Cracked Fireplace Insert
The temperature in a wood burning fireplace gets very hot and can reach 1 100 to 1 500 degrees.
Cracked fireplace insert. If the brick is crumbling have it replaced with a new firebrick embedded in refractory mortar. If the mortar joints in a firebox are crumbling chisel out the old mortar and replace it with new mortar. In fact there is metal behind the refractory on a factory built fireplace.
Clean the inside. If you have hairline cracks this is normal and not a safety hazard. Any visible crack should be sealed for tiny hairline cracks there are caulk tube repair sealants specifically for chimney fireboxes you have to scrub out the crack and immediate surrounding area well with wirer brush and croesote solvent first then force caulk into the crack.
However if the cracks are deep or wide then yes we recommend you repair or replace them as needed. Many chimney sweeps do this sort of repair as do chimney masons. House fires can occur if there are cracks in the refractory panels that allow excessive heat to transfer through the cracks to the metal shell box and to the wood framing.
When these fine cracks occur you can rest assured that the homeowner can enjoy the fireplace with absolutely no danger. Throwing a piece of wood into the insert could easily cause the insert to crack and if it does it will crack right beside the weld. This helps your unit work more effectively.
You can go to you tube to. With reasonable air circulation it may settle in at around 1 000 degrees. If a brick in a masonry fireplace cracks you need to patch it.
Most fireplace inserts are simply pushed shoved is more like it into the opening of a fireplace we refer to these as slammed in or slammers and they are very dangerous. Push the insulation in with your fingers making sure. Check out your fireplace.
Therefore even if the cracks get larger the fireplace will still operate safely. If you have a concrete insert you could be putting your entire house. I went with the 10 mid grade gun since i had never used one before.
Is it dangerous to use a fireplace that has cracked insert panels. Nfi certified specialist on december 16 2013. Fireplace insert fix step 1.