Questions for Summit Experts

[vialator]

This is my first time posting here, so let me start off by saying that this is a GREAT SITE! Thanks to everybody who posts here, I have learned a lot in the past year!

Now for my questions. Last year my wife and I purchased a free-standing PE Summit. We used it pretty much 24/7 last winter, and we are pretty happy with it. Yesterday afternoon I was sweeping the chimney and cleaning out the stove in preparation for the coming cold weather. While I was doing this, I noticed two things about our stove that are a little odd.

First, the flame shield is installed quite a bit crooked. It is basically rotated counter-clockwise around the mounting bolt near the flue collar, so that when you are looking in the firebox, the front right corner of the flame shield is at least an inch closer to the right wall of the firebox than the front left corner is to the left wall. I don't know whether it was like this when the dealer installed it, or if it somehow shifted since installation (seems unlikely to me, though). Does anybody know if this is something that I should be concerned about, either in terms of performance or stove longevity? I tried pushing the shield back into place, but it didn't want to budge, so I may need to remove the baffle and loosen the bolt first.

Second, I think that the side insulation pieces may have been installed incorrectly. Judging by what it says in the stove manual, I think that the insulation blankets are supposed to be folded over to rest on the baffle rails, so that they butt up against the sides of the baffle. I think that this is what I have seen in photos on this site, as well. In our case, the insulation blankets were never folded over on to the baffle rails - instead, they continue up the side of the stove all the way to the top, where they are bent over a little, covering a bit of the bottom of the top-plate. They certainly don't touch the sides of the baffle! It is entirely possible that I am confused about how the insulation is supposed to be installed, so I wanted to get some advice before I go modifying anything.

I will try to get some good photos this evening to illustrate what I am talking about.

Finally, does anybody know where I can purchase some baffle gaskets online? Our dealer is a bit out of the way, so I would prefer to simply order them online and have them mailed to our house, but I can go to our dealer if necessary.


Thanks in advance!

--Patrick

 

[begreen]

Welcome Patrick. A picture of the flame shield would help. You can get gaskets from Tom at: www.chimneysweeponline.com.

 

[madison]

The baffle freely rests on the two ledges that float on the two sides of the stove interior.

Check the two links down below, buy some 3/8" gasket and make your own that will last longer than the OEM, takes less than 1/2 hr to remove the baffle, tie your gasket out of the 3/8" gasket material, and reinstall the baffle. The baffle is heavy, but could have rotated with loading the stove up to the baffle. Getting the baffle back up into the stove is the hardest part of the task due to its weight and position.

There are two links, instructions and followup:

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/26827/

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/40803/

Pics of your problem if other than above would help.

 

[vialator]

OK, here are a couple photos... These first two are taken from above the stove looking into the flue collar. This helps show how the flame shield is installed "crooked"...

 

[vialator]

This next one is looking into the stove at the upper-lefthand corner. You can see that the corner of the flame shield is turned away from the side of the stove. Also, you can see the side insulation going up the side of the stove and curving around the underside of the top plate.

 

[vialator]

And finally, we have the right-hand side of the stove. Here you can see the flame shield turned in towards the side of the stove. In the front on this side, the side insulation is almost touching the flame shield.

 

[summit]

take out the baffle, lay the insulation in on its side and sqush it towards the sidewalls with the baffle when you put it back in... this will butt it up to the baffle... that being said, mine lays up a bit like yours, because it can be a pain in the ass to suish it all back uniformy: it doesn't really bother htings, stove hums long fine... the flame shield is just a useless little flap of metal that keeps your nice big stove top from getting hit w/ direct flame... push it back if you want, but that summit is 3/8" steel top: you're gonna have to work very hard to mess that up... and remember

burn away my friend, and welcome to the exclusive:
UR AWESOME BECAUSE U OWN A SUMMIT club
our motto is "f^c* it...its gotta lifetime warranty!"

with the great power of the summit comes even greater responsibility... always use it for good.

 

[vialator]

lol, thanks summit! I removed the baffle and re-positioned the flame shield. Once I get my replacement baffle gasket, I'll fold down the side insulation, re-install the baffle, and should be good to go.

Happy Burning!