We regularly take phone calls from clients concerned why their baffle plate will not sit correctly in the stove or wondering why it is “wonky”. As we have touched on in our other articles about baffle plates – a stove baffle plate is positioned in one of the hottest areas of your machine. While made of extremely tough metal they can in certain circumstances begin to warp and in extreme cases you may find holes beginning to appear.
What causes warping of a baffle plate?
Even though this piece of equipment is placed in one of the hottest areas of your stove, it is built to last and it is built to take extreme heat. The problem is when users over fire their wood-burning stove thereby creating excessive heat which will eventually impact the dimensions of the stove baffle plate.
How can you overheat a wood-burning stove?
There are two main ways in which you can overheat a wood-burning stove which can eventually cause problems and require replacement parts. These include:-
Over fuelling
Quite simply, the more fuel you put into your wood-burning stove the greater the heat output. As the role of a baffle plate is to maintain as much heat and gas within the firebox as possible, excessive fuelling will create excessive heat and eventually impact the dimensions of the baffle plate. Once the baffle plate does not fit correctly then gas and heat will be escaping in an uncontrolled manner which can impact other areas of your stove as well as overall efficiency.
Open-air vents
When looking at fire, the main fuel is oxygen. Thereby, if you operate your stove with the air vents open too wide then this will encourage overheating and eventual problems with your baffle plate. The same can be said for those who have a tendency to keep their stove door open when burning fuel. This also allows excessive oxygen into the firebox area thereby creating a more intense burn and excessive heat. Who would have thought something as simple as opening an air vent too wide, or leaving the stove door open, could have such an impact?
Holes in your battle plate
While not as common as overheating, we have seen situations where baffle plates have developed holes which obviously mean that the part needs to be replaced. What tends to happen is that hot ashes settle on the baffle plate and if left un-cleaned they can eventually begin to corrode the metal and form a hole. Obviously, once this occurs then heat and gas is escaping from the firebox in an uncontrolled manner which reduces the overall efficiency of the machine and can impact other parts. Quite simply, it needs replaced!
How long should a baffle plate last?
While these parts are designed to accommodate extreme heat they will eventually begin to warp and possibly corrode. That said, many stove users have been able to manage the life of their baffle plate to many years by not over firing, controlling the air intake and cleaning parts on a regular basis. Those who ignore manufacturers recommendations regarding over firing will probably pay the price at a relatively early stage. It is worth reminding ourselves that manufacturer’s recommendations are there for a reason, to ensure the long-term durability of your stove and to maximise safety and efficiency.
Conclusion
The internal workings of a wood-burning stove can create the most unwelcoming of environments with regards to excessive heat, the likes of which you may never have experienced. While those who research wood-burning and multifuel stoves will be well aware of the limitations regarding over fuelling, many new stove users automatically assume these machines and individual parts can accommodate any level of heat. As a consequence, many will find that there baffle plate is warped or damaged and needs replaced.
It is also worth reminding ourselves that a warped or holed baffle plate is less efficient, ultimately it will cost you more in fuel and could impact other parts of your stove. It is easy to replace, simply lift the baffle plate out of the firebox area and replace. There will be occasions where the paWhy won’t my baffle plate sit properly?rt has been warped and may need gentle persuasion but this should never be too excessive.