Hey there--new guy here. I've been burning oak in a 1986 Lopi fireplace insert for almost 20 years. It's never worked terribly effectively or efficiently but I use it nonetheless for the ambience. So, this summer I found the original owners manual and after reading through it, I realize that my insert does NOT have the lower of the two baffles, and I had no clue there should have been one. It's removable, and somewhere along the line, before we bought the house, it was removed and not replaced. Baffling, I know. I called the Lopi guys at Travis Ind. and they said it probably hasn't damaged the insert but definitely doesn't allow it to burn properly or get the secondary burn--which would explain why it's never worked well for me. I haven't been able to locate a replacement baffle, and Travis doesn't have the original dimensions for me to get one made. What should I do? Any suggestions on finding or having a replacement made would be appreciated. And...can I safely keep using it in the meantime? Thanks a bunch.
Lopi Savoy Insert Baffle Missing
- Thread starter DoctorHawaii
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DoctorHawaii , yes, that will make a notable difference. This is an early Lopi Zero Clearance fireplace. It will never be hugely efficient, but adding the second baffle will definitely improve things.
Any competent metal shop should be able to fabricate this for you out of 1/4" steel. Make a mockup with cardboard using the angle of the refractory sides as a guide. You'll have to guess on the top angle extension where it levels out, maybe try 3-4" or about midway to the top of the refractory side. Once you have a good fit, bring the template to the metal shop for fabrication.
Any competent metal shop should be able to fabricate this for you out of 1/4" steel. Make a mockup with cardboard using the angle of the refractory sides as a guide. You'll have to guess on the top angle extension where it levels out, maybe try 3-4" or about midway to the top of the refractory side. Once you have a good fit, bring the template to the metal shop for fabrication.
Hey BeGreen...thanks very much for this. I did exactly as you suggested and made a cardboard template that matches that diagram--and I did a 3" extension past the 45 deg angle--it seems to fit perfectly. The top baffle is 1/4" steel, so like you said that should do it. Again, thanks a bunch for chiming in.
Cheers
Cheers
Great. Any good metal shop should be able to make it from the template. Let us know how it works out.
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