Busted Franco Belge

 
Nihon Lab Tiger
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Post by Nihon Lab Tiger » Tue. Nov. 29, 2016 2:15 pm

Hey guys, it's been a while.

So I've been loving heating the house with the Alaska Kodiak so much that I decided to pick up a coal stove for the garage as well. I found an old Franco Belge (1475? It was listed as a 1375 on Craigslist) for $150. Seemed to be in good shape, but after firing up it started billowing smoke out of this GIANT crack. I knew I should have gone through the trouble of taking the sheet metal off and looking it at closer.

I've read that parts can still be had for these, but haven't had much luck finding anything yet. Also read that welding is an option, but... that's a pretty big crack. Goes all the way across the top of the right exhaust manifold/pipe thing. Hoping someone here has some insight or some sort of connection to get a new part!


 
Nihon Lab Tiger
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Post by Nihon Lab Tiger » Tue. Nov. 29, 2016 2:17 pm

Oh yeah and: here are the pictures

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franco b
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Post by franco b » Tue. Nov. 29, 2016 3:48 pm

I would patch it with furnace cement with sheet metal screwed over it.

Does the cleanout cover fit OK?

 
Nihon Lab Tiger
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Post by Nihon Lab Tiger » Tue. Nov. 29, 2016 4:22 pm

franco b wrote:I would patch it with furnace cement with sheet metal screwed over it.

Does the cleanout cover fit OK?
No, actually... if you're talking about what I think you are (the little square/rectangle piece on the side?) the door is gone and has been patched over.

Judging by your user name, maybe you'd know: is this a 1475? Is there even such thing as a 1375?

 
franco b
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Post by franco b » Tue. Nov. 29, 2016 4:42 pm

It's a 1375. The only difference with the 1475 is the sheet metal.

The seller should not have concealed that from you. The cleanout cover must be removable to properly clean that flue passage.

I do have a spare 1462 which is 4 inches narrower, but the part you need , I believe is the same, or you could just use that stove instead with lesser output. Price $200 if you are not too far away. Has been fired very little. Burns about 25 pounds a day.

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Nihon Lab Tiger
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Post by Nihon Lab Tiger » Tue. Nov. 29, 2016 5:02 pm

yeah, I'm suspicious he knew about the issues but gave me the old "don't know much about it, decided not to use it, never even fired it up..."

thanks for your offer on the stove, but Connecticut is quite a haul from here. I think for now I'm going to just repair it and keep an eye out for another cheap one to come up for sale locally. In the meantime I've got CO detectors plugged in all over the place.

 
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Post by stovepipemike » Wed. Nov. 30, 2016 8:36 am

I have never used a Franco but I have a friend that has 40 years experience with them. He is always concerned about the back manifold's tendency to crack. He tells me parts are no longer imported to replace these manifolds. As a matter of fact he is buying a stove now to get the manifolds. Be careful with the repair as that looks like a wicked crack to me and will always bear watching. He just got done telling that the small glass window pieces are 10 bucks each. I did not know they were that much. Mike


 
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Post by Nihon Lab Tiger » Mon. Dec. 05, 2016 5:03 pm

So. Turns out the cracking situation was waaaaay worse than I thought. There is another huge crack along the back manifold that leaves what looks like a half inch gap, and the bottom of the left manifold has a crack along its entire length as well. No way am I going to try to use this thing.

So I started cruising Craigslist again and managed to snap up a 1475 on the same day it was listed. $150. Came with a bunch of spare parts, too.

I'll post some pictures once my Wi-Fi decides to cooperate, but in the meantime, Questions: what kind of temperatures should expect to see on the top surface? How much coal are people going through with these? And, what are you setting your thermostat at? I've usually got mine up around 6 or 7, anything below that and it acts like its going to die out. Not sure the draft on this chimney is what it should be...

 
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Post by franco b » Mon. Dec. 05, 2016 10:35 pm

The top surface will only go to 350 or so because the hopper full of coal will shield it. Low or empty hopper will go more.

Figure about 40 pounds per day and shaking and knifing the grates every 8 hours. Empty ash once in 24 hours. Use pea coal and set hopper as high as it will go.

The stoves are high efficiency and very quick tending with no fear of puff back.
Thermostat setting will vary with how it was set up. The air flap has a smaller flap within it which can be seen using a flashlight from the front with the bottom ash cover lowered. Start with 4 or 5 and slowly raise or lower over time until you get the feel of the output. Leave it alone when tending unless you want more or less heat. No goosing the fire before loading or cutting back afterward. The thermostat does it automatically.

Get some thin sheet metal the size of the upper door opening and bend over one half inch at the top to hang it over the door opening when starting a fire to avoid getting the glass smoked up and also to cover the opening to let glass cool when cleaning it every two or three weeks. Fashion some sheet metal to act as a slot to use the ash pan tool as handle to place and remove.

These are not large stoves so do not expect to heat a large house with it.

 
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Post by Nihon Lab Tiger » Tue. Dec. 06, 2016 8:57 am

I like your idea of fabricating up a cover for when the door is open. I'm gonna do that.

Really hope I'm not overfiring; I've hit 460* right in front of the load door on top, and that's with a full hopper on the highest notch. That's the hottest spot I can find on the whole stove. But this is going full tilt, all the way up on 8.

 
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Post by franco b » Tue. Dec. 06, 2016 9:22 am

I do think you are over firing. The glass will begin to bow outward and damage will occur to other parts as well. 40 pounds per day is about max.

A small fire box run hotter than most is part of what makes these stoves so efficient, but that can easily be over done. If after 8 hours the fire is almost all ash, then you are burning too hot.

To get a little more capacity, I place the hopper right on top of the supports, above the notches. That needs a banking bar in front though to keep coal from exiting the front . I use a piece of 3/4 by 1 inch steel as a banking bar.

 
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Post by freetown fred » Tue. Dec. 06, 2016 10:15 am

Thank the Lord, I thought this thread was about my old friend Richard getting arrested for bein older & havin way to much fun with life!! :P

 
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Post by franco b » Tue. Dec. 06, 2016 10:26 am

freetown fred wrote:Thank the Lord, I thought this thread was about my old friend Richard getting arrested for bein older & havin way to much fun with life!! :P
When I first read the title I thought the same thing. What did I do wrong?

I just wish Grumpy would investigate the conspiracy obviously going on with weight. I know damn well that 50 pounds used to be a lot lighter.

 
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Post by Nihon Lab Tiger » Tue. Dec. 06, 2016 12:52 pm

Sorry I scared you guys! Franco B is still a free man. For now at least.

Sucks that I'm probably overfiring. Ok, so here's a funny question from someone who has been successfully heating with coal or wood for several years: what actually is overfiring? Is it a given temperature? Or is it was when you get glowing surfaces and that hot metal smell?

460 I guess is pretty hot. But it really doesn't seem like its running hard. Ah well, at least I have a ton of extra parts now. Which reminds me... if anyone needs 1375/1475 parts, I've got like 3 of everything now. Except manifolds. I'll sell what I've got at reasonable price.

 
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Post by michaelanthony » Tue. Dec. 06, 2016 1:12 pm

Nihon Lab Tiger wrote:........ Ok, so here's a funny question from someone who has been successfully heating with coal or wood for several years: what actually is overfiring? Is it a given temperature? Or is it was when you get glowing surfaces and that hot metal smell?...............
Great question and it could be it's own thread but here is my thoughts...there is the over firing as we know it being a temp that causes harm to the stove and or it's parts.

I consider over firing when, ( and this varies with each stove ), when I exceed the "sweet spot" of operating my stove and the ratio between stove temp and stack temp decreases.


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