Guide to Parkray Fire Bars: What They Do & When to Replace Them
Parkray fire bars, also known as Grate Bars, are the heavy-duty cast iron bars inside the bottom of your stove. They support your fuel and let ash drop into the pan below. If your stove loses efficiency or the firebed warps, you need to replace your bars.
This guide explains how Parkray fire bars work and how to spot wear and tear.
What Are Parkray Fire Bars?
Parkray fire bars form the foundation of your fire. Unlike single-piece grates, Parkray multi-fuel stoves use a series of individual, interlocking cast iron (or chrome iron) bars. Cast iron withstands extreme heat from coal, smokeless fuel, and solid fuel.
What Do Fire Bars Do?
Fire bars perform three critical jobs to keep your stove running efficiently.
- They Supply Oxygen: Spaces between the bars allow vital air to rise from the ashpan straight into the fire.
- They Hold the Fuel: The heavy cast iron supports the weight of burning fuel above the ashpan.
- They Clear the Ash: An external riddling arm rocks the bars back and forth. This movement shakes dead ash down into the pan without putting out the fire.
High Bars vs. Low Bars
Parkray stoves mix two types of bars together: High Lift Bars and Low Lift Bars.
You place them alternately (High, Low, High, Low) across the grate. This alternating pattern creates the movement that clears the ash. When you buy replacements on Fireparts.com, count how many of each type your stove needs.
3 Signs You Need to Replace Your Bars
Intense heat eventually wears out cast iron. Watch for these three signs:
- Warping: Overheating bends the bars. Warped bars jam the riddling mechanism.
- Thinning: Burning wears the metal away. Wide gaps let unburnt fuel drop into the ashpan and waste money.
- Cracking: Thermal shock cracks the iron. A cracked bar can collapse under the weight of fresh fuel.
Buy Parkray Spares at Fireparts.com
New fire bars restore proper airflow and boost heat output instantly. You can replace them easily yourself. We sell both Cast and Chrome Iron bars both individually and as part of a full discounted set.