Air tubes crossroad on a Mansfield

[pcguy2u]

Have a six year old Mansfield that has had the Secondary air tubes replace previously and now three years later they have deformed and fallen out. Are these pipes supposed to last longer?

I don't ever burn the unit at any temperature above 450 - usually just over 400 as measured on the stove top very near the flue opening. I burn seasoned Eucalyptus. Live on the coast so there is more humidity in the air than there otherwise might be. On the other hand, the amount of wind we get should help dry out the wood.

And, should I bother to replace the air tubes - I mean is there really an advantage? $63 each seem excessive.............

Many thanks,
Nick

BTW, first post here - lots of great info.

 

[NH_Wood]

Have a six year old Mansfield that has had the Secondary air tubes replace previously and now three years later they have deformed and fallen out. Are these pipes supposed to last longer?

I don't ever burn the unit at any temperature above 450 - usually just over 400 as measured on the stove top very near the flue opening. I burn seasoned Eucalyptus. Live on the coast so there is more humidity in the air than there otherwise might be. On the other hand, the amount of wind we get should help dry out the wood.

And, should I bother to replace the air tubes - I mean is there really an advantage? $63 each seem excessive.............

Many thanks,
Nick

BTW, first post here - lots of great info.

Any chance you have salty air (being near the coast) which might corrode the tubes? Only think I can think of - only had my stove for two full season a this point and all is well. Cheers!

P.S. Welcome to the forum!

 

[Motor7]

450 max? My stove top runs around 700-750, but it is a much older H1, which is the predecessor to your Mansfield. I only have one secondary tube, but generally they are standard schedule 80 sizes. If you can measure a section of your pipe and match it you will save a ton of money by drilling the holes in it yourself. This chart will help:

http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/steel-pipes-dimensions-d_43.html

Most hardware stores sell it by the foot, so I am guessing that your tubes should not cost more than $20 total. And yes the secondary's are important if you want a complete burn which gives you more heat and less smoke.

 

[pcguy2u]

450 max? My stove top runs around 700-750, but it is a much older H1, which is the predecessor to your Mansfield. I only have one secondary tube, but generally they are standard schedule 80 sizes. If you can measure a section of your pipe and match it you will save a ton of money by drilling the holes in it yourself. This chart will help:

http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/steel-pipes-dimensions-d_43.html

Most hardware stores sell it by the foot, so I am guessing that your tubes should not cost more than $20 total. And yes the secondary's are important if you want a complete burn which gives you more heat and less smoke.

The 450 is because that's the way I use it - never fully load the box and only feed a couple at a time. I just never let it get above 450, but I'm sure it would. When it starts to climb, I close the air vent a bit.

And thanks for the link to the pipe dimensions. Assuming the pipes are SS, have you ever tried to drill SS - I guess there must be a bit that will do it, but I have burned out a lot standard steel drilling bits trying on just SS sheet metal???

I would test with a magnet, but when all the stuff fell out, the pipes were so bad that I threw them in the recycle. Could someone test them?

Thanks again........

 

[Fsappo]

I'm pretty sure the current tubes for at least the past few years are titanium reinforced stainless or something. They do have a lifetime warranty on the tubes now. Maybe check with your local dealer and see if the replacement ones being ordered will be the same as the lifetime ones put in the current stoves. They may be worth the cost. We sell very few air tubes here for HS. They seem to hold up well.

 

[pcguy2u]

Here's what the reply from Hearthstone says:

The air pipes are under a lifetime warranty to the original owner. To
order them, contact your dealer with the model number, serial number,
and date of purchase on the stove. Freight to get the pipes, and the
labor to make the repair, are no longer covered, so there will be some
cost involved.

 

[pen]

Someone mentioned salt before, but I believe it's in relation to salt in the air. How about the wood? You don't by chance burn drift wood do you?

Otherwise, if you are the original owner of that stove, and they allow you to install them yourself if it isn't too difficult, then it sounds like you should make out OK.

pen

 

[pcguy2u]

No driftwood, just Eucalyptus. Could the Eucalyptus take on salt from the air? There shouldn't be any salt in the air in the house - house is just 5 years old so it's new construction and fairly tight with humidity running no more that 65 percent even on rainy/foggy days.

Kind of confusing to me about the tubes going south so frequently and kind of missed the boat when I ordered a set a few years ago - won't be ordering from that dealer again. Almost got the same situation all over again except for the lifetime reference above in this thread and my email to Hearthstone.

Thanks for the input everyone,

Nick

 

[pen]

No driftwood, just Eucalyptus. Could the Eucalyptus take on salt from the air? There shouldn't be any salt in the air in the house - house is just 5 years old so it's new construction and fairly tight with humidity running no more that 65 percent even on rainy/foggy days.

Kind of confusing to me about the tubes going south so frequently and kind of missed the boat when I ordered a set a few years ago - won't be ordering from that dealer again. Almost got the same situation all over again except for the lifetime reference above in this thread and my email to Hearthstone.

Thanks for the input everyone,

Nick

I don't consider any salt that may be in the air a possible problem either.

Seems strange that you've had this as it certainly hasn't popped up on the site as a common problem for these units. Even if your thermometer were off or something (doesn't hearthstone recommend placing it in the center of the stone?) there are lots of people who run these things at a pretty good clip and don't seem to have that issue.

Also, from what I've read eucalyptus is a pretty darn good firewood when seasoned. I'm surprised too.

Did you try asking the hearthstone rep you heard from about the situation since you already made contact there?

pen

 

[Motor7]

Franks the newer one's might be SS, but the HS replacement air tube I bought two years ago for my stove was Iron or an Iron alloy, not SS.

 

[Mikey z]

I do a lot of work on the Sonoma County coast (unrealated field I'm a glazier) but a lot of my clients in the Bodega bay/ Jenner area have needed to replace their cap after about 5 years because of the salt in the air. They said the salt air and wind will eat any thing metal stainless steel or not. Have doubts it would chew through secondaries before eating the liner. Just my 2 cents

 

[Highbeam]

5 years and 25 cords through my hearthstone and the tubes are as solid and straight as new. I burn all the time, often making the tubes glow. They are not a wear item under normal circumstances.

 

[pcguy2u]

Received my new secondary burn tubes and started to install them only to find that the correct sequence of events escapes me. One thing that adds to the confusion is that the tubes all have a different part number, but they all look the same. Perhaps there is a difference and the sequence needs to be correct, back to front.
Any and all help appreciated.

 

[BrotherBart]

If the stove is model 8010 then:

5010-251 Secondary Air Tube (Rear)
5010-253 Secondary Air Tube (Rear Center)
5010-252 Secondary Air Tube (Front Center)
5010-254 Secondary Air Tube (Front)

If it is model 8011 then:

5010-255 Secondary Air Tube (Rear)
5010-256 Secondary Air Tube (Rear Center)
5010-257 Secondary Air Tube (Front Center)
5010-258 Secondary Air Tube (Front)

 

[DAKSY]

I would test with a magnet........

That may not tell you anything. There are grades of SS that are magnetic. If you're gonna drill the secondary holes, pay a little more for a carbide drill bit (or 2) & keep the cutting edge cool by having another person spraying it with WD-40 or a light oil as it's removing material. Run your drill at max RPM. Most SS alloys need about 8,000 RPM for a 1/8 diameter& smaller holes require even MORE RPM...