Did Break in Fires Break my stove? <pics>

[Ithaca]

Not knowing exactly how the air flows in my new Homestead I decided to stick my head in and find out. Still don't know but ...

I found this and am wondering if I broke my new stove... AAHHHH. I did 2 break-in fires recently. Get it warm then close down air supply and let it burn out. After doing these 2 (manual suggests 2) I then made a small fire for looks and fun (date night w/ wife )
I got the stove up to ~250 and it really started smelling and pinging. Shut her down and didn't think anymore about it.

Lookee here. Hairline cracks along stove cement. A few bulges that weren't there before too. Is this normal?

 

[Todd]

Moisture will escape from saopstone on first breakin fires. You will actually see it sizzle out of the stone and mortar between the stones. What is bulging?

 

[Ithaca]

Todd-

I did clean up a small wet spot under the stove when something dark brown dripped out. The bulges are in the pictures. They are the white circular masses. They look like little bubbles of stove cement to me. Also remind be of air pockets on a pizza crust. I'm not sure if they are hollow though.

 

[Adios Pantalones]

Todd-

The bulges are in the pictures. .

OK- so what is that a picture of- and don't say "the stove", or "the bulges".

 

[Todd]

I think it's just the moisture escaping from the mortar. Should be fine as long as the stones aren't cracked. They put alot of extra mortar inbetween the stones. Do a couple more small breakin fires til the stink goes away.

 

[Ithaca]

OK- so what is that a picture of- and don't say "the stove", or "the bulges".

They are both images of the inside walls of the stove. The first one is the right wall, the second is the left. I should of explained that in the OP, sorry.

Your can see the cracks that have developed. They are what made me go "OOPS?".

 

[Ithaca]

I think it's just the moisture escaping from the mortar. Should be fine as long as the stones aren't cracked. They put alot of extra mortar inbetween the stones. Do a couple more small breakin fires til the stink goes away.

OK, more break-ins it is.

I am wondering if other soap stone owners have these cracks or bulges in the mortar?

 

[Wet1]

OK- so what is that a picture of- and don't say "the stove", or "the bulges".

They are both images of the inside walls of the stove. The first one is the right wall, the second is the left. I should of explained that in the OP, sorry.

Your can see the cracks that have developed. They are what made me go "OOPS?".

This doesn't look normal to me. If these are of the metal walls in the inside of the stove and they are raised bulges and cracks (not just burned paint), I'd get a manufacture rep out ASAP... that doesn't sound right to me.

If this metal damage is normal and has something to do with the SS as Todd is suggesting (although I question this), you'd think they would kiln dry those SS before instillation so the moisture escaping wouldn't get trapped and damage the metal.

 

[begreen]

I believe they are stone walls in the interior of the hearthstone. That is why Todd suggested more break in fires. If major degradation is evident after some normal full, hot burns, then it's time to call the dealer for an inspection.

 

[Wet1]

Ahh, okay... it looked like metal to me. [Throws brick at self]

 

[budman]

Ahh, okay... it looked like metal to me. [Throws brick at self]

How big of a brick! :cheese:

 

[Wet1]

XL! [/brick]

 

[Ithaca]

I believe they are stone walls in the interior of the hearthstone.

Yes, side walls are stone not metal.

 

[thechimneysweep]

It wouldn't do anybody any good to kiln dry the soapstone panels at the factory: soapstone is just compressed talc, and absorbs ambient moisture from the air like a sponge. Hearthstone recommends one small fire prior to the break-in fires, just to dispel that moisture (so it doesn't turn to steam, expand, and break the stones). A similar small fire is recommended at the beginning of each burning season, to cook out the moisture the stone has absorbed in the off-season.

On the premise "better too much than too little", Hearthstone really gobs the furnace cement in during assembly, and the surface smears can bubble up on first firing, especially nowadays, when Hearthstone is back-ordered all over the place and shipping stoves straight off the line.

Not to worry, the surface smears that are bubbling up in your photos don't even need to be there. Within a few fires they'll dry up and crumble away, exposing the soapstone panels which didn't need to be protected in the first place.

 

[Ithaca]

It wouldn't do anybody any good to kiln dry the soapstone panels at the factory: soapstone is just compressed talc, and absorbs ambient moisture from the air like a sponge. Hearthstone recommends one small fire prior to the break-in fires, just to dispel that moisture (so it doesn't turn to steam, expand, and break the stones). A similar small fire is recommended at the beginning of each burning season, to cook out the moisture the stone has absorbed in the off-season.

On the premise "better too much than too little", Hearthstone really gobs the furnace cement in during assembly, and the surface smears can bubble up on first firing, especially nowadays, when Hearthstone is back-ordered all over the place and shipping stoves straight off the line.

Not to worry, the surface smears that are bubbling up in your photos don't even need to be there. Within a few fires they'll dry up and crumble away, exposing the soapstone panels which didn't need to be protected in the first place.

Whew! Great info here. I didn't know the soapstone would absorb ambient moisture even after it had been cured. I will continue to break her in slowly now and in future heating seasons. Thank you.

 

[SteveT]

I used the excuse of having to "cook of some of the recently absorbed moisture" in my Hearthstone insert as justification for a couple of burns on cool summer nights (wife still thought I was nuts!).

 

[Highbeam]

I had the same thing occur on my Heritage only much worse. The bulges are indeed hollow and will "pop" and fall off this season exposing the clean joint beneath. The stones are sealed together with steel biscuits and the cement is a bonus. A liberally applied bonus. Anyway, the bulges will rupture and leave you with a fairly jagged raised edge. It will never look as good in there as it did when new. I've actually gone around chipping back the raised and jagged edge. I've applied rutland black furnace cement where I have noticed fresh air leaks from the secondary manifold joints and that stuff doesn't swell up like the factory smear.

I've even noticed water being expelled from the soapstone after a long break between shoulder season fires.

You folks with new soapstone stoves will continue to be impressed as the soapstone's colors get darker and more vivid with age and use.

 

[Vic99]

It may take a few more burns before the smell goes away . . . no worries there. Might even have to open the windows, this is normal.

The ping sound that you heard is the metal in the stove/liner expanding and then contracting as the temperature changes. This is also normal. Make sure you get a stove top thermometer and put it in the center of the middle soapstone tile on the top of the stove as the manual recommends. Don't let it get above 600 F or you'll risk overfiring. A box fan pointed at the stove can prevent this if you catch a climbing temperature by 580 F . . . not that that happened to me or anything.

 

[rdrcr56]

Those are normal, our homestead did the same thing and some of the blisters lasted through the first winter into the second before they finally crumbled off.

 

[Ithaca]

Highbeam
"I’ve applied rutland black furnace cement where I have noticed fresh air leaks from the secondary manifold joints"

Did you cement over the broken blisters or somewhere else. Not sure what a secondary manifold joint is and if I should be checking mine!

Vic99
"Make sure you get a stove top thermometer and put it in the center of the middle soapstone tile on the top of the stove as the manual recommends.

I see from my manual "The surface temperature on top of the stove should not exceed 600." I put my thermometer right behind the top stone on top of the metal exhaust collar. I thought the metal would be a better read than the stone PLUS my thermometer has a little magnet . Is the stone a better place to check temps?

I'm also curious how many chords you burn in a season. Our houses are similar. I live in NY climate and want to burn 24/7.

rdrcr56
Those are normal, our homestead did the same thing and some of the blisters lasted through the first winter into the second before they finally crumbled off.

I am relieved, thanks.


Is this something you guys repaired after they fell off?

And while I have you... any tips on how to run the thing? How to get the most out of your woodpile etc?

 

[struggle]

My Mansfield did the same thing. When you see the hair line cracks and think about how much the stone expand as the heat from 70 degrees ambient temp to 250+ the stones are going to move and actually break the seal that is made with the cement and then they seem to reseal once the stove heats back up.

The stones have to move at the joints as if they did not move then they would break. At least that is how I see it and I did not stay in a holiday express last night.

As for the max temp I might have had mine over 600 but the bigger issue seems to be to not spike it really fast. It was over some time that it might have gone to 650 but a tower fan turned on it and then it settled down. I will say you get a Mansfield to 600 degrees you will melt just about everything in the room. It was even to much for the cat to handle and she went to the other side of the basement :lol:

 

[Highbeam]

I didn't attempt to repair the bubbles with cement, but if I had some extra cement on a tool then I might smear it on the joint just to see what happens. On the heritage (maybe the Homestead and for sure some other HS stoves) there is a vertical steel tube leading from the stove floor to the upper manifold along the back of the firebox. This hollow black tube passes fresh air from the intake to the upper manifold and just sort of sets there on the top and bottom. Anytime the primary air control for the stove is choked way down there is a lack of air in the bottom half of the firebox so any leak in this hollow tube will result in a "flare" I've even noticed fresh air get sucked from above the secondary baffle down behind the secondary manifold and into the lower firebox.

To be fair, I had to remove my secondary manifold and clean off lots of extra cement when the stove was new since the assembly was not done right. After clearing extra cement it all fits together but some of the factory cement was removed. The tech that came out did not see a need to re butter the manifold.

The black rutland cement is very easy to use in a spot application.

 

[Vic99]

""Vic99:
“Make sure you get a stove top thermometer and put it in the center of the middle soapstone tile on the top of the stove as the manual recommends."

I see from my manual “The surface temperature on top of the stove should not exceed 600.” I put my thermometer right behind the top stone on top of the metal exhaust collar. I thought the metal would be a better read than the stone PLUS my thermometer has a little magnet. Is the stone a better place to check temps?

I’m also curious how many chords you burn in a season. Our houses are similar. I live in NY climate and want to burn 24/7. ""


Since the metal and the stone are different materials, they are going to heat at different rates. The stove top temperature seems to be a standard used to determine overall heat output and risk for overfiring. I'm not sure what the comparable temp for the metal exhaust would be . . . I imagine, though, if you have 2 thermometers, you could run them simultaneously. Or you could pick the thermometer up and move it, just be sure to WEAR WELDERS GLOVES or something equal. Your metal thermometer is, well, around 600 degrees F. Or you could use an infrared temp gun and check both this winter. I'll do the later just to see.

I am guessing I use 4 cords per season (probably equal to 3.5 cords of hardwood since a good 20-25% of what I burn is pine. I use a lot of sugar maple and it has 60% more BTUs per cord than white pine). Last winter was my first stove burning season, but I didn't get the stove until Dec. 1st. so Oct. and Nov. are unknowns. Also, I ran out of wood in Feb. and acquired several dozen pallets to continue the burn. I stopped the 24/7 thing in late March because it wasn't needed. Stopped burning altogether maybe mid April.