Install Harman insert in place of wood stove

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aviator79

Member
Oct 14, 2012
95
Suffield, CT
Moved to a new house last month, aprox 2200sqft w/ 2 floors. Brought my Harman accentra insert which will go in livingroom which is close to the stairs. Not sure it will be able to heat the whole house as its much bigger but it is also much better inulated.
Have to get the existing wood stove out and probably replace liner. I also want to add a cold air intake this time.
But it looks like I may have to pull liner up just get this stove out.
And I have no idea how I am going to get to the top of the chimney as its way up there...Maybe I just rent a lift or hire somone, which I have never done before.
 

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Is that a zero clearance fireplace? That stove doesn't look to be ZC approved. I could be wrong tho.

If it's a real stainless liner, 6 inch, you can use that for pellet with a proper reducer. Some say it works okay, some say it doesn't. Seems to work alright for me so far
 
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zero clearence kit is $350. Thats insane. OAK is $118. Ive read others got ZC kit for $200 or $300. I dont want to pay more than $200 so need to find a better place to purchase, but all harman stuff is thru dealers so I am sort of screwed.
New liner is $400 (for 30' pro liner kit from linerdepot.com). Insulation is $267 (30' again, may only need 25'). Or I go out back of chimney and save a bunch of money. It will save $500 and make it easy to clean, just dont want it to look ugly so maybe plant trees and paint it yellow to match or something.

First need to fine a zero clearance kit for cheap. Friends dad installed stoes but not harman so not sure he can hook me up.
 
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I didn't have an option with mine, chimney located dead center in my house so I had to use the existing liner.

If I i had the option you have, I would find a way to direct vent straight out. My suspicion is your chimney isn't lined with the proper liner, and that they were burning a wood stove in a chimney rated for a ZC fireplace.. Scary..

The ZC fireplace will just be wood framed in, it won't be too hard to DV out the back I would guess
 
As to your question of whether it will heat the whole house. just a bit. I have 2200 two story. My Insert is in the living room , open plan to the stairs going up. The main floor is kept very nicely(with a fan on the floor facing the stove) at around 75. This is what I set the stove at. Upstairs will just reach about 64-65.
 
So I got my permit fromt the town. I basically just have to folow clearances specified in the manual, but they said I also have to use the zero clearance box specified in the manual. I could get one made to the same specs for $100. But I am just going to have to go an order the harman one for $329. OAK is $120. I will also need to buy exuahst pipe to go out the back of my wood framed chimney. At least that will save a few bucks from having to buy a $25-30' liner. Will also make it easier to install and clean. Assume I can just cap off the bottom of the 6" liner that was for the wood stove so I dont have to pull it out from top of chimney.
I got the firbox for the wood stove out over the weekend. Had to tear it out with a crowbar.
 

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Ordered the zero clearance cabinet and OAK. $528 with tax and shipping. Probably be a couple of weeks but need to get some stuff done so I am ready. Also do a very thorough clean on the stove while it is out.

Place I ordered from was saying I should just put a 4" to 6" coupler in but dont think that is a good idea for proper draft and town probably wont go for it anyways. Plan is to go out the back of the chimney...I dont know what I am doing but figure if I follow the specs on the manual I am good.
 
So my plan is to go up the existing 6" liner with a 4" liner. The 6" liner goes into a larger clase A fireplace tube which I assume is insulated.
Out of the top of the cabinet I will have a 6" sheetmetal starter collar that will somehow connect to the bottom of the existing 6" liner. So the 4" liner will be completely inclosed inside the 6" liner. How I will secure the top I am not sure yet as I need to get a 32' ladder so I can get to the top of the chimney.

Now do I stll have to get the insulation for the 4" liner?
 
I was going to go with the flex king pro but have some worries after reading about issues with the inner liner delaminating. I had no issues with the flex king pro I used in last house. I ordered one a 4"x30' flex king pro insert kit for $320. The single wall flex king insert kit is $310. They emailed and said they wont have a 30' for a couple of weeks and would send me a 25' and 5' and coupler but I told them not to do that. So not sure what I will do...
 
Now do I stll have to get the insulation for the 4" liner?

Insulation for a liner is really not required for pellet insert as it's a forced draft appliance.

As far as the flex king pro liner, i was quite pleased with the quality of it and it has held up great since I've installed my stove over a year ago. And yeah, it would have bugged me too to use a coupler to join two pieces of liner together. Have you tried another liner company to see if you can find a 30' 2ply liner?
 
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I got my liner from these guys. Quality was great!
 
Insulation for a liner is really not required for pellet insert as it's a forced draft appliance.

As far as the flex king pro liner, i was quite pleased with the quality of it and it has held up great since I've installed my stove over a year ago. And yeah, it would have bugged me too to use a coupler to join two pieces of liner together. Have you tried another liner company to see if you can find a 30' 2ply liner?

I was more worried about insulation for inspector than actually needing it. I did not insulate my previous flex king pro and had no issues.

So I was going with chimneylinerdepot again as the price for the flex king pro install kit was good @ $320. If u look at the prices of just liners they are more so not sure if its a price mistake or sale or what.

25' kit is $320 vs liner only for $316. Longer liners are more than the kits. 30' liner only is $363 vs kit is $340:

http://www.chimneylinerdepot.com/st...h-Flex-King-Pro-Chimney-Liner-Insert-Kit.html

http://www.chimneylinerdepot.com/store/893/category/4-inch-Flex-King-PRO-Chimney-Liner-Only.html

I am still waiting on the harman zero clearance box and OAK but if those come in before this liner than im not sure what I will do. I could just go 4" to the 6" but not sure about performance and if the inspector will go for that.

My other option is a single ply liner for $235 shipped on ebay or get chimneylinerdepot to give me free shipping as they also sell for $235 but have $35 shipping:
http://www.chimneylinerdepot.com/store/307/product/Flex-King-Chimney-Liner-4X30-316ti-.html
 
Sorry, I meant to add that since the other company doesn't currently have a 30' section in stock, you could check the company I linked to out.
 
Ouch!
 
I got the zero clearance cabinet yesterday. My liner arrived last week. They send a 35' I think.
No I have to figure out how to install this as the current liner comes down to the center and I need it toward the right side about 7" from where it is. No way I can make that bend.
So I need to dissasemble the class A pipe reconfigure it so the liner will come down in the correct spot.

The idea is to connect the 6" liner directly to the cabnet and snake the 4" liner down thru it. I think that should be sufficient to pass building inspector.

The OAK did not come with the 2" tube to connect it to the stove. The outlet is also 3.5" so no idea where I am gonig to find that. Really a PITA and overpriced, missing parts, and not including enverything I would need to install even if wasnt missing parts. I think it is supposed to be 3" out so my is my flange 3.5"? I will get more pics of the OAK later.
 

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I got the zero clearance cabinet yesterday. My liner arrived last week. They send a 35' I think.
No I have to figure out how to install this as the current liner comes down to the center and I need it toward the right side about 7" from where it is. No way I can make that bend.
So I need to dissasemble the class A pipe reconfigure it so the liner will come down in the correct spot.

The idea is to connect the 6" liner directly to the cabnet and snake the 4" liner down thru it. I think that should be sufficient to pass building inspector.

The OAK did not come with the 2" tube to connect it to the stove. The outlet is also 3.5" so no idea where I am gonig to find that. Really a PITA and overpriced, missing parts, and not including enverything I would need to install even if wasnt missing parts. I think it is supposed to be 3" out so my is my flange 3.5"? I will get more pics of the OAK later.
I stuffed my liner in from the bottom up. I felt a little nuts doing it but then my stepson who worked for a contractor for a decade or so said they have installed liners top down or bottom up.

Are you sure you even need the liner though ?
 
I can't believe they used that flex to vent the wood stove with no double wall or insulation around it. It appears to be laying against the insulation and, perhaps, studs.
I bet by now you wish you had gone with the direct vent out the back of the chimney structure! :) Or perhaps another family member to go unnamed nixed that idea...............
 
I can't believe they used that flex to vent the wood stove with no double wall or insulation around it. It appears to be laying against the insulation and, perhaps, studs.
I bet by now you wish you had gone with the direct vent out the back of the chimney structure! :) Or perhaps another family member to go unnamed nixed that idea...............
I took the flex as being his 4" and the class A as double wall that the flex is running up into, no ?
 
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