Help identifying a fisher and parts.

[Canadianfisherman]

Hi guys. I’m new here but I’ve used fisher wood burner for my 18 years in Canada. I never really paid much attention to the one we had but I now realize it might have been the xl.

I’m looking to buy a fisher to heat my house down here in Ohio now and have located one. I’m having a hard time identifying it for sure so I was hoping for some help. The guy has sent me some measurements but not enough for myself to identify it.
I will appreciate the help.

 

[coaly]

1979 Grandpa III. (With Fireplace Legs)

Comfortable heating about 2000 square feet.

Start in the sticky section at top of Fisher Forum home page.
The first post of the Everything Fisher thread will identify any Fisher stove.

Grandma and Grandpa are the two double door stoves. Grandma has 5 bricks across the back, this one will have 6.
The doors are marked left and right G/P. Notice how much space between trees when closed. Grandma trees are very close together.
The door opening will measure 21 inches wide X 11 High. Grandma opening is smaller, 17 wide, 10 1/2 high.

Notice there is no angle iron corners. Those were Series I. An added bolt on shield was available in 1977, making them a II. In 1979 the body was one piece with bent corners. This was the start of Series III. Only in 1979 were the doors offered with the new Cathedral Style that have arched top, OR the old flat top style which you have. So this is a Series III with old style doors. Those doors were discontinued for 1980.

If your old stove was an XL, the door opening would not be flat across the top. It would have an arched opening and arched doors. XL also had 10 inch outlet. Grandma and Grandpa have 8.
XL opening as shown below;

 

[coaly]

Your right door handle is out of adjustment.

Notice when closed the angle does not match the left handle that does not move.

To adjust, heat the bend of the latch rod on the inside of door. It doesn't have to be with oxygen acetylene torch. A propane torch can get it hot enough to a dull glow. Bend the 1/2 inch rod closer to a 90* bend. It has straightened out over time with someone over tightening the handle, then heating stove. Do not bend cold. It is easy to bend with a large wrench or pipe on it, but when bent cold it will go back to this angle when heated. Not a big deal yet. Notice when closing door there is a wedge welded to the inside door frame for the latch to pull door tight. When extremely out of adjustment, the latch rod can drop off the wedge allowing door to open. This one is no where near that bad yet, but the handles should match the same angle when closed to be centered on the wedge.

 

[coaly]

You didn't show the entire back. The lower plate pictured should be a shield that goes half way up the stove so there is room for a rear vent when desired. Is the back solid with no shield, or is the peice pictured a shield added to the rear about an inch from the firebox back plate?

This was a UL Listed stove before tags were in common use. Technically not considered Listed without a tag.

This was built for freestanding use with floor protection, compared to the old style sitting on a fireplace hearth vented into the existing chimney. The older Series I with angle iron corners and no shield was for fireplace use on a non-combustible hearth, or cement floor with non-combustible wall behind it. UL Listing was not required at the time installed on fireplace hearth. So many fabricators continued to make the old style after 1980 that was never tested (Listed) to UL standard test criteria. They were all tested, just not to the UL standardized testing that was adopted nationwide. They sold the old style $100 cheaper. The only way a newer style box like yours (III) can have old doors was when the new doors were an option in '79.

Here is the cover of the manual for this one; Notice both doors pictured.

 

[Canadianfisherman]

Thanks Coaly.

I’ll check out the sticky section to find more answers as needed.

The letters on the door made me think it was a grandpa but I wasn’t sure yet. That is good info to know though for future door ID. The one we used to use up north was huge I just never really paid attention to identifying features of to to know for sure what it was.

I didn’t notice the handle being out of adjustment so that’s a good thing to know. I’ll work with that after I get it blasted and before I get it painted.

The back it just one solid piece of metal going all the way up the back.
Do you know if their is any way to show that these wood burners were UL approved if they didn’t have the tag?
Again thank you it has been a lot of help for me just getting into these old wood stoves.

 

[coaly]

The tag affixed to stove is what makes a stove UL Listed. Any appliance missing a tag or made before tags is not listed.

Normally you can tell the stoves without angle iron corners we’re built as the first design that were not UL stoves. This one is a transition stove when they first started bending boxes instead of welding angle iron corners. The new completed design was bent in front and the sides had a back welded to sides with longer side plates that extended past the back. The shield was like a second back plate open top and bottom.

If a insurance company is concerned, some will accept the manual or printed cover I posted. Since most states have adopted the International Codes that require all appliances to be UL Listed, that is an issue where enforced. The UL approval for code is only needed for new installation, not use, so many still buy older stoves and once installed call it “grandfathered” as if it was existing before the new codes were adopted.

These requirements were added to prevent homemade stoves or unsafe stoves being installed. It wasn’t until about 1980 when the UL test criteria became the accepted standard nationwide. Before that, stoves that passed testing at labs near where they were built, eventually grew in sales to states that didn’t accept other states tests. At one time Fisher was testing at 4 labs across the US to be accepted in all states. They were instrumental in getting the testing standardized so it was accepted nationwide.

 

[Canadianfisherman]

Thanks for all the information. Can’t wait to get this things blasted, painted and in the house.
I’ve gotta do some reading on that baffle some guys install and see if it’s something I want to do. Being ive got to replace the bricks in this one anyway.
Thanks again.