Fiber boards / parts for 32-NC

[wagdog]

I like to keep replacement parts in-stock for my appliances, especially the ones I can’t live without in the middle of winter.

I’m thinking I should keep a full set of the fiber board baffles as well as the burner tubes, and maybe a few spare bricks for good measure. I can source door gasket material locally.

Problem: these things are ridiculously expensive for what they are! The stove was less than $1k new. A full set of baffles (4) is $250 + a full set of burner tubes (5) is $250 ( both from englander). The bricks are $22 ea from them as well! Do they give you the stove for free and just charge for parts (like the HP inkjet pricing model)?

Are there alternative parts and suppliers I should look at?

 

[kennyp2339]

the burn tubes really dont wear out unless your overfiring the unit, the baffle boards are doubled on the stove, so as long as your careful with loading they should last for a long while.

 

[wagdog]

the burn tubes really dont wear out unless your overfiring the unit, the baffle boards are doubled on the stove, so as long as your careful with loading they should last for a long while.

Thanks for the reply.

I don't over fire (on purpose), but I know it can happen. Pretty much everyone over fires their stove at some point. I'm sure the tubes will last, but I want to be prepared in the event I need one or several. Perhaps it'll be 20 years from now, and getting new parts might be impossible.

I've bumped the boards twice while loading and I've had the stove a couple weeks. No damage, but I can see how that might happen. Just want to be prepared in case I need new ones. I actually think the baffle boards are a pretty poor design; I'd like to see something a little more rugged in there. It's a wood stove that's going to have logs jammed into it, it oughta be able to take some hard knocks.

 

[begreen]

It's a wood stove that's going to have logs jammed into it, it oughta be able to take some hard knocks.

Logs shouldn't jammed in, up to the tubes. Better to keep the load a couple inches below them.

 

[wagdog]

Logs shouldn't jammed in, up to the tubes. Better to keep the load a couple inches below them.

I was being a little sarcastic, sorry. I also realize sometimes humor doesn’t come through online.

I don’t mean jamming logs in up to the rafters.

The two times I hit the baffles was when a smaller round rolled off cockeyed while loading and hit the baffle. Not hard, but enough so that I feel there should maybe be a metal screen over the baffle (and maybe the tubes?) or they should be more rugged.

A wood stove is a metal box that you load logs in. No, you shouldn’t chuck ‘em and hit the walls, but, you shouldn’t have to gingerly lay them in place either.

 

[Highbeam]

Since you have two layers of baffle board, if you break one it could be used while you order a new one. I would not stock these parts, mine are still good after 8 years.

Same with the tubes. Don’t bother, unless you physically hit them they will last nearly forever and give plenty of warning.

What about new glass?

May as well just buy a second stove so that you can avoid waiting for parts if you ever needed them. The parts are expensive. They can bang out the stove body cheap and easy with robots so these bolt on parts really do account for 50% of the value.

 

[wagdog]

Since you have two layers of baffle board, if you break one it could be used while you order a new one. I would not stock these parts, mine are still good after 8 years.

Same with the tubes. Don’t bother, unless you physically hit them they will last nearly forever and give plenty of warning.

What about new glass?

May as well just buy a second stove so that you can avoid waiting for parts if you ever needed them. The parts are expensive. They can bang out the stove body cheap and easy with robots so these bolt on parts really do account for 50% of the value.

I’m actually considering getting a second one for my semi-finished detached garage.

Just waiting to see if they go on sale at the end of the season.

 

[Highbeam]

That might be a good way to have the redundant parts for an emergency. Load carefully is going to save your bricks, baffle, tubes, and glass. Just take your time.

Oh and loading to the tubes is unnecessary. I find that wood up close to the tubes gets blown up the chimney by the secondary air coming out of those tubes. Not very efficient and I think it might even be harder on the tubes because they glow more.

 

[wagdog]

That might be a good way to have the redundant parts for an emergency. Load carefully is going to save your bricks, baffle, tubes, and glass. Just take your time.

Oh and loading to the tubes is unnecessary. I find that wood up close to the tubes gets blown up the chimney by the secondary air coming out of those tubes. Not very efficient and I think it might even be harder on the tubes because they glow more.

I’m trying to keep it below the side bricks. I’m learning to keep things hot, but not over fire and getting very decent, clean burns lasting well overnight.

While loading, the two times I had a round roll off and hit the baffle was avoidable on my part... but I’d like to see some protection for those baffles as they don’t seem very rugged.

I really don’t want to have $500 in spare parts sitting around, but I also don’t want to be without my stove in the future either.

I’m really just mystified at the high cost of the baffles. The tubes are way overpriced as well (in my opinion); these aren’t high precision machines parts.

 

[Highbeam]

If the stove was 3500$ then the parts cost wouldn’t seem as crazy. That’s the problem I think, we keep comparing these parts costs to the stove price.

Try building a car one part at a time.

 

[bholler]

What bricks do they use? If they are standard size there is no reason to pay $22 a piece

 

[bholler]

As far as a stove in your garage that is not allowed by code. Many people including me do it anyway but be aware if there ever is a problem there is a good chance insurance will not cover it

 

[kennyp2339]

I was being a little sarcastic, sorry. I also realize sometimes humor doesn’t come through online.

Oh so your like my father when loading the stove, make it look like your throwing large branches in a commercial woodchipper... lol :/

 

[BIGChrisNH]

I hear you on the baffle boards seeming brittle. My stove is 5 years old and the boards show wear but they’re still going strong. I’m pretty sure the baffle board can be found through alternate suppliers for less money, you’d just have to cut them to fit. I tried taking my burn tubes out this spring to clean the crap off the top of the baffle boards but the first bolt I tried snapped quickly, so I just left them alone. Pretty sure they’re welded in place now lol

 

[armanidog]

A question, I have the NC-30
If the baffle boards break what would be the difference in using two pieces of steel plate to replace them?

 

[BIGChrisNH]

A question, I have the NC-30
If the baffle boards break what would be the difference in using two pieces of steel plate to replace them?

I don't know if steel would reflect the heat back into the firebox to encourage complete, clean combustion in the same way. Depending on the thickness it would likely warp I might think as well, but I'm not sure.

 

[armanidog]

I don't know if steel would reflect the heat back into the firebox to encourage complete, clean combustion in the same way. Depending on the thickness it would likely warp I might think as well, but I'm not sure.

How about using stainless steel plates?

 

[BIGChrisNH]

I think the stove would still function, I just don't know how it would affect stove box temperatures. Is stainless steel plate less expensive than the ceramic fiber boards? It would certainly be more durable. I don't know of anyone on this site who has replaced those boards with metal yet, it would be an interesting experiment.

 

[Highbeam]

The baffle isn’t just to redirect smoke, it proves insulation to hold heat in the firebox and maintain the ultra high temperatures needed for secondary combustion and clean emissions.

Earlier, when emissions requirements weren’t quite as strict, Lopi used a steel frame and firebricks for the baffle.

At least one brand currently uses stainless steel sheet metal with insulation on top.

The tubes glow red and aren’t designed to support the weight of a heavy plate.

If there was a cheap solution here somebody would have done it. This weak baffle board hassle has been plaguing the industry for decades.

It’s not just rough handling. The boards spall, erode, and chip from rubbing the edges. They warp from heat too.

 

[wagdog]

Just tossing an idea out there; I think it would be easy enough to tack a shelf/baffle support in the stove. This could be keep the weight of whatever is used as a baffle off the tubes (as @Highbeam mentioned above).

I’m just wondering why they cost so much.

 

[wagdog]

What bricks do they use? If they are standard size there is no reason to pay $22 a piece

The brick size is 9x4x1.25.

$22 a brick is robbery.

 

[begreen]

The brick size is 9x4x1.25.

$22 a brick is robbery.

Sure is. Fortunately that size fire brick is common. Just determine if they are standard brick or pumice brick. Pumice brick will be more expensive (around $5/brick) but a better insulator. This is another reason not to slam wood into the stove. Firebrick lasts a long time if not pounded on.

 

[wagdog]

Sure is. Fortunately that size fire brick is common. Just determine if they are standard brick or pumice brick. Pumice brick will be more expensive (around $5/brick) but a better insulator. This is another reason not to slam wood into the stove. Firebrick lasts a long time if not pounded on.

There is a comment on Englander's site from them about the price of the bricks from a year ago: (broken link removed to https://heatredefined.com/products/ac-sb)

Doesn't look like they've done anything about it though.

I believe they're standard bricks - how would one check if they were pumice?

 

[wagdog]

Curious on y'alls thoughts on this ceramic fiber material for baffles: Amazon product ASIN B08F47MQGR
Looks like it would be enough to cut four baffles and it's $60.

 

[Highbeam]

Curious on y'alls thoughts on this ceramic fiber material for baffles: Amazon product ASIN B08F47MQGR
Looks like it would be enough to cut four baffles and it's $60.

Product description says it is for use in woodstoves. Reviewers used it in their woodstoves. Worth a try?