High valley 2500 Cracks

[Jacyte]

Looks like My High valley 2500 is wounded. Found that the catalyst frame is warped to death and 2 of the welds broke. Worse is there are cracks in the baffle at all of the combustor passage corners. These are all internal passages and only isolate fire box exhaust from the combustor area. I'm guessing a leak would just result in higher emissions and less catalysts efficiency. Looking for advice if I should strop drill/weld, simply stop drill and leave the cracks or retire the stove. Also looking at making a new catalyst frame from 330 grade steel rather than the original low carbon stuff. 330 can withstand 1800ºF degree cycles and 2000ºF continuous VS the original material going soft at 1600 and full meltdown at 1800.

 

[begreen]

That's a bummer. It looks like it can still function. If you have the talent to weld that could buy time until next summer when you can make the decision to rebuild or replace. Right now the availability of stoves is low and the prices are high.

 

[TMG]

Looks like My High valley 2500 is wounded. Found that the catalyst frame is warped to death and 2 of the welds broke. Worse is there are cracks in the baffle at all of the combustor passage corners. These are all internal passages and only isolate fire box exhaust from the combustor area. I'm guessing a leak would just result in higher emissions and less catalysts efficiency. Looking for advice if I should strop drill/weld, simply stop drill and leave the cracks or retire the stove. Also looking at making a new catalyst frame from 330 grade steel rather than the original low carbon stuff. 330 can withstand 1800ºF degree cycles and 2000ºF continuous VS the original material going soft at 1600 and full meltdown at 1800.

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My stove looked the same, I just realized I had forgotten about posting back in 2019 when I found mine cracked. Only had one reply up until this last November… I didn’t really want to call a company out to look at the stove as I knew by feeling that most would take advantage of my situation and tell me that I needed a new stove. Which is exactly what happened by two different companies when giving me a cleaning estimate! Literally 5 minutes of look down the liner and look up inside the stove and both said it’s compromised and needs replaced then tried to sell me on removal and installation of a new stove and liner system. Like nobody tries to help or repair anything anymore…. Here is the thread with what happened on mine.

High Valley 2500 wood burning stove has me worried...

Hello, I am hoping someone on here can help me with some experience / advice on a catalytic wood insert. I have this High Valley model 2500 insert that I acquired with a home purchase. I have no history on it and have not burned in it yet. FYI, I have no experience with a catalytic wood stove...

www.hearth.com

 

[Trevor Tahclep]

Personally the cracking is the obvious sign that the stove is on its way out, there are probably things happening you are definitely not seeing. Years back I got rid of a not very old Elmira stove that cracked, the company replaced it under warranty saying they had made improvements and modifications to it, the second unit cracked as well. I can not accept that a metal box with broken and damaged integrity to it is used to make serious hot fires in my home that could in the slightest way endanger home and occupants. Life is simply to short to loose sleep and develop ulcers over something like that, the stove went and was replaced for our peace of mind, safety and security.

 

[Jacyte]

I stop drilled and welded the cracks. The plate that is cracked only isolates fire box air from the catalyst chamber. Even if they opened up enough to allow fuel through it would not feed the cats, it would just go out the flue. I don't see much risk in leaving them alone other than the plate being pulled out of flat by a warping combustor housing. I welded mine just because i wanted to play with the welder really.