Lopi secondary burn tubes

[jdurando]

Hi all I am new to this and i hope you can help me learn a thing or two.

I am looking at a Lopi 520/96 stove the guy selling it has sent me photos that I have attached he also told me that it is a 1996 stove and is needs a glass gasket (I think he means door gasket) and paint. Not being familiar with the stove I asked him if it had secondary burn tubes? He replied that it had them but they only lasted a year before they fell down and got in the way of putting wood in.

my question is how long do these tubes normally last? Should I be worried that the stove was often over fired? Or is this common for Lopi stoves? Any information is appreciated

 

[wallis54806]

I had a Lopi Answer for 6 years and had no trouble with the secondary burn tubes I would still own it if hadn't help sell the house. I only burned part time, but the tubes were in real good condition.

I would look it over real well for signs of abuse.

 

[jlinke]

I have a Lopi Revere that's been burning 24/7 since November with the air tubes glowing daily, and they still look like new. This is the first year with the stove, so I can't comment on their true longevity, but so far they still look like new.

 

[fespo]

Hello Johnd, I have the Lopi liberty for 3 years now. The tubes are fine but I do hit them alot and the roll pins have since fallen out. i have replace them may times just to fall out again. It is very tight to put new pins in, so I don't anymore , but the tubes Have NEVER FALLEN OUT. i hope this helps Fespo

Opps I forgot to mention I did have to replace the Glass gasket, 2 times and it stilled leaked. The 3rd time i added some gasket cement all the way around it. They say not to do that but after 2 gaskets repairs and a new door frame , That was the only fixed that worked

 

[Highbeam]

I sold a LOPI Freedom bay insert that was built in abuot 1991 and had the tubes. They did"fall" down on me more than once. The tubes were retained into the secondary manifold with little roll pins that had disappeared from my stove. That means the tubes were not held in place and could be knocked out with a log. Not knowing what would happen if the tubes fell down I actually grabbed the welding gloves and fished them out of a hot fire to put them in place.

Maybe the little roll pins were mild steel and prone to rust. Disappeared. The SS tubes themselves were still solid.

 

[TMonter]

Sounds like they need a similar tube retention system to Quadrafire or maybe someone could retrofit one.

 

[Shane]

They changed it a couple years back so that the pins that hold them in are different and don't fall out.

 

[woodzilla]

I came close to buying a used lopi. It required an 8 " liner for the chimney, which would severly limit a replacement in the future. Just food for thought.