Is it safe to use this woodstove?

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Here's the question: Stove came with the house, is an "Orley Mobile Home Room Heater" according to the attached tag. We have had good luck with it since we bought this property, 6 years ago, and have been using it night and day since fall. However, a few days ago, hubby noticed that the inside "shelf" welded to the back of the barrel portion where you load the wood, had begun to droop and seemed loose. You could push it back up, but after an hour or so, it would be drooping again. Eventually, the welds broke, and the shelf fell. We haven't used the stove again, letting it cool to clean it out. My question is would it be safe to use the stove without re-welding that shelf in? The purpose, I think of the shelf is to deflect heat forward, rather than having it all go up the stovepipe, directly above the shelf, where it attached to the back of the stove. Unless it is to deflect ash from going up the chimney, in which case it wouldn't be adviseable. Hubby can weld it back, but since it is really cold here now, we won't be able to do that for a few days, at least. Anyone else have a similar shelf in their woodstove? I think this is probably a cheapo model, the company does have a website "under construction" and the phone number I was given isn't in service right now, either. (Thanks, Ken for sending me those!). We may just have to get another stove, but would like to get through the winter with this one if possible. Any suggestions? Jan

-- Jan in Colorado (Janice12@aol.com), January 17, 2001

Answers

Jan i have a j c penny thats at least 30 years old and it dosent have enything like that if i was doing it and there were no cracks in the stove where it was welded on i would start with a small fire and see how it does. Bob in se.ks.

-- Bobco (bobco@hit.net), January 18, 2001.

Jan: By the sounds of things I think you're right---the shelf is there to deflect the heat towards the front of the stove for more heat transference rather than the ash theory. If the stove has a damper in the stove pipe you probably won't "need" the shelf.

I agree with bobco. If there are no cracks in the firebox it should be ok to weld the shelf back in.

-- john leake (natlivent@pcpros.net), January 18, 2001.


I have an old Orley that I use to heat my shop, it is a great little stove. If you don't have a damper in your pipe you might put one of those in until you can weld it up again. I don't think Orley makes stove anymore but they sell several brands and might be able to help you. I hope this will help you:

Orley's Stoves 3050 Crater Lake Hwy. Medford Oregon

www.orleys.com

(541)779-5340 (1-800-326-5340)

-- Hendo (OR) (redgate@echoweb.net), January 19, 2001.


From your description it sound like a smoke shelf. The purpose is to better ventilate the smoke by creating a mini-vortex. Stove may work without it, but probably not as efficiently. It was put there for a purpose by whoever designed the stove, so should probably be welded back if possible.

-- Ken S. in WC TN (scharabo@aol.com), January 23, 2001.

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