The info you need is in the downloadable manual. Each tube is unique on the 30, while on the 32 there are only two tube configurations.
Cheaper dense firebricks? Lopi says the heavier clay bricks are better than the pumice because the binders of the pumice bricks break down. 1:05-2:50 Just based off of Lopi’s comments on “their” bricks that they use I would assume the heavier bricks would also be better in the Englander and not considered cheap by any means. Side note: Lopi’s new 2020 Liberty stove now has a baffle board and an insulating blanket instead of rose gold and heavy bricks. It allowed them to make other change to the fire box. With Englander using a double baffle I would not be surprised to see changes in their fire box as well.
Better is a subjective term. Cheaper, heavier, more durable, more available are features of the dense bricks. More expensive, lighter, more insulative, are features of the pumice bricks. The higher insulative value is why this becomes a safety and emissions (legal) decision. Which brick is "better" is up to you but I feel that there is a good enough reason to stick with whatever the manufacturer requires even if it's not the better brick in your opinion.
Liability is good enough reason to stick with “like” bricks, but I’d like to see some real information as to how much more insulative the pumice bricks are over the others...just to see the numbers. I just think it would be interesting to see being the pumice bricks are made of volcanic rock. Insulating value probably is higher than I first thought. Makes me wonder about the numbers of baffle boards and fiber blankets as well. Those blanket numbers are likely really high.
Looks like the handle configuration is different- and there's a spot for the handle to be stored when not being used. Their manual is stating that the handle will be hot if left in the door. I'm not arguing with their protocols, but the handle being hot makes sense to me, what with the fire inside the stove and all. I just wear gloves when I open my stove. I'll post a link to the file again, although someone already has on this thread. Page 4. https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2071/6041/files/32-NC.pdf?v=1593444165 Update: The way I wrote this made it sound like I use the 30-nc. I personally have a different stove, but I did get one for my in laws, and they'll be running the 30-nc this winter, 2020/2021.
Why does it look to me like there's 3 baffle boards in that stove versus two? I've zoomed it in and everything...still looks like 3 half inch (1/2") layers to me.
Going on a hunch, but if you're looking at page 24, what I think is happening in that image is there are 2 half inch boards just above the burn tubes directly next to each other running front to back, and then on top of them would presumably be two boards running side to side, or east to west. The part that makes it start to look like an optical illusion I think is because they used some sort of photo editing to define the edges of the lowest boards. I'm not sure why they did that. But it states there are 4 fiber boards total, and thats kind of the only way I think they could be situated in the stove to give it some full cover. Just a guess. Edit: I shouldn't have guessed- because directly next to the picture is a paragraph that states that's how they're stacked. I feel like an idiot and should have just read it before posting. Sorry!
I frequently have to recenter my nc30 boards. They move around. I need to shove them back and together. The oem boards are undersized and having two layers with one layer sideways might help keep so much smoke from bypassing. Plus, the insulation increase is good. Plus, reducing the size of the smoke path slows things down like a key damper. It’s too bad the baffle boards are so expensive.
Ref. to post on NC 30 tube holes 3/16" more like 3/32 and a similar screw up number wise on the other size posted. A few years back I made up a set of boards for my nc 30 that were 1" thick vs/1/2" I also increased the width of each board by apx 1/8" to make a tight fit- no gaps. I did not notice any appreciable difference in operation at that time- but the stove got loaded prior to my leaving for the day and my return was mostly some 12 hours later. 95% of the time I had enough coals to refire the stove and it would be warm to the touch but not hot. I move some 3 years ago and installed another 30 2 years ago at the new to me place. It being a 1990/91 build has 6" side walls and much better insulation over all and less leakage than the previous home. That said the the 30 heats the whole home (2200 sq ft ranch- with a lay out that is almost ideal for a single stove main floor install pretty much centered) quite well. I have enough material ( 1/2") to make a second set of boards for the current unit.
It looks like Home Depot is offering it at $1049 (probably location-depedent) Englander 2,400 sq. ft. EPA Certified Wood Stove-32-NC - The Home Depot The pictures don't 100% match the ones in the manual, for example it looks like the removable handle is not on the HD model. But the rear heat shroud and burn tubes pictured are definitely not the 30-NC, so I assume they are the 32-NC. Downloading the manual at HD brings up a 30-NC manual.
Who was the guy who use to be a member here that worked for them. Was it mike bayerl ? He helped me when I had questions and I was about to start the install. I never put it in, funds ran short and I sidelined the project. Son was born or young I forget now...I didn't have time. And the last several years really about 5 , we haven't had a hard winter so the project fell to the wayside and I have really forgot about it. Maybe one day I'll put it in. Untill that day comes I have a pretty NC30 just sitting in a pile of stuff.
