Mt.Vernon AE - My baffle cracked

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gblaue

Member
Dec 27, 2008
75
central ma
This morning got up to clean my Mt.Vernon AE, as I do every Saturday morning, and notice that my baffle had. cracked. Got to give props to Enchanted Fireside in Worcester, MA. They got me up and running right away. Awesome dealership to deal with.
 
Mine cracked too after 4 months of burning. I contacted my dealer and they had a new one delivered to me within a week.
 
Where did it crack? I just had my Mount Vernon installed end of August and I want to keep an eye on it. I have noticed on my baffle that it looks like there is moisture behind it. It couldn't be water because it's a direct vent. Last month I took the baffle out and cleaned behind it.

How do you like your stove so far? I like the way it heats up the house. I'm having problems with my thermostat, sometimes it just goes blank and then starts flashing. Dealer sent a new one out to me. I have found this stove to be a little tempermental and to have a mind of it's own.

Steve
 
I love the stove. It's a huge improvement over the Castile that I had before. The crack started at the pellet drop tube and went straight up to the quadrafire diamond logo. From there it followed up both sides of the diamond logo. It looked like a "y incision" from an autopsy.
 
I think quadra fire knows about the problem because they put a crazy long warranty on the baffle plate. We have had three of them two of them crack and replaced and on the is cracked but doesn't seem to be spreading. They all started at the top of the pellet shoot hole.
 
Is that metal you folks are having issues about cracking?

I would expect problems from something brittle (cast iron for example) that gets hit or friable (high temperature fiber materials) that gets scraped or handled a lot.

Sounds like Quadrafire needs a new source of metal.
 
SmokeyTheBear said:
Is that's metal you folks are having issues about cracking?

I would expect problems from something brittle (cast iron for example) that gets hit or friable (high temperature fiber materials) that gets scraped or handled a lot.

Sounds like Quadrafire needs a new source of metal.

I think there cast iron bear. There have been issue's with them cracking and flaking. Quad has warrantied them with no issues for the original owners. But I bet the second owner will have to purchase them. I don't think the warranty is transferable to the second owner. Unless the stove shop handles the resale of the stove.
 
SteveG said:
I'm having problems with my thermostat, sometimes it just goes blank and then starts flashing. Dealer sent a new one out to me. I have found this stove to be a little tempermental and to have a mind of it's own.




Steve
Mine did the same and the dealer instructed me to remove the left side panel and cut the wire tie off the thermostat wires. They are cinched really tight by the wire tie and cause interference between the communication wire and the power wires. Its located between the thermo lugs on the back of the stove and the control board inside the stove. YMMV. Also make sure the thermo wires are tight at the wall control and back of the stove. So far so good for me.
 
jtakeman said:
SmokeyTheBear said:
Is that's metal you folks are having issues about cracking?

I would expect problems from something brittle (cast iron for example) that gets hit or friable (high temperature fiber materials) that gets scraped or handled a lot.

Sounds like Quadrafire needs a new source of metal.

I think there cast iron bear. There have been issue's with them cracking and flaking. Quad has warrantied them with no issues for the original owners. But I bet the second owner will have to purchase them. I don't think the warranty is transferable to the second owner. Unless the stove shop handles the resale of the stove.

Cast iron has been used for a very long time in boilers, grates, retorts, etc... and I and many others can attest to the longevity of such units. They do however have problems if sharply struck (which is one way you can remove stuck cast iron fittings) which is why you never hit them.

It still sounds like Quadrafire has been getting bad metal.
 
SmokeyTheBear said:
jtakeman said:
SmokeyTheBear said:
Is that's metal you folks are having issues about cracking?

I would expect problems from something brittle (cast iron for example) that gets hit or friable (high temperature fiber materials) that gets scraped or handled a lot.

Sounds like Quadrafire needs a new source of metal.

I think there cast iron bear. There have been issue's with them cracking and flaking. Quad has warrantied them with no issues for the original owners. But I bet the second owner will have to purchase them. I don't think the warranty is transferable to the second owner. Unless the stove shop handles the resale of the stove.

Cast iron has been used for a very long time in boilers, grates, retorts, etc... and I and many others can attest to the longevity of such units. They do however have problems if sharply struck (which is one way you can remove stuck cast iron fittings) which is why you never hit them.

It still sounds like Quadrafire has been getting bad metal.

As far as I know, There are no issues with the US made baffles. When they started making them in China the issues started appearing. So you are correct!

Edit:
I tried to PM you to say hellow, But I gabbed to much with macman last night and had to many pm's. Get a error for 2 many in the last 24 hours. Xena was right I DO yak to much. I might need to take a "krooser" quite moment! Change my ID to Gabbie too!
 
Too funny, I came on here to say that I discovered a cracked baffle this morning while cleaning and there is already a thread going on it! As others have said, the crack starts at the drop tube, goes up to the diamond and continues up the right side of the diamond. I was going to post a pic of it but it sounds like everyone is already quite familiar with the issue. For the record, I purchased mine in October and have put about a ton and a half through it. My dealer is closed today, so I'll have to talk to him tomorrow about it. In the mean time, is it OK to run the stove with a cracked baffle? I probably will just leave the oil boiler running for now, but it would be good to know.
 
QuadraBurner said:
Too funny, I came on here to say that I discovered a cracked baffle this morning while cleaning and there is already a thread going on it! As others have said, the crack starts at the drop tube, goes up to the diamond and continues up the right side of the diamond. I was going to post a pic of it but it sounds like everyone is already quite familiar with the issue. For the record, I purchased mine in October and have put about a ton and a half through it. My dealer is closed today, so I'll have to talk to him tomorrow about it. In the mean time, is it OK to run the stove with a cracked baffle? I probably will just leave the oil boiler running for now, but it would be good to know.

I have only seen a pic of the flacking baffle. By all means post one up for us non quad owners. You know what macman say's. No picture it didn't really happen :lol: just kidding. We believe it did as there are quite a few that have had the issue. A photo would seal the deal though. :)
 
QuadraBurner said:
Too funny, I came on here to say that I discovered a cracked baffle this morning while cleaning and there is already a thread going on it! As others have said, the crack starts at the drop tube, goes up to the diamond and continues up the right side of the diamond. I was going to post a pic of it but it sounds like everyone is already quite familiar with the issue. For the record, I purchased mine in October and have put about a ton and a half through it. My dealer is closed today, so I'll have to talk to him tomorrow about it. In the mean time, is it OK to run the stove with a cracked baffle? I probably will just leave the oil boiler running for now, but it would be good to know.

Do not run the unit if you don't have working fire and CO detectors.

What is behind the crack should give you a clue as to how safe running the unit will be.

Expect that if you run the unit the crack will get larger and what might not have been a major safety issue can quickly become one.

In short you are a big QuadraBurner, you can figure it out.

However, I'll tell you what I'd do, I'd use the oil eater, the stove would be shut down until the baffle was replaced.
 
jtakeman said:
QuadraBurner said:
Too funny, I came on here to say that I discovered a cracked baffle this morning while cleaning and there is already a thread going on it! As others have said, the crack starts at the drop tube, goes up to the diamond and continues up the right side of the diamond. I was going to post a pic of it but it sounds like everyone is already quite familiar with the issue. For the record, I purchased mine in October and have put about a ton and a half through it. My dealer is closed today, so I'll have to talk to him tomorrow about it. In the mean time, is it OK to run the stove with a cracked baffle? I probably will just leave the oil boiler running for now, but it would be good to know.

I have only seen a pic of the flacking baffle. By all means post one up for us non quad owners. You know what macman say's. No picture it didn't really happen :lol: just kidding. We believe it did as there are quite a few that have had the issue. A photo would seal the deal though. :)

I thought you might say that :)
 

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QuadraBurner said:
jtakeman said:
QuadraBurner said:
Too funny, I came on here to say that I discovered a cracked baffle this morning while cleaning and there is already a thread going on it! As others have said, the crack starts at the drop tube, goes up to the diamond and continues up the right side of the diamond. I was going to post a pic of it but it sounds like everyone is already quite familiar with the issue. For the record, I purchased mine in October and have put about a ton and a half through it. My dealer is closed today, so I'll have to talk to him tomorrow about it. In the mean time, is it OK to run the stove with a cracked baffle? I probably will just leave the oil boiler running for now, but it would be good to know.

I have only seen a pic of the flacking baffle. By all means post one up for us non quad owners. You know what macman say's. No picture it didn't really happen :lol: just kidding. We believe it did as there are quite a few that have had the issue. A photo would seal the deal though. :)

I thought you might say that :)

Yep sure is cracked clean through even! Hope you get the new one quick, Don't need any delays in recieving it from the dealer. Weird the way it follows the diamond around. Has to be a parting line or something in the casting process messing this up. Or just plain old sub standard material there using.

You got a backup heat source?
 
jtakeman said:
I think there cast iron bear. There have been issue's with them cracking and flaking. Quad has warrantied them with no issues for the original owners. But I bet the second owner will have to purchase them. I don't think the warranty is transferable to the second owner. Unless the stove shop handles the resale of the stove.

Is Quad replacing them for flaking? Mine is flaking a little (has since almost day 1 in one spot) but no cracks (knock on wood).
 
Gweeper64 said:
jtakeman said:
I think there cast iron bear. There have been issue's with them cracking and flaking. Quad has warrantied them with no issues for the original owners. But I bet the second owner will have to purchase them. I don't think the warranty is transferable to the second owner. Unless the stove shop handles the resale of the stove.

Is Quad replacing them for flaking? Mine is flaking a little (has since almost day 1 in one spot) but no cracks (knock on wood).

I think so. Depends on the dealer's mode sometimes. There was a member that had an issue and they swapped it out without any issue's. May depent on how severe it is flaking. His was real bad. The quad emblem basically fell or crumbled off.
 
QuadraBurner said:
Too funny, I came on here to say that I discovered a cracked baffle this morning while cleaning and there is already a thread going on it! As others have said, the crack starts at the drop tube, goes up to the diamond and continues up the right side of the diamond. I was going to post a pic of it but it sounds like everyone is already quite familiar with the issue. For the record, I purchased mine in October and have put about a ton and a half through it. My dealer is closed today, so I'll have to talk to him tomorrow about it. In the mean time, is it OK to run the stove with a cracked baffle? I probably will just leave the oil boiler running for now, but it would be good to know.


I ran mine for a bit before dealer swapped out for a new one. Mine was cracked like yours except didn't go through the drop tube itself. The only thing I would worry about running it is if it fell apart and broke your glass.

BIH
 
Gweeper64 said:
Is Quad replacing them for flaking? Mine is flaking a little (has since almost day 1 in one spot) but no cracks (knock on wood).

My dealer replaced mine for major flaking



jtakeman said:
I think so. Depends on the dealer's mode sometimes. There was a member that had an issue and they swapped it out without any issue's. May depent on how severe it is flaking. His was real bad. The quad emblem basically fell or crumbled off.

That was my baffle. It also had a crack in two places by the time I got the replacement

https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/42478/

The new baffle seems to be holding up ok so far (1.5 tons)
 
I work with cast iron,being a machinist. I can tell you that cracking will occur if there are voids in the casting(small pockets of air) or if the foundry used an inferior grade of cast iron. I would suspect that due to the high volume of orders for stoves last year, shortcuts in the manufacturing process were made to meet manufacturing deadlines.
 
An interesting thing to note, I noticed that the right side clamp that holds the baffle in place did not have that much tension on it. I wonder if the design has an interference that puts the baffle in tension, causing them to crack. Or it's just coincidence and they are just crappy castings.
 
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