Insert Identification

  • Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.

    We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.

    We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil.
Status
Not open for further replies.

yinpin

Burning Hunk
Jul 25, 2016
142
Kingsville, MD
Hey everyone. I have been reading a lot about fireplace inserts and I am strongly considering one for the basement fireplace to assist with heating the home during the winter months and making the basement fireplace more usable. We did not use the fireplace at all last year because we don't spend a lot of consecutive time down there. It is a finished area and primarily a rec room/play room for the kids. I have a workshop down there as well and it is pretty chilly in the winter.

I have a walkout basement slider that enters to a covered stairway and I was thinking that I could stack wood along the wall and keep it covered to feed the insert.

Anyway, I am not looking at investing a lot of money in it at this point because we recently moved in and the basement will need to be updated in a few years. I found a local insert for sale that has a electric blower but I am not sure of the make/model of it. I have to see if it fits and do have the dims.

I will need to add a flu liner and extend this up the dedicated chimney but I was hoping you could identify this unit and provide me any information on it. Thank you.

C5F14E9A-8BA7-4C0A-B4FC-9E754D7D8F6C_zpsejdazzye.jpg
 
Depending on the age of the insert, there should be a plate on it. Does the seller not have that info?
 
I am working on trying to get that information but wont have it for a few days. I was hoping I can identify it so that I could do some research, get dimensions and determine how it hooks up.

Edit** The guy who is selling it is at the house now. It looks like he is renovating it and that is why he is selling it. He cannot locate any brand or model identifiers.

1) He is only asking $150 Obo - Ultimately I would upgrade to a nice one after a few years but since this is my first experience with an insert I want to crawl first.

2) It looks like it is pretty old and has the rectangle exhaust. From reading on hear, I would need to fit an adapter on this to accommodate a 6" liner. How big of a pain is that?

3) It is 16 inches deep off of the face plate portion and 26.5 wide at the rear. I have to verify that it will fit into my fireplace since the sides of my firebox angle in. I know that the front width of my fireplace is 36" and the rear is 21" but I forgot to measure the depth....
3190B908-DB58-4AFA-8BD1-B1F6256AA7EF_zps6dz0b1lp.jpg

Looking for an insert for this.
35CB51CA-D439-46ED-A278-0671F1BEAEA6_zpsypggvrwe.jpg B19D1217-B28B-42D0-971A-35AB067AF040_zpseysaw7di.jpg
 
Last edited:
That is an old dogger set up for a slammer install. Check with your insurance company to see if they will allow it. If you still want it, measure carefully.
 
That is an old dogger set up for a slammer install. Check with your insurance company to see if they will allow it. If you still want it, measure carefully.

I am not interested in a slammer install. I was under the impression that you could use a rectangle to round insert adapter to connect to a flue liner. Maybe it is worth passing on at this time even at $150.
 
Do you see any other issues or concerns that tell me I should walk away? I want one but I am not in a position to invest in a new model at this time. This is kind of a trial by fire...literally.
 
I know nothing about the insert so it's hard to comment. If it's just a big metal box with no baffle or firebrick then it will chew through wood pretty quickly. These features could possibly be added as a retrofit to improve performance depending on the stove design. If it does have firebrick lining and a baffle then that will help it heat better using less wood. It looks like there may be two upper air controls. If so this may be for an air wash, or maybe secondary air, not sure. It looks like it has a blower. If so does it work?
 
Thanks for your time and reply. The blower does work and it has two settings. I have not seen the inside but was planning on checking it out today. The guy wants to throw in a small wood stove for $50 but I know nothing about it. It would be a good size for my garage but that is a whole different story.
292BA5B6-3CA4-4CBE-A0E5-C265158E4776_zpsk1s447i1.jpg
 
Regardless of wood stove, do you have a good supply of seasoned wood already split and stacked? This is essential for clean burning, good heat.
 
This would be for a secondary heat source but I have a little over 1 cord aged and split and have access to about 2 more cords of 1.5 year old rounds


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
That's a start. The rounds start drying when they are split and stacked.
 
  • Like
Reactions: yinpin
I went by the sellers house today to take a look at the insert and the wood stove. The Wood stove is a Garrison III and is in pretty good shape. It appears to have the fire bricks inside but I have to get a better look. It is a cool looking wood and really small weighing about 150 lbs. Unfortunately information is vague on these....even on this forum!
714BF7D6-EC9B-4BA2-A28C-9D32B8FC09DE_zpsa1gekzti.jpg

Still no identifiers on the insert but I confirmed that the two speed fan on the bottom works really well and blows out of the front sides (adjacent to the doors). The unit does have firebricks but some of them are cracked and looks to have shifted.

CF67AD4C-C5DD-45C1-BAA9-F1ABA06FA150_zpsjijziglx.jpg

He is asking for $180 for both. I am going to do some more research of course.
 
How handy are you? The Garrison could painted, then held on to it until mid/late Sept.. Then sell for $200. Wire brush and wipe down with alcohol. Paint the stove and insert with Stove Brite Satin or Metallic Black in a very well ventilated area.

It's probably time to replace the bricks in the insert. If so, they should be available for $2-3 each at the local lumber yard. Does the insert have a baffle above the bricks?
 
Last edited:
How handy are you? The Garrison could painted, then held on to it until mid/late Sept.. Then sell for $200. Wire brush and wipe down with alcohol. Paint the stove and insert with Stove Brite Satin or Metallic Black in a very well ventilated area.
It's probably time to replace the bricks in the insert. If so, they should be available for $2-3 each at the local lumber yard. Does the insert have a baffle above the bricks?

I think I am pretty handy but the issue is time.

In regards to the insert, does have a baffle at the top and is controlled by a handle in the front. It does not close all the way but it does open wide and close off a good portion. The insert It has a few small stress cracks that I noticed. Is that a no go or can I get them welded? There is one on each side of the top flue and one on the front left.

3FA311B4-3878-40A5-BA19-910893A70B89_zps9iswfanp.jpg 924876AC-1456-4A62-A20B-4D0F1612E8EE_zpslvljxv7h.jpg

Front, Top left of opening running vertical
AA5FB3A6-017E-480E-BDB7-0B6E50F7143C_zps7sri2qzh.jpg
 
By the description that may be a built-in a damper instead of a baffle. If so, it will help slow down the smoke a bit once the fire is burning well. A baffle would be sitting above the top of the firebricks. The baffle lengthens the smoke path and providing more time for better combustion. Yes, the cracks probably can be welded but there's no guarantee more won't appear.

F4Z1FABHW8TA3BS.LARGE.jpg
 
I would pass on both the insert looks like a buck copy it would need a boot and an 8" liner and honestly with that crack in the top it is scrap. The garrison is not a great stove either they are built from pretty thin metal and are not designed all that well.
 
Measure up the rectangular opening size and match its area with the pipe area. 6" round = ~28 sq in. 8" r = ~50 sq in., so if the opening is 3" x 16" it will need an 8" r liner.
 
  • Like
Reactions: yinpin
I know this topic hasn't been posted in for about a month, but I'll post just incase someone has that same insert in their home. From the pictures it looks to be an old Squire. I have one installed with a 25ft 6" flue in an interior chimney and it works great for being older than I am. It chews through wood though like mentioned. Good old inserts but I would recommend a more efficient one unless you have plenty of seasoned wood to burn.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.