Lennox Grandview 300 baffe boards

[CarlQ]

Hi,
We're new here at this forum.
My wife and I have been heating our place here in NH with a Lennox Grandview 300 for the last 4 years.
I am concerned about filling the fire box. I haven't felt safe filling the stove because I feel that the flue control has very little affect. If I shut it all the way down I still see quite a rush of air. I have contacted the seller and have talked it over with my chimney guy. We checked the door for leaks but found none. We're thinking maybe the air is getting in through the ash plug somehow.
About two years ago I noticed that the baffle boards had broken. The retailer replaced them but now it has happened again. They are fairly fragile to be exposed in the position they're in.
When we repaired the baffle boards we also checked the flue control. It seemed to be working normally. We decided to add a damper on the chimney to try to control the air a little more. That has been somewhat helpful but I still feel the stove is "uncontrollable". If I fill it it will burn as fast as it can until it is out. Is anyone else experiencing this kind of problem?

 

[HomeinPA]

Hi,
We're new here at this forum.
My wife and I have been heating our place here in NH with a Lennox Grandview 300 for the last 4 years.
I am concerned about filling the fire box. I haven't felt safe filling the stove because I feel that the flue control has very little affect. If I shut it all the way down I still see quite a rush of air. I have contacted the seller and have talked it over with my chimney guy. We checked the door for leaks but found none. We're thinking maybe the air is getting in through the ash plug somehow.
About two years ago I noticed that the baffle boards had broken. The retailer replaced them but now it has happened again. They are fairly fragile to be exposed in the position they're in.
When we repaired the baffle boards we also checked the flue control. It seemed to be working normally. We decided to add a damper on the chimney to try to control the air a little more. That has been somewhat helpful but I still feel the stove is "uncontrollable". If I fill it it will burn as fast as it can until it is out. Is anyone else experiencing this kind of problem?

Just spit-balling here but while the stove is full of hot coals, not a fire, maybe take a hairdryer and start at the bottom of the stove and slowly work your way around the stove while someone watches through the glass door and see if there is an area that causes the fire to kick up. I know my Quad was melting the brick tabs inside when I bought it and the guy couldn't figure out why. I pulled the heat shields off the side and found 4" cracks in the welds on each side of the stove that were acting like a blowtorch inside the stove. I had the stove welded and have been using it ever since.

 

[CarlQ]

Just spit-balling here but while the stove is full of hot coals, not a fire, maybe take a hairdryer and start at the bottom of the stove and slowly work your way around the stove while someone watches through the glass door and see if there is an area that causes the fire to kick up. I know my Quad was melting the brick tabs inside when I bought it and the guy couldn't figure out why. I pulled the heat shields off the side and found 4" cracks in the welds on each side of the stove that were acting like a blowtorch inside the stove. I had the stove welded and have been using it ever since.

Thanks!
We'll try that.
A friend also mentioned using a smudge and watching to see if the smoke gets sucked into the stove.
Thanks again.

 

[Sprinter]

I'm not sure what you mean my "ash plug", but if you are referring to a door that allows ashes to be dumped into a drawer for removal, that is a possible point of air leaks. It's not uncommon and one reason most of us here don't even use them because the seals can get gummed up with ashes.

A couple of questions though:
Has the baffle board problem ever been traced to the air control problem in the past or does that seem to be unrelated?

Flue dampers are usually only necessary when you have excess draft, usually caused by a tall flue (maybe 25' or more), but that would have been noticed right away. I doubt that it is really necessary otherwise. So how tall is the chimney from stove to top?

Try the smudge thing, like with an incense stick or something and see if you can spot a point where air is entering uninvited...

Very disappointing to hear that the baffles are so fragile. Document this problem well with your dealer so it's on record.

 

[CarlQ]

I'm not sure what you mean my "ash plug", but if you are referring to a door that allows ashes to be dumped into a drawer for removal, that is a possible point of air leaks. It's not uncommon and one reason most of us here don't even use them because the seals can get gummed up with ashes.

A couple of questions though:
Has the baffle board problem ever been traced to the air control problem in the past or does that seem to be unrelated?

Flue dampers are usually only necessary when you have excess draft, usually caused by a tall flue (maybe 25' or more), but that would have been noticed right away. I doubt that it is really necessary otherwise. So how tall is the chimney from stove to top?

Try the smudge thing, like with an incense stick or something and see if you can spot a point where air is entering uninvited...

Very disappointing to hear that the baffles are so fragile. Document this problem well with your dealer so it's on record.

Hi,
You are correct the "ash plug" is the ash door to sweep ash into the drawer. I talked to my chimney guy about possible sealing that up.
I believe the Baffle Board problem is unrelated to the air control. They are just in a position where they can be struck by firewood as it's being put in the stove. They also just lay loosely on top of the secondary burn pipes and can easily get knocked around. Mine were totally out of place when I found them broken. This looks like it might create a situation where the flame could go straight up the chimney.
We added the flue damper with my dealer as an attempt to have some kind of control over the air flow. When this stove is completely closed down the fire continues to burn rapidly. You can see the air rushing against the hot coals. It looks like it's coming from the front but could be the ash door. We have checked the main door seal many times and it seems tight.
I am convinced we'll find a leak somewhere.
I'll post my results when I do the smudging.
Thanks for your input. It's very helpful.

 

[jeffincashmere]

Hi,
We're new here at this forum.
My wife and I have been heating our place here in NH with a Lennox Grandview 300 for the last 4 years.
I am concerned about filling the fire box. I haven't felt safe filling the stove because I feel that the flue control has very little affect. If I shut it all the way down I still see quite a rush of air. I have contacted the seller and have talked it over with my chimney guy. We checked the door for leaks but found none. We're thinking maybe the air is getting in through the ash plug somehow.
About two years ago I noticed that the baffle boards had broken. The retailer replaced them but now it has happened again. They are fairly fragile to be exposed in the position they're in.
When we repaired the baffle boards we also checked the flue control. It seemed to be working normally. We decided to add a damper on the chimney to try to control the air a little more. That has been somewhat helpful but I still feel the stove is "uncontrollable". If I fill it it will burn as fast as it can until it is out. Is anyone else experiencing this kind of problem?

Have you figured out how to control the fire yet? I haven't had any problem with the baffle boards but controlling the fire is impossible. Like you I fear to put very much wood in it because it becomes a uncontrollable fire.