Can you help me identify what I have so I can put in a pellet stove?

[Randallflagg]

Hello, been lurking for a little while now but decided it was time to post. I am planning on replacing my fireplace with a pellet stove but need to figure out a little about my current setup an how to proceed.

Brief description of my fireplace: Exterior chimney, fireplace is free standing with a small space behind and the chimney punches out the wall around 5 feet high.

So the real question is should I be demolishing the entire structure inside the house and just using the exterior chimney? Or can I fit an insert into this brick, which I wouldn't mind (after I build the structure around it).

Thanks for any info or tips!!

 

[BrotherBart]

Looks like somebody mortored a Franklin stove into the fireplace. When it is removed you should, no guarantee, find a regular fire place that you can install a pellet insert into.

First Franklin I have ever seen done that way. The old dogs were usually installed free standing. Including the one I had in 1977.

 

[Randallflagg]

Ok, that makes a lot of sense. I figured someone could tell what was going on, I knew there was something odd with this.

I honestly think this is been mortared around, and nothing will exist if I try to remove it. But that is not all bad, I can tear all this down myself and get a free standing pellet stove installed. The reason why i think so is that this room was wood paneled and the paneling goes behind the fireplace, we had a bear of a time trying to get it out.

When I bought the house 2 years ago (really bad listing photo):

 

[Randallflagg]

Well, I am going to try to slide it out, any tips for doing so?

Was just gonna try to break the mortar around the stove and see what happens.

 

[bags]

They are heavy so hopefully you have some help. Odd setup there. I'd get a flash light and look down the chimney from outside up top. That might give you an idea as to what is going on.

It looks as if they set the old stove and them just built a chimney up off of it but who knows. You may get lucky and find a fire box as Bro-Bart mentioned. Was this room an addition? How old is the home?

 

[bags]

I'd start also by chiseling at the top of the old stove looking for a steel lintel. Those bricks above are a lot of weight and the whole thing could come down chimney and all. I'd investigate and figure out how it was built and laid up.

Whats below said fire place? Basement where you can look to see what it's bearing on?

Most insert have trim plates that close off the top and sides of the existing fire box. This being what it is plates were likely unavailable then. If they laid the bricks up off of the stove I'd proceed with caution. You can still get some say 3" x 3/8" steel and grind out the mortar joint above the stove and insert the steel lintel. I've done this cutting in windows into brick walls many times. Or door openings.

 

[Randallflagg]

The chimney is exterior so it's up a couple feet then through the wall then up. This is sitting on a ground level slab which is my first floor (tri-level).

The house was built in '69.

I was planning on boxing this in so I can remove the brick from the ceiling down first if that is the smarter thing to do so that there isn't as much weight on top of the stove. I think the chimney was added later as they had siding between the chimney and the exterior when we ripped it down to re-side and replace the rotted sheathing.

Here's what the chimney looks like from outside:

 

[bags]

I see now. The inside is basically separate from the inside brick except where the flue ties into it. Once the existing stove comes out you could probably lose the inside brick if you wanted.

 

[BrotherBart]

Yeah. That is just a faux fireplace inside. Chisel out the stove. The thing should stand up with it removed not having a two story chimney sitting on top of it.

 

[BrotherBart]

I actually wish I had thought of doing that when I built that house in 1977.

 

[alternativeheat]

I'd rip the whole works out of the house, maybe leave the hearth if it doesn't get ruined in the process. Drop a 4" stainless liner down the chimney and put in the free standing stove you want. Should be an easy install with that phony fireplace gone.