First crack in the Mansfield

Hi everyone,

Just noticed my first crack in one of the stones of my Manny. On the lower center left side stone. Long hairline crack the runs both down the stone and across the stone, with a very small notch out of the stone where the two lines meet. Weeping some creosote. I know this is common and won't effect the stoves performance (per the Hearthstone statements), but wasn't fun to see any way. This is year three of full time burning with the stove. Cheers!

Interesting. Seven years burning my Fireview and never had a piece of soapstone crack. Developed a hairline fracture i n the original, large thick top of my Progress Hybrid (they have since changed the design), and Woodstock advised me not to burn if I saw any discoloration at the crack, as it would indicated an air leak and smoke emission. If you have creosote there don't see how you can not be leaking smoke into your living space. CO detector have any reading? I covered my top stone with soapstone slabs I had to seal the air leak until Woodstock got me a new top. If I were you, I'd be replacing that stone.

How can smoke be coming out of the firebox with a good draft? Seems that I'd be pulling air INTO the stove, not allowing air to leave the stove. Cheers!

Creosote at the point of the fracture=air/smoke.

Well now, creosote leaking out does not indicate that smoke and air is coming out. Creosote is a liquid and gravity requires that it not be sucked up into the flue. In addition, suface tension can wick liquids into tight spaces like cracks but has no effect on smoke.

Woodstock has double wall construction on all of their stoves. Might even say triple wall with the PH. It is hard to compare that to a stone stove that uses a single thick layer of stone. I would expect the Hearthstone design is more prone to cracks since it has a single layer with high heat on one side and relative cold on the other. THe double pane window effect of the WS design ought to see less thermal stress plus being a cat stove has such a cold firebox.

There we go. Seepage of creosote has nothing to do with air/smoke leaking from the firebox to the room. Actually, it just can't happen under most conditions. Air pressure is much lower inside the firebox than outside, creating a force leading to air entering the stove, not exiting. The crack is hairline - can barely be felt with a fingernail. Hearthstone indicates that this is common. Cheers!

Many Hearthstone stoves have this and folks seem to get along just fine. Hope it is the same for you NH.

Yes, multilayered in most places, but the PH's top was originally a single layer (plus a partial heat shield). My single-piece top cracked but showed no sign of leakage, so I ran several more cords of wood through it before switching to the cooktop design (2 layers). I would not be pleased with a cracked piece that had leakage of gas or liquid.

I wonder if a gasket cement along the crack on the inner surface would prevent anything from coming through and if it would hold up over time.

I have to believe a hairline crack would let such a tiny fraction of additional air in compared to what the fire needs anyway that it wouldn't make much difference. Although, I sure wouldn't be pleased if my stove cracked.

I was thinking of using stove cement over the crack area (inside the stove) once summer comes - I probably will just for good measure. It's really a small hairline crack - so no biggie. Thanks for the good wishes BS, and I'm not very happy Waulie, but not to upset either! Cheers!