Ranger 826 - warped steel

[sdiguana]

I bought a house (built in 87) that has a Ranger Model 826. It has considerable warped steel on its interior, the front lip (not sealing surface), the back wall and the top roof baffle is drooping on both sides. is that ok / safe? The fire brick seems degraded, I need to clean it to get a better handle on its state.

Is this at end of life? I have not owned a wood stove before, so don't know if it is normal or not.

If it is at end of life, what's the lifespan on the chimney piping? How can I tell if we are near replacement to it?

 

[begreen]

It looks like normal aging so far. I don't see a safety issue with this based on the pictures. The gaps on the sides of the baffle will allow more gases to bypass the baffle and go straight up the flue That's not desirable. I'm not sure if the stove originally had an insulation blanket or firebrick on top of the baffle to achieve better sealing.

 

[sdiguana]

is the warping from overfiring, or just expected for a nearly 40 year old stove?

I had done some small amount of research on new ones and it seemed like a blaze king pricess 32 would be a great fit for the square footage & six inch flue. Given it is a modern catalytic stove, i assume there is a good savings in wood usage? not knowing anything about anything, is it like half, 2/3 or somewhere else?

One of the local dealers quoted 4400$ less installation / tax. I would assume that in my case its a simple remove and replace should i opt to go that route.

 

[begreen]

It looks pretty normal. A modern Blaze King stove would be a quantum improvement if the alcove meets the stove requirements. There would be a large savings in wood consumption. The caveat is that the Princess has the thermostat on the rear which may not be able to function as well due to heat trapped by the surrounding alcove.

 

[sdiguana]

On reviewing the alcove's spacing, i need to stay with a ≤24" wide stove to keep side air gaps to the masonry. I wandered up and down the EPA list trying to find candidates and have the following (unordered):
1. Hearthstone Green Mountain 40 (40k btu)
2. Lopi Endeavor Nexgen Fyre (67k btu)
3. True North TN20 (55k btu)

are there any other good candidates? does it matter if its the reburn versus catalytic stove, or its just six of one half dozen the other? I like the aesthetic of the green mountain the best, but its a bit small, the house is ~1900sf. The lopi misses on the tax credit, but meets all of the needs. TN20 seems the lowest cost, but it also looks pretty spartan, not sure the wife will like it.

 

[begreen]

We need to know more about the alcove design. Is the brick one or two layers thick? Give us the full alcove dimensions including ceiling height along with a full picture of the alcove.

 

[BKVP]

It looks pretty normal. A modern Blaze King stove would be a quantum improvement if the alcove meets the stove requirements. There would be a large savings in wood consumption. The caveat is that the Princess has the thermostat on the rear which may not be able to function as well due to heat trapped by the surrounding alcove.

So long as the stove is installed to clearances, the thermostat will function properly. HOWEVER, it may be difficult to reach thermostat control and also the fan control.

This appears to be a very tight fit. A smaller unit, such as Sirocco 20 or Kuma Aspen might be a better fit, due to alcove size.

 

[BKVP]

And OP, if you purchase a 25C Federal Tax qualifying unit and you can use it to reduce tax liability, then please use it to replace all of the venting components. They do not last forever. With that warpage, the stack could get very coated with creosote.

BKVP

 

[sdiguana]

40 wide 53 from alcove floor to vent centerline, 59 to top, also masonry. Alcove is 25.5 deep, 46 to front ledge.

10" from back wall of alcove relative to adjacent drywall, seems like two layers of brick to me

 

[begreen]

If the alcove is all brick and there are two layers of brick then the clearance restrictions are moot. They pertain to clearances to combustibles. There are functional concerns as mentioned with the thermostat location on the BKs but not a show stopper. As a first-time stove owner, my recommendation is to stick to a simple stove. Be sure that you have an adequate supply of fully seasoned, dry firewood to ensure the best success and satisfaction.

 

[sdiguana]

The clearance issue is a major relief I was not sure but seemed like it should not matter with the volume of brick.

 

[begreen]

If the stove is just stubbed into a large clay tile then that should be changed and an insulated 6" liner dropped down to connect to the new stove.

 

[sdiguana]

There is some efflouresence on the brick, would the lack of a liner be the likely cause of that? I am speculating that the heat difference is condensing into the masonry

 

[BKVP]

There is some efflouresence on the brick, would the lack of a liner be the likely cause of that? I am speculating that the heat difference is condensing into the masonry

I'd suggest contacting an CSIA Certified Sweep to inspect your system.

 

[begreen]

There is some efflouresence on the brick, would the lack of a liner be the likely cause of that? I am speculating that the heat difference is condensing into the masonry

If moisture has been leaking into the chimney then that needs to be taken care of.