Fisher Mama Bear - sand in between firebrick?

[jane8851]

This is my Mama Bear purchased new in 1977 and she has been the only heat I've had for 38 yrs. I replaced the firebrick this summer and when she was new the dealer told me to put sand in between the firebrick before I used her. Do you still recommend adding sand before the first fire?

 

[BrotherBart]

38 years. You should be telling us how to run it. Welcome to the forum.

That sand from 1977 was gone a long time ago and it ain't quit heating has it?

 

[jane8851]

Thanks BrotherBart for the welcome! When people ask me why I have such an old "hippie stove" I like to tell them that when a new stove falls off the truck it breaks the stove - when a Fisher falls off the truck it breaks the road.

 

[dafattkidd]

Jane, welcome to the forum. Looks like you take good care of that stove. How many cords per year are you burning in that beauty?

 

[jane8851]

Less than 3 cords heats the whole house. House is small tho, 1 1/2 stories, open balcony to bedrooms. We've been toasty warm with only the stove. Finally put a stainless steel liner in the chimney this year and replaced the firebrick in the stove. Chimney runs inside through the center of the house.

 

[BrotherBart]

With the liner in and you knowing how to run that puppy you are good to go for another 38 years. Bob Fisher is somewhere grinning.

 

[BrotherBart]

Just be ready for a big difference in chimney draft with the liner. A new learning curve is probably coming up. When I put a liner in after 20 years my old stove wanted to take off like a rocket.

 

[jane8851]

So... does anyone know if I need to put sand in the cracks between the new firebrick or just build a fire and smoosh the ash down in there?

 

[velvetfoot]

If the new stoves are wimpy, and none of them talk about sand, I would think the ash would be good enough, unless maybe there are big gaps between the bricks.

 

[velvetfoot]

Then again, you could go down to Home Depot and pick up a small bag of stone dust and sprinkle it in.

 

[ccmac]

The sand will fill the gaps and prevent the firebrick from shifting but the ash would do that as well. I see no advantage over allowing the ash to settle in.