Damaged baffle. Advice?

[Triple Share]

I'm going to attach a picture of the baffle area of my stove. While I hope to get a nicer stove this is what I have at the moment. I'm wondering since it's welded in and isn't a removable part can I just weld a plate in it to get through the next few months or is that a dangerous option? I have failed to find anywhere that I can get something made to go in there nor can I obtain the specs from it originally. While it's an older model it was in a box for years and has actually only been in service for about 4 years, CFM FW240007

 

[kennyp2339]

Welding a plate is a viable option, the only thing is the patch will need to be bigger then the current hole to get back to the good metal, a angle grinder first is needed to clean the area up and see what your dealing with, I might be a little difficult fusing regular steel to stainless steel, you'll have to use a mig welder.

 

[ABMax24]

I don't see why you can't weld that up. You might need to make the plate a fair bit larger than the hole though so you have solid material to weld to.

It might be worth trying to seek out plate close to that baffle material though, if that's stainless it will expand at a much different rate than mild steel and will cause the welds to crack. If you do use mild steel maybe just stitch weld in 2 spots to minimize this.

If it's stainless, 300 series is nonmagnetic, 304 or 316 plate will do just fine. 400 series is magnetic, 430 or any 400 series will work fine. It's quite likely any metal shop that deals with stainless would have a cutoff you could buy.

For welding you can get stainless stick rods, they're not overly difficulty to weld with, or you can get stainless wire for a mig, but that requires pure argon gas, or of course Tig. But welding it with normal carbon steel electrodes will also work just fine if you just need to get through the season.

 

[Triple Share]

I appreciate both of you giving me that advice. I'm wondering though if it might be just better to replace it. Safety does count for something besides the difficulty of trying to get somebody out that can do that kind of welding and if you could even do it in the house

 

[bholler]

I appreciate both of you giving me that advice. I'm wondering though if it might be just better to replace it. Safety does count for something besides the difficulty of trying to get somebody out that can do that kind of welding and if you could even do it in the house

It is removable and it should be replaced. But your burning habits also need to change allot if you did that in 4 years. Those should last atleast a decade if not 2.

 

[Triple Share]

It is removable and it should be replaced. But your burning habits also need to change allot if you did that in 4 years. Those should last atleast a decade if not 2.

Apparently this particular raffle is welded in there so short of cutting it out I don't know how you would get it out. I definitely think I was overloading at the first winter I had it I hadn't used a stove before, but on the other hand this stove tends to get hot quickly if you don't damp it down quickly. I almost exclusively burn oak and maybe the occasional piece of hickory cherry or elm.

 

[begreen]

It's shot. You could try pop riveting a plate of stainless over the worst of it to limp through the season, but it's time to consider replacement options.

 

[brenndatomu]

If its only 4 years old and in that bad of shape already (and not a replaceable part) I'd weld the poo outta that thing to get by another year or two...buy time to find a good deal on a replacement stove....I'd stick weld it so the only things coming in the house are the leads...and as long as you use plenty of welding blankets and shields, welding in the house is not as bad as it sounds...I've done it on a stove before and the good part is the chimney sucks all the smoke right up...at least mine did...wife didn't even know what I had been up to when she got home

 

[bholler]

Apparently this particular raffle is welded in there so short of cutting it out I don't know how you would get it out. I definitely think I was overloading at the first winter I had it I hadn't used a stove before, but on the other hand this stove tends to get hot quickly if you don't damp it down quickly. I almost exclusively burn oak and maybe the occasional piece of hickory cherry or elm.

The stove has clearly been overfires quite a bit. What temps do you usually run at? If the baffle is welded in your only options are getting it welded or replacing the stove.

 

[Highbeam]

Really though, what’s the problem? It’s still fire in a metal box. Sure it will be a little less efficient and maybe emit a bit more emissions but lots of older stoves had no baffle at all.

 

[Triple Share]

I was just unsure of the safety of a baffle with a hole

 

[Triple Share]

If you load this stove even three quarters full and get a fire going it gets hot sast based on by chimney gauge. Then if you put the lever to closed it will still shoot up into the red of the guage. It stays on the middle for a time and will have coals in the morning. Even with less wood it usually jumps up high at first.

 

[Triple Share]

So if I do replace it what do you recommend? I have a one and a half story house, but usually the upstairs is shut off. The main room (kitchen/living room is 15x32 and it is in the corner of the living room. Then there is a hall at the mid point going to the three bedrooms and the bath. The utility room and stairs are at the far end of the kitchen opposite of the stove. I don't need to be overly warm (prefer 60's,). I do need a longer burn time so I can have a good bed of coals or still warm when I get home from work. So I am looking at a bigger stove box. I live in MO so a lot of winter nights are in the teens and twenties, but we spent a week in the negative twenties this last winter or have a day that starts at 70 and goes to negative five by dark.
The house has two by six construction and blown insulation (built in 09).
So I am trying to figure out the best option to not over heat while still being able to keep the house when I go to work for twelve hours. The central air is set to come on if it drops to 55.

 

[bholler]

If you load this stove even three quarters full and get a fire going it gets hot sast based on by chimney gauge. Then if you put the lever to closed it will still shoot up into the red of the guage. It stays on the middle for a time and will have coals in the morning. Even with less wood it usually jumps up high at first.

That isn't surprising because you are no.lomger introducing the secondary air as designed

 

[Highbeam]

So if I do replace it what do you recommend? I have a one and a half story house, but usually the upstairs is shut off. The main room (kitchen/living room is 15x32 and it is in the corner of the living room. Then there is a hall at the mid point going to the three bedrooms and the bath. The utility room and stairs are at the far end of the kitchen opposite of the stove. I don't need to be overly warm (prefer 60's,). I do need a longer burn time so I can have a good bed of coals or still warm when I get home from work. So I am looking at a bigger stove box. I live in MO so a lot of winter nights are in the teens and twenties, but we spent a week in the negative twenties this last winter or have a day that starts at 70 and goes to negative five by dark.
The house has two by six construction and blown insulation (built in 09).
So I am trying to figure out the best option to not over heat while still being able to keep the house when I go to work for twelve hours. The central air is set to come on if it drops to 55.

Long burn times with controllable burn rates are why I moved from a noncat to a cat stove with a thermostat.

To reel my noncat stove in to prevent those obscene runaways you describe with your stove intake fully closed, have you thought of adding a damper to your stove pipe? It allows more control than what the stove controls provide.

 

[Triple Share]

That isn't surprising because you are no.lomger introducing the secondary air as designed

It has always burned this way getting hot quickly. I think that's why it damaged so quickly

 

[Triple Share]

So

Long burn times with controllable burn rates are why I moved from a noncat to a cat stove with a thermostat.

To reel my noncat stove in to prevent those obscene runaways you describe with your stove intake fully closed, have you thought of adding a damper to your stove pipe? It allows more control than what the stove controls provide.

I don't know anything about a damper. This was my first stove and I honestly don't know a whole lot.

 

[bholler]

It has always burned this way getting hot quickly. I think that's why it damaged so quickly

Ahh then yes a damper is probably needed

 

[begreen]

If you load this stove even three quarters full and get a fire going it gets hot sast based on by chimney gauge. Then if you put the lever to closed it will still shoot up into the red of the guage. It stays on the middle for a time and will have coals in the morning. Even with less wood it usually jumps up high at first.

Yes, with that amount of secondary leakage I can see this getting out of control. If the draft is too strong, that will make the situation worse.

How many sq ft on the first floor of the house? Is there a 2nd story? Roughly how tall is the flue system from stovetop to chimney cap?

 

[Triple Share]

Yes, with that amount of secondary leakage I can see this getting out of control. If the draft is too strong, that will make the situation worse.

How many sq ft on the first floor of the house? Is there a 2nd story? Roughly how tall is the flue s

Yes, with that amount of secondary leakage I can see this getting out of control. If the draft is too strong, that will make the situation worse.

How many sq ft on the first floor of the house? Is there a 2nd story? Roughly how tall is the flue system from stovetop to chimney cap?

.

It has always burned hot and fast even before the damage, but the damage hasn't helped.It is a one and a half story, but the chimney is long because of the damage. I don't know exactly how long the chimney is I know it's a one and a half story house the downstairs is 9 ft ceilings and it goes up at the edge so it comes out and what would be the eaves or the short side of the short wall upstairs and with the 10-12 foot pitch on the roof it's a long chimney.
The downstairs is 1360, but two rooms are usually shut up. The upstairs is 680.

 

[begreen]

Century stoves are now made by SBI. They are still a good value and the modern version has a replaceable vermiculite baffle with standard stainless secondary tubes underneath.
The F2800 is a little larger, but a good value. You might also look at the True North TN20 which has the advantage of a square firebox for easy N/S loading. With either stove I would still put a key damper on the stovepipe and perhaps adjust the burning technique.

FW2800 | Wood-Burning Stoves

EPA certified wood stove - medium size box perfect for heating spaces up to 1,800 ft². Best quality price report. High efficiency, non-catalytic combustion.

www.century-heating.com

TN20 Wood Stove - True North Stoves

www.truenorthstoves.com

 

[Triple Share]

Century stoves are now made by SBI. They are still a good value and the modern version has a replaceable vermiculite baffle with standard stainless secondary tubes underneath.
The F2800 is a little larger, but a good value. You might also look at the True North TN20 which has the advantage of a square firebox for easy N/S loading. With either stove I would still put a key damper on the stovepipe and perhaps adjust the burning technique.

FW2800 | Wood-Burning Stoves

EPA certified wood stove - medium size box perfect for heating spaces up to 1,800 ft². Best quality price report. High efficiency, non-catalytic combustion.

www.century-heating.com

TN20 Wood Stove - True North Stoves

www.truenorthstoves.com

I will look at those. I was considering one of the drolet stoves.

 

[Triple Share]

I have been looking at the girl at 1800 or the ht3000 because of the longer burn time, but I think they're too big of a stove for my limited space. The price is nicer on those other models.