Should I replace my Whitfield Advantage II Insert

Hi,

I have a Whitfield Advantage II insert that I purchased in the fall of 1995. I typically burn the stove on the lowest setting, except for a few days a year when the temps dip below 20 degrees in Baltimore. I am faithful about vacuuming out the ash after every 2 bags of pellets. I also remove the firebricks and clean out the exhaust pipe after every ton. I oil the fans once a year as well. The only repairs to the stove have been the replacement of the igniter once or twice and the low limit switch once,

This past December, my family room filled with smoke because there was a small fire in the tee of the exhaust pipe that runs to the chimney. Fortunately, I was home when this happened and was able to quickly extinguish the fire. After removing the exhaust pipe from the stove, I discovered that it was pretty full of ash after only burning 10 bags of pellets. I also noticed that the sealant on the tee had cracked. I'm not sure whether the sealant failed first or the hot ash build up caused the sealant to fail. I took the exhaust pipe to my local pellet stove dealer and they could not explain what caused the fire (they did mention that it's possible that the exhaust fan was failing or the circuit board was surging). Since the integrity of the pipe was fine, they suggested that I apply new sealant and replace the gasket around the door. I performed the suggested fixes and the pellet stove has been running fine. However, I'm still concerned that there could be another fire since it's not clear what caused it in the first place.

I talked to my dealer about the longevity of Whitfield pellet stoves. They said that they are excellent stoves, but at 23 years old, my stove is probably nearing the end of it's life. I'm contemplating replacing the Whitfield with a Harman Accentra 52i. My local dealer has an end of season clearance sale - the Harman is reduced by $600. I'm really torn as to whether to keep the Whitfield and roll the dice or buy a new Harman. Will the Harman be as reliable as the Whitfield? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

My Harman P61 is 19 years old. Still runs great! I have replaced parts though.
Your Whitfield doesn't owe you much at that age.
As for the price of the 52i....$600 doesn't mean anything without knowing what the dealer normally sells them for. Also, look at the price for the complete installation.....out of pocket, soup to nuts.
A fire in the tee? How did you know there was a fire in there? In order to have a fire there, you would need some kind of fuel......my guess is you had a creosote deposit in there, which caught fire....and of course, the fire was getting oxygen from your combustion fan......creosote in the pipe would indicate an inefficient burn, maybe due to stove/pipe cleanliness. You mentioned your pipe was partially clogged......this could cause an inefficent burn, creosote accumulation, etc......

 

Welcome to FHC MartyD
Plugged up venting can be a tell tale sign of a weaken exhaust motor/air flow issue or total vent needs a good cleaning. If you can try the LBT(leaf blower trick) that would help keeping things spotless in the vent part.

 

Here is a nice newer cast iron insert for $1.00
***Pellet Stove Insert***

Click on pic below to enlarge

 

Thanks for the response. My dealer is selling the Harman Accentra 52i for $5200, including installation. It's now Baltimore County code to run the exhaust pipe to the top of the chimney, so the installation also includes the new pipe.

I knew about the fire in the exhaust pipe because small flames (more like red embers) were coming through the tee joint because the sealant cracked. I guess after 23 years, it was due to be re-sealed. I don't know whether the sealant cracked first, resulting in increased air flow which caused the ash to "glow" or whether the excessive heat from the embers caused the sealant to crack. I also thought about the possibility that the combustion fan was starting to fail. However, the stove has been burning just fine since I re-sealed the joint. Also, I clean the pipe thoroughly after every ton of pellets. There was/is no creosote in the pipe. There did seem to a lot of ash in the cleanout for the pipe, especially after only burning ~10 bags prior to the fire. Since the fire 2 months ago, I have checked the pipe every 2-5 bags. There has only been a tablespoon or so of ash in the cleanout. Do you think that it's feasible that the cracked sealant caused the problem?

With that being said, I'm really torn about whether to get a new pellet stove? Is it feasible that I could get another 5-10 years out of the Whitfield?

Thanks!

 

Thanks for the welcome and response ivanhoe.

I considered a weakened exhaust motor as well. What I'm calling a fire in the exhaust pipe is probably more accurately described as hot embers which were coming through the tee joint because the sealant cracked. I guess after 23 years, it was due to be re-sealed. I don't know whether the sealant cracked first, resulting in increased air flow which caused the ash to "glow" or whether the excessive heat from the embers caused the sealant to crack. I also thought about the possibility that the combustion fan was starting to fail. However, the stove has been burning just fine since I re-sealed the joint. Also, I clean the pipe thoroughly after every ton of pellets. There was/is no creosote in the pipe. There did seem to a lot of ash in the cleanout for the pipe, especially after only burning ~10 bags prior to the fire. Since the fire 2 months ago, I have checked the pipe every 2-5 bags. There has only been a tablespoon or so of ash in the cleanout. Do you think that it's feasible that the cracked sealant caused the problem?

With that being said, I'm really torn about whether to get a new pellet stove? Is it feasible that I could get another 5-10 years out of the Whitfield? What's the oldest Whitfield still in operation?

Thanks!

 

It could be the vent system is starting to fail on you. The stove can last who knows all long if the upkeep is kept up. There might be failing parts in need of fabrication is another to keep a eye on. Snowy River is our Whitfield specialist, she can answer your questions and concerns of your stove.

 

When you say that the vent system might be starting to fail, do you mean the exhaust fan?

 

Hello
I have installed 2 Harman 52i Pellet Stoves and both my customers wanted the option air adapter. So we ran a 3 inch aluminum flex liner to the top of the chimney with its own cap that was shorter than the exhaust cap so no smoke comes back down.
Then we stuffed the damper shelf and all above the stove with 100% Roxul Fire Proof insulation so no heated$$ room air goes up the chimney, this makes the heating appliance almost 10% more efficient.
One of my customers saved 8.7% more on her electric bill after we put the fresh air and Roxul in!!
So it will pay for itself.

 

Did you use a block off plate?

 

If the town requires it, every town is different.

Block off plates are required for wood stoves so the intense heat would not set that black Creosote that sticks to the sides of the chimney on fire! That is why it is called a fire blocking plate.

Wood pellets do not have the wood bark that contains the creosote, Roxul is much better than a block off plate but codes new or old are codes to adhere to. You know what to think of that!

 

Except as a UL listed appliance. each state code (as well as NFPA 211) defers to the owners' manual for installation instructions.....which trumps local code.
So, I am linking the 52i installation instructions below:

http://downloads.hearthnhome.com/installManuals/Accentra52i-TC_Installer.pdf

Now, if you take a gander at Chapter 4, page 10 and 11, you will see notes pertaining to the blockoff plate......."The damper area must be sealed with a steel plate...." in all 3 of the masonry fireplace examples. Block off plates simply block off the area around the liner and the damper annulus.

I know what youre saying....."I didn't have the 52i TC.........I had the old-style 52i"....

So, below is the old-style manual:

http://downloads.hearthnhome.com/installManuals/ACC52i_I.pdf

yep, Chapter 4 again, page 10, you'll see the same notes.....Roxul alone is inadequate....

 

Where the fire was and beyond, maybe.

 

yea, 23 years on the same pipe.....maybe time to change it? Think Excel ICC

 

darn....did I kill yet another thread?

 

I must have missed that edit!

 

I'll kickstart this thread again. Please help me decide whether I should a) keep my 23 year old Whitfield Advantage II and replace parts as they break or b) buy a new Harman Accentra 52i. Let the voting begin....