Coalbrookdale Little Wenlock glass channels

[Midnight]

It seems AGA no longer supply replacement door glass corner channels for the Coalbrookdale Little Wenlock MK2 and the company they told me to contact also no longer supplies them.

I recently took the glass out when doing a major overhaul only to find the four corner channels had disintegrated. My local stove shop sold me some sealing fabric and told me to use it to completely seal the glass but it seems these particular stoves need an air intake around the glass hence the need for the four corner channels. With the glass sealed the stove struggles to keep going overnight and I have to open the spin valve quite a way to get a flame and decent heat during the day.

Anyone know a stove company that still supplies the channels?

[PaulJ]

Not sure what you mean by 'the four corner channels ' ? You either have a different door to me or its been modified as mine is exactly like the parts list says it should be.

My Coalbrookdale (not AGA) Little Wenlock Mk 2 uses a single piece frame to hold the glass in-available here  https://www.rjpryce.com/Products/wenlock-roomheater-spares/RAYHC1175

Think you may possibly have a blocked flue or throat causing your problems. My glass is airtight and is seated on self adhesive glass tape-I know this because if the stove is roaring away and I shut the spinner it puts the stove out (rightly so). 

I rarely unscrew it more than a single turn out with 3/4 turn out keeping it ticking over of a nighttime.

 

[alan_fincher]

2 hours ago, Midnight said:

It seems AGA no longer supply replacement door glass corner channels for the Coalbrookdale Little Wenlock MK2 and the company they told me to contact also no longer supplies them.

I recently took the glass out when doing a major overhaul only to find the four corner channels had disintegrated. My local stove shop sold me some sealing fabric and told me to use it to completely seal the glass but it seems these particular stoves need an air intake around the glass hence the need for the four corner channels. With the glass sealed the stove struggles to keep going overnight and I have to open the spin valve quite a way to get a flame and decent heat during the day.

Anyone know a stove company that still supplies the channels?

I'm also confused what the pieces are you are describing.

According to this site, the Coalbrookdale Little Wenlock Mk II uses this arrangement to retain the glass.

It looks an identical arrangement to my Much Wenlock, other than being smaller of course.

None of the Mk I, Mk II or Mk III listings show "corner pieces", all show a solid frame that supports the glass all round, (different on the Mk III).

The site I have listed is the spares arm of Rangemoors, and I have found them very helpful over parts for these long obsolete stoves.  The lady who answers queries seems very knowledgeable, and sorted out parts I needed to refurbish my door very efficiently - a recommended supplier.

[Midnight]

Mine also has the frame to hold the glass in place but there are (or were) four small right-angled fabric corner pieces with an internal channel that locate at each corner of glass.  The frame then sits on top of these. AGA confirmed that the glass is held off the door frame and plate by the corners allowing air around the edges. They identified them as 'channels' but said they no longer supply them.

The flue is clear I just replaced the flue pipe and rebuilt the stove with a new top plate. I bought it new in 2003 so it was all original until I replaced the top and collar. I must admit that it did seem to burn very  hot (maybe that's what cracked the top plate?) even with the spinner open just a fraction. Since sealing the glass I suspect the fire would go out if I closed the spinner tight.

Confused as you chaps - maybe I just need to adapt to having the spinner open?

[Midnight]

57 minutes ago, alan_fincher said:

I'm also confused what the pieces are you are describing.

According to this site, the Coalbrookdale Little Wenlock Mk II uses this arrangement to retain the glass.

It looks an identical arrangement to my Much Wenlock, other than being smaller of course.

None of the Mk I, Mk II or Mk III listings show "corner pieces", all show a solid frame that supports the glass all round, (different on the Mk III).

The site I have listed is the spares arm of Rangemoors, and I have found them very helpful over parts for these long obsolete stoves.  The lady who answers queries seems very knowledgeable, and sorted out parts I needed to refurbish my door very efficiently - a recommended supplier.

Thanks I've sent an enquiry and will report back when I get an answer

[alan_fincher]

I find it hard to imagine that the glass is only supported at the corners, and that there is expected to be an open airway around it at other points.

This sounds dodgy to me.

All I can say is that my Much Wenlock, where the supporting frame for the glass is a very similar casting, you put a tape all around the glass, that is designed to fold down over the edges of both faces of it.

This stuff.  (It is listed as correct for a Little Wenlock mark II)
 

Note, the centre with the yellowish stripe is run around the edge, (it is sticky backed), then you fold the two resulting protruding edges over each face of the glass.

Mine had been bastardised by the last owner, not using such tape, and the grass had cracked, (probably because the tape allows it to "float" with some movement, whereas they had used an arrangement that held glass against metal.

This correct stuff works well, and is, I suspect what should be between your glass and both the stove front, and the locating frame.  I don't think there should be an air gap anywhere, unless you can point at manufacturers instructions that say this.

Edited January 20, 2018 by alan_fincher
correct typo

[MoominPapa]

2 hours ago, Midnight said:

Mine also has the frame to hold the glass in place but there are (or were) four small right-angled fabric corner pieces with an internal channel that locate at each corner of glass.  The frame then sits on top of these. AGA confirmed that the glass is held off the door frame and plate by the corners allowing air around the edges. They identified them as 'channels' but said they no longer supply them.

The flue is clear I just replaced the flue pipe and rebuilt the stove with a new top plate. I bought it new in 2003 so it was all original until I replaced the top and collar. I must admit that it did seem to burn very  hot (maybe that's what cracked the top plate?) even with the spinner open just a fraction. Since sealing the glass I suspect the fire would go out if I closed the spinner tight.

Confused as you chaps - maybe I just need to adapt to having the spinner open?

 

We have a Little Wenlock Mk11, and  the glass is  (and always has been, in our ownership) sealed to the door. The stove was already installed and like that when we bought the boat. It works fine, It will go out with the spinner closed, which I regard a safe behaviour - can't all stoves be shut down by cutting off the air? The output varies between minimum at about 1/4 turn open, and flat out at just over one turn.

If you are right that there's supposed to be a gap round the glass, I suspect that the lack of that causes this stove's sole vice - the glass goes black very quickly and stays like that.

The tops crack because of build up of corrosion product in the slots where the sides slot into the underside of the top - the rust has greater volume than the iron it came from and forces the sides of the slot apart. This  cracks the top along the slot and moves the sides outward, opening the joints between the side and the back. I suspect that if you took the top off every five years and cleaned out the slots then reassembled it, it would last forever. I, like you, didn't do that and had to replace the top.

 

Cheers,

 

MP.

 

 

 

Edited January 20, 2018 by MoominPapa

[alan_fincher]

It seems I missed part of Midnight's post.

Like MP, I would expect shutting the air control on the ash pan door tight to put the fire out.

Surely that is intended behaviour - if it doesn't go out with that ifs fully shut, how could you shut it down if you needed to?

[PaulJ]

3 minutes ago, alan_fincher said:

It seems I missed part of Midnight's post.

Like MP, I would expect shutting the air control on the ash pan door tight to put the fire out.

Surely that is intended behaviour - if it doesn't go out with that ifs fully shut, how could you shut it down if you needed to?

Exactly so- if the glass let air by you would struggle to  be able to shut the stove down. I had the misfortune to deliver a boat with a nasty chinese stove once that wasnt air tight- on a windy night you had to smother the coals to control it!

[Keeping Up]

I have a more recent Little Wenlock and I can't shut it right down by closing the spin wheel. I suspect that the upper air control, which is for use when burning wood, doesn't seal properly because it is a slider. It has always seemed to me a bit dangerous.

[Midnight]

2 hours ago, alan_fincher said:

I find it hard to imagine that the glass is only supported at the corners, and that there is expected to be an open airway around it at other points.

This sounds dodgy to me.................

..............This stuff.  (It is listed as correct for a Little Wenlock mark II)

Note, the centre with the yellowish stripe is run around the edge, (it is sticky backed), then you fold the two resulting protruding edges over each face of the glass.

..................This correct stuff works well, ..........  I don't think there should be an air gap anywhere, unless you can point at manufacturers instructions that say this.

It seems nobody except the AGA spares person has heard of the corner channels, perhaps only a few stoves were built like that? Pity I binned the remnants or I could have upped a piccy. 

Most of the time I ran it with the spinner virtually closed but the coals glowed red until I damped down with ash.

When I hear back from Rangemoors I will order the tape above as it looks superior (and cheaper) to the stuff supplied by my local store.

Nobody I have spoken to (except AGA) thinks there should be an air gap around the glass and listening to the above comments I tend to think a full seal is a better option anyway.

[Midnight]

FYI Reply from Rangemoors
Thank-you for your email. Yes, these four corner channels were part of the original stove. These were common across the stove industry but were phased out very quickly for no apparent reason other than supply - I would hazard a guess at 7+ years ago. Modern day replacements are a more robust glass fibre tape or ceramic equivalent and by modern standards, yes the glass should be sealed. Not only does this prevent gases escaping, but stops the stove from drawing in oxygen. Todays' standards are all about efficiency and controllability, which wouldn't have been so forefront when your stove was manufactured. Perhaps it was a deliberate manufacturing point, to allow addition combustion air in, but it's not something we could really recommend today.

ENDS

I will now order some of that fibre tape. Thanks Alan for the heads up.

Edited January 22, 2018 by Midnight