PSG Caddy Epa Add-on secondary baffle plate warped

[Peterk]

This is my first post to this site.

We purchased a PSG Caddy Add-on a few years ago and love it. But now it's time for maintenance. After inspecting the "superior plate" "secondary baffle plate" - you know, the one that is above the four seconday air tubes, the same one that you need to moved forward to clean the three big tubes, anyway - it's quite warped. Probably my fault for starting too hot a fire before things had time to warm up gracefully. Might be time for a new door gasket too but it looks good still.

So I removed the air tubes after cutting out the big cotter pins holding them in, and then removed the baffle plate. It is very heavy, looks like a folded cast iron core slipped in a thinner steel (stainless?) cover, and on top is a multi-layered white insulation. The iron/steel baffle is so warped that one of the four secondary air tubes was also a bit bent but after cleaning the bent tube, I carefully straightened it out on my press. So good to go there.

My problem is replacement of the warped baffle. I went to the PSG site and the part that I need is now called a c-cast baffle. I ordered this through their web link, came directly from Canada and cost $78 including shipping. It specs to be identical in size to the original cast/steel baffle.

My question is this: Do I simply use the c-cast baffle in place of the original? Should I add the existing insulation blanket on top of the c-cast? Or do I need an exact cast/steel original style baffle (unobtanium?).

Getting close to heating season here in Maine so I need to get this put back together soon. Thanks in advance for your help.

PeterK

 

[laynes69]

The c-cast baffle goes right on top of the channels where the tubes are. With the c-cast being much lighter, it will put less stress on the channels it sits on and won't warp. You must have had that thing hot to warp that baffle. Are you running a barometric damper on the chimney?

 

[Peterk]

The c-cast baffle goes right on top of the channels where the tubes are. With the c-cast being much lighter, it will put less stress on the channels it sits on and won't warp. You must have had that thing hot to warp that baffle. Are you running a barometric damper on the chimney?

Thanks for the reply.

So I don't need to worry about the old steel baffle plate or the insulation blanket? The bare c-cast is all that's needed? It seems that they changed it to the c-cast just after we purchased ours.

No, I do not have a barometric damper on the stove pipe to the flue. We have one on the oil furnace but that's on a different flue. This furnace is wood only add-on and has a separate flue from the oil back-up furnace (that we haven't used in four years or so!).

The PSG supplied air control mechanism works very well and I think the only way to overfire it aside from an incoming air leak, would be when I start it up completely cold, and didn't pay attention to it. When the PSG control shuts down the air due to the thermostat not calling for heat, the fire kicks back as it should and all I see then is a nice blue dancing flame around the 4 tubes. So, to me at least, this would me that I do not have an air leak as oxygen would make the flame more orange.

 

[laynes69]

Yeah, the c-cast is all that's needed for the baffle. I know they changed out the baffles for a better performance. I didnt realize the stainless baffles had cast iron in them. I could see how eventually they would warp, maybe it's another reason why changed out? We have a baro, but we have a 32' chimney on ours, so it will overdraft if not used.

 

[Fyrebug]

Hi Matt & Peter

Yes, throw away your old steel baffle and replace it with the C cast. The reason we went with C cast is its a relatively new material but its heat properties are fantastic. It outperforms any other material and will not degrade below 3000F. The blanket provides extra insulation but if you dont want to use it, it will not harm anything.

Let me know how it goes. All the best!

 

[Peterk]

Thanks guys.