Is this stove worth repairing? Osburn 1800

[maqc]

Hi, new to this forum! I just bought a house and it has an Osburn 1800 insert wood stove. First time in a house with a wood stove!

By inspecting it, I found the baffle and one secondary air tube are missing. I also found that the top plate of the firebox is sinking near the middle. The depth is hard to measure (there is another plate on top), but I would say it is about 1/2" deep in the middle, and 6" in diameter. However, all the welds look fine and there is no sign of cracking. My guess is the previous owner was heating without the baffle, and it ended up warping the top plate.

That being said, is it worth repairing it? Buying the missing parts (baffle plate, baffle insulation, secondary tube, door gasket) would cost around $300. Is the warped top plate a safety issue? Should I just scrap it all out, and buy a new stove? I don't want to waste $300 for nothing, but $300 is much cheaper than a new stove...

My main heating source is an electric furnace, and I will only be using the stove to cut electricity bills on cold winter days.

Thank you for your insight, and some pictures attached

 

[begreen]

That's a shame. If the top's integrity is still good, it could still work for a backup heater. Given that use I'd be inclined to repair it. Is just one tube missing. If so, the cost of a replacement tube and a 3d party baffle could drop the cost down.

Osburn 1800 Insert Replacement Parts - Free Shipping on orders over $99!

Replacement spare parts for Osburn 1800 Insert, Pellet Stoves

www.stove-parts-unlimited.com

 

[EatenByLimestone]

I think I’d buy the replacement parts too.

Make sure your wood is dry. Firewood sellers typically don’t sell wood is as dry as it needs to be.

 

[ABMax24]

Oh wow, I didn't think a wood stove could get hot enough to soften steel like that.

As others have said, replace the tube and baffle, and I'd keep an eye on the stove top for a while, but looks operable.

 

[ABMax24]

Wouldn't be a bad idea to inspect the chimney as well, whatever caused that plate to buckle like that certainly had a high enough temperature to ignite a chimney fire if enough creosote was present.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Really good point!

 

[EbS-P]

It got this way for a reason. That top had to be GLOWING. how tall is the chimney?

I think it’s worth the parts. (This is a pre 2020 model (no SS heat shield welded to the inside of the top plate. as far as I know parts are all the same.)

 

[begreen]

It got this way for a reason. That top had to be GLOWING. how tall is the chimney?

I think it’s worth the parts. (This is a pre 2020 model (no SS heat shield welded to the inside of the top plate. as far as I know parts are all the same.)

It was abused for sure, but it doesn't take a tall chimney when the inside is wide open like this to overheat the top. A 10' tall stack straight up would do.

 

[maqc]

That's a shame. If the top's integrity is still good, it could still work for a backup heater. Given that use I'd be inclined to repair it. Is just one tube missing. If so, the cost of a replacement tube and a 3d party baffle could drop the cost down.

Osburn 1800 Insert Replacement Parts - Free Shipping on orders over $99!

Replacement spare parts for Osburn 1800 Insert, Pellet Stoves

www.stove-parts-unlimited.com

Where would you buy a 3rd party baffle? The diagram asks for size 10-13/16" x 9-1/2" x 1-3/16", which is oddly specific. I doubt I can find the same size outside of Osburn. The link you provided sells OEM parts.

As for the chimney... It is a 2-story house and stove is on the ground floor, so chimney maybe 25'~30' high? However the liner is clearly 5½" in diameter, while the stove exit is 6". There is a reducer plugged in the stove. Liner looks pretty clean on the inside.

 

[begreen]

Have the liner inspected for integrity. It may have been continually exposed to high temps above its rating.

Yes, that was an OEM replacement link. There are two pieces in the baffle, but it could be done with a single sheet of ceramic board trimmed to size from Lynn mfg. sold on Amazon.

 

[maqc]

I did hire a chimney sweeping company earlier this week to check the whole installation. All they said was the flashing on top is poorly installed and there is no chimney cap, which could lead to water infiltration. They said nothing about the liner really...

Lynn mfg has this part on amazon : https://www.amazon.ca/Replacement-Baffle-Board-Osburn-21290/dp/B072BKQ1TY
But it is actually more expensive than the original Osburn part !

 

[EbS-P]

I did hire a chimney sweeping company earlier this week to check the whole installation. All they said was the flashing on top is poorly installed and there is no chimney cap, which could lead to water infiltration. They said nothing about the liner really...

Lynn mfg has this part on amazon : https://www.amazon.ca/Replacement-Baffle-Board-Osburn-21290/dp/B072BKQ1TY
But it is actually more expensive than the original Osburn part !

Original was probably vermiculite. Lynn product is more of a ceramic wool product or similar. My install is 6” insulated liner an my 1800i needed a damper.

 

[ABMax24]

Original baffle was almost certainly C-Cast, aluminosilicate ceramic fiber, as that is what was shipped with Osburn models. Vermiculite baffles were reserved for the lower tier SBI stoves like the Drolets.

C-Cast is more durable than the Vermiculite, but also more expensive. So keep that in mind when ordering. C-Cast can also can be purchased by those with Drolets stoves when it's time to replace

 

[begreen]

Original was probably vermiculite. Lynn product is more of a ceramic wool product or similar. My install is 6” insulated liner an my 1800i needed a damper.

AB is right. Osburn is C-Cast. I think this stove had a 2 layer baffle.