Thanks for the input on replacement stoves. I did like the Woodstock Progress, a lot.
But with any of the stoves I kept bumping into 2 problems - they weren't top loading (except for the replacement VC) and, more importantly, the flue height was about 3 inches higher than what I have now. I have a lined chimney with a oval, flexible SS liner to a rigid SS lower section that connects to the stove. I didn't want to have to replace this, and the fireplace that stove sits in doesn't have three more inches to fit the flue. I did think about cutting legs on a new stove.
A couple nights ago (I have been working nights, but had the night off) I decided to explore the stove a bit more...six hours later the only things still connected were the legs to the bottom casting. I did not find any cracks or gaps in the walls. What did find was a lot of broken and brittle stove cement. Most of the joints that the manual stated would need to be forced apart with a cold chisel just fell apart. I think the hot short burns were due to air leaks from the top, sides, and bottom where the cement had fallen away.
The sheet metal "heat exchanger" was warpped a bit, the bottom grate had a couple cracks in it. But other than that all the bits and pieces looked good. All of the bolting came out fine. There are 4 screws used in the constuction, two of the 4 broke, so I will have to work those out and clean what is left of the cement and gasket adhesives in the next few days. All together the parts were about $500, including some extra things (like a replacement piece of glass, and new temperature control elements while it is a part, etc) which is better than close to $3,000 for a new, similar stove.
I will post pictures of the rebuild when done.
I can't wait to get the stove working, it has gotten colder here in New Hampshire and the oil heat just isn't the same.
Thanks for all the help and advice. (I think the soapstone stove will go in the addition in a few years.)
But with any of the stoves I kept bumping into 2 problems - they weren't top loading (except for the replacement VC) and, more importantly, the flue height was about 3 inches higher than what I have now. I have a lined chimney with a oval, flexible SS liner to a rigid SS lower section that connects to the stove. I didn't want to have to replace this, and the fireplace that stove sits in doesn't have three more inches to fit the flue. I did think about cutting legs on a new stove.
A couple nights ago (I have been working nights, but had the night off) I decided to explore the stove a bit more...six hours later the only things still connected were the legs to the bottom casting. I did not find any cracks or gaps in the walls. What did find was a lot of broken and brittle stove cement. Most of the joints that the manual stated would need to be forced apart with a cold chisel just fell apart. I think the hot short burns were due to air leaks from the top, sides, and bottom where the cement had fallen away.
The sheet metal "heat exchanger" was warpped a bit, the bottom grate had a couple cracks in it. But other than that all the bits and pieces looked good. All of the bolting came out fine. There are 4 screws used in the constuction, two of the 4 broke, so I will have to work those out and clean what is left of the cement and gasket adhesives in the next few days. All together the parts were about $500, including some extra things (like a replacement piece of glass, and new temperature control elements while it is a part, etc) which is better than close to $3,000 for a new, similar stove.
I will post pictures of the rebuild when done.
I can't wait to get the stove working, it has gotten colder here in New Hampshire and the oil heat just isn't the same.
Thanks for all the help and advice. (I think the soapstone stove will go in the addition in a few years.)
