What is the internal plate at the top of a woodburner?

We are often contacted by people who have inadvertently discovered a plate sitting inside their woodburner at the top of the firebox.

If they are baffled as to what the internal place is, that’s pretty ironic because it is actually called the baffle.

Since it is tucked away at the very top of the stove and is usually made from cast iron, it is easy to miss. As a result, the baffle often comes to people’s attention when they accidentally dislodge it during cleaning or refuelling, or else when something goes wrong (like they notice a hole in it).

How do I know where the internal plate goes?

We’ve just discussed the circumstances under which a lot of people become aware of their plate, so their instant reaction is usually: “How do I put it back where it came from?”

The easiest way to do this is to consult your stove manual, which should provide instructions on fitting the baffle. If you don’t have a manual, it should still be fairly obvious. Usually, there are small pegs sticking out of the internal wall that the baffle will rest upon. If you sit the baffle on top of the fire liners (the plates protecting the side and back of the stove body), the pegs or other method for holding the baffle in place should now be slightly above it.

What is the purpose of the internal plate at the top of a woodburner?

The baffle plate has two main roles. Firstly, as just mentioned in relation to the fire liners, it protects the top of the stove body from the most intense heat and flames.

But its main purpose is to save you money. It effectively blocks the most direct route up your chimney, forcing the gases to go around it before going upwards. This helps to keep flammable gases in the firebox for as long as possible to give them the best possible chance of being burnt before they disappear up the flue.

This helps you to get the most bang for your buck with the fuel you burn and is also better for the environment because it is not good for unspent gases to be emitted into the atmosphere.

Why is my baffle damaged?

If you are reading this because you have noticed the internal plate at the top of your woodburner is worn or warped, this article will help you to work out what’s gone wrong and how to address the problem.