Slammer in Cabin

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yankeesouth

Member
Feb 9, 2011
61
Southwestern PA
Okay…..don’t beat me up too bad on this one but I have a question about throwing a slammer in an old cabin. This is temporary….most likely till I can around to installing it correctly this summer…..10-15 weekend burns max for the life it will be installed. I know everyone has their opinions on this topic and I also know it is not the best or even approved option now-a-days, but all that aside I have a question about performance.
Stove to be installed is a Dutchwest 6inch vent out of the back. The fireplace is old school with “0” damper…..just a smoke chamber. The chimney is in great condition…..13in terracotta liner (12-15ft)….no cracks. Can I place the stove on the hearth…..run a 2ft pipe out the back…..throw in a 90….throw in a “whatever” size pipe I need in to get me past the smoke chamber……and have a working stove? Will this work?
To make a long story short…..the open fireplace is great for looks and burns for about an hour….but without a damper it chews through the wood. I am looking for a temporary stove install to get me through some hunting weekends for the winter. Thoughts?????
 
While not ideal, if installed safely with no clearance to combustibles issues, the hearth of the fireplace can safely hold the wood stove, and the chimney is in good condition (which you mention it is) then yes, it should work.

If setup safely, the biggest issue with these is how large a pain it is to clean a system setup like this, and a good lot of heat will still go up the chimney unless there is a block off plate (like roxul insulation). Also, newer stoves have problems like this as they do not have a very strong draft.

pen
 
AFAIK, a "slammer" = an insert slammed into the fireplace and just venting out of the top of the insert, no pipe. I've seen what you're describing called a "direct connect" install, but that includes a seal at the bottom of the terracotta, or at least the damper area. Maybe you could stuff rockwool in there and get enough of a seal for it to draft okay. If there's a smoke shelf in the smoke chamber, flex pipe is the easiest way around that. . .if I had to buy flex pipe, I would just go ahead and get 20' of it and go to the top, instead of messing around with connections/seals in the smoke chamber. More $ up front, but easier install and will work better.
 
You mean the DW is a neverburn?

and +1 on losing lots of heat up the flue. That's why our slammer insert is history. . .too much of a pain to connect a liner to it.

Sorry, meant to say "newer" typo.
 
I was wondering about the draft. I wonder if something like insulated sheathing would work to stuff around the smoke chamber/shelf? I think I have some exterior sheathing with a foil covering laying around.
 
I was wondering about the draft. I wonder if something like insulated sheathing would work to stuff around the smoke chamber/shelf? I think I have some exterior sheathing with a foil covering laying around.

Roxul is simple and known safe. I'm doubting that sheathing would handle the heat.
 
This is a direct connect, not a slammer. The draft may suck with a 13" tile liner, especially if the chimney is short. Regardless you will need a block off plate unless the intent is to keep heating the outdoors.

Temporary installations have a bad habit of becoming permanent. If this is a 1 story chimney it wouldn't take long to drop a liner, install a top cap and connect the stove. That will provide the most satisfactory results.
 
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