28d ago

Clay flue tiles cracked after a 500 degree burn, back to steel liners

Were those tiles actually cracked before you lit the fire? Ive seen a lot of damaged flues where the issue was already there, just hidden behind buildup until the heat made it obvious. A 500 degree burn is hot, sure, but clay tiles are supposed to handle that kind of temperature in normal use. Im not saying it couldnt happen, but twelve years of heating and cooling cycles can weaken things in ways you dont see until something stresses them. Maybe that batch was bad, but Id want proof it was the burn and not just the final straw on a tile that was already failing.