Wobbly squirrel

[Guest wanted]

Hello,

 

I let my burner (Morso squirrel) go out yesterday for the first time in a couple of months. When I got in late last night I realised that I may have been too hasty in doing so and went to relight it.

 

I went to riddle the grate and noticed the whole thing is wobbling quite a bit, now, I know I should have it bolted down but I don’t, what concerns me is that it has never happened before, the only thing I can think of is contraction/expansion but as I say, this is the first time I have noticed in two years.

 

I guess the only way to see is to light the bugger again and see if it rights it’s self, but before I do, has anybody else had a similar occurrence? Could it be something else?

 

 

Cheers

 

Rob

[Guest]

Hello,

 

I let my burner (Morso squirrel) go out yesterday for the first time in a couple of months. When I got in late last night I realised that I may have been too hasty in doing so and went to relight it.

 

I went to riddle the grate and noticed the whole thing is wobbling quite a bit, now, I know I should have it bolted down but I don’t, what concerns me is that it has never happened before, the only thing I can think of is contraction/expansion but as I say, this is the first time I have noticed in two years.

 

I guess the only way to see is to light the bugger again and see if it rights it’s self, but before I do, has anybody else had a similar occurrence? Could it be something else?

 

 

Cheers

 

Rob

 

Shouldn't it be bolted down to pass a BSS inspection -?? I don't know I just ask...

 

Anyway ours is, so it doesn't wobble so at to your original question I'm no bloody use to you what so ever...so I'll shut up now.

[Guest wanted]

Shouldn't it be bolted down to pass a BSS inspection -?? I don't know I just ask...

 

Anyway ours is, so it doesn't wobble so at to your original question I'm no bloody use to you what so ever...so I'll shut up now.

 

Yes it is, but it isn't, and I passed!

 

Maybe you could unbolt it and let me know?

[WotEver]

Our stove is bolted down, but the brackets allowed a small amount of movement if you tried really hard to move it.

 

It failed BSS.

 

It's now more solidly bolted.

 

Tony

[stuart]

How rigid is the flue pipe fixed to the stove and the roof liner/hole ?

 

The flue pipe could have expanded/contracted and lifted the stove up if the pipe is fixed rigidly to the roof for instance.

 

 

Does the stove look alright? No warped or distorted sides - are the firebricks still there / not cracked ?

[Keeping Up]

It doesn't have to be bolted down to pass the BSS, there just have to be adequate restraints to prevent movement. Ours is simply a loose, but close, fit over four small brackets that are fixed to the floor; it is not fixed to them in any way.

[WotEver]

It doesn't have to be bolted down to pass the BSS, there just have to be adequate restraints to prevent movement. Ours is simply a loose, but close, fit over four small brackets that are fixed to the floor; it is not fixed to them in any way.

Hmmm... well, I'm not planning on using that same inspector ever again anyhow

 

Tony

[Guest wanted]

How rigid is the flue pipe fixed to the stove and the roof liner/hole ?

 

The flue pipe could have expanded/contracted and lifted the stove up if the pipe is fixed rigidly to the roof for instance.

 

 

Does the stove look alright? No warped or distorted sides - are the firebricks still there / not cracked ?

 

Stove looked straight enough last night, i'll check the bricks when I get in, hard to see the sides on a squirrle as they have the embossed pattern on them, the flue is pretty tight in the collar, I suspect that it has contracted and lifted the burner.

 

When the BSS guy came to inspect he didn't even look at how the stove was fixed! (Shrugg!)

 

Cheers all

[Iain_S]

(snip)

I went to riddle the grate and noticed the whole thing is wobbling quite a bit, now, I know I should have it bolted down but I don’t, what concerns me is that it has never happened before, the only thing I can think of is contraction/expansion but as I say, this is the first time I have noticed in two years.

 

I guess the only way to see is to light the bugger again and see if it rights it’s self, but before I do, has anybody else had a similar occurrence? Could it be something else?

 

We had the same thing on Copperkins a few years ago. In our case, it got to the stage that the stove, when cold, was hanging from the flue with daylight under the stove legs. The cause is the joint between flue and roof collar: this should really be a sliding joint. If not, when the stove is hot, either the flue forces its way further through the collar and doesn't return, or the flue expands downwards and breaks the stove top.

 

The cure is to separate the flue and collar, and redo the join with fibreglass rope and a bead of silicon to stop water drips, using as little of both as you can get away with.

 

Iain

[Guest wanted]

We had the same thing on Copperkins a few years ago. In our case, it got to the stage that the stove, when cold, was hanging from the flue with daylight under the stove legs. The cause is the joint between flue and roof collar: this should really be a sliding joint. If not, when the stove is hot, either the flue forces its way further through the collar and doesn't return, or the flue expands downwards and breaks the stove top.

 

The cure is to separate the flue and collar, and redo the join with fibreglass rope and a bead of silicon to stop water drips, using as little of both as you can get away with.

 

Iain

 

Thanks, That make sense,

[Speedwheel]

 

[Tim Doran]

I'm no bloody use to you what so ever...so I'll shut up now.

 

I knew that you would speak some sense one day. Keep up the good work

 

 

Tim

[mikevye]

We had the same thing on Copperkins a few years ago. In our case, it got to the stage that the stove, when cold, was hanging from the flue with daylight under the stove legs. The cause is the joint between flue and roof collar: this should really be a sliding joint. If not, when the stove is hot, either the flue forces its way further through the collar and doesn't return, or the flue expands downwards and breaks the stove top.

 

The cure is to separate the flue and collar, and redo the join with fibreglass rope and a bead of silicon to stop water drips, using as little of both as you can get away with.

 

Iain

 

Are you sure you haven't got a self levitating stove? I find it difficult to believe that enough stiction could be in the roof space which would hold the stove in the air particularly as the lower collar is between the two assemblies!! In answer to the OP did you pack the stove collar then light the fire and keep alight until the problem? The likelyhood is the fireclay has held the loose stove in situ then cracked when allowed to cool as the fire would certainly moved during the period of time it was in constant use. I was always repairing the fireclay in the ring until I bolted the fire down.

 

Shouldn't it be bolted down to pass a BSS inspection -?? I don't know I just ask...

 

Anyway ours is, so it doesn't wobble so at to your original question I'm no bloody use to you what so ever...so I'll shut up now.

 

Yes but think of the positives you got another post on in your efforts to catch up with filis!

[Guest wanted]

Are you sure you haven't got a self levitating stove? I find it difficult to believe that enough stiction could be in the roof space which would hold the stove in the air particularly as the lower collar is between the two assemblies!! In answer to the OP did you pack the stove collar then light the fire and keep alight until the problem? The likelyhood is the fireclay has held the loose stove in situ then cracked when allowed to cool as the fire would certainly moved during the period of time it was in constant use. I was always repairing the fireclay in the ring until I bolted the fire down.

 

Fire was there before me so I have little

Idea of how it was fitted. I don't have much idea of how it assenbles to be honest.could you talk me though the way you would fix it please.

Cheers

[blackrose]

Hmmm... well, I'm not planning on using that same inspector ever again anyhow

 

Tony

 

But your stove moved slightly so the inspector was correct in failing it. Alan said his stove has restraints to prevent movement.

[Guest]

Yes but think of the positives you got another post on in your efforts to catch up with filis!

 

- I'm aiming higher than that... much higher....

[mikevye]

Fire was there before me so I have little

Idea of how it was fitted. I don't have much idea of how it assenbles to be honest.could you talk me though the way you would fix it please.

Cheers

 

I am glad in many respects that the boat I purchased (new) left a number of jobs lacking. This has given me the opportunity to get it right to my standards and know more about the workings of the systems. The fire was a red rag to me from day one as I soon realised it wasn't bolted down. People assume that the weight of the fire plus the flue will keep it in situ by gravity. Were it to be flat bottomed and fit flush on the floor then yes it probably wouldn't move but the contact area with the floor through the feet as a ratio is very small.I redesigned my fire surround to give more space between the fire and the surround and it now incorporates a thermal heatshield between the tiles and the wall. The hearth is constructed using proper floor tiles over a concrete slab which is screwed to the floor. The whole assembly is now bolted to the floor with four rawlbolts. The collar on the fire is sealed with fireclay and as previously stated the flue is a sliding fit through the roof. I always had water ingress into the roof space with an open chimney but since fitting a coolie hat its no longer a problem. PM me if you want any further help.