Little did I realize that when I cleaned my flue, all the creosote and ash would fall down on top of the ceramic fiber blanket that rests on the baffle board. The dealer recommended that I remove the baffle and blanket in order to clean it out before firing up the stove this year, but it is a mystery to me how you can get the baffle out without breaking it. I did indeed break the baffle, and would like to avoid having to buy a new one if possible. In order to hold the baffle together while re-installing it, would it be OK to glue it back together with hi-temp furnace cement on top of a piece of 18-gauge mild steel sheet, cut to the same shape and size as the baffle, and glue the baffle to the sheet metal? The air tubes would then be in direct contact with the sheet metal rather than with the baffle. Would that somehow interfere with the stove's proper operation? Thank you.
Would this baffle repair be OK on a Lopi Liberty NEXGEN?
- Thread starter William Crowell
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I don’t think the sheet metal would last long. I’d just stick the board pieces on top to see how they’d work on their own. Maybe you’ll get lucky.
I don't know very much about wood stoves, but here's what I'm going to try: I'm going to glue the pieces of the baffle board back together, cut a sheet of stainless steel expanded mesh cladding to the same size and shape as the baffle, glue the expanded mesh to the baffle across its entire surface, and then glue the ceramic fiber blanket on top of them. I hope that the expanded mesh will adhere well to the baffle, and that it will keep the baffle in one piece during the re-install. The reason I'm going to glue the fiber blanket in place is because otherwise it is hard to keep it in place and get it to go in around the flue as you're installing the baffle.
If this doesn't work for some reason, I'm going to contact Travis Industries to see if they might want to warranty the baffle, even though I did break it when removing it. However, I really did try to be careful, and I feel like it was way too fragile - it seemed like it crumbled apart. I'll bet a new one would be expensive. Do you know of any aftermarket suppliers of the baffle for the Liberty NEXGEN? I didn't see one online after a cursory search. My dealer doesn't have the NEXGEN baffle in stock and would have to ask Travis Ind. to send them one.
I've owned a couple of different wood stoves, and the baffle was always the Achille's heel of the operation. I wonder why the stove manufacturers don't seem to pay more attention to providing a more substantial, higher-quality baffle? Would anybody have any ideas about how to construct a better baffle for a Liberty NEXGEN? Thanks in advance for any advice.
If this doesn't work for some reason, I'm going to contact Travis Industries to see if they might want to warranty the baffle, even though I did break it when removing it. However, I really did try to be careful, and I feel like it was way too fragile - it seemed like it crumbled apart. I'll bet a new one would be expensive. Do you know of any aftermarket suppliers of the baffle for the Liberty NEXGEN? I didn't see one online after a cursory search. My dealer doesn't have the NEXGEN baffle in stock and would have to ask Travis Ind. to send them one.
I've owned a couple of different wood stoves, and the baffle was always the Achille's heel of the operation. I wonder why the stove manufacturers don't seem to pay more attention to providing a more substantial, higher-quality baffle? Would anybody have any ideas about how to construct a better baffle for a Liberty NEXGEN? Thanks in advance for any advice.
I did re-install the old baffle after gluing it together against stainless steel expanded mesh cladding.
It just seems to me that for such an expensive stove, more engineering care should have gone into providing clearance to install the baffle. It is definitely a tight fit, and you have to wiggle it in there just a certain way, and if you jam it while working it into position, it breaks. Unless you were a stove technician experienced in doing this operation on a Liberty NEXGEN, you're almost certain to break the baffle, and it is expensive.
Again for the price they are charging, I believe that Travis Industries should have used a physically-stronger type of baffle that would have more resistance to breakage. I did call my Lopi dealer to file a warranty claim, but they tell me that it doesn't cover labor, and I think quite a bit of labor is involved in doing the baffle replacement.
So let me see if I understand this right: I'm supposed to clean my flue every year, and when I do I'm going to have to remove the baffle and blanket; I'll probably break the baffle and have to buy a new one; or I'll have to hire a stove repairman to replace the baffle at a pretty high cost. Gee, I didn't know I was signing up for this when I bought it. I'm still hoping that Travis Industries will do something to try to keep me happy on this.
It just seems to me that for such an expensive stove, more engineering care should have gone into providing clearance to install the baffle. It is definitely a tight fit, and you have to wiggle it in there just a certain way, and if you jam it while working it into position, it breaks. Unless you were a stove technician experienced in doing this operation on a Liberty NEXGEN, you're almost certain to break the baffle, and it is expensive.
Again for the price they are charging, I believe that Travis Industries should have used a physically-stronger type of baffle that would have more resistance to breakage. I did call my Lopi dealer to file a warranty claim, but they tell me that it doesn't cover labor, and I think quite a bit of labor is involved in doing the baffle replacement.
So let me see if I understand this right: I'm supposed to clean my flue every year, and when I do I'm going to have to remove the baffle and blanket; I'll probably break the baffle and have to buy a new one; or I'll have to hire a stove repairman to replace the baffle at a pretty high cost. Gee, I didn't know I was signing up for this when I bought it. I'm still hoping that Travis Industries will do something to try to keep me happy on this.
Can you remove the singlewall/double wall? Then you don’t have to touch the baffle. You can just vacuum up any debris that falls down onto the baffle top.
The fiber boards aren’t unique to Lopis. They are fragile and expensive unfortunately. I never liked them myself. The stainless baffle was one of the reasons that I went with my PE.
Many stoves come with 2 piece fiber baffles. If your glue up doesn’t work, you should be fine.
The fiber boards aren’t unique to Lopis. They are fragile and expensive unfortunately. I never liked them myself. The stainless baffle was one of the reasons that I went with my PE.
Many stoves come with 2 piece fiber baffles. If your glue up doesn’t work, you should be fine.
Thanks for your replies, EatenBy.
I am happy to report that my local Lopi dealer and Travis Industries honored my warranty claim and kept me happy. Also, they say that in the future, if I open the flue bypass before cleaning the flue, all the creosote will fall down into the firebox and I won't have to remove the baffle and blanket again.
I am happy to report that my local Lopi dealer and Travis Industries honored my warranty claim and kept me happy. Also, they say that in the future, if I open the flue bypass before cleaning the flue, all the creosote will fall down into the firebox and I won't have to remove the baffle and blanket again.
That’s a great tip with the bypass! Try burning it with the old board. Keep the new one as a just in case!
EbS-P
Minister of Fire
My one piece arrived as a two piece baffle. Cracked right down the middle. It is easier to to remove the two piece baffle. Every week or so I need to nudge them back together
Even with the bypass open , there’s always a lot of fly ash and build up above the baffle that needs cleaned out. What stove do you have?
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