Lopi fire brick

[Pagey]

Anyone know what, exactly, the Lopi fire brick are made of? I called their 800 number, and the guy in tech support with whom I spoke said that they purchased them from a local source that manufacturers them for boilers. He didn't say (or seem to know) what their actual composition was.

Mine are of course still in good shape after only one season, but I know they'll eventually need replacing, so I was just curious.

Thanks!

 

[DAKSY]

To make firebrick, fireclay is baked in the kiln until it is partly vitrified, and for special purposes may also be glazed. Fire bricks usually contain 30-40% aluminium oxide or alumina and 50% silicon dioxide or silica. They can also be made of chamotte and other materials. For bricks of extreme refractory character, the aluminum oxide content can be as high as 50-80% (with correspondingly less silica), and silicon carbide may also be present.
YMMV...

 

[kenny chaos]

I bought a used Lopi.
It had a couple broken bricks from moving.
The local stove shop had what I needed.

 

[Pagey]

To make firebrick, fireclay is baked in the kiln until it is partly vitrified, and for special purposes may also be glazed. Fire bricks usually contain 30-40% aluminium oxide or alumina and 50% silicon dioxide or silica. They can also be made of chamotte and other materials. For bricks of extreme refractory character, the aluminum oxide content can be as high as 50-80% (with correspondingly less silica), and silicon carbide may also be present.
YMMV...

Well, does that mean you can replace the Lopi bricks with the standard replacement fire brick from Rutland? Or are they "more special"? ;-P

 

[madrone]

They seem to be standard "hard brick" of the type used in kilns. I have a cracked brick, and I've been thinking about asking the ceramics department at my college for a brick. Should be able to get them from a pottery supply store. Might need cutting to size with a brick saw.

 

[Shane]

Ya you can use a normal firebrick from the brick yard. Use the dense ones not the porus type.

 

[fdegree]

Correct me if I have been mislead, or perhaps it was my own misunderstanding.

While visiting my local stove shop, they said not to worry about replacing any of the bricks if they were simply broken/cracked. Replace them only if pieces are missing.

Is this advice worth following?

 

[Fsappo]

Correct me if I have been mislead, or perhaps it was my own misunderstanding.

While visiting my local stove shop, they said not to worry about replacing any of the bricks if they were simply broken/cracked. Replace them only if pieces are missing.

Is this advice worth following?

Yup, also, if you call any masonry yard, hearth shop or some lumber yards and just ask for a split firebrick you can normally get them for a few bucks each or less.