Hi all...new here :) Acquired an antique.....

[Meshell589]

1922 BF Berkheimer Laundry Stove and can find exactly ZERO resources on the company, or the piece. I can't even find another owner! Would like to install in my tiny house as a backup for heat & cooking when we lose power (which is often). Anyone out there have some advice? Please???

Shelly

 

[webbie]

You are very unlikely to find any info which would help you in terms of installation, because codes have changed vastly since then. In fact, stoves were probably not tested at all (UL, etc.) back then.

There appears to be some historical info around on the stove, but that won't help you at all with instillation and operation.

In general, a stove such as that is worth more as a decoration and collectible - that is, it has value as an antique. However, if you wish to use it, you should install it using "generic" NFPA standards - that's the National Fire Protection Association. Any stove pro or building official should have these standards - you can also find a readable copy online.

As a quick guide:
1. Chimney - must be up to code - if you have to install as new, a metal chimney straight up might be the ticket. If you have an old chimney, you may want to reline it with stainless steel.
2. Hearth (underneath) - It would be prudent to have a hearth of size to fit under the stove - and 18" in front of the front, and 12" extension around the sides and rear.
3. Distance from the wall - 36" - you can reduce this to 1/2 or less by mounting a proper wall shield, which would be as little as a sheet of sheet metal mounted on spacers.

You can find a LOT of this info elsewhere on this site - I guess the first decision you have is whether you want to install this...and whether or not you are going to use a pro or contractor or DIY.