# Impingement Plate Position -- Forward or Back?



## BillM2 (Dec 24, 2010)

I just bought a pellet stove and am unsure which position the impingement plate should be -- flat towards the back or forward towards the door. I have an Englander Summer Heat 25-PDVC which I bought at Lowe's. The person who sold the unit to me at Lowe's had no idea.

Whichever position the plate is in, what does it do? Will I get more or less heat with it forward or back?

Many thanks again!

*the impingement plate sits above the burn pot.


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## imacman (Dec 24, 2010)

On the PDVC, the plate hangs flat on the back wall, and is centered behind the burnpot.  

The PDV model stove is different...the plate in that stove leans forward.


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## BillM2 (Dec 24, 2010)

What does the plate do?


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## HD41 (Dec 25, 2010)

The "impingement plate" on the PDVC is the front part of the heat exchanger. Impingement seems like a loose, less than descriptive label for the removable plate that allows cleaning the serpentine exchanger passage behind it that leads to the exhaust blower.


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## imacman (Dec 25, 2010)

HD41 said:
			
		

> The "impingement plate" on the PDVC is the front part of the heat exchanger. Impingement seems like a loose, less than descriptive label for the removable plate that allows cleaning the serpentine exchanger passage behind it that leads to the exhaust blower.



Agreed.  The actual definition of the term is "a sharp collision produced by striking or dashing against something"....in this application, I'm sure Englander means that the hot air strikes the plate, forcing it to go around the plate and then into the heat exchanger.

It is also known as a "baffle".


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## Pweeny (Nov 30, 2012)

imacman said:


> On the PDVC, the plate hangs flat on the back wall, and is centered behind the burnpot.
> 
> The PDV model stove is different...the plate in that stove leans forward.


I'd like to confirm 'centered'. The impingement plate came factory placed setting way to the right. I thought that looked odd but figured that was how it came.....there are two steel tabs on the bottom. The way my plate is placed one of those tabs is inside the firebox. By centered you mean that those tabs should be on either side? Thanks!! Still trying to get this thing all figured out.


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## MCPO (Nov 30, 2012)

Center the tabs.


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## Pweeny (Nov 30, 2012)

Thank you.


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## Harvey Schneider (Nov 30, 2012)

imacman said:


> On the PDVC, the plate hangs flat on the back wall, and is centered behind the burnpot.
> 
> The PDV model stove is different...the plate in that stove leans forward.


That's interesting..... On my PDVC it is not possible for the impingement plate to stand upright at the back wall, it just won't fit. It does fit with the bottom edge against the back wall and the top edge leaning forward against the front wall. This is consistent with the instructions given in the ESW instruction sheet:

http://www.englanderstoves.com/manuals/2003.ProperImpPlatePlacementInFirebox.pdf

"3. Let the bottom of the plate rest on the firebox, and then push the bottom of
the plate flush against the back wall of the firebox. At this point, the plate
will lean forward (toward the front of the stove) slightly, and will come in
contact with the front of the stove above the door."

Englander does not differentiate which stoves, it is implied that all stoves are set up as described in this instruction sheet.
It is also interesting that the impingement plate can not be installed as shown in the instruction, it doesn't fit through the door. I have to bring it into the stove opening at an angle in order to get it through the door.


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## MCPO (Nov 30, 2012)

Harvey Schneider said:


> That's interesting..... On my PDVC it is not possible for the impingement plate to stand upright at the back wall, it just won't fit. It does fit with the bottom edge against the back wall and the top edge leaning forward against the front wall. This is consistent with the instructions given in the ESW instruction sheet:
> 
> http://www.englanderstoves.com/manuals/2003.ProperImpPlatePlacementInFirebox.pdf
> 
> ...


 
My 25 pdvc (smaller model)(2008) flame impingement plate sits with the 2 tabs centered on each side of the burn pot and the top tight to the rear wall (heat exchanger)
 My neighbors 25 PDV(larger model) (2008) flame  impingement plate also sits centered on the burn pot but leans slightly (maybe an inch) toward the front of the stove.
 Maybe other years differ?


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## minakena (Nov 30, 2012)

Harvey Schneider said:


> That's interesting..... On my PDVC it is not possible for the impingement plate to stand upright at the back wall, it just won't fit. It does fit with the bottom edge against the back wall and the top edge leaning forward against the front wall. This is consistent with the instructions given in the ESW instruction sheet:
> 
> http://www.englanderstoves.com/manuals/2003.ProperImpPlatePlacementInFirebox.pdf
> 
> ...





Harvey Schneider said:


> That's interesting..... On my PDVC it is not possible for the impingement plate to stand upright at the back wall, it just won't fit. It does fit with the bottom edge against the back wall and the top edge leaning forward against the front wall. This is consistent with the instructions given in the ESW instruction sheet:
> 
> http://www.englanderstoves.com/manuals/2003.ProperImpPlatePlacementInFirebox.pdf
> 
> ...


I can tell by the photo that the particular stove in the picture is the larger PDV model .I own both models and the PDVC 's  plate should not lean forward toward the door but rest snug agaisnt the back . is it possible that the bottom tabs that hold the plate are bent slightly outward and not holding the plate tight? if so just tap with a hammer for a tighter fit.


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## Harvey Schneider (Dec 1, 2012)

minakena said:


> I can tell by the photo that the particular stove in the picture is the larger PDV model .I own both models and the PDVC 's plate should not lean forward toward the door but rest snug agaisnt the back . is it possible that the bottom tabs that hold the plate are bent slightly outward and not holding the plate tight? if so just tap with a hammer for a tighter fit.


Okay, I believe.
I just crammed the impingement plate against the back wall of the stove and tightened the tabs that hold it. I don't know if anybody recalls that in another thread I commented that the right side of my stove was running almost 100 degrees F hotter than the left. With the plate in its proper position, both sides are running within a few degrees of each other. I lowered the burn setting from 5 to 4 and the stove temperature is 40 degrees higher than it was before (under similar conditions), I also noticed that the flue external temperature is lower. It used to be about 115 now it is below 100. The last observation could be due to the lower setting. Either way, it points to higher efficiency.


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## Pweeny (Dec 1, 2012)

This is interesting. I centered mine but it is not tight and at the top leans forward maybe 3/4". I'm gonna whack the tabs to tighten the fit a bit tomorrow. I can hear it suck tight when I start it but I'd like it to be tight on its own.


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