Who made this stove?

[Kim_B]

Any ideas on who made this stove? It was in a house in PA. Maybe installed in the 80's. Steel jacket and doors is 1/2" thick. 6" stove pipe. Brass eagle and vent knobs. Has pipes in the top of the stove connected to a blower to vent into the room. Firebox is inlaid with 24 firebricks. 21.5" X 28" long.

Don't see a nameplate or identifying markers, and insurance Co. 's form needs make, model, approx. Yr. Would like to install this beaut as it seems better made then stuff on the market today.

 

[Hoytman]

Looks similar to a Baker, and it could be being you found it in a home in PA.

 

[Kim_B]

Looks similar to a Baker, and it could being being you found it in a home in PA.

Thanks! It really could be. Looks extremely well crafted, built to last, but plain. Amish/Mennonite made makes sense.

 

[Hoytman]

I would be very careful before planning to use that stove and and make sure to inspect each of those air tubes inside that stove for pin holes as they are exposed to direct flame. If there’s a pin hole in any of them it will allow for poisonous gases into the home which could be deadly. Just be mindful of that. Otherwise, those tubes will throw a lot of naturally convective heat into the home even without using the fan (you could even remove the fan and they will put out a lot of heat).

I have a similarly made wood stove and I plan on modifying the stove by covering the tubes with stainless shielding to protect them plus I will make other modifications.

You will need to pay attention to clearances for unlisted stoves when installing as clearance to combustibles will be greater than most modern stoves. That is, the stove will need to be further away from combustibles.

 

[Kim_B]

I would be very careful before planning to use that stove and and make sure to inspect each of those air tubes inside that stove for pin holes as they are exposed to direct flame. If there’s a pin hole in any of them it will allow for poisonous gases into the home which could be deadly. Just be mindful of that. Otherwise, those tubes will throw a lot of naturally convective heat into the home even without using the fan (you could even remove the fan and they will put out a lot of heat).

I have a similarly made wood stove and I plan on modifying the stove by covering the tubes with stainless shielding to protect them plus I will make other modifications.

You will need to pay attention to clearances for unlisted stoves when installing as clearance to combustibles will be greater than most modern stoves. That is, the stove will need to be further away from combustibles.

Did the light test on the tubes. No light confirmed pinholes. Was thinking of standing them down and painting with

I would be very careful before planning to use that stove and and make sure to inspect each of those air tubes inside that stove for pin holes as they are exposed to direct flame. If there’s a pin hole in any of them it will allow for poisonous gases into the home which could be deadly. Just be mindful of that. Otherwise, those tubes will throw a lot of naturally convective heat into the home even without using the fan (you could even remove the fan and they will put out a lot of heat).

I have a similarly made wood stove and I plan on modifying the stove by covering the tubes with stainless shielding to protect them plus I will make other modifications.

You will need to pay attention to clearances for unlisted stoves when installing as clearance to combustibles will be greater than most modern stoves. That is, the stove will need to be further away from combustibles.

Yeah, I was planning on installing with the maximum clearances. It's gonna come down to the insurance Co. Cause if they won't insure, we'll go with a newer stove. This looks better built then the current market stuff.

I just checked the tubes with a flashlight and saw no pinholes. I was thinking of sanding them down and painting with high heat exhaust pipe paint (good up to 2000F.).

I hear that the normal stove paint burns off . Your thoughts?

 

[Hoytman]

Checked with flashlight now do a sound check tapping with a ball peen hammer and just listen. You’ll instantly hear thin spots in those pipes. They’re probably good to go, but good to be extra safe.

I would plan on putting a baffle in the top of that stove. Search in the all things Fisher stove forum an search for baffle to get ideas. It can test it n top of bricks and you can see how to do this in the Fisher forum on this site. Here …. https://www.hearth.com/talk/forums/fisher-stove-information-parts-history-and-more.28/ Forum member Coaly might even be able to confirm or deny my suspicions of whether or not it may be a Baker stove. The baffle alone will help shield those pipes from direct flame and it’ll make the stove burn slightly better. I wouldn’t worry about painting them myself, but it’s up to you.

That stove is well built with good heavy top plate. Would have liked the stove outlet/breech and to have been a little thicker but it appears in good shape.

 

[bholler]

This looks better built then the current market stuff.

Better built is a very relative term. Yes this is built with thicker metal than most modern stuff. But there is also very little in the way of engineering in that stove to maximize combustion efficiency or heat transfer efficency

 

[begreen]

What is the small hole in the upper back? It appears to be showing light leak in this picture. Was something bolted there?

This looks better built then the current market stuff.

There are a lot of well-built stoves on the market. With proper care and operation, they will last as long as this old boy.

 

[Kim_B]

What is the small hole in the upper back? It appears to be showing light leak in this picture. Was something bolted there?
View attachment 298266


There are a lot of well-built stoves on the market. With proper care and operation, they will last as long as this old boy.

that's actually the light from the chimney pipe connector holes.

Chimney sweep says it can't be installed cause it doesn't meet code... Ie post UL list approved stove. Said they can't hook it up and insurance companies won't insure house if I do. ☹️☹️

 

[nathan125]

Just install it if you like it. Less red tape the better.

 

[GrumpyDad]

Just install it if you like it. Less red tape the better.

I wish it worked that way but it doesnt.
If you have a mortgage you must have insurance. If an insurance company drops you, it's harder and more expensive to find another. For me, it wasnt that hard - and there were some things I had to do to comply with the almighty $ gods.
If there is a questionaire and he intentionally says NO to 'wood burning stove / make / model" and there is a fire claim from said stove...guess what, they wont pay the claim.
No house AND you still get to pay the mortgage. Lose / Lose situation.

The sweep may be correct, but like in my area an unlisted stove needs a 36" clearance to all combustibles. 36'! That's alot of room. And even then, my insurance company may drop me.

Now if you install a wood stove AFTER you already have insurance, that's kind of a gray area. In my area, when you install a wood burning stove (or even drill a hole through your roof for the chimney) you must get a permit, and you must submit your work, have it inspected in stages, and then get a COI from your insurance company. Meaning, I have to go tell my insurance company that I installed a wood burning stove, and it's a 2nd home that we wont be in all the time. The insurnace company isnt going to say "ok well you can only burn on the days when you will be able to watch it go out completely". No, they are just going to jack up my rates for having one at a 2nd home, moreso than a primary.

And if it is a rental.....forget about it.

 

[bholler]

Just install it if you like it. Less red tape the better.

Until you need your insurance then it's definitely not better

 

[Hoytman]

An insurance agent telling you they won’t insure any kind of stove or any type of installation is NOT the same as the “home office” of a company saying such. You might just find that the home office would have insured you (with proper clearances and pictures and from another agent selling the same company) but the agent (maybe your agent) for the company would not. Happens all the time. Some agents won’t accept any risk at all of insuring anyone with a stove or wanting a stove (even though the company insured installs all the time) because of claims/loss ratios within that agency.

It could be that a particular agent already has a high loss ratio and won’t take the risk of insuring you (or anyone) because they could lose that company(s) they have if they have any more claims within a certain time span. That’s why it’s helpful to have an agent that has several companies to try and quote you in, and it helps if that agent has a low loss ratio…something you can ask them.

As mentioned by another poster there is such a thing as installing with clearances for “unlisted stoves”. I’d be curious as to why the sweep didn’t mention this to you and ask them about it and ask your insurance agent also. You can even call your insurance companies home office yourself to be sure. if they insure “unlisted stoves” and see what the it requirements are. Sometimes the agent may not know about insuring for “unlisted stoves”, but they should always be willing to call the home office for you to find out.

Some agents may offer several companies as a service to you. Often times a client may have questions but agents may not know all the answers, so they are constantly calling home offices to get answers to serve their clients. It’s not uncommon for a company to request pictures (and maybe even repairs) before insurance is granted. They may often require pictures every so often for renewal of insurance as well.



As far as the heat transfer efficiency of that style of stove is concerned…

That thing will throw radiant and convective heat like nobody’s business even without using the fan. I have one stove that works exactly the same. It will not help you to conserve wood from your wood pile but it will heat very well. I have two other stoves that operate on nearly the same design principle and transfer heat dang near the same and as well. I bought them all for that reason; they don’t require electricity.