VC Encore 2550 - advice needed to re-connect to flue

docschyde said:

Dear all - need help from anyone with experience in such stoves or installations.

VC Encore 2550 has recently "shredded" the oval to round exhaust connector that used to join to the 8" flue (vertical) after about 9 years of fires. temporarily fixed with galvanized pipe while I await information on a permanent fix

Problem : I have an alcove installation with about 4" room on each side of stove and 4-6" above.

How does one go about replacing this oval to round connector piece?

1. Do I need to remove the stove from the fireplace first?

2. If so, any tips on best way to "slide out" a 350lb stove? . . .and what maintenance I should do when it is out . . and how best to get it back in?

3. How do you determine if the flue is of the telescoping type (which would make installation of connector easier) without doing any damage?

Many thanks

Click to expand...

Pictures would probably help the experts in here.

I sure wouldn't use galvanized steel with a wood stove
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metal_fume_fever

If you're going to pull it out and replace the gaskets, it's much lighter once you remove the lower fireback, ash grate, inter-walls, and the cook top -- which is probably a 100 pounds of cast iron right there -- if not, a small rolling floor jack will fit under the stove.

An 8" piece of black stove pipe will fit in a oval hole just fine, it's held in place with 3 screws at the reversible collar on the stove. That and an 8" to 6" reducer will work to replace the oval to round adapter. All pretty cheap replacements. Use stove cement in the connections to make them air tight and stainless steel sheet metal screws to hold it all together.

You can see a pic of what I did with the stove pipe in my profile -- an elbow, a run of 6", an 8"x6" reducer, and a length of 8" to the oval.