bricking over ash dump pe

[CarolH]

Hi, the firebricks in my PE Super 27 need changing. Rather than cutting the special sizes required around the ash dump hole, I was hoping to just put a whole brick over that space (I just keep the dump chute full of ash now, since having a runaway fire when I didn't get the little door closed properly -- very frightening!)
The problem is, it's not flat -- there's a lip across the front and back sides of the opening and a big screw head sticking up at the back right. Any suggestions about removing what I wish had never been installed in the first place?

 

[begreen]

I just keep it full of ash. You can put a half-brick in there is desired. I just saw one on eBay. Or cut one. It's soft pumice.

 

[CarolH]

I just keep it full of ash. You can put a half-brick in there is desired. I just saw one on eBay. Or cut one. It's soft pumice.

Thanks for your quick response! Can I pick your brains a little more?
The problem even for a half brick is that that space is not flat and the brick or half brick would be perched on a screw head and the lips around the ash dump, raising it above the other bricks. Wouldn't that make it vulnerable?
I keep seeing recommendations to rotate cracked bricks down to the bottom of the stove -- it would seem that the ones on the bottom are less important? Virtually ALL of the 11 vertical bricks lining the sides and back of my stove are broken in half. I stupidly let myself be sold only 12 bricks (not OEM but sold as equivalent by a PE dealer). Can I just replace the vertical bricks and leave the floor of the stove as is? (Ten years of full-time heating in southern Québec winters; floor bricks look fairly used.) That would spare me having to cut bricks, but I worry that combining old OEM and new "standard" bricks would be a bad idea. What do you think?

 

[begreen]

The pumice brick is soft. Use a grinder or similar tool to carve out those bumps on the half-brick.
The cracked side bricks sounds like the wood is being loaded too roughly. They should last a long time. Load the stove slowly without slamming in the wood. In the past I have rotated a floor brick in good shape with a rear brick that was cracked in half. Last season I replaced 3 rear bricks. The rest are original. The rear bricks take the most abuse. I can be gentle when doing a cold start loading but sometimes on a hot reload without gloves I have put in the splits too quickly and some slam against the rear of the stove. That's what cracked them.

 

[CarolH]

The pumice brick is soft. Use a grinder or similar tool to carve out those bumps on the half-brick.
The cracked side bricks sounds like the wood is being loaded too roughly. They should last a long time. Load the stove slowly without slamming in the wood. In the past I have rotated a floor brick in good shape with a rear brick that was cracked in half. Last season I replaced 3 rear bricks. The rest are original. The rear bricks take the most abuse. I can be gentle when doing a cold start loading but sometimes on a hot reload without gloves I have put in the splits too quickly and some slam against the rear of the stove. That's what cracked them.

I'm changing all the verticals (8 of 11 were cracked in half -- I really didn't think I'd been that rough!)
I was going to leave the floor alone but the right back corner has been scraped to the point where it's seriously thinner, so I had the idea of replacing it with the best of the OEM verticals I took out (not the same as the new ones; redder? although otherwise similar in weight and also in texture). Does it look from the photo like this is worth doing? Because I'm having a fair bit of trouble getting it to come out; don't want to wreck the special-sized brick to the left of it as I'm not equipped to cut a new one. Maybe I should leave well enough alone?
Also, does the smallest special brick in front of the ash dump (second photo) look crumbled enough to be worrying?

 

[CarolH]

I'm changing all the verticals (8 of 11 were cracked in half -- I really didn't think I'd been that rough!)
I was going to leave the floor alone but the right back corner has been scraped to the point where it's seriously thinner, so I had the idea of replacing it with the View attachment 329358View attachment 329359best of the OEM verticals I took out (not the same as the new ones; redder? although otherwise similar in weight and also in texture). Does it look from the photo like this is worth doing? Because I'm having a fair bit of trouble getting it to come out; don't want to wreck the special-sized brick to the left of it as I'm not equipped to cut a new one. Maybe I should leave well enough alone?
Also, does the smallest special brick in front of the ash dump (second photo) look crumbled enough to be worrying?

A big chunk came out of that brick, so now I'm committed. They are extremely tight -- is it just the ash? They aren't mortared in or something?
Hints on getting a floor brick out are very welcome (also about getting the replacement brick to go in!)

 

[CarolH]

A big chunk came out of that brick, so now I'm committed. They are extremely tight -- is it just the ash? They aren't mortared in or something?
Hints on getting a floor brick out are very welcome (also about getting the replacement brick to go in!)

Turned out the short brick to the left was crumbling so much that I just took it out too. The one I was trying to replace finally came out in multiple chunks; its recycled replacement popped right in. I had a piece that was just a tad too long as a replacement for the short brick, but it broke in two while I was whittling it down to length with a table knife. I just put it in there, on the theory that cracks aren't so bad on the floor (right?).

 

[CarolH]

Almost seems like if I'm going to go to all this trouble (still have to get the baffle back in, oh lordy), I should replace them all with new while I'm at it. The old ones are definitely fragile. Maybe head out to Canadian Tire tomorrow. I don't need the expense, though.

 

[stoveliker]

I think the floor bricks are not that critical if you leave at least half an inch of ashes. Cracks and thinning would be mitigated by the ash.

But if it's going problematic, replacing all and keeping the relatively good ones for future spot repair would not be bad either. In particular if you sleep better that way.

 

[CarolH]

Thanks! I do keep a bed of ash -- I believe my manual says 1" min. so I try to do that.

 

[CarolH]

Just finally found out that the bricks I bought are not US Stove Co.; they're SBI. Not sure if this makes a difference -- sold as PE replacements so presumably I can still use in combination with original PE bricks on the floor?

 

[begreen]

As long as they are pumice bricks they are fine.

 

[CarolH]

As long as they are pumice bricks they are fine.

Not sure how to find that out. They feel like the originals, but they're grey, not pinkish.
I tried to find the info online but most places just say "refractory" and the couple that did specify seemed to be saying they were made of ceramic, with no picture so maybe that was a different product? I could never be sure the products I was looking up were what I bought.
So I called the store where I bought the 12 (again) and he told me they're made of stone but couldn't say whether the stone is pumice or not. He insisted that there would be no problem in using them in combination with the old ones (well, he IS selling them in place of real PE replacement parts).
I went on the SBI International site (they seem to be here in Québec) and they only describe the stoves they sell -- no mention of bricks whatsoever.
I found this site that is selling what appears to be the same bricks I bought, but at a much higher price -- I paid $3.45 a brick, and that was at a retailer with an actual store and associated overhead -- can't be the same bricks, surely!

SBI Refractory Brick - 4'' X 9" X 1 1/4" (29011)

This is an OEM SBI refractory brick that is compatible with many SBI wood stoves, inserts and fireplaces (see applicable models below). This brick will

friendlyfires.ca

I'm just going to put my baffle back in and pour an inch of ash in so I can use my stove -- supposed to be cold Sunday night. I am very annoyed at how hard it is to get essential information.

 

[CarolH]

Actually, those are NOT the same bricks -- pinker and narrower. Mine are just over
4 1/4" wide, a little short of 9" long, and
1 1/4" thick. They're the colour and texture of cinder block.

 

[CarolH]

This is what I bought at the PE dealer (pretty sure). Doesn't say if it's pumice.

Refractory firebrick

Refractory brick. • The brick is sold individually • Replacement or construction of a combustion chamber • Tested up to 2,000° F.

www.bmr.ca

 

[begreen]

I think SBI also uses pumice bricks. If they feel about the same weight as the originals then they are. They look like pumice.

 

[CarolH]

Great, thanks for your help!