Code, clearances & fireplaces

radiorental · Mar 7, 2014

I currently have a VC Resolute woodstove and will be upgrading to a similar style pellet stove. I'm aiming for the largest BTU output I can get away with.

This means I'm looking either a Enviro Empress or M55, a Castile or AE... depending on what fits. The smaller variants will fit no issue but I'd like to consider the larger stoves. The reason being our living room is on the small side and every inch counts.

The VC Resolute is set back in the existing fieldstone fireplace firebox. The larger pellet stoves all might fit with the hopper set in to the fireplace. The cast iron body might be just a couple of inches from the jam/lentil.

Will this fail code or is the fact that it's a fireplace be exempt from clearances?

Cheers!

Jp16 · Mar 7, 2014

It all depends on the manufacturer and their specs. Harman and Quadrafire have all their products manuals on their web site. I think others would have similar availability too. If space is an issue consider an insert rather than a free standing stove.

I to am in MA. My building inspector only required that my stove be installed according to the manufacturer's instructions and to have an outside air intake. I would imagine I could have argued the OAK but I was planning on it anyway. I replaced an Air Tight wood burner with a Quad Santa Fe and have been very happy with it. In my case I have a corner hearth so I have no overhead issues.

radiorental · Mar 7, 2014

I see! thanks. All the manufacturer installation notes are for 'combustable' clearances. So I guess I'm good to go wrt to setting the stove I want as close to the lentil/jambs.

fwiw this is the setup I'm replacing and hope to 'fit' a hopper box in to as far as I can.

Many thanks

rparker · Mar 8, 2014

Just be careful pushing the stove as far back into the opening as possible. On most stoves, the hopper cover hinges on the back and so the door flips up to the rear. You want to be able to open the hopper door and have it stay open without holding it. Not easy to feed and hold the hopper door at the same time.

Brewer · Mar 8, 2014

In th pic, what is the beige colored, half moon shaped material on the floor, in front of and just under the front of the stove?

radiorental · Mar 8, 2014

rparker: yes, thanks, we originally had the same problem with the wood stove thats in there now
brewer: That's a hearth rug. We had it left over from when we had open fires that would spit out embers from time to time. It just catches ash these days. https://www.google.com/search?q=hearth+rug

MarkF48 · Mar 8, 2014

My son in law (in MA) had a stone hearth extension laid into the wood flooring from his fireplace for a woodstove insert to meet code. Likely could have been something else non-flammable for protection, but the stone matched the fireplace. Looking at your current install I'm surprised this got by inspection in MA with only what appears to be a hearth rug as protection over the edge of a wood floor. Pellet stove insert might be a bit less stringent for regulations of what is needed for floor protection clearance in front of the stove, but it might be worth checking with the local building inspector in case something major needs to be done before an install.

radiorental · Mar 8, 2014

MarkF48 said:
My son in law (in MA) had a stone hearth extension laid into the wood flooring

The same, the rug is just to catch ash and stop the fireguard from scratching the wood floor. Thanks for your concerns about code.

Search

Search

Code, clearances & fireplaces

radiorental

Member

Jp16

Member

radiorental

Member

rparker

Feeling the Heat

Brewer

Member

radiorental

Member

MarkF48

Feeling the Heat

radiorental

Member

Similar threads