EFEL KAMINA CLEARANCES - HELP

[J3Builder]

I've had an Efel Kamina Mk1 (Type Number 07966) installed in my small cabin for over 10 years. It's been great and heats the cabin well even at -40 C/F. Now my insurance company has decided that I need to have the installation WETT certified. That's all good and well but the problem I have is the data plate is missing from the stove and I have no information on clearances. I don't have enough room to provide generic clearances so if I can't get the data, I'll have to throw this great stove away and replace it to get the certification. :grrr:

Does anyone have a manual or could I get someone to get me some clear digital picutres of a data plate ???

Any help in getting this data would be greatly appreciated and will

 

[begreen]

We have a few Kamina owners, but they may not be online until fall. Hopefully they can help you out. Do you have enough room for clearances with a qualified wall shield?

 

[J3Builder]

I currently have a wall shield. I think the problem will be the side clearance. As the Kamina is a side loader, the generic minimum dimension to combustables (in my case a hardwood floor) is 18". I'm trying to prevent having to rework the flooring. Given the construction of the Kamina with a metal cover over top the loading door, I'm hoping the side dimension is closer to 10". My greatest frustration is that I've had the stove in place for over 10 years with absolutely no issues. During this time, I've had 2 insurance companies that were fine with the installation as it is. Along comes the next one and either I've got to buy a new stove (that I use maybe 3 times a year) or go through renovations. I guess the other alternative is get rid of the wood stove altogether and stick with propane.

 

[begreen]

I have to agree with the new insurance company. 10" on the side door is too little. Can the stove be moved to increase this clearance and the hearth extended in this direction?

 

[webbie]

Any load door of a stove is going to require full hearth clearances - usually 16-18".
As I remember on the Kamina, the rear wall clearance was fairly far - I remember it being at least 18" from the 8" stovepipe when an elbo was used on the rear - which puts the stove approx. 30" from the rear wall.

Does your have a 6" flue or 8" flue?

 

[Wood Heat Stoves]

I found this with some information but no clearances-

https://www.euroheatshop.co.uk/spares2.php?prod=76&id=76&showpage=1&mod=old

This may be a pre EPA stove with no tested clearances, in which case you would need to go by NFPA211

http://www.nfpa.org/aboutthecodes/AboutTheCodes.asp?DocNum=211

http://woodheatstoves.com/free/NFPA211.pdf

 

[J3Builder]

Thanks for all the info posted to date. In answer to previous questions, the Kamina I have has an 8" flue and has a rear exit. The chimney comes through the wall to connect to the flue so I can't move the stove laterally at all. The cabin is quite small so every square foot is precious.

 

[webbie]

Again, from memory, but I remember a slightly closer clearance to wall for a straight back - like 24".

Of course, a decent wall shield, even a piece of sheet metal spaced out 1", would cut that to 12". That should help in the read (those are accepted generic clearances).

You might be able to use removable hearth extenders in the front and on the load door side - so you could free up space in the off season. As an example, if you used 12" of hearth around the stove on the sides and front, then you could have some kind of extension in the front that brought it out another 8" (piece of field stone, blue stone, ceramic tile etc.) and same for the side....or, better yet, a simple painted piece of sheet metal glued or bonded to a piece of wonderboard or micore, etc.

 

[J3Builder]

Great suggestions. I'm pretty sure I'm OK on the wall. It's a double layer of cement board with 1-1/2" space in between with vents top and bottom. I'm thinking of using cement board covered with ceramic tile that match the hearth for hearth extenders. Hopefully that will satisfy the WETT inspector and insurance company- we'll see.