Kent Tile Fire Stove ... Does it need/require firebricks?

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alanash

New Member
Sep 30, 2010
11
Oregon Coast
Hi people. I'm new to the forum. I just bought a used Kent Tile Fire Stove, one similar to one I had in a cabin in Wyoming. I think the one I had in Wyoming had firebricks lining it, and it worked wonderfully. But the one I just bought doesn't have any. Does anyone know if I "should" put firebricks in it or not?

Any comments, suggestions, helpful tips would be appreciated.

Thanks!!

Alan
 
What model is the stove? This should be on the UL tag on the back of the stove.

If thechimneysweep is in the house, there's a customer in the lobby with a question.
 
There are two numbers: MH-11599-D and K309872. I can't tell which one might be the model.

Thanks for replying. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Alan
 
I would guess the second number is the serial number. I was looking for a model like the Ultima, etc. If you can post an exterior picture and a shot of the inside of the firebox, that might help.
 
I had one I bought new in 88 and from what I remember it didn't have anything inside the stove. There was a frame on the outside to put tile on and I think thats how it got its name. I cleaned my stove every year before starting it up for the season and then only thing I saw inside was metal.

They put out the heat for a small stove and I heated my whole house upstairs and down for 15 years with junk wood like cottonwood and elm.

Shipper
 
the tile fire stoves had no firebrick. This speeded up the heat transfer to the convective (and decorative) tile "cabinet" around the stove. You could put some in, but then you would reduce the already small firebox size even more.
 
They sold a refractory kit that also had a SS flame guard to protect the front edge of the upper baffle. I had the sherwood and it improved the performance of the stove alot.
 
I have a Kent, been using it for almost 10 years now. They're a double wall construction stove so firebrick is not needed at all. However, last year I went ahead and lined it with firebrick anyways. Whiile I did significantly reduce my firebox size, I was happy with the result. The extra mass allows the stove to retain a bit more energy for heat transfer, and I believe my burns are better due to the higher in box temps. I lined the sides, bottom, and back.

By the way, the tiles are purely decorative. Change them out as you see fit to match your decor. The kent's an awesome stove and has a design that was way ahead of its time. Enjoy it!
 
Thanks for all the great replies. Somewhere else,I'd heard that it wasn't necessary to line it with firebrick.

agartner, you said that you lined yours anyway. Would you mind sharing how you lined it? How did you get the side and back wall bricks to stay upright without falling over into the box? Yes I loved the one I had at my Wyoming cabin. Now on the Oregon coast I want to be able to heat my place like I did my cabin.

Many thanks.
 
I thought of that, and that would hold the lowest row of bricks in place, but what about going further up the wall? That's what I can't quite figure out.

Any kind of high-temp adhesive to hold the side wall bricks in place?

Thanks for your input... I appreciate it.
 
Resiburner said:
They sold a refractory kit that also had a SS flame guard to protect the front edge of the upper baffle. I had the sherwood and it improved the performance of the stove alot.

Yes, that is why I asked. I believe the Ultima had a refractory firebox lining.
 
alanash said:
I thought of that, and that would hold the lowest row of bricks in place, but what about going further up the wall? That's what I can't quite figure out.

Any kind of high-temp adhesive to hold the side wall bricks in place?

Thanks for your input... I appreciate it.

Could there be a Z angle put in and bolted in on each side to hold the top of a 9" brick in place and support a baffle?
 
The bricks I have on the back and sides are not held in by anything at all. I stood them up on end and it hasn't been a problem at all. Lay your "floor" of bricks, leaving a little gap around the sides and back. Make sure before you do this all of the ash and stuff is out. Then just stand the sides and back up on end, they'll reach about 3/4 of the way up the walls.
 
If thechimneysweep is in the house, there’s a customer in the lobby with a question.

These days, by 10:30 PM I'm always in the house. My house. Asleep. Just can't party to the wee hours with the BG man no mo.

If the Tile Fire in question has a push-pull bypass lever above the door at upper right, it never had firebricks.

UNLESS.. it is one of the briefly-available "LEM" models, which came with a box of firebricks to line the firebox. There were no clips for the side bricks, and no second tier. You stood the bricks up around the perimeter, then installed the floor bricks to lock them in place. The bricks increased the temperature at coal level, and cut the emissions to meet US Phase I standards.

Despite his penchant for late-nite carousing, BG still manages to hit the nail on the head with amazing regularity. The next-generation Ultima model, which was designed to meet EPA Phase II standards (and replace the short lived LEM model), was lined, but with proprietary cast refractory panels which extended all the way up the sides to support an arched cast refractory baffle.
 
thechimneysweep said:
If thechimneysweep is in the house, there’s a customer in the lobby with a question.

These days, by 10:30 PM I'm always in the house. My house. Asleep. Just can't party to the wee hours with the BG man no mo.

If the Tile Fire in question has a push-pull bypass lever above the door at upper right, it never had firebricks.

UNLESS.. it is one of the briefly-available "LEM" models, which came with a box of firebricks to line the firebox. There were no clips for the side bricks, and no second tier. You stood the bricks up around the perimeter, then installed the floor bricks to lock them in place. The bricks increased the temperature at coal level, and cut the emissions to meet US Phase I standards.

Despite his penchant for late-nite carousing, BG still manages to hit the nail on the head with amazing regularity. The next-generation Ultima model, which was designed to meet EPA Phase II standards (and replace the short lived LEM model), was lined, but with proprietary cast refractory panels which extended all the way up the sides to support an arched cast refractory baffle.
My old Sherwood came with no brick,but they sold a refractory kit that was just plain cool the bootom held the side bricks, the front had SS panels that held a upper baffle guard. That stove would burn anything and not foul up the chimney
I miss that old stove
 
Hi Starter,

I had a Tile fire, and it did not have firebrick. This was a great stove and I am trying to find another, as I lost the last one when selling the house.

Really Cool (No Pun Intended) idea to be able to switch out the tile with your decor. This is the only stove I have owned that did not become boring, and

it burned all night on three logs, then easy to relight in the AM. It is also the only wood stove I ever saw that kept the door glass clean by the design of the

air flow. Originally manufactured in New Zealand, I think they are now made in Australia. My Tile fire had a draw bar that opened/ closed a reburner box at

the top of the combustion chamber. It is my opinion that installing firebrick would severely limit the already small fire box to a point where you could not

bank it off and expect it to make it through the night. As I recall, I had to specify 16 inch long logs so they would fit in the firebox.

JimA
 
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