PE Summit B - different claim policy in EU and US

[Jan Beranek]

Hi All,
four years ago I bought the best stove I ever had - Pacific Energy Summit. In EU is no other choice so far, nothing here is with so clean burn.

Using them over weekends and holidays only, but pushing them hard (300 degrees Celsius on stove top with blower installed) they have now quite warped baffle (more than 3cm) with one crack between front and top air hole in the middle. Everything else looks as new.

When I was choosing the stoves I was reading all this forum and I was quite sure that I'm covered with lifetime warranty as well. And voila... the importer is giving only 2 years warranty to baffle not as in the US lifetime. I admit, this is my fault but I simply did not expected any changes in EU.

Now to the point - how is PE with claims really? Do anybody has any experience with claim with cracked baffle the US? Maybe here can be the reason - if PE is doing a problems with claims, he possibly gave up...

Regards

Jan.

 

[Sodbuster]

Jan, I have a PE with a baffle that is suffering the same deformities as yours. PE says anything beyond 1/4" (6.5 mm) is beyond spec and should be replaced. 300 degrees C is not over firing your stove, many here run their PE Summits up to 800F stove top with no issues; although that should be the upper limit. A warranty is only as good as the company issuing it, and standing behind it. PE is a quality company that makes good stoves, but their customer service leaves a lot to be desired. My baffle warranty required me to go through my local dealer, who just went out of business; they also sold and installed the stove. Several emails to PE only offered short non helpful responses, directing me to a dealer 400 miles away! If you can't get PE to stand behind their warranty, rebuild your own baffle in the spring. It's sad that it's come to that, but that is their marketing philosophy, minimal end user contact. I'm really surprised they don't have a rep monitoring the board to facilitate PE questions/problems, like Blaze King does.

 

[Hogwildz]

I would try to contact PE direct and explain the issue to them. They might not be aware of the importer, or their warranty.

 

[Jan Beranek]

Thanks for all answers.
Will try to contact PE first and let's see.

Btw - did anybody measured and created a drawings / 3D model of the baffle? In the end it is just a simple laser cut with few welds - I can manufacture it very cheap here (around USD 90). I need to use the stove and I expect claim to be rather long term issue, it would be nice to have a "spare" baffle.

 

[Sodbuster]

Thanks for all answers.
Will try to contact PE first and let's see.

Btw - did anybody measured and created a drawings / 3D model of the baffle? In the end it is just a simple laser cut with few welds - I can manufacture it very cheap here (around USD 90). I need to use the stove and I expect claim to be rather long term issue, it would be nice to have "spare" baffle.

I don't think anyone has done that Jan, but it shouldn't be hard to pull measurements off the old one. Try to get the refractory board off in one piece, so you can re-use it. If your baffle will still fit in your stove it will still work, might just have to be gentle when you load it. Let us know how it goes.