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jacobk

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Sep 2, 2011
32
MN
Hi everyone. I am new to the world of wood heat but have picked up a lot of knowledge from this site in the past few weeks. I picked up a escape 1400 from a co-worker and have yet to get it set up but I have been busy working on my wood collection.

One question I have is if the escape has to be in a hearth or can it be used as a freestanding stove?
 
I believe the Drolet Escape 1400i is purpose built as an insert.
 
BeGreen said:
I believe the Drolet Escape 1400i is purpose built as an insert.
Click to expand...
+1

Welcome to the forums! As per BeGreen's comments, it is an insert.

Get some dry wood, install the insert and enjoy the heat!

Andrew
 
Swedishchef said:
Get some dry wood, install the insert and enjoy the heat!
Click to expand...
As always, install safely to mfg. specs. Welcome, and enjoy your new heater! :)
 
Welcome to hearth.com! Is the rest of your setup, aside from the stove, ready to go?
 
LOL when I 1st read this post I thought you were talking about a Ford Escape because you talked about getting wood.. I couldn't figure out what you doing with an Escape other than to haul wood! Post some pics when you have a chance..Good luck with your new insert and welcome to the forum..

Ray
 
Welcome to the forum

Shawn
 
I know that this stove was designed as an insert. Would it be ok to use it without building a hearth around it as long as I follow all the clearance requirements? The previous owner had it installed in his basement but upgraded to a whole house system after 2 seasons so he gave me a great deal on this stove.

A couple pictures of the stove needs to be cleaned up a little but saving that for a rainy day.
 

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Thanks for posting the pics, it makes so much of a difference when you ask for help.
I'm not that up on inserts and the requirements that they need. Legs? clearances? etc.
Other than my lack of knowing inserts, the stove doesn't look too bad. How old is it and if you don't mind me asking, how much did you pay for it?
 
The guy i got it from used it as a freestanding stove and had a hearth pad under it that he gave me with the stove. On the back of the stove it lists all the clearances from walls, and floor covering but not how high it needs to be off the floor. I plan on putting the hearth pad down and then blocking up the stove with some kind of decorative cement blocks. The tag on the back says 7/28/2009 I found the same one at Menards online for $899 but I got this one for the great price of $400

On your previous post on the rest of my setup I have about 1-1/12 cords of wood split and stacked and working on getting as much as I can. I have pallets to stack on and I am blocking the pallets with bricks that I have to keep all wood off the ground. Any advise would be much appreciated from someone with more experience with wood heating.
 
jacobk said:
The guy i got it from used it as a freestanding stove and had a hearth pad under it that he gave me with the stove. On the back of the stove it lists all the clearances from walls, and floor covering but not how high it needs to be off the floor. I plan on putting the hearth pad down and then blocking up the stove with some kind of decorative cement blocks. The tag on the back says 7/28/2009 I found the same one at Menards online for $899 but I got this one for the great price of $400

On your previous post on the rest of my setup I have about 1-1/12 cords of wood split and stacked and working on getting as much as I can. I have pallets to stack on and I am blocking the pallets with bricks that I have to keep all wood off the ground. Any advise would be much appreciated from someone with more experience with wood heating.
Click to expand...

Welcome to the site Jacob! Sounds like a good deal on that insert! As for it being used free standing I can't comment on that as it is not designed to be used that way.. I would consult the manual and the manufacturer and get it all in writing for both the inspector and insurance company.. Just my 2 cents..

Good Luck,
Ray
 
Welcome to the forum Jacob!

As to your question, the answer is NO! I work for Drolet but the answer is the same for any brands of inserts, you cannot use them as free-standing. This has to do with safety regulation, UL testing etc... There's a pretty complex certification process for any wood burning appliances and each category such as 'inserts' have their own regulations & limitations. Not too mention your house insurance will not no longer be valid if you go that route.

Here's the link for more info on your insert. http://www.drolet.ca/en/products/wood/escape-1400-insert

BTW, with a little bit of cleaning and a can of stove paint your insert will look like new.

Let me know if you have any questions and the folks and I on this forum will be glad to assist.
 
Thank you for your reply FyreBug. I have looked everywhere online and on the stove and could not find anything saying that it can not be used as a free standing. So now I guess I have a month or two to learn how to build a hearth around the stove and then complete the project.

The wall that the stove is sitting in front of is the old brick chimney that is not used for anything now. When the house was re-shingled it was tore down below the roof line. There is not much room on either side of the stove to the left is the door going upstairs and to the right the opening to the living room. I'm not sure how to build something around the stove when the wall behind it is only 4 inches wider than the stove itself. I am a carpenter so I am up to the challenge of building this thing just need some ideas on how to get it done with limited time and on a budget. I have a lot to learn and a short time to learn it but I am really looking forward to heating with it this winter
 
Hi Jacob, I hate to be the bearer of bad news... An insert is only certified to be used into an existing masonry fireplace. Look at page 4 of your manual. "The masonry fireplace must meet the minimum code requirements, or NFPA 211 or the equivalent for a safe installation."

Again any Home/Insurance inspector would not certify the installation you have in mind.

For what you are talking about doing you need a 'Zero Clearance Fireplace' which is designed and certified for what you just mentioned. See some example here and download a manual and you'll see the difference. http://www.valcourtinc.com/

Unfortunatly, the least expensive EPA certified ZC fireplace on the market will cost about $2,500. Plus your cost of chimney HT 2100 which will probably be as much. Plus lumber etc.. for framing. It could easily turn into a $5K + project. If this is the way you think you want to go, jump in with your questions and we'll all provide you with valuable advice.

However, if you dont have a masonry fireplace I would suggest to clean up your Escape and re-sell it.
 
Thanks for your advise. I should have done some research on this before I jumped headfirst. Hopefully I can clean it up and get my money back or a little more since its not very old and got it for half price. The good news from all this is that the wood I have and will continue to get this year will have an extra year of drying if I don't find a stove before winter.
 
I paid 400 for the stove and a 4ft by 3 ft floor protector for under the stove
 
Fyrebug, he mentioned it earlier on in the thread. He stated he paid $400 and he seen new ones at Menards for $899.00. Like you said. Without a Masonry Fireplace, the best bet is to sell and take that cash into another stove (Freestanding).

To the OP. There are many deals out there. I bought an Entire "Kit" from a Forum member here (lethaldose). It was an Englander 30-NC, All Double wall venting inside, DVL connector, Thimble, Clean-out T, T-support Box, 18' (6- 3 ft sections) of Simpson Dura-Plus Class A triple wall, and all needed hardware and mounting brackets for $800. He also had it on Craiglist. Originally wanted $1,200 or better, but I talked him down to $800. He had only bought it a month before that and had 3 Fires built in it. Everything was "Brand New".
Check Craiglist, Ebay, local Newspaper, Etc. He was only about an hour drive away. He was thankful to re coupe some money (job offer in South Carolina) and I was happy to get the entire set-up for less than half price.

Welcome to the Forum. Sorry to hear about your situation, but you can turn it around and make it into something better. You may find the deal of a lifetime.. Now that you are "Looking" for it.. Good luck
 
DexterDay said:
Fyrebug, he mentioned it earlier on in the thread. He stated he paid $400 and he seen new ones at Menards for $899.00. Like you said. Without a Masonry Fireplace, the best bet is to sell and take that cash into another stove (Freestanding).

To the OP. There are many deals out there. I bought an Entire "Kit" from a Forum member here (lethaldose). It was an Englander 30-NC, All Double wall venting inside, DVL connector, Thimble, Clean-out T, T-support Box, 18' (6- 3 ft sections) of Simpson Dura-Plus Class A triple wall, and all needed hardware and mounting brackets for $800. He also had it on Craiglist. Originally wanted $1,200 or better, but I talked him down to $800. He had only bought it a month before that and had 3 Fires built in it. Everything was "Brand New".
Check Craiglist, Ebay, local Newspaper, Etc. He was only about an hour drive away. He was thankful to re coupe some money (job offer in South Carolina) and I was happy to get the entire set-up for less than half price.

Welcome to the Forum. Sorry to hear about your situation, but you can turn it around and make it into something better. You may find the deal of a lifetime.. Now that you are "Looking" for it.. Good luck
Click to expand...

Wow you got one hellava deal there!!

Ray
 
jacobk said:
...I have looked everywhere online and on the stove and could not find anything saying that it can not be used as a free standing...
Click to expand...

The fact that the appliance was never tested, listed, nor certified as a freestanding wood stove is all you need to know. Could you kluge it up and burn in it like the previous owner did? Well, yeah, you could. I certainly never would, but you could. Would it be safe? I s'pose it could be made relatively safe. Is there any documentation to use as a guide for Clearances To Combustibles or required hearth protection as a freestanding appliance? Nope. Could such an installation ever be approved by your local Authority Having Jurisdiction? Nope. I'd say it's time for some studying up and stove shopping. Buying a stove is the easy part...then you gotta decide where to put it, and plan for the hearth beneath and the flue from the stove to daylight. THe stove will likely be less than half the total cost of the system. There's a lot to be considered. There's also a tremendous wealth of information available right here on these forums. Rick

https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/articles/installing_a_woodstove
 
fossil said:
jacobk said:
...I have looked everywhere online and on the stove and could not find anything saying that it can not be used as a free standing...
Click to expand...

The fact that the appliance was never tested, listed, nor certified as a freestanding wood stove is all you need to know. Could you kluge it up and burn in it like the previous owner did? Well, yeah, you could. I certainly never would, but you could. Would it be safe? I s'pose it could be made relatively safe. Is there any documentation to use as a guide for Clearances To Combustibles or required hearth protection as a freestanding appliance? Nope. Could such an installation ever be approved by your local Authority Having Jurisdiction? Nope. I'd say it's time for some studying up and stove shopping. Buying a stove is the easy part...then you gotta decide where to put it, and plan for the hearth beneath and the flue from the stove to daylight. THe stove will likely be less than half the total cost of the system. There's a lot to be considered. There's also a tremendous wealth of information available right here on these forums. Rick

https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/articles/installing_a_woodstove
Click to expand...

You are correct there is a lot i need to learn and most of what I know came from this site. When I got the stove I figured if I followed the proper clearances I could run it like a free standing stove. Now I know that is not the case and I am looking for a new stove and selling this one. When I find a stove I can use I plan to install it get it inspected and make sure everything is good to go before I light the first fire. The location that i have is in the middle of the house with a floor vent between the 1st and second floor so the hole is already there for the pipe to go through. I will need to cut a hole in the ceiling of the second story and build a box around the pipe to hold the insulation away and cut a hole in the roof and get it all sealed up. I came here looking for help and now know I need to take a step back and rethink my whole plan. I will still be heating with wood but it might take a little longer than I thought.
 
As Fossil mentioned, the stove is the easy part. Figuring out your venting is #1. Do a bit of research by going to the venting MFG web site. ie. Selkirk, ICC, Duravent etc...

I like this site because you can play with the configurator all you want to see what works for you and it will print our a BOM (Bill of Material) once you are done. Just click on the "it's as easy as 1,2,3" and plug in your numbers. Keep in mind the vast majority of stoves out there will be 6" flue when entering your values.

http://www.woodlanddirect.com/Chimney/Chimney-Systems
 
If you're taking the flue up through the second floor, then there needs to be a ceiling support box and a transition from stovepipe to Class A chimney pipe at the first penetration (ceiling of the first floor/floor of the second. Everything from there on up through the second floor and the attic and the roof to daylight must be Class A chimney. Rick

ETA: There's a pretty cool "chimney builder" function to be found on the Woodland Direct website. Put up by Simpson, but the principles are the same no matter whose pipe system you choose to go with.

http://www.woodlanddirect.com/Chimney/Chimney-Systems
 
I am aware of that now. When I first started planning I wanted to run stove pipe to the ceiling of the second floor to get some heat from the pipe upstairs but I then found out that going through any floor or wall needs to be double-wall pipe class A. I have an old house so originally the only heat to get upstairs was by way of the floor vents. The vent is a 13 inch diameter circle and lined with metal so there is no visible joists . I'm not sure what the outside measurement is for 6" class A is but if it is less than 13 I should be able to pull the grate of the top and bottom and run the pipe right through the hole in the floor. Would I need a support box there and at the ceiling of the second floor?
 
Support Box for the 1st hole (1st floor from basement). Then Class A from there up. Simpson's Class A Triple Wall 6" has an O.D. Of 10 1/8th (10.125"). It needs 2" clearance to combustibles. So a 14" hole (actually 14.125) is the minimum size hole. There are smaller Class A Vents though. I know Selkirk's Metalbest is much smaller O.D. Not sure if what I looked at was double or triple wall. I was just looking at there support brackets. I ended up buying 2 of there support brackets for there 8". There 8" O.D. Is the same a Simpson's 6" O.D.
 
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