Hearthstone Bennington Baffle Support?

[bythebook]

I inherited a Hearthstone Bennington stove recently and since I want to be safe, I'm inspecting it for any and all issues prior to firing it up. I found a part that turns out to be the "stainless steel baffle support" sitting in the previous owner's ash container.

Problem is, I don't know where it goes. I JUST replaced the baffle board (before I knew there was a piece that had fallen out or been removed. Can anyone help me reposition this piece? And can anyone tell me whether or not it is safe to fire up the stove with the baffle support OUT of the firebox?

On a side note, I tried to see if the support somehow fit in the front part of the firebox in front of the baffle tubes, and I "GENTLY" brushed against the front only to discover a rope (gasket?) came loose like it disintegrated. it was pushed up across the front of the firebox (on the inside). I'm assuming that the gasket needs to be replaced, but is this indicative of extreme overfiring or just regular wear and tear?

Thanks for any help!

 

[begreen]

Welcome. There aren't a lot of Bennington owners on this site. Not sure why, it is a nice stove. We considered getting one for our house. From the parts diagram it looks like the ss baffle support goes under the front edge of the baffle. Not sure if that helps. You might do better to ask a Hearthstone dealer if you don't get an answer in a timely fashion.

 

[bythebook]

Welcome. There aren't a lot of Bennington owners on this site. Not sure why, it is a nice stove. We considered getting one for our house. From the parts diagram it looks like the ss baffle support goes under the front edge of the baffle. Not sure if that helps. You might do better to ask a Hearthstone dealer if you don't get an answer in a timely fashion.

Thanks for the reply. I thought the same, but I haven't quite figured out how it stays in. There is some space between the front baffle tube and the front part of the firebox, and there are a couple of shallow slots on the ss baffle support which must be where it interlocks with something. I just haven't found it yet. The other thing is that no matter where this support goes, it's only going to hold up the leading edge of the baffle board. The back of the board rests directly on the baffle tubes in my stove right now. So I'm wondering if this support is anything more than a mild structural support.
If it doesn't significantly affect the operation or safety of the unit, I'm not going to worry too much about it.

 

[begreen]

Check with your dealer. It may also protect the leading edge of the baffle board. The board will get more fragile over time.

 

[rapp]

Thanks for the reply. I thought the same, but I haven't quite figured out how it stays in. There is some space between the front baffle tube and the front part of the firebox, and there are a couple of shallow slots on the ss baffle support which must be where it interlocks with something. I just haven't found it yet. The other thing is that no matter where this support goes, it's only going to hold up the leading edge of the baffle board. The back of the board rests directly on the baffle tubes in my stove right now. So I'm wondering if this support is anything more than a mild structural support.
If it doesn't significantly affect the operation or safety of the unit, I'm not going to worry too much about it.

Did you ever get an answer on this? My baffle support just fell down as well. I'm thinking that it just sets underneath the baffle plate edge and that is how it is supported as it protects the edge of the baffle. It would have to rest on top of the front baffle tube. I'm also guessing that I probably hit the baffle plate putting wood in over the years and that is what finally knocked it loose. I have used this woodstove since 2007 (new). I like it but the wood needs to be very seasoned (very dry) for the stove to work properly.

 

[rapp]

Has anyone replaced the baffle in the Hearthstone Bennington? I purchased a new board and the instructions say to cut the board in half, disassemble the stove from the top down. The board that is in there now is not cut in half. Doesn't make sense to me.

 

[rapp]

Did you ever get an answer on this? My baffle support just fell down as well. I'm thinking that it just sets underneath the baffle plate edge and that is how it is supported as it protects the edge of the baffle. It would have to rest on top of the front baffle tube. I'm also guessing that I probably hit the baffle plate putting wood in over the years and that is what finally knocked it loose. I have used this woodstove since 2007 (new). I like it but the wood needs to be very seasoned (very dry) for the stove to work properly.

I went to the dealer and looked at a stove they had on the floor. It was relatively easy to reset the baffle support. The two tabs face directly to the front of the stove. One bend in the support goes directly beneath the baffle and the other bend rests on top of the front tube. There appears to be two spots where that the tabs rest on the side of the stove interior. 12/18/15