I was hoping some of the Woodstock Absolute Steel owners here had some better ways to remove the back plate on the stove for cleaning the stove and chimney. I assumed removing the four bolts on the back would do it, but the two stainless bolts have nuts on the inside of the stove. Yes, I snapped both of the stainless bolts off. I'm looking for a way to remove the plate without disconnecting the flue. with the plate removed I can brush my chimney and clean out the back of the stove.
So I have no helpful information pertaining to your question, hopefully someone can chime in soon. But am interested in how you've been doing with your AS now that your back on here. If you have time and are willing to share, I'd be interested in hearing about your AS experience. Thanks
Ouch westczek. sounds like time to replace the bolts. hopefully you dont have to drill them out. I'd also think you dont need to remove the plate to clean out the flue. a good flue brush should do that without disassembling. need to get the cat out of the way so you dont damage it.
Eckie, I'm loving the stove. We've heated this entire winter full time with it. We have a mini-split heat pump in our 1-1/2 story cabin which is about 1100 sq-ft, and I have not had to use it. It took a little time to get experience with how to run the stove, and not over heat the place (only had to open windows a couple of time this season), but I have it down now. I've been loading it 1-2 times a day he in Virginia with a mix of oak, ash and black locust. I have 20-plus feet of stove pipe and chimney pipe running straight up from the stove, and the lack of easy access for cleaning from that hatch on the back of the stove is my only disappointment. Dave_in_abq, The stove is a little more than a year old, and the bolts were fine. The were stainless, which as we all know, break a little easier. The bolts are threaded into the back of the stove holding the back plate on, after that nuts are added to hold a small heat shield, locking the bolts from the inside. Even when I remove the catalyst, there is no way to reach the flue from within the stove.
I’ve seldom cleaned the horizontal pipe. I remove the bottom cap on the T and go up with the brush. I’ve got a big fireplace- is the issue that you can’t get back to the T? Edit: Is your flue from the top of the stove? Yup, sorry, I see that now. Those bolts/nuts take a fair bit of heat and were designed to be accessible with your top pipe off, reaching down through. Perhaps you could design a way to capture the nut (weld both to one bar that spans the opening )?
That's what I do on all internal bolts in a stove...but I wasn't sure what that could do in a cat stove...must be ok?
Thanks. Yes, my stove has the flue going straight up from the top of the stove. I'm thinking about options like you are mentioning.
Anti seize is always a good idea. However, the bolts weren't seized. It was the issue with going through the threaded stove back and also having nuts on the other side.
To give a better understanding of the issue, a picture. See the four bolt on the plate, two of which are stainless.
