'Find' in our Hearthstone ash drawer

[ourmoneypit]

After the first few fires, upon emptying the ash drawer, we found what appears to have been a small bottle of touch-up paint in the ash drawer. The plastic top was melted, and the contents had leaked out into the ash drawer and solidified. There's no prying/scraping it off the bottom of the pan.

When the installers left, they said -- 3 times -- "it's all ready to go". I never thought to go looking in the ash drawer as none of the documentation on the website or in the Owner's Manual mentioned a bottle of touch-up paint. It's our first woodstove and we had no clue as to the level of 'odd smells' to expect over the first few burns. We can't help but wonder if this has damaged our stove/chimney or health in any way.

So, have other Hearthstone owners received similar bottles? Should the installers have known it was there? The 'head' of the 3-man crew did say he had installed several Hearthstones in the past. At the very least, I'm going to be going after the MSDS sheet for the enamel, to try to figure out what health effects, if any, we may have experienced. I'm ticked. This has put a very sour note to what was up to this point an excellent Mfr/Installer experience. I'm not sure if I should contact the installer or Mfr first, or both at the same time.

 

[trailblaze]

i doubt it hurt anything...

just burn it hot for a while, what ever was burned of from the bottle shouldn't have had any effect to the chimney or stove...

 

[edthedawg]

I was similarly surprised to find the manual, ash-grate handle/ring, and touch-up enamel "hiding" in the drawer of our new Heritage. I distinctly recall thinking "wow, I bet people light these things up without knowing that stuff is down there all the time!"

That being said, you probably got a few extra fumes from the melting plastic and the paint inside the bottle, but I sincerely doubt any of it would hurt you any more than the normal outgassing of the curing cements and enamels on the stove itself. You should be fine and I can't see any reason to contact the manufacturer.

You should DEFINITELY contact the installer. This is arguably an unsafe condition - they shouldn't have left the paint under there, they should have checked it out better, made sure there was nothing down there, etc. If nothing else, they owe you a new bottle of touchup enamel. And their own "standard practices" need to include a final check of the ash-pan to ensure nothing is stashed down there.

Sorry to hear your good situation turned sour

 

[linckeil]

my mansfield had all documentation in the ash pan. i installed the stove myself, so i made sure i checked everything out before lighting it. but your experience goes to show that everyone should give their stoves a once over before lighting them up - even if the "professional" installers tell you its all set to go.

plus its a lot eaier (and cleaner) to get fimiliar with your stove and how it all works before filling it up with ash.

 

[gpcollen1]

If I had installed it, I would not have been surprised to find something like that and would have looked prior to lighting it up. Whomever you had install it is a dope.

 

[ourmoneypit]

bump...

I am hoping to hear from other Hearthstone owners. Did your stove come with touch-up paint?

How 'bout it, folks?

 

[pyro68]

when we had a Homestead it came w/touch up paint. Hearthstone typically sent touch up paint, they had stopped for a while because it often dried up by the time it was needed. Guessing you have an enamel finish? Don't think they send touch up w/ matte black.

 

[begreen]

Tell your installer he needs to remove this as part of the installation. And he owes you a bottle of touch up paint for the advice.

 

[ourmoneypit]

Thanks, folks.

Our manuals were in the stove itself, not in the drawer. Our Mansfield does not have the ash grate shaker rod, unfortunately.

 

[DoubleClutch]

Better file a lawsuit fast.

Just kidding. I'm sure you're fine. Whatever fumes you got from burning up the paint went up the stack. I'd get a new bottle of touch-up paint from the dealer and drive on.

 

[ourmoneypit]

Better file a lawsuit fast.

Just kidding. I'm sure you're fine. Whatever fumes you got from burning up the paint went up the stack. I'd get a new bottle of touch-up paint from the dealer and drive on.

While 'how much money can I get out of this?' would be many people's first thought, that's just not my MO. The MSDS info will let us know if there's any cause for concern. I highly doubt it, as it was essentially, enamel paint heat-curing, albeit in larger quantity than usual.

 

[EddyKilowatt]

The MSDS info will let us know if there's any cause for concern. I highly doubt it, as it was essentially, enamel paint heat-curing, albeit in larger quantity than usual.

Enamel paint heat-curing inside the stove, with the fumes going (as was mentioned above) up the stack. Your exposure indoors was probably very close to zero. I reckon you got much more exposure from the paint on the outside of the stove curing, which is SOP on these stoves.

Of course, the paint solvent could've caused a dangerous fire situation, so obviously they shouldn't ought to have done that.

Eddy

 

[Elfin]

Those damn ash drawers! When we first got our stove, I thought I had lost the owner manual and assorted paperwork and damn near tore the house apart trying to figure out where I'd put it. Yeah, it was in the ash drawer. At least I hadn't burned the stove yet!