RSF Opel 2000 secondary air questions/story, kind off long

[Crocks]

And sorry Peter I missed your question. No I don't have a catalytic converter

 

[Crocks]

Well I thought I had the door seal fixed. But after taking some tips on how a fellow owner of a Opel 2 runs his. My stove puts off more heat and now the face warping more than my single standard rope gasket in my doors can handle.

So on and forward. I'm making progress I now need to find maybe some type of flat seal that I could adhere to the face of the stove itself. I'm thinking around 1/2"-5/8" wide and 1/8" thick Problem is it needs to be somewhat soft so it can be squished down but still seal. OO yea and heat resistant up to 1000 degrees I think would be ok.

Any body got any recommendations or links on a seal that would work for me?

Thanks again everyone

 

[Peterand]

Did you go through a Dealer to find out if RSF would replace it or did you contact the Manufacturer? It's a fire hazard I would say.

If its modified for sure they wouldn't.

 

[Crocks]

Rsf states that the warranty is non transferable. I have contacted rsf about the issue and they are little to no help because the unit is over 20 yrs old, the rsf company was sold to the new owners after my stove was made so they don't have much support or info for it.

 

[Peterand]

Know any Welders that could brace it inside? Or even bolt a piece in front of the metal inside ....or a piece of stone in front on the inside.

 

[Crocks]

Update. Been burning here again since October. I have realized that I can get the doors to seal. I did this by adjusting the doors when the fire place is hottt. This allows Me to swing the bottom right hinge outwards Wich in turn pushes the top left edge in creating an air tight seal. When the fire place cools it's a lil hard to open the door and when u light a fire and go to close it u cannot fully close the latch untill the stove gets hot then u can. Burn times improved. Still fine tuning things to get right. I think next year I'm going to split half my wood about double the size. I'm thinking 6-8inch dia is ideal for this beast .

Happy New year's feels good to be back. This was off the top of my head will be back with more

 

[jjfmetal]

Update. Been burning here again since October. I have realized that I can get the doors to seal. I did this by adjusting the doors when the fire place is hottt. This allows Me to swing the bottom right hinge outwards Wich in turn pushes the top left edge in creating an air tight seal. When the fire place cools it's a lil hard to open the door and when u light a fire and go to close it u cannot fully close the latch untill the stove gets hot then u can. Burn times improved. Still fine tuning things to get right. I think next year I'm going to split half my wood about double the size. I'm thinking 6-8inch dia is ideal for this beast .

Happy New year's feels good to be back. This was off the top of my head will be back with more

Good info Crocks, thanks.
How are your burn times now, have they improved?
Im thinking about buying and an opel 2000. Was never used much at all been In storage for about 10 years. It does need a new top baffle it's crumbling apart. I'm trying to figure were the top baffle sits inside the unit. There is a piece of metal the is roughly 12" Wide that appears might have been on top of the baffle? Any chance you could take some pictures of your fireplace looking up at the baffle? That would be awesome!!

Are you still thinking about installing the catalytic?

 

[jjfmetal]

Did you get any answers to your questions? I have been burning with an Opel 2000 since 1998. I live in the Canadian Arctic -40C outside right now!

The RSF are awesome Stoves, so I would assume yours is as well.

Sounds like something is not right with yours!


I did have a problem with my original purchase. RSF had to actually replace my 1st unit because the Metal behind the top of the door was actually bending with the heat of the Fire and sucking air in all along the top of the door. I could watch it grow to be nearly 1/2" wide. I noticed that my burn times went from 10 hours or so to 4 hours. The kids would be playing their Video Games on a TV near the Fireplace and would be "overheating" with Red faces.

RSF sent a different unit and I have been using it since around 2002??

I burned it without the Catalytic filter until about 7 years ago. It is a "way better" stove with the Converter. I would say about an extra 3 hours of burn time and probably an extra 25% heat. Totally worth the $400 or so for the Kit!


I have been having an issue in the last few weeks where the stove didn't seem to be opening up as well but have just figured out yesterday what is going on. The air intake was hooked to a vent coming from outside almost directly. The hose connecting it developed a hole near the top so it was sucking a lot of warm air from the house. I believe this has drastically affected the BiMetal draft on it so the spring is getting very warm and closing the Draft harder and harder........my burn time when it's -40C used to be around 12 hours or so burning Jack Pine, now it went 16-18 hours but so low that my chimney cap isn't even keeping the ice off it....it also isn't keeping the house warm enough.
Easy fix though as I just need to fix the vent pipe.

Hey Peterand thanks for the info on the Opel 2000. I'm actually thinking about buying that same unit. Did yours come with the catalytic or did you install the kit? I believe the one I'm looking at does not have the catalytic. Also could you possibly take some photos of the inside of your fireplace? The unit I'm looking at needs a new top baffle I'm not exactly sure were it installs at or how. And I would also like to make sure it's not missing anything. Thank you!!

 

[Crocks]

Hi jjf. Oh man any questions on the Opel 2000 u came to the right place. I have increased my burn times now I reload every 4- 10 hrs depending on how much wood I load and how much heat I need. Ushually when I am home I like the house warm I am reloading every 3-6 hrs. The only way I achieved this was by modifying the air inlet control by removing a screw that was limiting the damper closure. I found mine works best with a .065 shim placed in the hole rather than the screw.

I'm not saying u should do this right away. I would test your unit first because it had seemed these fire places had little changes made here n there over time.

I would recommend the unit despite the woes that I have discovered. I have fixed many and still learning. As far as the baffle. Mine did not have the cocrete style baffle but a small about 10" wide metal baffle only . Here is some old literature attached I circled the baffle plate. It just sits on top of the firebox .

I did not get a catalytic converter. A few people told me that they had to replace them too often. I may try it but at about 300$ that's a little bit of a gamble.

Any other questions let me know

 

[jjfmetal]

Hi jjf. Oh man any questions on the Opel 2000 u came to the right place. I have increased my burn times now I reload every 4- 10 hrs depending on how much wood I load and how much heat I need. Ushually when I am home I like the house warm I am reloading every 3-6 hrs. The only way I achieved this was by modifying the air inlet control by removing a screw that was limiting the damper closure. I found mine works best with a .065 shim placed in the hole rather than the screw.

I'm not saying u should do this right away. I would test your unit first because it had seemed these fire places had little changes made here n there over time.

I would recommend the unit despite the woes that I have discovered. I have fixed many and still learning. As far as the baffle. Mine did not have the cocrete style baffle but a small about 10" wide metal baffle only . Here is some old literature attached I circled the baffle plate. It just sits on top of the firebox .

I did not get a catalytic converter. A few people told me that they had to replace them too often. I may try it but at about 300$ that's a little bit of a gamble.

Any other questions let me know

Awesome! Thank you
Is this the metal baffle?
Does the inside of your Opel look like this?
Also have you ever had to replace the Firebrick? I will have to buy new ones found whole kit for around $250

 

[jjfmetal]

Hi jjf. Oh man any questions on the Opel 2000 u came to the right place. I have increased my burn times now I reload every 4- 10 hrs depending on how much wood I load and how much heat I need. Ushually when I am home I like the house warm I am reloading every 3-6 hrs. The only way I achieved this was by modifying the air inlet control by removing a screw that was limiting the damper closure. I found mine works best with a .065 shim placed in the hole rather than the screw.

I'm not saying u should do this right away. I would test your unit first because it had seemed these fire places had little changes made here n there over time.

I would recommend the unit despite the woes that I have discovered. I have fixed many and still learning. As far as the baffle. Mine did not have the cocrete style baffle but a small about 10" wide metal baffle only . Here is some old literature attached I circled the baffle plate. It just sits on top of the firebox .

I did not get a catalytic converter. A few people told me that they had to replace them too often. I may try it but at about 300$ that's a little bit of a gamble.

Any other questions let me know

So what exactly is this? https://friendlyfires.ca/products/rsf-opel-top-baffle/
does your Opel not have this?

 

[begreen]

That looks pretty rusty. Make very sure the metal is sound before buying. If that metal fails it could be dangerous, even deadly.

 

[jjfmetal]

That looks pretty rusty. Make very sure the metal is sound before buying. If that metal fails it could be dangerous, even deadly.

Thanks begreen! The pics look bad but that dude is solid that rust is on the surface

 

[Crocks]

Yes my opel looks similar. I cannot tell u if yours should have the small metal baffle like mine or the cocrete one. Do you know if yours is an opel 2000 Opel 2 or Opel AP?

I can tell you that your stove had a catalytic converter installed at one time. Myself I would not re order the catalytic converter till u have tested the stove and go from there. A local stove shop said it's not worth the money. But hey if it icreases efficiency like someone above said it would I'd be all for it. So please if you do by one please do it after u have tested and can tell me how it increased your stoves burn times and heat outputs..


Don't let that lil bit of surface rust worry you no big deal. If it's only surface that thing has decades of heating still left in her. I'll take a pic right now because I just woke up and the fire place is just hardly cool enough for me to stick phone in

 

[Crocks]

Awesome! Thank you
Is this the metal baffle?
Does the inside of your Opel look like this?
Also have you ever had to replace the Firebrick? I will have to buy new ones found whole kit for around $250

And sorry I couldn't tell at first the pic of that plate. Yes this is the baffle same as mine . Expect mine is bent from previous owner over firing the stove.

 

[jjfmetal]

Yes my opel looks similar. I cannot tell u if yours should have the small metal baffle like mine or the cocrete one. Do you know if yours is an opel 2000 Opel 2 or Opel AP?

I can tell you that your stove had a catalytic converter installed at one time. Myself I would not re order the catalytic converter till u have tested the stove and go from there. A local stove shop said it's not worth the money. But hey if it icreases efficiency like someone above said it would I'd be all for it. So please if you do by one please do it after u have tested and can tell me how it increased your stoves burn times and heat outputs..


Don't let that lil bit of surface rust worry you no big deal. If it's only surface that thing has decades of heating still left in her. I'll take a pic right now because I just woke up and the fire place is just hardly cool enough for me to stick phone inView attachment 255549View attachment 255549View attachment 255550

Awesome thanks for the pictures and the video!
Mine is for sure the Opel 2000, How can you tell that it had a catalytic converter at one point?
Also in your video is the inlet air turned all the way down? Just wondered what the flames looked like with it all the way closed?
Thanks!

 

[Crocks]

Awesome thanks for the pictures and the video!
Mine is for sure the Opel 2000, How can you tell that it had a catalytic converter at one point?
Also in your video is the inlet air turned all the way down? Just wondered what the flames looked like with it all the way closed?
Thanks!

Because on ur second photo the to right hand side I see where so thing was screwed on . And you have a lever sticking out above ur doors on top left hand side. This lever is for; once ur stive hits 500 degrees. U pull that lever to direct the hear thru the catalytic converter. Then once the catalytic cover is up to temp it will burn any left over fuel as it passes thru it.

And that video was fully dampered . For what ever reason the manufacturer installed a screw in my air control to limit how much it would damper the fire. With the screw I could hardly tell a difference between. Wide open and closed. I removed the screw and have been fooling around with different shims. I think it's still burning a lil fast myself . I'm probably going to try shimming it a little less see how that does.

I attached a photo of the screw hole that my shim is in. This is the air control. It's.located on upper right behind the upper louver. Will you please look and see if yours had a screw as well? Thanks

 

[Crocks]

Disregard the second photo of the thermo disc. I did not mean to post that. I'ma get in trouble one day with that habbit

 

[jjfmetal]

Because on ur second photo the to right hand side I see where so thing was screwed on . And you have a lever sticking out above ur doors on top left hand side. This lever is for; once ur stive hits 500 degrees. U pull that lever to direct the hear thru the catalytic converter. Then once the catalytic cover is up to temp it will burn any left over fuel as it passes thru it.

And that video was fully dampered . For what ever reason the manufacturer installed a screw in my air control to limit how much it would damper the fire. With the screw I could hardly tell a difference between. Wide open and closed. I removed the screw and have been fooling around with different shims. I think it's still burning a lil fast myself . I'm probably going to try shimming it a little less see how that does.

I attached a photo of the screw hole that my shim is in. This is the air control. It's.located on upper right behind the upper louver. Will you please look and see if yours had a screw as well? Thanks View attachment 255555

Ok I see the screw holes you are talking about one on each side but I do not have a lever sticking out above the doors. I think what you are seeing is a Screw sticking out that attached the rock retainer kit. I did call the Manufacturer and ask about the catalytic, a lady named Carol said the opel 2000 could not be retrofitted with a catalytic converter? I was thinking it could. I will see if mine has the screw on the inlet damper, I actually haven't bought this fireplace yet but as soon as i do will send a pick of the screw.

 

[jjfmetal]

Disregard the second photo of the thermo disc. I did not mean to post that. I'ma get in trouble one day with that habbit

haha no prob, I meant to ask what size flu/chimney pipe u are using?

 

[Crocks]

Mine has 8" Dia chimney. About 14 ft drafts extremely well. Oh boy me n Carol have about 50 emails between us. She has helped me alot and has sent me alot if valuable info. Although many of my questions with her remain un answered. She had told me that company had changed owner ship since my stive was made . Our conversations usually end with me asking a question and I don't get a response. Not to bash Carol she is great I feel some info just isn't there for her.

Anyways I was wrong I looked closer at ur pic and had seen that it is screw not a lever. Although u can buy a catalytic converter for the 2000 online from friendly fires. And all those screw holes right where u mount the baffle pretty much explains it. Unless something else random was mounted there

 

[jjfmetal]

Mine has 8" Dia chimney. About 14 ft drafts extremely well. Oh boy me n Carol have about 50 emails between us. She has helped me alot and has sent me alot if valuable info. Although many of my questions with her remain un answered. She had told me that company had changed owner ship since my stive was made . Our conversations usually end with me asking a question and I don't get a response. Not to bash Carol she is great I feel some info just isn't there for her.

Anyways I was wrong I looked closer at ur pic and had seen that it is screw not a lever. Although u can buy a catalytic converter for the 2000 online from friendly fires. And all those screw holes right where u mount the baffle pretty much explains it. Unless something else random was mounted there

Yeah she was some what helpful but I got the feeling she would rather sell me a new fireplace than talk about the old one... LOL

Now if we could get someone to post a picture of there Opel that has a catalytic combustor that would be awesome

 

[Das Jugghead]

So I thought myself that if it was pointing more into the actual fire box itself it would help push the smoke back into the hot bricks and hel ignite. I pulled the pin holding this air tube, rotated it at a 60 degree angle down into back of stove. I also removed the removed factory steel baffle from the stove and replaced it with 4 firebricks to help keep it hot and insulated where I'm blowing the secondary air into. I just tried it out and I'm seeing some crazy blue secondary swirling flames. Seemed to burn hot for the amount of wood I put into it. But it's not too cold here yet overnight lows 45. I'll put some bigger peices in now for a better test and update . Any one even still burning out if these stoves?

Kudos to you good sir for such a great idea. Since temperatures here are hovering around ten degrees I thought no better day than to mess with the stove. I rotated the secondary tubes in my stove to test this out. There are three secondary tubes in my stove. The back one and middle one now face straight down, the front one faces back a little below horizontal. I ran a test load at 9:30 this morning and Holy Mother of God the stove went flat out nuclear. I ran two fans on it and temperatures in this room hit 83 degrees - this with outdoor temperatures at 9 degrees. I was so impressed I pulled the secondary tubes at 3:30 pm with a bed of coals an inch thick (arm hair is sooo overrated - yeah I burned the everlasting you-fill-in-the-blank out myself) and redrilled the holes for the retaining cotter pins.

I just reinstalled the secondary tubes with the above-described orientation and reloaded the stove at 4:00 pm. Within ten minutes the stove was cooking away. Stove loaded 80% of capacity with walnut. I will report back with the results but based on what I am seeing now I am pretty sure I am going to have to rework my intake box to slow down the incoming air.

 

[Crocks]

Kudos to you good sir for such a great idea. Since temperatures here are hovering around ten degrees I thought no better day than to mess with the stove. I rotated the secondary tubes in my stove to test this out. There are three secondary tubes in my stove. The back one and middle one now face straight down, the front one faces back a little below horizontal. I ran a test load at 9:30 this morning and Holy Mother of God the stove went flat out nuclear. I ran two fans on it and temperatures in this room hit 83 degrees - this with outdoor temperatures at 9 degrees. I was so impressed I pulled the secondary tubes at 3:30 pm with a bed of coals an inch thick (arm hair is sooo overrated - yeah I burned the everlasting you-fill-in-the-blank out myself) and redrilled the holes for the retaining cotter pins.

I just reinstalled the secondary tubes with the above-described orientation and reloaded the stove at 4:00 pm. Within ten minutes the stove was cooking away. Stove loaded 80% of capacity with walnut. I will report back with the results but based on what I am seeing now I am pretty sure I am going to have to rework my intake box to slow down the incoming air.

Hah!! There is other people in this world as crazy as I am . I'm stoked I persuaded you to try something new . I ended up rotating my secondary air tube back to normal position . Main reason why is my secondary air tube is massive with many big holes drilled for lots of air . With it pointing back into fire box it burnt really hot but also burned up all my wood real fast, Since I don't have a easy way to adjust or regulate the amount of secondary air ; one day I'm going to rotate it back to how I had it but maybe pointing up towards the center or the roof of mire fire box. I will take screws and block off every other hole in the secondary air tube to limit the amount of air. Soon I will try this and let you know .

One question I do have is there anyway I can make the big concrete baffle out of a Opel 2 fit in this opel 2000?

 

[jjfmetal]

Hah!! There is other people in this world as crazy as I am . I'm stoked I persuaded you to try something new . I ended up rotating my secondary air tube back to normal position . Main reason why is my secondary air tube is massive with many big holes drilled for lots of air . With it pointing back into fire box it burnt really hot but also burned up all my wood real fast, Since I don't have a easy way to adjust or regulate the amount of secondary air ; one day I'm going to rotate it back to how I had it but maybe pointing up towards the center or the roof of mire fire box. I will take screws and block off every other hole in the secondary air tube to limit the amount of air. Soon I will try this and let you know .

One question I do have is there anyway I can make the big concrete baffle out of a Opel 2 fit in this opel 2000?

Wonder if a guy could cut one of these to fit on top the metal baffle and also add the insulation blanket? Lynn Universal Baffle Board, Superwool, 2100F, 21'' x 11-3/4'' x 1/2'' Amazon product ASIN B0716M86PQ