The big Enviro Wood Pellet Stove T-20 Torx Screw Issue - See story

Hello

Well, it just seems when picking up an older used pellet stove there are missing parts sometimes. Screws are the most notorious for going AWOL! This stove like the last stove, the back panel was not on it and in both cases I felt lucky to atleast get the back panel but of course NO Screws! Especially since the Eyelet cutout allows for easy removal of the back panel just by loosening the screws a little. No need to remove them and loose them is there? Oh well, it is all part of getting a good deal and learning more about the hardware!

Eviro has T-20 Torz screws where we can easily buy a tool with a T-20 Torx head around here, but I tried to buy the screws and let me tell you. It just is not happening!

So I did the tread check in those store displays and found the threads to be 8-32 and the length is approx 3/8" long. So I found some very nice round head stainless steel screws that look great and fit perfectly!

So I bought a bunch and I am adding the missing ones and replacing other ones. Especially the side service doors. Why go looking for a Torx screw driver just for that!

I got 12 Stainless Steel 8-32 Screws with Phillips head 3/8" long for $2.75 at the local Ace is the Place Hardware Store!

See pics below

What do you guys think? Any Enviro owners do this?

Good idea. I have done exactly the same thing on other equipment, works perfectly.
Just haven't done it on my enviro yet. A few years ago talked with an mechanical engineer and his thoughts on why equip mfgs use Torx is so people would not bother working on the equipment as most people don't normally have Torx drivers handy.

Yes, I remember when they came out around here a few years ago. Now they sell the torx screw drivers everywhere and I do not see the screws anymore!

I like the phillips head stainless steel heads much better because I can use my magnetic phillips screwdriver for the screws behind the front glass door hinge for the side service doors. This way the screws do not go flying around! ! !

www.fastenal.com

Hi Pete

I could only find the zinc pan head torx screws there, not stainless steel round heads that are 8-32 and 3/8" long. Did I miss something?
http://www.fastenal.com/web/products/detail.ex?sku=0143919

High quality stainless is not magnetic.

Just sayin.

Hi Smoke

You have a point but in the case of these Stainless Steel Screws I have, the Magnetic Screw Driver holds them just enough so I can get them into the hole and screw them in without dropping.

In the pic below, I cannot hold them on this down angle with a regular screw driver!

So its a lower grade stainless because its magnetic?

On that site Don, do a search on Torx and go from there all kinds of screws including stainless.

Maybe not lower grade but they are very strong and heavy so maybe some stronger metal or iron content and not 100% pure stainless?

Why do you need stainless?? It's an indoors application...stainless is just overkill for holding the side & back panels on the stove, IMO.

??

Thats what I mean by lower grade. More iron content.

C'mon Joe. You liked it...

http://www.physlink.com/education/askexperts/ae546.cfm

A Ha my iron guess was right. Thanks Smokey

A basic stainless steel has a 'ferritic' structure and is magnetic

It was Funny! !!

I have seen metal screws that were rusty from moisture. Maybe the stove was in a damp basement. However with stainless they should hold up alot better. I got 12 stainless steel screws for $2.75 so it did not break the bank! LOL

Trust me on this it depends upon who made the screws. I've seen stuff stamped stainless that rusted inside of a month.

Glad to see you did not get screwed

So its not really stainless then is it?

Stainless that will rust.

What is interesting to me is that these machine-thread screws screw into sheet metal, so you could theoretically use sheet-metal thread screws instead. I found those torx screws on my Enviro EF2i weren't quite 8-32, and they weren't a common metric size either. Couldn't figure out what they were exactly, but, like you, bought similar replacements (phillips, 8-32) to replace the missing ones, and they seem to work fine.

Yes, and when I worked on the Pelpro with a ton of missing screws, I purchased a bag of black self tappers for flue pipe connections. They worked perfectly for the back plate and side panel hold on screws!