ATTENTION LOPI LIBERTY OWNERS PLEASE READ!!!

[lopiliberty]

No fire tonight so I though I would take a look at the inside of the stove and what I found just about made me throw up. In the corner of the air channel on the left hand side I found a hair line CRACK. The air channel itself is no cracked I don't think just looks to me like the weld cracked. Over the last three years when I load the stove I always make sure no flames are directly hitting the air channels and I have yet to see it happen. I have been very careful of this because I have read where they will crack. ALL Lopi owners please inspect the corners of the air channels VERY carefully.

 

[webby3650]

I always make sure no flames are directly hitting the air channels and I have yet to see it happen

That's a bummer.
How do you keep flames from hitting the secondary air passages? It doesn't seem possible to prevent this from happening.

 

[NextEndeavor]

Can you provide a picture?

 

[lopiliberty]

That's a bummer.
How do you keep flames from hitting the secondary air passages? It doesn't seem possible to prevent this from happening.

I know it sounds impossible but I keep a very close eye on that and I have never seen a direct flame hitting it. Occasionally some of the secondary flame might hit it but not constantly

 

[rdust]

If it's just the secondary air manifold it won't hurt anything. You always say how your stove runs hot, fatigue/cracks can result over time.

 

[lopiliberty]

Can you provide a picture?

It such a small crack and camera quality isn't that good I don't think it would show up very well

 

[lopiliberty]

If it's just the secondary air manifold it won't hurt anything. You always say how your stove runs hot, fatigue/cracks can result over time.

I don't think its the secondary air manifold itself but where it was welded. Not to concerned, just very shocked at what I saw.

 

[lopiliberty]

Best shot I could get. Its at the top of the red line and angles to the right. I know its very hard to see

 

[Heatsource]

i've seen similar crack in welds on the rear manifold riser of both lopi's and avalons.
sad but doesn't seem uncommon

 

[NextEndeavor]

Good picture showing everybody where to look. Like many others, I learned most of what I know here. My guess is you have nothing to worry about since the draft pulls the pre-heated air up from the bottom and rear manifold then out of the secondary burn tubes so the worst that will happen is a slight mixing of flue gases. The crack probably shrinks away when the stove is hot and expanded a little.
I will say you have a clean stove, bricks appear in good shape so likely a low mileage stove. Thanks for sharing. You could e-mail your picture to Lopi for an opinion.

 

[MarkinNC]

You stove definitely runs hotter than mine judging by the lack of black in the stove. My back was and the dog house are black in color. Do you burn NS or EW?

 

[lopiliberty]

Good picture showing everybody where to look. Like many others, I learned most of what I know here. My guess is you have nothing to worry about since the draft pulls the pre-heated air up from the bottom and rear manifold then out of the secondary burn tubes so the worst that will happen is a slight mixing of flue gases. The crack probably shrinks away when the stove is hot and expanded a little.
I will say you have a clean stove, bricks appear in good shape so likely a low mileage stove. Thanks for sharing. You could e-mail your picture to Lopi for an opinion.

I'm not really concerned about the crack just more concerned about it getting bigger. Going to email my dealer tomorrow and see what she says. My liberty is 3 years old and is a 24/7 heater during the winter. Everything inside the stove is original even all the firebrick. Noticed today my center T baffle support is starting to sag a little Going to stop looking closely at this stove cause its hard to tell what else I might find I don't want to know about

 

[lopiliberty]

You stove definitely runs hotter than mine judging by the lack of black in the stove. My back was and the dog house are black in color. Do you burn NS or EW?

Mostly N/S with the occasional E/W load. I RARELY have any black inside the firebox

 

[lopiliberty]

Update. Emailed my dealer today and so far have heard nothing from her. Hopefully I will hear something tomorrow. Not worried about my dealer making it right but more worried about Travis Industries. Been burning since last yesterday afternoon and keeping an eye on the crack and so far it has not gotten bigger

 

[oppirs]

Been burning since last yesterday afternoon and keeping an eye on the crack and so far it has not gotten bigger

Lopi Liberty friend....Your- my Lopi Liberty are not the same.

My so older ('78) Don't have sec tubes. Got a dragon, w/o tubes. So mine will never have your issues. Just plate steel and fire brick. Good luck, I don't see these older Liberties giving out if you replace fire bricks, often.

But do warn others, is a good thing. Nice warning post