Correcting others' mistakes?

[bluedogz]

My current rental sled is the Regency I2400.

Happened to notice yesterday that the baffle boards above the burn tubes are not oriented correctly. The manual shows the two boards oriented N/S, with an interlocking seam running down the center of the stove. However, mine are oriented E/W with the seam running E/W across the firebox.

Correcting this would appear to require the minor surgery of removing at least one burn tube and reorienting the boards per the manual.

It's a rental house. (That is, I'm the tenant, and the only one who know the slightest thing about the stove out of 4 roommates)

Do I care?

 

[DAKSY]

Well, you should care. If the 4 of you are paying for the firewood to heat the rental, it's not being burned efficiently with the baffles out of place.
The only "surgeons" tools you will need to remove/replace a burntube are a hammer & a pair of vise-grip pliers.
Grab the tube with the vise-grips situated to the left of center & with the hammer, drive them (and the tube) to the left.
That will free the right end from its receiver hole and allow for removal.
Once it's out, reposition the baffles & orient the slot in the right end of the tube with the tab in the right side receiver hole.
Grab the tube with the vice-grips to the right of center & drive them (and the tube) to the right with the hammer. It'll swage itself into the hole & be secure.
Spread the baffles to the left & right & push them as far to the rear as you can.
You should notice your wood lasting longer & that will result in bith a cleaner burn & more heat.

 

[bluedogz]

Thanks Daksy!

Now, the wood-geek question... why does this matter? (I get that there are engineers that designed the stove and all that...)

 

[DAKSY]

The baffle will only fit correctly with th baffle seam running front-to-back. Oriented side to side, it won't restrain the flue gasses/flames correctly.
This will cause an inefiicient, dirty burn & COULD damage the insert body.

 

[bluedogz]

Good news... was able to slide the baffle boards out without removing the burn tubes, and orient the boards correctly and only get a little dirty.

The difference is SHOCKING... thanks, Daksy! I would never have thought such a small thing would make such a huge difference. When I say shocking, I mean that an overnight burn used to require 30-40 compressed wood bricks- last night we used 8.