Pacific Energy Super 27 side insulation - what is it made of?

[carters09]

I bought a house a couple of years ago with a Pacific Energy Super 27 wood stove in. I believe it was installed in 2001. I've never owned a wood stove before and therefore I'm pretty clueless about them... trying to learn though.

I think I need to replace the brick rails, as they are bent down at the front and drooping - I assume from years of heat and some abuse. Trouble is, the insulation blocks that go on the side rails aren't sold separately and you have to buy a baffle kit ($306 with taxes) to get them. The brick rails are expensive enough at $163 with taxes. I really can't afford to spend $300 to get the baffle kit unless I have to, so I was wondering if anyone knows what the side insulation is made out of and whether I can get the same material somewhere else without getting a whole baffle kit to go with it!

Of course it may be that after 10 years, I should replace the baffle as well as the brick rails... like I said, I'm clueless... and apologies if I should be looking in another thread...

Thank you

 

[summit]

the insulation is made of mineral wool, the rails are stainless.

 

[carters09]

Thank you for the reply. Being uninformed in the ways of wood stoves (and never having come across mineral wool before), is it something I can buy at a hardware store? And if so, should I be getting a particular thickness or density?

 

[begreen]

The side strips on our stove look like they are made of a ceramic blanket material like 1" kaowool. The problem is finding it in small quantities. Some times it is sold on eBay by the foot. I found this website today which also sells it in small quantity.

(broken link removed to http://www.anvilfire.com/sales/k_index.htm)

 

[carters09]

Thanks, I appreciate your help! I will try and find some Kaowool or Ceramic Wool locally, and if I can't then I will get some shipped. Save the baffle replacement for another year if possible!

 

[BrotherBart]

Places that sell supplies for kilns are a good source for small quantities of fiber blanket.

 

[thechimneysweep]

The material is high-density ceramic blanket. PE offers a kit that includes the side blankets, top blanket (goes above the baffle in older models) and baffle gasket, for about $40.00 US. If your dealer won't order the blanket kit for you, PM me and I'll fix you up.

 

[begreen]

Good to know Tom, though I hate it when one has to pay for an extra part that is useless. My garage has a shelf full of this kind of crap. Considering that the systems have had an enclosed baffle for a while, PE really should have a package for less cost that only has the side blankets and the gasket. This is what most people will require for their stoves made in the past what, decade?

 

[thechimneysweep]

Agreed, but in this case, the OP referred to warped side rails, which indicates it is of the older, mild steel generation with a non-encapsulated baffle blanket.

Non-encapsulated. Rolls off the tongue, no?

 

[carters09]

I found some Kaowool at a furnace supply store and bought that - enough to do the side blanket, top blanket and have a bit left over for $55 CAD. Could probably have got it cheaper online, but then I'd have to wait for shipping... so it's all good. I took out my side rails and my baffle to have a look at them, and they all look good except for the side rails being bent at the front. I reckon with a bit of hammering, some new blanket courtesy of the Kaowool and a bit of a clean, my stove should be good for another few years of use

Thanks for all your help guys!

 

[begreen]

I'll put in a request to PE to start providing the kit for their modern stoves without the top blanket.

 

[madison]

Any idea on how to decide when to change it (as well as the material in the middle of the baffle), when i did the fall cleanout, the side rail pieces looked pretty much unburnt, except for the back corners where it looked like it was singed a bit, otherwise, the remainder just dusty.

I did not disassemble the baffle to clean...

 

[Hogwildz]

I'm on season 6 Madison, and not ready to replace any of the insulation yet.

 

[carters09]

I believe the stove I have is 9 years old and I doubt anything has ever been cleaned or replaced. The baffle blanket was ok apart from the front edges, but the insulation on the brick rails was pretty much done... could be partly due to the rails being warped though, so more heat/ash was getting up there than should have been. I've been using it for the two years I've been in the house with no problems, so I don't know whether it NEEDS replacing, but I feel better replacing it.

 

[begreen]

It's nice to know where you are starting out with a used stove. You are doing the right thing. Getting all visible issues taken care of will help stop a lot of tail chasing in case any unseen problems show up when burning.

 

[madison]

Thanks Hog (welcome back), if i recall, you disassembled the baffle a cpl yrs ago when you took your pictures of the baffle gasket, if yes, do you think we periodically take the baffle apart a vaccum it out? I was wondering if that gets choked up with the fine ash... Thanks in advance.

 

[Hogwildz]

Thanks Hog (welcome back), if i recall, you disassembled the baffle a cpl yrs ago when you took your pictures of the baffle gasket, if yes, do you think we periodically take the baffle apart a vaccum it out? I was wondering if that gets choked up with the fine ash... Thanks in advance.

The baffle so to say, does not come apart. It is a welded box. There is the insulation blanket on top and a heat shield over the blanket. No real need to take that apart.
I think in the time I had this, last year was the first I vacuumed or blew out the inside of the baffle. Wasn't much of anything in there. It gets so hot in there nothing really forms.
And the secondary air movement must keep it cleaned out. I's do a visual each year while the baffle is out, but you will most likely not see much in there.
Still have to clean this year, but been burning the last few days. Going to warm up again next week.

 

[carters09]

Not to show my lack of knowledge again, but do you know where the heat shield is on a Pacific Energy Super 27? When I took the baffle off, I have the welded box you mentioned, with the blanket on top, but nothing else. I don't see another piece of metal anywhere and am wondering if the heat shield never got put in... is it meant to be attached to the baffle itself, or to the top of the stove?

 

[madison]

Thanks Hog (welcome back), if i recall, you disassembled the baffle a cpl yrs ago when you took your pictures of the baffle gasket, if yes, do you think we periodically take the baffle apart a vaccum it out? I was wondering if that gets choked up with the fine ash... Thanks in advance.

The baffle so to say, does not come apart. It is a welded box. There is the insulation blanket on top and a heat shield over the blanket. No real need to take that apart.
I think in the time I had this, last year was the first I vacuumed or blew out the inside of the baffle. Wasn't much of anything in there. It gets so hot in there nothing really forms.
And the secondary air movement must keep it cleaned out. I's do a visual each year while the baffle is out, but you will most likely not see much in there.
Still have to clean this year, but been burning the last few days. Going to warm up again next week.

Thanks Hog, I did not attempt to open the baffle up, but it looked like there was a tab bent over -dead center on the top that looked like if you straightened the tab out, the baffle top and bottom "halves" would separate into two pieces with the wool sandwiched inbetween... I guess I will take a better look this spring.

And FYI, my "hog gasket" looked pretty good after a 1.5 seasons, it was a little singed on the edge that was against the back of the stove body. I just spun it 180 and reassembled. Thanks for the tip.

 

[Hogwildz]

Thanks Hog (welcome back), if i recall, you disassembled the baffle a cpl yrs ago when you took your pictures of the baffle gasket, if yes, do you think we periodically take the baffle apart a vaccum it out? I was wondering if that gets choked up with the fine ash... Thanks in advance.

The baffle so to say, does not come apart. It is a welded box. There is the insulation blanket on top and a heat shield over the blanket. No real need to take that apart.
I think in the time I had this, last year was the first I vacuumed or blew out the inside of the baffle. Wasn't much of anything in there. It gets so hot in there nothing really forms.
And the secondary air movement must keep it cleaned out. I's do a visual each year while the baffle is out, but you will most likely not see much in there.
Still have to clean this year, but been burning the last few days. Going to warm up again next week.

Thanks Hog, I did not attempt to open the baffle up, but it looked like there was a tab bent over -dead center on the top that looked like if you straightened the tab out, the baffle top and bottom "halves" would separate into two pieces with the wool sandwiched inbetween... I guess I will take a better look this spring.

And FYI, my "hog gasket" looked pretty good after a 1.5 seasons, it was a little singed on the edge that was against the back of the stove body. I just spun it 180 and reassembled. Thanks for the tip.

What your seeing is actually a tab through the top heat shield of the baffle. Its basically a "U" shaped s.s. plate that does sandwich the blanket between it & the top of the actual baffle.
I only know this cause I did straighten the flange and take that off to inspect things.
I sent gaskets to someone but forget who.
I am on season 3 for my first prototype gasket. Will see what it looks like next week or whenever I get it cleaned.
Are your sure what you see as singed is not in fact soot or creosote build up? Just curious. I have not seen any singing on mine yet.

 

[madison]

it was/is creosote -- it was on part of the gasket that was against the back stove body, i had the same buildup and burning on the side rail blankets in the back rear corners only.

 

[DCochran]

I have a PE Spectrum Super 27 Design A... Purchased in 1986. ! I still use it 24/7 every winter.
I do need a new baffle as the bottom started warping down from years of heat. Last winter a small hole appeared in the warped part. This year the hole got bigger. So I guess I am not getting the benefit of the second burn.
I found someone who has the baffle for my stove and wants $452.00 plus shipping. That seems pretty high but they quit making one for my stove., so I may be stuck paying it, unless anyone knows where I can get one.
Are newer model baffles interchangeable with old ones if they are the same size?
Any information appreciated. Oh, we have never taken baffle out.

 

[begreen]

I'd give Tom a call at www.chimneysweeponline.com. He knows these stoves inside out.

 

[DCochran]

Thank you! I will do that.

 

[jillybeansisme]

I second that about calling Tom at Chimneysweeponline.com . He's awesome and was happy to answer my questions KNOWING I wasn't ready to buy a stove yet. In fact, he's the reason I'll be buying a Super 27 in the next 9 months (when the house is built).