Crack on top of Varde

[kah22]

I've just noticed a small crack on the top of my Varde Aura 11 and I'm wondering if that is a major repair or is it something some fire cement will fix.

Is this a major fix and an expensive one, that's my fire out of action for the immediate future 😕

[john87]

What is the top made of??

 

john..

[Bolt]

Seems a weird place for a crack.

 

As it’s in expanding and contracting metal, my concern (especially if you go down the blob of fire cement route) would be that it will keep extending.

[Bolt]

Do you know what the deposit / colouration is around the crack?

 

 

 

 

[openspaceman]

8 hours ago, Bolt said:

Do you know what the deposit / colouration is around the crack?

 

 

 

 

It looks a bit like Iron chloride or sulphate, if so then it's the underlying corrosion to worry about.

 

We had this sort of corrosion in a boiler that was burning shredded flat pack furniture returns where one section of ss flue got pinholed because it was too cold and the hydrochloric and sulphurous acids from combustion were condensing.

 

Edited November 2, 2022 by openspaceman
typo

[Dan Maynard]

If the fire doesn't fall out and the smoke's not leaking surely you might as well carry on using it even if there is a crack?

 

Can you see the crack on the inside? If so I'd give it a wire brush and blob of fire cement and see how it goes. All this unless you are still in warranty of course but looks like it's fairly well used in the photo so guess not.

 

[Bolt]

1 hour ago, openspaceman said:

 

It looks a bit like Iron chloride or sulphate, if so then it's the underlying corrosion to worry about.

 

We had this sort of corrosion in a boiler that was burning shredded flat pack furniture returns where one section of ss flue got pinholed because it was too cold and the hydrochloric and sulphurous acids from combustion where condensing.

 

It certainly looks like corrosion involving metals that should not be there.

 

I’m not metallurgist, but I’m certainly reminded if the corrosion seen on a copper pipe joint (where the flux was not properly cleaned off) blended with the mess seen along the bottom of old Landrover defender doors (both of which are not good signs!).

[Stubby]

Do you put an aluminum kettle on it ?  

[sandspider]

On 02/11/2022 at 12:46, Stubby said:

Do you put an aluminum kettle on it ?  

Is that bad? We put a camping kettle (quite possibly aluminium) on our woodburners from time to time.

[Steven P]

Aluminium - will be very light weight and a lot of camping kettles are (because of that weight carrying it 3m, from car to tent is too much). Not sure about the reaction between aluminium, steel (or iron), heat and water - is this happening were the kettle usuall sits?

 

I'd wire brush off all the discolouration and monitor what is happening,