Bought a house with a wood stove included

[JimmiHanz]

Hi all,

Very excited to have purchased a house with wood stove heating! It's a two story, 1700 sqft house with the stove on the main floor in the kitchen. Pretty open concept with the stairs very close to the stove. The stove itself is a Pacific Energy Super 27 from 2014, which from what I've read on here should be a good stove for years to come.

I'm a bit concerned, though, because I'm not sure the previous owners took great care of it. It looks like they burned a lot of trash in it, and there was a ton of creosote in the pipe connecting to the chimney so they likely burned a lot of wet wood. I know there's only so much you can tell from pics, but any sense of what kind of shape the stove is in? We cleaned off the glass since it was completely blackened and we cleaned out most of the ashes (and trash...) but otherwise haven't touched it.

This is the first time we've heated with wood so we're very excited. Luckily my wife's family has a ton of seasoned wood they can share with us for this winter, and we're already felling and splitting for next year.

Thanks for your help! I included photos of the inside, sides and front in case it's helpful.

 

[begreen]

It's a great stove and a good heater. The creosote from past burning will not affect the stove performance, but the stove and chimney pipe should be thoroughly cleaned. Of bigger concern is the separating front lip of the baffle. Normally that would be a warranty issue. Worst case scenario, the baffle should be replaced or at least repaired if possible.

 

[JimmiHanz]

It's a great stove and a good heater. The creosote from past burning will not affect the stove performance, but the stove and chimney pipe should be thoroughly cleaned. Of bigger concern is the separating front lip of the baffle. Normally that would be a warranty issue. Worst case scenario, the baffle should be replaced or at least repaired if possible.

Good to know, thanks! It looked a bit sketchy to me but I didn't really know what I was looking at. The baffle is the piece on the top of the firebox, right?

Is this likely a result of overheating? Would it be ok to use this winter and fix next summer? We're quickly moving into the season when we need heat so would only fix this fall if it's critical.

Do you think it's a self fix or would it be best to get a pro in to repair/replace?

Appreciate your thoughts!

Btw we did get the chimney professionally cleaned and I removed the creosote from the stove pipe. Still need to put it back on which I'm a bit nervous about, though.

 

[begreen]

Running it like it is could do more damage. Imagine a tongue of flame coming from that gap as secondary air leaks out of there. A baffle replacement kit is around $400, which includes the side and top insulation. It's a fairly easy 15 minute job to replace.

No guarantee but you could try to close up that gap with an L strip of 22ga stainless steel that is pop-riveted with stainless rivets, but it would need to be notched so that it didn't cover the front holes. Or maybe someone with a delicate touch could weld it with stainless?

 

[armanidog]

Running it like it is could do more damage. Imagine a tongue of flame coming from that gap as secondary air leaks out of there. A baffle replacement kit is around $400, which includes the side and top insulation. It's a fairly easy 15 minute job to replace.

No guarantee but you could try to close up that gap with an L strip of 22ga stainless steel that is pop-riveted with stainless rivets, but it would need to be notched so that it didn't cover the front holes. Or maybe someone with a delicate touch could weld it with stainless?

Is it easier to fix if he takes it out?

 

[begreen]

Is it easier to fix if he takes it out

Yes, definitely. Much easier with the baffle out of the stove. Remember to replace the rear baffle gasket before putting it back in.

 

[MongoMongoson]

Depending on where you live, stainless stock material might be hard to locate.

You could tap that gap closed and use a piece of angle or corner brackets and sheet metal screws to help prevent it from opening back up again. Mild steel would make it through one season until you can replace the baffle next season.

I'd give that a go if I couldn't get it welded or locate stainless material to use.

https://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/hardware-essentials-corner-brace-zinc-plated-0461967p.html?rrec=true#spc

 

[EbS-P]

Is there access to the inside corner from the top when the baffle is removed? If so how long would thin gasket material last if stuffed in the crack from the inside? Days, weeks, years? Just a thought.

Evan

 

[begreen]

Good thought. I am not sure how the Super's baffle is constructed for that model year. There may only be access to the upper insulation chamber and not for the enclosed secondary plenum below it. My first instinct would be to bring the baffle in to the local PE dealer and ask if this is covered under warranty.

 

[JimmiHanz]

Thanks everyone for your thoughts, greatly appreciated. I'm going to go into my local dealer and get their thoughts and potentially someone to come out to do the repair. I have no experience with wood stoves and while I'm sure everyone's advice is sound I'm not confident I could execute on it without making things worse.