problem with cracked stones

[liteituprich]

[ATTACH110205[/ATTACH]

Hi Everyone,
I am a newbee and have been reading the site for several months now. I would like to first state that you guys have wonderful community here. I have gained so much valuable information and just wanted to say thank you.
I live in Montauk, NY and the winters are not as cold as upstate NY or where most of you live.
My stove is an Oakleaf made by Harmon. My home is a ranch 1300 sq ft. fairly well insulated and double pane windows.
Well my 1st season is over, I started burning in early October 2012. Everything was going well until the beginning of March 2013. I have a laser temperature gauge (thanks to you guys) and could not control the stovetop temperature. I knew something was wrong so I cut the air all the way down and hoped for the best. After the stove was out (burning oil at this time, hate when that happens!). I noticed a crack in the stone inside the firebox.
The Stove was purchased and installed brand new Oct. 2012. I called the dealer and he ordered a new stone. Dealer is approx. 80 miles away. They came to replace the cracked stone (part #21 in the owners manual) (Description called Center brick). After removing the Center brick the one behind it was disintegrated, called the oakleaf package in the owners manual (part #7). This is the secondary combustion chamber before the air leaves the stove.
Being a newbee I had no clue on seasoned wood. As you will see in the pictures following I have heeded your advice. The wood is already set to go for this year and maybe a little leftover. I have 2 cords of oak about 1 year seasoned, 1 cord of cherry about 9 months seasoned and 2 more cords of oak about 9 months seasoned. Not the best but will be much better then my 1st year. (Bought everything)
Does anyone have any knowledge as to why the stones have not held up? The wood I was burning had high moisture content some as high as 30%. The dealer said this was the cause. I was going with a burn of what you have according to hearth.com I hope this burning season brings better results.
PS. Yes I have the bug! It seems to be a new hobby. Boring in the winter anyway or I’m just frugal. Anyways I have been told I have wood on the brain from my family and co-workers.
Thank You again for everyone’s input that I have read. By the way my wife is typing and posting this because I took wood shop in school not typing. Still do not have cell phone and don’t want one. Know a little now about wood stoves but apparently need to learn a lot more. By the way I’m 58 years old so I hope the wood thing keeps me fit and healthy.
PSS. By the time the stove was fixed heating season was over. I guess I will find out where I am in the near future heating season. My main question however is about the stones? Any comments? Thank you in advance.
Sincerely,
LiteitupRich

 

[BrotherBart]

That "Firedome" downdraft technology in stoves like the Oakleaf requires that you be really careful loading wood in them and also with a poker. You can demolish the refractory "Firedome" assembly in the bottom rear of the firebox easily.

Be gentle with that good looking heater.

 

[ansehnlich1]

Part 22 looks like the center brick. She's a top and/or front loader. I don't own one, but I could imagine breakin' stones by droppin' splits in the top and having them bang up against the stone. I'm not sure what the thing looks like inside there. My Jotul has the original fire brick and it's never broken, though it has a fiberboard top plate that sits above the burn tubes and that's cracked before.

 

[BrotherBart]

That "stone" is cast refractory. Not famous for impact resistance. Harman has the same setup in the TL200. It used to be cast iron for that piece and they changed it to refractory. Not sure what that was about.

 

[Ram 1500 with an axe...]

Get an axe and start chopping, it will keep you fit....

 

[Beer Belly]

The wood is already set to go for this year and maybe a little leftover. I have 2 cords of oak about 1 year seasoned, 1 cord of cherry about 9 months seasoned and 2 more cords of oak about 9 months seasoned. Not the best but will be much better then my 1st year. (Bought everything)

You might be okay with the Cherry, but I'd try and give the Oak at least another year....and remember to check with the MM on the face of a fresh split

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Hi Everyone,
I am a newbee and have been reading the site for several months now. I would like to first state that you guys have wonderful community here. I have gained so much valuable information and just wanted to say thank you. I live in Montauk, NY and the winters are not as cold as upstate NY or where most of you live.

My stove is an Oakleaf made by Harmon. My home is a ranch 1300 sq ft. fairly well insulated and double pane windows. Well my 1st season is over, I started burning in early October 2012. Everything was going well until the beginning of March 2013.

I have a laser temperature gauge (thanks to you guys) and could not control the stovetop temperature. I knew something was wrong so I cut the air all the way down and hoped for the best. After the stove was out (burning oil at this time, hate when that happens!). I noticed a crack in the stone inside the firebox.

The Stove was purchased and installed brand new Oct. 2012. I called the dealer and he ordered a new stone. Dealer is approx. 80 miles away. They came to replace the cracked stone (part #21 in the owners manual) (Description called Center brick). After removing the Center brick the one behind it was disintegrated, called the oakleaf package in the owners manual (part #7). This is the secondary combustion chamber before the air leaves the stove.

Being a newbee I had no clue on seasoned wood. As you will see in the pictures following I have heeded your advice. The wood is already set to go for this year and maybe a little leftover. I have 2 cords of oak about 1 year seasoned, 1 cord of cherry about 9 months seasoned and 2 more cords of oak about 9 months seasoned. Not the best but will be much better then my 1st year. (Bought everything)

Does anyone have any knowledge as to why the stones have not held up? The wood I was burning had high moisture content some as high as 30%. The dealer said this was the cause. I was going with a burn of what you have according to hearth.com I hope this burning season brings better results.

PS. Yes I have the bug! It seems to be a new hobby. Boring in the winter anyway or I’m just frugal. Anyways I have been told I have wood on the brain from my family and co-workers.

Thank You again for everyone’s input that I have read. By the way my wife is typing and posting this because I took wood shop in school not typing. Still do not have cell phone and don’t want one. Know a little now about wood stoves but apparently need to learn a lot more. By the way I’m 58 years old so I hope the wood thing keeps me fit and healthy.

PSS. By the time the stove was fixed heating season was over. I guess I will find out where I am in the near future heating season. My main question however is about the stones? Any comments? Thank you in advance.
Sincerely,
LiteitupRich

Welcome to the forum Rich and you too Mrs Rich.

The stove part has been answered well so I'll confine my comments to the fuel you have and are planning on burning this coming winter. You'll notice I highlighted your wood supply in red above.

Number one is that you must learn the different types of wood you have and know how to dry that wood and how long that particular wood needs to dry. For example, you have 2 cord of 1 year "seasoned" oak and two more of the same with about 9 months "seasoned." Second thing is, that word seasoned is a meaningless word. Drying is what you need rather than seasoning. And you will quickly learn that oak, although it is one of the very best woods to burn, takes a long time to dry. It is perhaps the slowest drying wood there is and that is why new wood burners should not be burning oak!

The cherry may work out okay but this will depend upon when it was split and how it was stacked.

Always remember when it comes to drying wood, we do not count any time as drying time until the wood has been split. The reason for this is that until it is split, the only drying will be from the ends. Sometimes this will give people a false sense of their wood drying because they see those cracks on the ends of the logs. All those cracks tell you is that the ends are drying. That says nothing about the center of the logs.

In addition, wood needs to be stacked, off the ground and it is best you stack it in the windiest spot you have on your property. Some sunshine is nice too but wind will dry the wood the fastest. If you have only a short time to dry the wood, then for sure the wood needs to be split small and stacked rather loosely (air circulation).

Now about the purchasing of the wood. Rule number 1 there says that all wood sellers will tell you their wood is "seasoned" and ready to burn. Rule number 2 says that you should never believe it. It is very rare for a wood seller to store his wood after being split and then having to handle it again after it has been stacked to dry. They simply do not have the time, the space and it would increase their costs if they had to do this. Therefore, if you plan on buying wood, I'd highly advise you get next year's supply at once and also specify that you do not want any oak.

Good luck.