Anyone know what this is?

[Shane Kuester]

Hello everyone,

I'm totally new to trying to heat with wood, but I've been thinking about how I'd like to do it for a while. Then, last week, I was helping someone move into a new house. The new house has an insert that I think would fit my fireplace and they don't want to use it. They said to make them an offer, and I'm pretty sure they would sell it cheap.

My problem is I took a few pictures and I still can't figure out what type of stove it is, so I don't know what its worth, and I don't know if it would work in my situation.

Can any of you identify what this thing is from the pictures I took? Also, do you have any idea if I'd have any problem installing it in the fireplace of my 1500 square foot double wide trailer? I'd love it if it would work for me, but I'm stumped.

Thanks in advance,

-Shane

 

[Woody Stover]

Welcome, Shane!
I wouldn't bother. I would get a modern (post-1990) EPA-certified stove. It will burn a lot less wood for the same amount of heat, burn cleaner on low output, and have glass on the front so you can see the fire. Tell the guy to put that turkey on craigslist for $650 like the rest of the antique stoves you see on there.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Welcome to the forum Shane.

In addition to Woody's advice, do keep in mind that the double wide trailer is not very tall. This does not mean you can't do it but keep in mind you will need 15' of chimney (measured from the outlet on top of the stove) which means it will be quite tall over the house to be effective. In addition, if you have any bends in the flue, the height needs to be increased.

For Texas the old stove might work out okay for you because you don't need as much heat as some of us further north. Someone else will probably chime in on the size of that insert but if not, measure the firebox to see what size it is. Then others can give more information.

In addition, please be aware that most wood needs to be cut, split and stacked for a year before burning and do not expect this if you buy wood. They may tell you it is ready but do not believe it. It is sad but we read this over and over about folks buying wood where the seller swears it is ready to burn only to find it is not. So just be aware of this.

Good luck.

 

[Woody Stover]

It's usually specified in the manual for any particular stove weather it's approved for installation in a mobile home...you'll need to check into that.

 

[pen]

Also, is your fireplace a brick and mortar traditional fireplace? Or is it a manufactured / pre-fab unit? If it's not a real-deal fireplace, then most of the time the pre-fab unit isn't built to handle the heat of an insert and would be a serious danger.

Being a mobile home, I guessing it's going to be a pre-fab. To go ahead, you'd have to get the manual for the fireplace and see if it was built to handle a stove in it or not. As I mentioned, unfortunately most cannot have a stove or insert added to them.

 

[Sprinter]

I think it's going to be a guessing game until you get a certified sweep/installer to look into your particular situation, and this is not something that should be guessed at.

As for chimney length, 15' is generally recommended, but I have less than 13' and have had no problems so far at all (only one year though), even on warmish days, but that probably depends on local conditions.

Also, keep in mind that mobile home requirements for stoves usually center on using outside air, so you would have to determine if that stove can be hooked up to outside combustion air (so called "OAK" kit).

All that said, even if cost is a big issue, still please look into a newer EPA freestanding stove approved for mobiles. You'll be much more satisfied and you should be able to find an inexpensive one. It's not just about pollution, it's about efficiency also, and the viewing window makes it so nice to look at.

Like Pen, I'd be very surprised if your fireplace installation could handle that stove. Maybe some pics?

 

[Heatsource]

as others have said, I doubt the unit is zero clearance fireplace, or mobile home approved
the ZC issue is the biggest issue- assuming your mobile doesn't have a site built masonry fireplace