Resolute Acclaim Fire Brick

[CaseyForrest]

We just bought a house that has one of these stoves in it. As I was taking the stove apart to give it a thorough cleaning, I noticed the previous owner had replaced all the firebrick, sides and rear, with 1" flat steel. All the pieces are cut to fit and the arch is still present....

Is there a downside to leaving the steel in and not replacing the brick?

 

[bead1099]

you mean, and not replacing "with" brick? as it has steel now as you stated.

1 inch thick steel huh? so are the height and width the same as firebrick? 9x4-1/2? them are some mighty chunks of steel if so. firebrick at 1-1/4 thick vs steel at 1 inch sorry i don't know i have always used firebrick. maybe pack some ash around them and give it a try.

 

[CaseyForrest]

The bricks for the resolute are shaped to fit the stove.

These are the rear bricks...

Instead of those, I have the steel on the rear matching the shape of the brick. And steel on the sides. The previous owners have been using it this way for however long... They were in the house for 13 years but I don't know how long the stove has had the steel in it.

I DO know they didn't think much on cleaning it. The refractory was packed with ash and falling apart. The fireback was severely warped and cracked. And the chimney is very dirty for what should be a relatively clean burning stove.

 

[Del_]

I'm sure the steel transmits more heat to the side of the stove. The firebrick likely serves two purposes, one to give the stove a little isolation form the intense heat of the coals and two, to increase the temperature in the firebox.

The steel probably doesn't fulfill this goal exactly the same, but I'd keep it for sure and not worry a bit about it.

 

[bead1099]

ahuh. well maybe the original firebrick broke up and he either wasn't aware that there was special proprietary brick available for the stove and made ones out of steel or he made ones out of steel as an upgrade? just a guess on my part. I can't imagine steel being inferior though especially if there was some ash on the backside to act as an insulator to the rest of the stove.

 

[CaseyForrest]

Alright.... Ill leave it then. Thanks.

 

[sunfish]

We had a Resolute Acclaim for 8-9 years. Good stove but for the refractory, it needs replacing every 4-6 years.

Previous owner probably got sticker shock when he priced it. Best place to order the refractory is Leaman's Hardware. There's also a soft refractory contraption in the back, behind the refractory you showed above that has to be in good shape for the secondary burn to work right. We also had to replace the grate.

Best thing we did was Replace the VC 6-7 years ago with a Jotul 118cb, no refractory to replace on the Jotul and MUCH simpler to operate!...

 

[Odog]

Dang! 1" thick steel is pretty stout. I'm not sure what new firebricks would cost, but buying the steel and cutting it isn't overly cheap either

 

[Cerran]

I would see how it performs. The function of the firebrick is not only to protect the firebox but also to insulate it to keep the combustion temperatures high. Removing the firebrick or changing it can negatively affect the stoves performance. I would run a few fires and then check stack temperatures and stove performance to see how it runs.

 

[sunfish]

It 'might' work OK with the steel plates, but it wont be as efficient. I'd sure try it.

 

[CaseyForrest]

I ordered the rear bricks. I'll probably diy the side bricks.

 

[CaseyForrest]

Basically rebuilt minus fully disassembling the stove itself. I bought and cut regular fire brick for the sides. Combustion package, rear arch bricks, upper fireback and gaskets. Seems to be working well.

 

[sunfish]

Good looking stove!

 

[flotek]

I agree It is nice looking , almost reminds me of a jotul .. Almost

 

[CaseyForrest]

Thanks.