cracked collar on morso squirrel

[deggers]

I can see lots of posts and answers about various cracked bits on a Morso stove but nothing about a cracked collar.

the flue sits inside a four inch collar at the top of the stove which appears to be in two parts. (probably extensions). both parts have a crack in them which I repaired with Plastic Padding Chemical Metal. works for a bit then cracks again and the engine vibration doesnt help. obviously dangerous should the flue pipe slip out if the collar gave way and fall to the floor unnoticed while under way.

I'm not worried about Co2 as it is still well sealed and we have an alarm.

Anyone else had this problem and overcome it, how did they deal with it, or is it a new flue and collar required? Big job?

one thing I'm thinking of is making sure it doesn't crack anymore by holding it with a very large Jubilee clip Kit, that can be made to whatever size you want.

 

thanks

Derek

[dor]

Had a similar thing with my Stovax Brunel which has a similar collar. It went 'ping' one day not long after I had lit the stove on a particularly cold day on arriving at the boat. I had lit and run the stove hard and it evidently didn't heat up smoothly enouhg and the expansion of the pipe inside the collar was too much for it. I eventually removed the flue pipe to relace the collar and it was evident that the gap between the pipe and collar was very tightly filled with fire cement which I think led to it going as there was no room for the pipe to expand. I refitted the pipe in the collar with a piece of rope then filled the rest with high temp. silicone.

 

Note that new requirements of the BSS in the last issue means any cracks, even if repaired with some sort of filler, will result in instant fail.

 

ETA: it is CO not CO2 you need to worry about - do not confuse the two!

Edited January 22, 2014 by dor

[peterboat]

Always makes me smile a lot of people praise morso to the hilt butr nearly all the threads for broken stoves are for morso

 

Peter

[bassplayer]

I can see lots of posts and answers about various cracked bits on a Morso stove but nothing about a cracked collar.

the flue sits inside a four inch collar at the top of the stove which appears to be in two parts. (probably extensions). both parts have a crack in them which I repaired with Plastic Padding Chemical Metal. works for a bit then cracks again and the engine vibration doesnt help. obviously dangerous should the flue pipe slip out if the collar gave way and fall to the floor unnoticed while under way.

I'm not worried about Co2 as it is still well sealed and we have an alarm.

Anyone else had this problem and overcome it, how did they deal with it, or is it a new flue and collar required? Big job?

one thing I'm thinking of is making sure it doesn't crack anymore by holding it with a very large Jubilee clip Kit, that can be made to whatever size you want.

 

thanks

Derek

As Dor says, heat expansion is the cause. I have been told this is a common problem. When my new Morso was installed we put a ring of stove rope around the bottom of the collar where the flue sits and another around the flue in the gap where it enters the collar. Fire cement was used to seal the space but I understand a heat resistant silicon based product is better as it allows for expansion.

 

I'm also not convinced about the BSS requirement to bolt the stove to the floor. Surely if the whole stove is too ridged it could crack due to the expansion.

[Bones]

I'm also not convinced about the BSS requirement to bolt the stove to the floor. Surely if the whole stove is too ridged it could crack due to the expansion.

I think it is a good idea. Having been in a NB crash and seeing the devastation that an impact can have on the interior of a boat, having the stove roll over and the coals fall out would be awkward. However, to suppose that a stove with a flue up through the roof is not deemed as secure is another matter.

I also think it is a good idea to have CO monitors in the BSS but they are not.

Anyone else had this problem and overcome it, how did they deal with it, or is it a new flue and collar required? Big job?

one thing I'm thinking of is making sure it doesn't crack anymore by holding it with a very large Jubilee clip Kit, that can be made to whatever size you want.

 

thanks

Derek

Not sure if it is a big job. I didn't find installing the stove in the first place a big job; it just takes time.

[BEngo]

Generally the cause is one or other of: Installed too tight so the collar can't move relative to the stove as it expands and contracts, or; Rust.

 

Replacing it is easy, but filthy, if you can get at the screws from the inside- that can be hard when the boiler is fitted, but the lugs usually break off anyway. Don't overtighten the screws into the new lugs. Barely hand tight is enough- it's not going to go anywhere. Make sure there is rope between the collar and the stove. More rope under the flue pipe. Seal with heat resistant silicone as suggested

 

New collar is available from Harworth Heating. No connection but have had good service.

 

N