Greetings!
I have an Englander wood stove which uses the 30/50 Series AC-30CFB Fiber Board. These boards rest above the air tubes at the top, inside the wood stove. The problem is these Fiber Boards break too easily and don't last very long. The first year I had the wood stove, I'd occasionally tap the fiber board while loading the wood in the stove, and the slightest tap would cause the boards to crack and fall apart.
I had to purchase about 4 replacements last winter. At $100 per set (the boards are $50 each and 2 of them are required), that's about $400 just for these little fiber boards. After replacing these fiber boards the first couple of times, I started being extremely careful not to touch the fiber board while loading the wood stove. I've discovered that even if I never tap the fiber boards, they still eventually crack all over. The only explanation I can think of for this cracking is the high temperatures or the repeated heating and cooling.
This has become too expensive to maintain. I need a better solution. Does anyone know of any more durable alternatives to this fiber board? I considered getting a couple 1/4" solid cast-iron plates in there, but that would conduct heat instead of insulating it, which would make the wood stove less efficient. Surely I can't be the only person who is fed up with these cheap, fragile, fiber boards. Are there other options for insulating boards which are safe replacements for these fiber boards?
I'd be happy to spend more for a long term solution here.
Thanks in advance for your support.
I have an Englander wood stove which uses the 30/50 Series AC-30CFB Fiber Board. These boards rest above the air tubes at the top, inside the wood stove. The problem is these Fiber Boards break too easily and don't last very long. The first year I had the wood stove, I'd occasionally tap the fiber board while loading the wood in the stove, and the slightest tap would cause the boards to crack and fall apart.
I had to purchase about 4 replacements last winter. At $100 per set (the boards are $50 each and 2 of them are required), that's about $400 just for these little fiber boards. After replacing these fiber boards the first couple of times, I started being extremely careful not to touch the fiber board while loading the wood stove. I've discovered that even if I never tap the fiber boards, they still eventually crack all over. The only explanation I can think of for this cracking is the high temperatures or the repeated heating and cooling.
This has become too expensive to maintain. I need a better solution. Does anyone know of any more durable alternatives to this fiber board? I considered getting a couple 1/4" solid cast-iron plates in there, but that would conduct heat instead of insulating it, which would make the wood stove less efficient. Surely I can't be the only person who is fed up with these cheap, fragile, fiber boards. Are there other options for insulating boards which are safe replacements for these fiber boards?
I'd be happy to spend more for a long term solution here.
Thanks in advance for your support.
