Villager Flatmate - do I fill these gaps?

Bendy_House

Just scraped out literally kgs of rust from the inside, especially from the underside of the top plate. Was starting to think there would be little metal left, but actually it's pretty solid.

And cleaned out a ~10mm gap between the rear firebricks and the back panel - see photo. Also, due to the square shape of the floor bricks against the curved front corners, there are triangular gaps there too - pic 2.

Do I fill these?! If so, would something like sand be sensible behind the rear bricks? Fire cement in the floor gaps? Should there be this gap at the back, or should I redo the bricks (risking breaking them, of course)?

Thanks for any advice.

Apodemus

The Owners Manual (at: https://www.solidfuelappliancespares.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Villager_Owners_Manual_2010.pdf ) says:

NOTE: The bricks are fitted loose, do not cement them in position, any small gaps should be allowed to fill with ash when the stove is used.

Bendy_House

Thanks again - rats, I read the instruction booklet too :-(

AND, I've just hoovered out all the ash :-).

Ach, it'll refill quickly enough. Sand down there not a good idea?

Apodemus

Bendy_House said:

Thanks again - rats, I read the instruction booklet too :-(

AND, I've just hoovered out all the ash :-).

Ach, it'll refill quickly enough. Sand down there not a good idea?

I don't know.  I'm guessing sand and ash have quite different properties in terms of insulating the steel from the heat, so I think I would go with small fires until the gaps fill up. 

Of course the gap up the back of the fire between the bricks and the back panel will probably never fill with anything and this will be where the fire-bricks are exposed to the greatest heat, so perhaps it all really doesn't matter!

ariarnia

i know sand gets hot quickly and stays hot for a long time. i dont know about ash conducting heat but from our stove i would say it cools faster 

Bendy_House

Thanks both - prob best left alone.

(Man, it WAS full! I thought it was more rust, but it was probably soot... Yup, I can't tell the difference :-)  )