Central Boiler Cast iron Door has cracked. Need some help.

I have a Central Boiler Classic SCL 5648SB Titanium enhanced Stainless steel Boiler. Put it in myself in 2002. Pretty particular with my stuff and you can see the install via the picture links. Completely cleaned and inspected the stove as normal and checked the PH and everything was fine. I get inside the stove every year before firing it up and get everything out. Ran the stove about a month and noticed a crack has formed on the back of the door and extends to the damper opening.





I burn only dry wood and I have my Boiler inside a building I built for it and my wood is in there as well. Keeps everything dry and well as me when filling and maintaining. I searched and found others had had issues as well and their dealers had replaced them as the door has this on it.



I called the dealer I bought it from and said I had a crack and need it replaced under warranty. He then told me it was 17 years old and it would have to be "approved" before they could do anything. I needed to send him pics, which I did. He said their " Lifetime Warranty" is for manufacture's defects only. (Here we go.) Emailed me today and naturally they say they won't cover it because it was NOT defective. Their options are for me to pay to have someone weld it or buy the newly designed door for over $300.00. I guess they have moved away from cast iron and have an all steel plate door now?

If any of you have one I'd appreciate a picture since I'm left holding the bag on it. What have others done. I've repaired a lot of cast iron stuff with preheat and high nickle rod but have not repaired anything that has the heat cycles that a stove door would have. I'm wondering if scabbing a plate with an angle to the damper opening would be an option. Maybe bolt on with furnace cement behind but don't know about the differences of plate steel to cast. If the drilled holes to hold the plate in place would cause issues or not is another consideration. Another option might be to cut a whole center section out and create a new damper opening to attach the opening mechanism to.

Obviously I'll have to keep a close eye on it if it opens up enough to start causing an overheat condition if air can get in when the damper is closed. Want to see if I can make it till the Spring so I can take it off and take my time with it.

Again, any close up shots of a new style replacement door would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

I'd raise a little more of a stink, but if that failed, I'd pay the $300 or so for a new door, rather than repairing this one.

 

Just a heads up when it leaks air like that the door will get hotter . Might want check surface it buts against for uneven surface . Chances of replacement in 17 years . They will pro rate it .
Lifetime now a days means . Pro rated it's a new age . Like auto warranty's replacing parts with same mileage . It's about fine print and loop holes.

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It just stings when you've looked at a door that says "Lifetime Warranty" in huge letters across the whole face of the door and find out it is just a marketing ploy. I hope they have taken that off the new ones. I did research and seems a lot of people had issues with them and they all got them replace. Never found one saying otherwise. It seems like you get punished for yours not cracking early so the excuse of age can be used. It was explained to me that casting issues is what the warranty was for. Open voids and such. From being in the metalworking field those should have been caught before they were even sent out by xray. We do that with welds for high pressure systems and problems are found BEFORE they are sent out or put into use.

 

No Pro Rate at all. Not a defect that is covered by them so it's my problem totally. It is about loop holes and that is what is disturbing.

 

My BIL's stove cracked in the same spot, except it opened up quite a bit more. He's been running it like that for several YEARS and it hasn't been an issue for him. I would run it through the season, call Central Boiler (not your dealer) every day until spring, and by then you'll know if you need to fix it yourself or get a replacement.

 

Not a design issue though! LOL

 

Design issue, sure. But, not a manufacturer’s defect.

Sorry. It reminds me of trying to get insurance to cover anything.
Volcanoes are covered, but not lava flows. You have to prove the Meteor didn’t bounce before it hit your house, because then it would have been your neighbor’s fault for not cleaning it up first. That’s not flooding, that is “groundwater seepage”.

 

Yep. That is why I would be making a stink.

First, document it on Youtube. Put links here and on the other forums. Post it on faceplant. No threats, no accusations, just express your disappointment.

Find out the email address of a few higher ups in the company. Head of marketing is a good one. Email them. No threats, only express disappointment.

Be prepared to pay the $300+, but give it a try.

 

If you want to play the word game it should say "Limited Lifetime Warranty" then. Design issue and manufacture's defect is the same thing to me. A company designs something that will withstand what it was designed for and if it comes to where it doesn't, it is on them unless abuse/neglect has occurred. I've only added water twice to the stove in 17 years and even then it was just barely to the low mark each time. That alone should rule out overheating questions. They are the ones that decided to put the words on the door to give an impression of standing behind it completely. I guess it's my fault for not assuming it meant basically nothing more than a sticker.

 

I guess I'm old school to where I'm still naive to believe people will do the right thing without having to drag them through the mud. I just want to see a replacement door and what they did to correct it. I'd gladly relay any contact from them on fixing/replacing it to solve the issue but the dealer has already said he did all he could do. I have no reason to doubt him as they have always been helpful to me. If I've screwed up something I take the hit and live and learn. In this situation, it was normal use with no extending reasons as to why. looks like I'll ride it out and go the bolt on plate route when the heating season is over.

 

I agree with you and think they owe you the new door; it is just a question of how much stink you are willing to make.

 

Was just sent some pics of the new door design for the classics.



Looks like an all plate steel door to me as you can see the welds at the bottoms. Inside shows a welded damper opening as well. I'm guessing the change was by chance, LOL

 

Yeah, the chance of lair leaking in and affecting temps of the stove are realistic.

Maybe some high temp refractory cement applied to the cleaned cracks will limp you through the season? Or high temp silicone?




I'm gonna go out and check my door now!

 

What I may do is find the end of the crack line and drill a small hole there. I can try to slow further damage maybe. Then plug that hole with some furnace cement. Drilling like that normally is the best thing you can do to try to stop it from continuing. Looks like the inside of the new style door has a standoff panel. I'm guessing that is to tone done the radiant heat from the fire? I'll post a pic tomorrow when I get time

 

I always wondered about central boilers doors . I have Heatmor and it's got water cooled door .. changing hoses is really pain in the butt . But I always wondered how them doors could hold up.
They get dang hot in Sub-Zero temps . It will even cook the dang gaskets out of the door and that rope is huge . I used semi Heater hose on door now.

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Here are all of the pics.









I'm assuming the standoff plate is to lessen the radiant heat to the center of the door? Maybe a sacrificial warp surface? Interesting to me they have chosen to quit the cast iron door and go to this. Yet another reason why I think they know there was a problem. Just leaves a bad taste in your mouth when stuff like this goes on.

 

Our first stove (CB) door cracked and they replaced it. It then came with the added plate. We bought a new stove a couple of years back and no problem, but our dealer's kids now run the store and they don't seem to have the parent's attitude towards customer service. I will not buy another from them, might not be another CB.

 

Looks like a sacrificial heat shield.

 

I understand your point, but a 17 year run on a product that sees so many heat cycles is darn good IMO. The lifetime warranty on the original design was probably for a life of 15 years.
Stop drill the end of the crack, clean the interior surface really good and put a layer of insulating refractory on it. Then forget about it.