Replacing the combustor in FPX 36? Anyone done this?

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lbosley

New Member
Hearth Supporter
Sep 8, 2009
2
Maryland
I know that my eight year old Fireplace Xtrordinair Elite 36 needs the combustor replaced. But I'll be damned if I can figure out how to do it. The old combustor will tilt, but does not have the necessary clearance to allow it to be removed through the front of the firebox. I have asked Condar (supplies replacement catalytic conbustors), and several authorized dealers and have yet to get a response. Has anyone actually performed this procedure or maybe have instructions?
 
if you had bought the parts from fpx, it woulda come with great instructions!
as a protected stove line, your dealer is the best source for info, after your owners manual ofcourse...did you read it? travis ind makes great manuals, even homeowners can follow, (usually!!)
 
C'mon folks. Of course I read the manual. It says nothing about combustor replacement (or even removal). Ever try to get in touch with Travis Industries? You'd think they were an arms dealer - completely hidden from public contact. Maybe it's a little different for you dealers. I contacted two authorized dealers in my area and never got a response. So much for customer service...

Anyway, I finally got the combustor removed last night. I had to nudge the heavy top baffle plate forward a little to clean out the ash and debris that had accummulated behind it - keeping the plate slightly too far forward. Once this was done I was able to knock the plate a little farther back and barely squeeze the combuster down past the plate and out. I don't know if the combuster has actually expanded slightly over time, but it was very tight and did not come out easily.
 
sorry, i know that " read the manual" is like utfse, but i field calls from people every day who dont
i dont sell fpx, but judging by avalon owners manuals i am extremely suprised they dont cover the cat in detail.
i must agree that travis policy leaves many many customers w/o good local dealer support.
if they'd let me sell thier parts online, id provide service for requests like yours, but if i did they migh pull my avalon dealership, sigh.
until they change thier policies, keep at thier dealer locator until you find someone helpful enough to copy some pages from a tech manual... or hire a pro if youre stumped

so i just looked at he manual, and the dont detail the cat removal, only cleaning. but it looks like the baffle will need to come out, have you removed it yet?

i will pm you some contact info
 
I have FPX 36 as well. Yea, it tilt's a little bit but it's only about 2" deep so just keep working it and wiggle'n it forward then keep it straight and you should have enough room to lower it and remove, kinda tight but it'll come out. Also, the metallic fabric material around it will probably be shot so you might wanna replace that too.
 
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