little 1/4 rope. The door pins don't ride up either. The stove has no welds anywhere at all to break. The door opening is round so fatique cracks in the corners shouldn't be an issue like the 2 before the Elm. And....is not assembled with cement to crumble.
 
Sounds like you found Nirvana wk.
 
wkpoor said:
Just take a metal straight edge. I did mine while it was hot. In fact I wanted to see if it changed when it got hot. If the door is cast and it isn't straight then it had to be made that way. Heat won't change cast iron.

Is the 30 cast or plate ?
 
Plate steel except for the door which is cast.

Again, other than the dollar bill test, what makes you think your gasket needs replacing? Is the glass staying dirty right in that area? Is the stove firing out of control? Are your burn times very short? Are you sure you door is latching tightly and the handle doesn't spin around in a circle if some pressure is applied to it?

pen
 
pen said:
Plate steel except for the door which is cast.
Again, other than the dollar bill test, what makes you think your gasket needs replacing? Is the glass staying dirty right in that area? Is the stove firing out of control? Are your burn times very short? Are you sure you door is latching tightly and the handle doesn't spin around in a circle if some pressure is applied to it?
pen

Dollar test is only symptom - other than that glass is crystal, no overfilre (except intentional) and burn times are same as always

The gasket looks perfect

Does the door handle have an adjustment ?
 
BrotherBart said:
Sounds like you found Nirvana wk.
heheheheh couldn't have said it better myself. But as you might know, I don't buy something and then its the best out there. I'll say it like it is. If I see a problem I don't hold back. So far its a pretty decent mouse trap.
I only comment on the Englander threads cause they are a very similar to the US Stove Magnolia. And it seems may exhibit some of the same symptoms when sick.
 
I think you are looking for a problem where one doesn't exist . The dollar bill doesn't need to have completely perfectly even pressure all the way around a door. You found the weakest spot, now watch for other symptoms to show you that it is actually broken (leaking).

The adjustment for that door latch is to take a steel pipe (aka cheater bar) and apply pressure to it squeezing it towards the stove's own handle when good and hot.

But again, that is only necessary if a moderate tug on the door handle makes the door latch rotate 360. If you can close it and give it a good rap and it holds, you are tight enough.

pen
 
wkpoor said:
BrotherBart said:
Sounds like you found Nirvana wk.
heheheheh couldn't have said it better myself. But as you might know, I don't buy something and then its the best out there. I'll say it like it is. If I see a problem I don't hold back. So far its a pretty decent mouse trap.
I only comment on the Englander threads cause they are a very similar to the US Stove Magnolia. And it seems may exhibit some of the same symptoms when sick.

Off topic but that Mag never had a chance. If it had it wouldn't have sat in that shed for three years in the box.

As to the Englander stoves, I started the discussion in 2006 by buying the first 30 that showed up here. These days I let the others that have bought them do the talking. I just peddle fake t-shirts. :coolsmirk:
 
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