Hearthstone Homestead Ceramic Baffle - not needed?

[redbeard]

Hello --

After one winter of operating my Hearthstone Homestead stove, the ceramic board above the air tubes crumbled to pieces when I replaced some cracked firebrick inside the stove. Is this normal -- that the ceramic baffle crumbles to pieces after one season (november - march, continual operation)?

My local dealer says not to worry -- the stove can be operated fine without the baffle -- it just won't be quite as efficient.

I noticed (after I started it up again) that the glass in the door does not get "washed" by the flames -- the flames are now free to be drawn up and into the stovepipe...

Any opinions?

Thank you!

RedBeard

 

[elkimmeg]

Check your warranty as it stands 15 days left a before Nov. Bad response from your dealer.
Sounds like a guy that can't be bothered to assist his customers and do warranty repair.
To me that is unacceptable. that stove will never function correctly. why after one year are you relpacing refactory
bricks? again To me if within the warranty period, why is not the dealertaking care of them?

 

[suematteva]

That is a lame response from dealer...Is that the response from the person you bought it from?

How has the stove been burning? Do you have a thermometer on it or the stove pipe?

 

[BrotherBart]

Did you buy this stove new from that dealer?

 

[Todd]

No, that's not normal, and you need that baffle to keep the firebox hot enough for secondary burn, otherwise all the heat will go up the chimney and your glass will turn black. There is a warranty for the baffle, contact your dealer or Hearthstone.

 

[Rhone]

You want to know my guess? It was the chimney sweeps or you broke it yourself during the process. Those things don't normally break with normal use.

Mine broke. Either I broke it, or my chimney sweeps. It cost me $66 from my local retailer for another and my manual specifically states not to use the unit without it in place. You're probably missing anywhere from 30-60% of your heat and definetely causing creosote. When my chimney sweeps cleaned out my unit, they didn't remove my baffle, rather loosened it so they could sneak a vacuum above it. They then repeatedly jammed their vacuum into my insulation over, and over, and over again. Your chimney sweeps may have removed your baffle and tried to lift it up and out by the insulation causing it to fracture and they simply put it back like that. Or, you replacing the stones may have done likewise. When I went to reinstall my liner I went to lift my baffle out by the insulation piece thinking it was metal and my hands went through it. I read the instructions afterward, lift the baffle out by the sides or tubes else you risk ruining the insulation. Oops! I played with my old one, breaking it apart some more to see how strong it is and it's not particularly delicate as in, it shatters by looking at it, but it certainly does not flex much before breaking. I think mine broken before I put my hands through it... if it wasn't I'd certainly have broke it then. So, I think it perhaps your chimney sweeps, or you if you tried removing the baffle by the insulation (like I did), or perhaps jamming logs to be above the secondary burn tubes. It doesn't flex much.

 

[redbeard]

Thanks for the quick feedback!

I was happy with the stove last winter. It performed to my expectations and I look forward to using it this season as well.

Yes -- I bought the stove new from this dealer in October of '05.

I reviewed the warranty policy and the baffle and brick are indeed covered for five years. The dealer wanted to sell me another baffle... I've got a few questions for them now

 

[redbeard]

Rhonemas: Last winter was the first season this stove was used -- the chimney hasn't been cleaned yet (yes -- it's on my list of things to ASAP).

It's possible I might have broken it when loading the stove (since the air tube assembly does move up and down inside the stove) but having it break through normal usage doesn't seem right . The deteoriation was general -- it was falling apart in pieces and definitely crumbling...

 

[Rhone]

Hmm... it sounds like the adhesive in the insulation failed, and it shouldn't. That's a defect. Hope you have no problem getting another.

 

[MountainStoveGuy]

nuff' said. Poor responce from the dealer. You gotta have that bafffle. Honestly, i havent seen one just fall apart. There pretty darn durable.

 

[redbeard]

I guess it makes a difference as to who you talk to at the dealer.

I spoke with another person and the ceramic board and brick are now on order as no charge warranty parts, no questions asked.

Thanks for the advice and help!