Cracked tribute

[gyrfalcon]

I would agree with this, i would NEVER sell a tribute in a situtaiton that the homeowner needs a 24/7 heater, only becasue its more of a pain to maintain the fire in a stove of this size. I rarely recommend anything less then a 2.5 cf box for 24/7 heating, reguardless of the size of the space being heated.

It is a pain . No question. But if it's otherwise a good fit for the heating needs, isn't that a decision the prospective owner should make? What seems a collossal pain in the *** to you may not be more than a minor pain to somebody else, especially if there's someone home all day who doesn't consider it an intolerable burden to fuss with the stove. Each to his own. It's only a minor annoyance to me, for example. A far more important annoyance is that unlike our friend up in Alaska, the stove is simply too small for my heating needs, but I bought it originally only for occasional recreational use, never dreaming the price of oil would skyrocket as it has and I'd want to (ie, urgently need to) switch to wood heat. That's a whole other issue, and I'm hoping I can save up enough for a bigger stove before the tax credit thing expires.

Kudos to you, though, for doing your best to keep your customers from buying too small a stove for their needs. I don't think every dealer is quite so conscientious.

 

[Highbeam]

Gyr: Yep you jumped, and now too proud to admit it. Whatever. Get over it, this thread is about cracks.

AK: A picture is worth a thousand words here so please do show the crack.

 

[gyrfalcon]

Gyr: Yep you jumped, and now too proud to admit it. Whatever. Get over it, this thread is about cracks.

AK: A picture is worth a thousand words here so please do show the crack.

Hooee. Defensive much?

"The tribute at 1.2CF firebox is too small for 24/7 heating. The heritage is barely big enough. It appears that the people using these tiny stoves for 24/7 heating are the only ones cracking them.”

 

[ftjhs2]

Sorry for my slow replys but I'm 4 hours behind many of you. Here are a few pics. The flashlight trick would be useless as these are hairline cracks. No light shows through (an it's not getting very dark here while I'm awake anymore so it's difficult to get a good dark photo).

MountainStove: It sounds like HS doesn't cover cracked stones based on your experience. What is your opinion on the structural integrity of the stove with cracks present? Can I keep running this thing or is it going to break open and burn the place down? The crack is tiny, no light shows through it, and I probably wouldn't have seen it except for the leakage. Again, folks seem a bit wound about the leakage. I had a few smoldering fires, and it seems as this stove gets cold I lose pressure. I have to open the door slowly if it is smoldering or I get smoke out the door. I'm stuck in the shoulder season where I need to burn daily, but not much or I roast out of the house, so smoldering is more common. I barely have any build-up in the flue, so I think I'm ok.

Highbeam: I chose this little stove partly because of space, and also because I figured it could do the job and it has. The only time my oil heater kicks on is when it's below -40F and I'm gone more than 8 hours. It takes awhile to catch up and raise the temp back up to 68, but that's alright with me. The stove guy thought the next size up might be too much for my space. Also, when I was considering the capacity of the stove, it's rated up to 1200ft (approximately) so I figured that with less than half that and an open floor plan I would be fine. Basically, it has. What I'm concerned about is whether this stove is going to hold up. I will restate that I have never seen the top of the stove get anywhere near 500F, so if I am overfiring I would like to know how, and where I should be measuring temps.

Enough for now. Comments on the photos?

 

[edthedawg]

I'm surprised to hear you have little buildup in the flue, but if you've checked and confirmed recently then great. Those stains make me wonder what the inside of the firebox looks like. if it's all glossy creosote inside, I kinda think a dealer / tech would consider your burning practices a problem. Does your glass stay black all the time? Next time you go to load, can you snap a couple photos of the inside? one pointing up at the tubes and including the right sidewall would provide some good data.

With MountainStoveGuy's background and fleet history, I'm hoping (for your sake) he, or someone equally versed like Tom Oyen, can chime in on this w/ some level of "oh, we've seen that before". Because if this is a new one by his install base, my opinion is that it'll really be problematic for you to pursue any kind of warranty claim.

One post earlier asked about the stove being under negative pressure - I can agree with your response that you sorta "lose pressure" late in the burn - you have frigid cold outside, plus some substantial wind I'm guessing, and a short stack to begin with... I don't know what you ought to do differently, however... gonna go back and re-read some of your burn practices, 'cause memory is telling me things sounded pretty normal - but visual evidence is pointing to a problem somewhere.

 

[ftjhs2]

Ed: The glass is generally clear. It is black right now because I am not burning much at all. I usually have some build-up on the glass when I get home, but it burns off quickly after I get things going. During 90% of the year I have no creosote, just during this period. The inside of the stove is definately not glassy. As the stove burns out I get powdery buildup on the walls and tubes, but that burns off once I restart. I'll try to get some pics of the interior.

 

[edthedawg]

well that all does sound good. i'm guessing it's a function of your outdoor conditions, short stack, and marginally seasoned softwood supply... none of which are really conditions I have a lot of familiarity with (Connecticut / 36 ft liner / marginally seasoned oak).

What did you say your insulation was like? The woodstove heats up the place about as fast as your oil-fired central heating system? And you have none of the "other" problems people mention w/ their Tributes - warped doorframes and the like?

Wishing you the best!

 

[MountainStoveGuy]

Sorry for my slow replys but I'm 4 hours behind many of you. Here are a few pics. The flashlight trick would be useless as these are hairline cracks. No light shows through (an it's not getting very dark here while I'm awake anymore so it's difficult to get a good dark photo).

MountainStove: It sounds like HS doesn't cover cracked stones based on your experience. What is your opinion on the structural integrity of the stove with cracks present? Can I keep running this thing or is it going to break open and burn the place down? The crack is tiny, no light shows through it, and I probably wouldn't have seen it except for the leakage. Again, folks seem a bit wound about the leakage. I had a few smoldering fires, and it seems as this stove gets cold I lose pressure. I have to open the door slowly if it is smoldering or I get smoke out the door. I'm stuck in the shoulder season where I need to burn daily, but not much or I roast out of the house, so smoldering is more common. I barely have any build-up in the flue, so I think I'm ok.

Highbeam: I chose this little stove partly because of space, and also because I figured it could do the job and it has. The only time my oil heater kicks on is when it's below -40F and I'm gone more than 8 hours. It takes awhile to catch up and raise the temp back up to 68, but that's alright with me. The stove guy thought the next size up might be too much for my space. Also, when I was considering the capacity of the stove, it's rated up to 1200ft (approximately) so I figured that with less than half that and an open floor plan I would be fine. Basically, it has. What I'm concerned about is whether this stove is going to hold up. I will restate that I have never seen the top of the stove get anywhere near 500F, so if I am overfiring I would like to know how, and where I should be measuring temps.

Enough for now. Comments on the photos?

Well, hairline cracks are almost common. From what i understand, the hairline cracks are natural fissures in the stone that show up over time. It should not affect the integrity of the stove at all. The frame is what is supporting the stove weight, and the stone stands in place much like pane of glass in a window. If you like, you can smear some furnace cement on the inside of the crack, but thats totally optional. The crack should not get worse, it should not open up and it should not affect the way the stove performs or looks.
hth
-msg

 

[thechimneysweep]

I too have seen my share of hairline cracks in soapstone stoves, and concur with msg that they almost never cause any performance problems. Soapstone is basically super-compressed talc with veins of minerals running through it: when it is repeatedly heated and cooled, the minerals might expand and contract at a different rate than the talc, and tiny fissures appear. The stones are held in place by the cast iron frame and flat steel "biscuits" between the panels, so the fissures don't open enough to allow significant air passage. Cracks large enough to allow liquid creosote outflow tend to be self-sealing, as soon as the creosote hardens.

Here's what I'd do: get some Rutland Wood Stove Glass Cleaner and paper towels and clean off the outer surface of the stone, polishing lightly with 0000 steel wool when you're done. Light a fire and match-test the crack for leakage, and I think you'll find that the crack has sealed itself up.

If you do detect any leakage, report it to your dealer. In my experience, Hearthstone will replace the stone no questions asked.

 

[ftjhs2]

Well, based on the replies by MountainStove and Chimneysweep, perhaps I'm getting worked up about nothing? My stove was cold last night, so I ran my hand over all the stones and all the lower ones have some kind of crack that I can feel, but not see. The only one I can see is the one in the photo, and I haven't had any more visible leakage since, maybe it sealed as suggested by Chimneysweep? Most are follow the white marble-like lines in the stones. So, either I have been overfiring somehow, or it sounds like this might be a normal thing? Are cracks only a problem if light passes through?

Other tribute owners, could you run your hands over all your stones sometime to see if you have the same thing? Even after I knew where cracks were, I could not see most of them, only by touch.

 

[Rob From Wisconsin]

Well, based on the replies by MountainStove and Chimneysweep, perhaps I'm getting worked up about nothing? My stove was cold last night, so I ran my hand over all the stones and all the lower ones have some kind of crack that I can feel, but not see. The only one I can see is the one in the photo, and I haven't had any more visible leakage since, maybe it sealed as suggested by Chimneysweep? Most are follow the white marble-like lines in the stones. So, either I have been overfiring somehow, or it sounds like this might be a normal thing? Are cracks only a problem if light passes through?

Other tribute owners, could you run your hands over all your stones sometime to see if you have the same thing? Even after I knew where cracks were, I could not see most of them, only by touch.

Likewise here.....
We bought a used Tribute & I have felt some surface cracking. None of it goes all the way across the panel, nor is it
visible from inside the firebox. It certainly hasn't inhibited the performace of our stove. I think it somewhat to be
expected from soapstone. None are very visible, only felt.

 

[Highbeam]

Can you folks feel these cracks with your finger "pads" or are you able to catch them with a fingernail. I have found some areas on my stones that have what appears to be flaking but the edges of the flakes are not lifting. Sorta like a slate tile where the fine edges of the layers have been polished to nothing.

I'm glad the stove is working for you, it is a good stove and indeed can make enough btus to roast you out of 500SF. I own a small little tub of rutland black furnace cement. It would be extremely easy to open that tub and stick your finger in there and dip out a blob of cement to smear over the inside of that crack. First allow the stove to cool and then wire brush the area to clean it for better adhesion. The black cement will be invisible after drying and might help seal that crack off to prevent possible leakage.

All hearthstone owners should own a tub of this cement. I have used it to repair the ceramic fiber baffle board and it worked really well. I have also used it to plug up "jets" of air and flame shooting into the fire from the secondary manifold system with good success. The cement is cheap and easy to work with.

 

[myzamboni]

Gyr: Yep you jumped, and now too proud to admit it. Whatever. Get over it, this thread is about cracks.

AK: A picture is worth a thousand words here so please do show the crack.

Hooee. Defensive much?

"The tribute at 1.2CF firebox is too small for 24/7 heating. The heritage is barely big enough. It appears that the people using these tiny stoves for 24/7 heating are the only ones cracking them.”

Highbeam does not say can't or shouldn't . . . he says it is too small (but that is his opinion).

Gyrfalcon, I can see where it can easily be read into and how you interpreted what you read.