Appalachian 52 BAY Wood Stove Insert

[Heavy Metal]

Nice looking stove....looks like your getting good service too.

 

[etiger2007]

I dont mean to sound rude but this is a new stove right? I my opinion Mellow should never have to replace a gasket yet alone anything for a couple years or work on a fix its B/S and I would be mad as h e double hockey stick.

 

[mellow]

I dont mean to sound rude but this is a new stove right? I my opinion Mellow should never have to replace a gasket yet alone anything for a couple years or work on a fix its B/S and I would be mad as h e double hockey stick.

It is a new stove, maybe Appalachian does not get enough feedback about issues like this? I have seen people come on here with simular issues with gaskets on Jotuls and Woodstock stoves as well so it is a somewhat common problem. A part of me doubts that changing the gasket will fix the issue but that remains to be seen, I have all summer to get the stove right for next year.

 

[mellow]

Ok, got the new gaskets in from Service Sales, will put those in the next chance I get, thanks Matt!

I installed the condar cat probe, I put the cat probe on top of the cats, as it will not fit into one of the cells. Works great, I did have to push back the gasket a bit to get it to fit but I did a flashlight test from the back of the cat and did not see any light around where the probe was inserted. Works great, cruised at around 1500.

Cat housing removed to get this shot.


Picture of both cats while housing was off

 

[mellow]

I am still going to switch out for the thicker door gasket that Matt sent me, but I tried putting some Moly on the door latch and that has helped get the latch go further up and seat the gasket better.

 

[begreen]

It's curious that there is a just a short horiz wall of firebrick. Most stoves have them set vertically at 9" tall.

 

[mellow]

It's curious that there is a just a short horiz wall of firebrick. Most stoves have them set vertically at 9" tall.

I thought the same thing, I guess they figure with the cat you are smoking the wood anyway so keep the bottom hot and it is good to go?

 

[begreen]

Yes, it looks like it's designed to just keep the coal bed hot .

 

[mellow]

I had some free time this weekend so I pulled the insert out and tapped and threaded 2 holes to be used to secure down the 8" to 6" adapter, if Appalachian is reading this you guys need to make the adapter wider so I could drill through it instead of having to use washers to hold down the adapter from the sides.

I do not feel comfortable with using the adapter without having it secured to insert, if this was a free standing stove with doublewall pipe coming straight down and sitting on top of the adapter that would be fine, but with the flexible liner coming in at an angle the adapter pulls up and needs to be secured.

Last thing to do is change out to a thicker gasket on the door and I think this stove will be all set for next year.

 

[mellow]

I also wanted to followup on the ash dump issue, I installed the gaskets Service Sales sent me using the pictures Matt attached earlier in the thread and it seems to have fixed the issue, it did not look like a blast furnace over the ash dump with the last fire, I also noticed longer burn times. I think once I get the door gasket issue fixed I should be at 8-10 hours between reloads easy during freezing winter temps, for the last fire a week ago I loaded the insert about 3/4 full at 9pm before bed and the cat was still at 450 when I came down the next morning at 8:30am, it got down to the lower 40's that night.

 

[coltfever]

mellow I have a chance to buy the same stove. I used a Buck 26000 last year and was well pleased with it. My plans were to buy a new Buck 74 this year and I come across an Appalachian 52 Bay insert. I hope to go look at it this weekend. I wish you had more burn use time on yours so you could pass that info to me. That stove sure has the looks of a Buck Stove. I was looking at the online manual and it sure has the same layout as the buck 91 only smaller firebox.

 

[clemsonfor]

Dang it. Now I have to wait until next season to see how that steel beauty does for you. I have always been curious about them and the High Valley 2500 also. LIkes me them big steel stoves.

I have a High Valley 2500. I love it i paid $900 for it used. I got it 2 years or so ago. Well got it in February 2011 so i used it the tail end of the 11 season and then all this last winter. I have about 2000sqft in my first floor, did not use the heat pumps at all this year and burned about 2 cords or less?

 

[clemsonfor]

Don't want to derail the topic to much but at first I was going to get the 2500, but it just barely fit in my FP and it was not certified for 6" pipe. I would have jumped on the 1500 but could not find one at the right price, I think it would have done fine on 6" being a 2.5 cubic ft stove but all I could get is a verbal conformation on that from Stoll.

That is how I ended up with the Appalachian, I think I have only seen 1 member on here with a High Valley and maybe 2 with Appalachians in the past.

I talked to Stoll and they said that i could "probly" run my 2500 on a 6" pipe with my 25 ft chimney. Im going to try it and see what it does. I cant fit an 8" in my flue tiles.


Also on the firebrick, the High valley 2500 only has brick on the bottom of the box, not any on or up the sides. But like was said your just smoking the wood, very little flames, generally a wisp or 2 and a secondary show, unless your really rolling the thing then you have some flames.

 

[mellow]

I come across an Appalachian 52 Bay insert. I hope to go look at it this weekend.

Did you get the Appalachian?

 

[coltfever]

Yes I bought it Monday. The date on the back of the stove reads a 2008 model. Been setting not in use for a while. I've taken the old conbustors out and will order new ones along with new gasket rope and wrap for the cats. The manual with it doesn't have a parts listing and I see you have used Service Sales for that. I will be connecting it on an 8 inch s/s liner I put in last year for my old Buck stove insert. The Appalachian 52 seems to look very good. Just need a litttle cleaning and be ready for use this winter. I might have a few questions for you along the way.

 

[begreen]

Congratulations! Take some picks if you can and post them here.

 

[coltfever]

Ok here are the pictures. These were taken when I went to look at it. I now have it in my shop doing a few thing to it. I don't think the stove has been used much. He said he used it one year and that was all. Might have been one of those things he wanted at the time and then changed his mind. Fan runs very smooth and alot air movement. Wife likes the look of the bay windows on it. More pictures later after a good cleaning.

 

[mellow]

Looks good. Get some extra flat gasket and do what I did to the ash dump and check the gasket on the door with a dollar bill test. With such little use on those cats I would put in the new ones but don't throw away the ones you took out, they should still have plenty of life left in them.

Also buy a Cat temp. probe, having that makes controlling the stove so much easier, but be warned, I had to drill out the hole to make it a slightly bit bigger to fit my probe in.

 

[coltfever]

Thanks mellow for the info on the extra flat gasket for the ash door. The dollar bill test is good. Holds tight all places around closed door. Can't pull out. When I removed the cat cast housing from the stove all the rope gasket looks like 1/4 inch rope. Am I correct on that ? Also what kind of gasket wrap is that around the cats ? Sorry for so many questions but while its out time for replace with new. You mentioned a cat temp prob. Can all be ordered from service sales ? The old cats look ok I think but going to order new one anyway. Will keep the old ones though. Your pictures were helpful I see where you placed the cat temp prob.

 

[mellow]

(broken link removed)

Give Matt a call and he can get you the specifics for the gaskets and probe. One thing that threw me off is on any of the listings this stove is listed as a 360CR if you are looking for parts.

 

[mellow]

Incase you need it I have attached the user manual.

 

[coltfever]

Ok I just off the phone talking to Matt. Very helpful and they have everything in stock except the 2 combustors ( ACI-19N) and should get those in about 7 to 10 days.
Looks like I'm in good shape. Thanks for the manual.

 

[begreen]

Wow, it looks barely broken in. If so, the combustors that came with it could be good for a while yet.

 

[coltfever]

The combustors seem to look ok. No older than the stove is and the used time its had I would say it would be fine with the original cats. Like with anything you buy used you never know what might show up until after in place and in use and thats the reason for the little fixes.
I do have a guestion for mellow about the 3 speed fan. On manual speed you have low,medium and high. When switched to automatic does the speed of the fan run from low to high as to how hot the stove is or do you set it at one of the 3 speed position and when it kicks on it runs at that speed ? Something else I want to do when I clean and oil the fan is to replace the 2 position manual / auto switch with a 3 position for off /manual / automatic. Sometimes when taking the ashes out of my Buck stove the low fan would sometimes kick on. No a big deal but I thought if I had only put a 3 position switch on it that would be nice to cut off for the little short time to remove the ashes. I enjoy this site. Lot of good info from everyone.

 

[mellow]

I wish it would do like a Buck and kick on to the higher speeds with higher temps but it is only whatever speed you select on the Appalachian stoves.

No off switch for the fan is one of my problems with this stove, are you going to use a toggle switch from a Buck stove?