Hello, I am new to this forum.
I am wanting to replace the fire bricks in my wood burning stove. The stove is by Lopi and is probably as old as the house, (36 years). I have used this stove as my main source of heat here in Northern California, since the winter of 2005/6. It is quite likely that the fire bricks are the original and they have served well but are now quite badly cracked. I want to replace them and I'm wondering if I should use clay or vermiculite bricks? From my reading I gather that vermiculite would be easier to work with but my question has to do with the heat transfer rate of the two types.
I have read the thread here that discusses whether or not firebricks are necessary and while I know that without bricks, the heat transfer would be largely unimpeded, I agree with the posts that say that they help provide a more even temperature and protect the steel. My current bricks appear to be some type of lighter weight concrete but I'm not sure if they are vermiculite or some other material, I have read that vermiculite has insulating properties and I have seen videos of a blow torch being applied to one side of a vermiculite brick which is resting on the palm of a hand and the heat not being transferred, (at least not initially), through to the hand. My specific question is: would clay bricks transfer heat to the steel sides of the firebox more readily than vermiculite bricks?
I ask this because if I use vermiculite bricks, I would hate to find that heat is transferred to the walls of the firebox at a rate less than the with the current bricks... whatever they are made of.
Thanks!
Kevin
