I have a question about the garn’s fire brick and pad.

[topofthehil]

I was doing a check and maintenance on my 2000 and noticed several cracked fire bricks.
as a matter of fact all but three were broken.
so, I started removing them and found a pad between the brick and fire box.
question one is what is the material and function?
is it absolutely necessary?
Garn wants about $120 for the material and shipping. sounds high to me.
can is be substituted, and if so, with what and where can I obtain the replacement?
also, can I replace the 1-1/4" brick with thicker brick?
I'm thinking it may be a little less likely to crack.
Thanks,
topo

 

[ABM2958]

I would guess that it's a ceramic fiber insulating blanket. Kaowool is a good brand and can be used with very high temps. This material is used extensively in industrial applications like cement plants, steel mills, foundrys, etc. I've seen it for sale on ebay and also through other online sellers at a very reasonable cost.

 

[jebatty]

Don't know much about Garn, but the firebrick in my wood stove often cracks, and so long as it remains in place and doesn't leave open gaps to the steel below, I leave it alone. Continues to last for years. Probably worth it not to toss large splits/logs on the firebrick, but treat it with a gentle spirit.

 

[hedge wood]

I have a Garn 2000 also and most of my fire brick are cracked and have been almost from when the unit was new they stay in place so I continue to use them. I see no harm in leaving them alone.

 

[heaterman]

There is no reason to replace the brick unless it's completely missing. A crack is not detrimental to operation or to the unit in any way. The function of the brick is to keep more heat focused on the wood rather than letting it radiate into the steel/water. The goal is to keep the firebox as hot as possible to ensure good gasification and secondary combustion.
The pad serves as a little bit of cushion for the brick and also has some insulating value. Unless a chunk of the pad is missing there is no need to replace it.

 

[topofthehil]

thanks for your replys. sorry about the delayed reply. I have been out of the country for the past couple of weeks. unfortunately, I got a little over zellous and started removing the cracked and broken bricks ... all but three.
and, I also damaged the liner. so, I need to replace the bricks and the liner. I ordered the liner off of ebay Kaowool ceramic fiber 1/4" x 24" x 25' x #8 Dens for $33 + shipping. the fire bricks comes out to $4.82 each. that's with shipping.
did not order them, as I thought that was way too much money.
where else can I look for 1-1/4" x 4-1/2" x 9" fire bricks?
tks

 

[Kemer]

any good masonry/brick and stone yard