Identify Glacier Bay insert

[LisaR]

Hi,
I have this same Glacier Bay woodburning insert in my old house. I just noticed tonight that the cord from the blower is brittle and has multiple cracks in the outer covering. Does anyone know how I can replace the cord so that I can use the blower safely?
Thanks!
LisaR

 

[coldinnj]

Hi LisaR

Now here is a deal for you.
I will replace the cord for you FREE. I am more than qualified.
If you are local I'll pick up the blower, do the cord, and return it.
If not local, you ship it to me, I'll repair it and send it back.
My benefit will be, I'll be able to examine it and then duplicate the blower unit for myself.
I can even post the speccifications here for everyone else.
Is that a good enough deal?

 

[LisaR]

Hi,
I'm not sure how to take the blower off the unit.. however, that being said... where are you located? NJ here...
Thanks!

 

[LisaR]

LOL... seeing how you are cold in NJ... I take it that you are in NJ too..
Email me at [email protected] and we'll figure out how you can pick this up....
thanks

 

[patfrederick]

Hi. I saw this post and said to myself - "FINALLY" - some info on this thing I have sitting in my fireplace. We moved recently into this house and it had the very same Glacier Bay insert being discussed here. I am a real "beginner". Never had a fireplace before and know next to nothing about them let alone fireplace inserts.

We had the fireplace and chimney cleaned when we moved in and were excited about using it. We have had 2 BAD experiences. Perhaps I can get some advice from the knowledgeable people here. On our first try the fire started well. Looked nice and bright and gave of a lot of heat. But then it began to smoke. I had the door open with the screen inserted when this happened. Next I closed the door and left it closed until the fire died and the heat stopped. But our house REAKED with the odor of burning wood.

On my second try we started a fire once again. Things were going well. I had the screen in again with the door open (we wanted to see the fire) but my wife began to complain that it was making here nose run - so once again I closed the door and I turned both of the knobs on the upper and lower doors tightly shut thinking that this would put out the fire (remember I am a BEGINNER). That door stayed hot for TWO DAYS. And (without opening the door) at the end of the second day we began to smell that odor again (although this time not as bad).

What are we doing wrong? Is it ok to burn a wood fire with the door open? When the door is closed should those knobs be open all the way? What is their real purpose? I tried burning real wood and one of those fabricated logs you can buy in the grocery store (although the man who cleaned my chimney said he didn't recommend them). Are they really that bad? Is it normal to smell a pungent burning odor? I believe everything is set up properly because we had a certified chimney sweep do the initial cleaning.

Any advice would be MUCH appreciated.


Thanks,

Pat

 

[coldinnj]

I wouldn't burn it with the door open.
I would always have the doors closed when burning in that unit.
As to the knobs you speak of... Both are for combustion air control / regul;ation.
The upper knob, the one on the upper door is to be used when burning wood. Wood gets it's air from above.
The lower one, on the bottom door is for Coal burning. Coal getsit's air from underneath.
When burning coal close the top knob completely. Although it is not a bad idea to open it prior to openeing the top door.
When burning wood close the bottom knob.
Both knobs get adusted to allow air in in the amounts you want based on regulating the fire. Everyone finds with practice what works best for you depending on the quality of the fuel you are burning. Some find opening the knob full when first starting the fire helps, then back it down as it starts going good.
If shutting the knobs the fire still burns for well for a long time I would check for air leaks, perhaps the door gaskets.
If using coal there is an insert o be placed at the front of the fire pot.

 

[patfrederick]

Thanks coldinnj for your fast reply and advice. I guess this is not the kind of unit to sit in front of and watch the fire burn - which is what we were hoping for. Remember, I am a real NEOPHYTE when it comes to these matters. So I take it that since the door stayed warm for so long that I have a leak somewhere. I will have to do some investigating. I did see gaskets for sale at home depot. What about the odor? Is the normal?

 

[coldinnj]

usually door gasket can be bought in a cord.
Odor is not normal. Either leak at unit or stove pipe. Or if the unit has not been used in a long time perhaps there is dirt / debris on the unit outside somewhere that is burning / melting when it heats up.
As to the door getting hot. When it is burning hot, you want that. It is one of the surfaces designed to give off heat to the living spaces.

 

[patfrederick]

Yes - I understood the door should be hot to transfer heat to the room. But I thought that by closing the knobs tight would choke the fire out quickly. But the door stayed warm to the touch for almost 48 hours! I will look into replacing the gasket. We were hoping to use the fireplace more for aesthetic effect - you know, the crackling fireplace and all that - but it seems that is not what the unit is designed for . We have hot water heat to heat the house. Any opinion on the artificial logs you can buy at places like Home Depot?

 

[patfrederick]

One more question. Is leaving the door open with the screen inserted a safety concern or just a heating efficiency issue? As I mentioned in an earlier post we aren't really concerned about the heating issue.

 

[sailor61]

I grew up with one these and my father still burns it on occasion. It was an excellent piece for it's time and is still a workhorse. I'll have to look, but as I recall, the bottom vent knob had several small cut ots on it - as such oyu could never truly choke off the fire -it always got a small amount of air flow.

As to the odor problem - when the stove is cold use a shop vac with a long thing attachmetn and vacuum out the top and bottom air openings for the airflow. I know that on several occasions we had a mouse that had somehow taken up residence in there.

As for being able to watch the fire - there used to be an optional, removable door with glass panel that went on like a firescreen. Supposedly it would maintain the correct airflow but give you view of the fire.
Never had one so I'm not sure how well they worked out - but will make the guess that given the age of the stove and the lack of an airwash for the door - that they blackened up quickly unless you had it roaring.

We used our's, for many years, as a primary source to heat a 1500 ft ranch and attached 125 ft single glazed greenhouse with no problems. Burned wood 90% of the time and coal during the bitter days in dead of winter.

 

[patfrederick]

Thanks for the info sailor. I am wandering around blind here - this is all new to me. I appreciate your advice. So I assume it's not a good thing to burn the fire with just the screen in then? I know this kills the heating transfer principle but we wanted the "cozy" effect. Maybe the way for us to go is to just scrap the insert, buy some fireplace hardware and burn wood that way.

 

[sailor61]

I'll ask my father what he recalls about burning it with the door open. I think there might have been a screen available. So long as the screen you're using fits properly there should be no safety issues with it. However I would never go off and leave it with just the screen in the door

 

[patfrederick]

I would like to hear what your father has to say. No I wouldn't leave the fire unattended. The screen is definitely made for the stove. It has 2 wooden handles that don't get hot and it locks in place. Thanks again for your help and the others who have offered advice - this board is great!

 

[panhead]

Well, I don't know if this thread is completely dead or not, but i happen to have one of these glacier bay inserts in a house i just bought and searching for info on it brought me to your forum. Mine has a blower on the right side, that has been fabbed to fit, not original. Looks pretty simple. Someone just made a sheetmetal
rectangular box to fit the right side opening, then made a hole in the side of it, attached a round piece of sheetmetal that a blower snout can fit into and that was the extent of it. Works pretty well. If anyone still needs a look at this, i'll take some pics and post em....

That being said, i would love it if somone found a manual for this thing, i still don't have one either....