Drolet heat pack

[Getwidit]

My secondary air inlet seems to have rusted out. Anyone have this problem and have any advice what todo to fix it?

 

[EbS-P]

I’d read my warranty and contact Drolet if I believed this could be covered.

How old is the stove? Is everything else in decent condition?

 

[Getwidit]

I checked the warranty. Not sure what it even falls under. Maybe combustion chamber. Welds are life time? I've has it for 3 or 4 seasons. Always cleaned it at the end of the year and my basement is dry and has dehumidifier. I'm just hoping it's a simple fix. There is nothing on the part in the manual. I'll be calling drolet Monday to see what they say.

 

[Getwidit]

And yes everything else as far as I know is good I've haven't had any issues. Just did the math it's been 5 seasons.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

If it’s not under warranty, a welder could weld a plate over the hole. I’d pull the baffle down, inspect the tubes, etc.

 

[oilcan1001]

Which model do you have ?
I will be following this because I bought an Escape 1800 last year.

 

[Getwidit]

Which model do you have ?
I will be following this because I bought an Escape 1800 last year.

This is a drolet heatpack.

 

[ABMax24]

I think is going to fall under the carbon steel and combustion chamber components section, which is only 2 year warranty.

But I'd certainly give Drolet a call first.

It's hard to tell with the creosote, but it kinda of looks like it was overfired, that rear tube looks buckled. Conversely it could also be from corrosion, but I'm skeptical it could rust through that tube in only 4 years.

 

[ABMax24]

It's certainly repairable by a welder though if it's outside of warranty.

 

[Getwidit]

It's certainly repairable by a welder though if it's outside of warranty.

I doubt it over fired. I have damper, and also the temp monitor for fire ups. I've never seen my flue temp over 600. I have it close down at 450 and open at 350... I keep my draft set to .2 basically most of the time also. I've seen my temp gauge on the front go above 500 about 3 times since if had it.

 

[EbS-P]

I doubt it over fired. I have damper, and also the temp monitor for fire ups. I've never seen my flue temp over 600. I have it close down at 450 and open at 350... I keep my draft set to .2 basically most of the time also. I've seen my temp gauge on the front go above 500 about 3 times since if had it.

.2” even seems very high. Is there a spec referenced in the manual?

 

[Getwidit]

. 02 the barometric damper is on the highest sensitivity.

 

[stoveliker]

It may not be the basement air humidity that matters. The summer air in the chimney is ending up in your stove.
Together with corrosive creosote in your firebox that can quickly corrode things.

I wonder if you are damping down too much; a tube stove should not have this level of.shiny creosote in the box imo.

I do one last fire every season running as high as is safe. That crisps up the creosote and allows you to brush it off and vacuum it out.
Then I take the stove pipe off, cap both ends (the stove and then the chimney - I leave the pipe open on the ground near the stove) close the air inlet with a plug and have a pot of damp rid in the stove.

 

[Getwidit]

Every year end of season I remove the smoke pipe to the chimney. Then cap the chimney. I clean the stove and leave it open to get air. I thought the same thing about one more nice hot fire to burn off the creosote. That's the only spot that gets that on the stove and it has since first year. The main smoke pipes and heat exchangers it's just flaky and can easily scrap it off and shop Vac it.

 

[stoveliker]

Okay. Sounds good. The creosote may be because that is likely the coldest part of the stove.
I do think it's creosote that makes this happen; it's the only place.with creosote and the only place (okay, so far) that rusts this bad. And creosote is corrosive (especially when in conjunction with moist - so it depends on what the moisture level is in the stove. You could still put damp rid in there even with the stove open and a dehumidifier running).

 

[brenndatomu]

Search the boiler room forum here on Hearth, this has been a thing with the Drolet Tundra/Heatmax etc too...and yes, they basically warranty the welds now since they had all those Tundra crack a few years back...

 

[salecker]

My secondary air inlet seems to have rusted out. Anyone have this problem and have any advice what todo to fix it?

View attachment 326735

Is it a coincidence that the rust out hole kinda lines up with the cracked firebrick?

 

[brenndatomu]

Is it a coincidence that the rust out hole kinda lines up with the cracked firebrick?

Yes

 

[brenndatomu]

If I recall correctly someone here in the last year or two got some sort of repair kit out of SBI for this particular problem...I'll see if I can find it later on tonight...well, I looked, seems I was thinking of a different rust issue on the Drolets...did find this thread again though... https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/drolet-heatmax-2-rust-hole.191641/post-2573817

 

[EbS-P]

Next step is to pull firebricks and see how bad it is. Reading the other thread this really looks like a creosote corrosion issue. The lowest part of the air tube will be the coolest. I’ve seen buildup on my Drolet insert. I’m going to pull all the bricks this year.