Installing a Dutchwest 2461 on an existing hearth...Help!

[alfalfa]

First a little background. The House is civil war era but I have only owned it since March. I have had a chimney sweep look at the dbl wall insulated pipe and he said it was fine...no cleaning needed. Last evening we sat the 2461 on the hearth and centered it under the chimney. Measurements from the side wall to the center of the flue...33" back of hearth to center of flue...17 inches. According to VC's instructions, unprotected surfaces require min. of 35" and 17" when using a single wall with heat shields.



Question #1....I do not know what is under the brick. Are the hearth walls and floor considered protected or not. (wood framing floor and walls.
Question #2...Front of the unit is at the front edge of the hearth pad. Can the burner be placed in the corner? It sideloads from the left side. Can it just be moved straight back as it sits? It is a straight though the ceiling with no elbows as it is now, with no elbows. Any help would be appreciated...thanks!

 

[begreen]

I think you are ok as it stands with a hearth extension added. It looks like the walls have a single course of brick and the hearth floor a double course. Brick does qualify for clearance reduction of 33%. https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/wiki/NFPA_Wall_Clearance_Reductions/

Considering the stove only requires ember protection you are fine as long as there is 16" of hearth beyond the side door. But you must extend the hearth in front of the stove too. This can be done at floor level with a sheet of metal (screwed down for the winter), inset tiling or a hearth pad.

Welcome to the forums! Do you have a plentiful supply of well seasoned, stacked wood for the winter?

 

[alfalfa]

I think you are ok as it stands with a hearth extension added. It looks like the walls have a single course of brick and the hearth floor a double course. Brick does qualify for clearance reduction of 33%. https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/wiki/NFPA_Wall_Clearance_Reductions/

Considering the stove only requires ember protection you are fine as long as there is 16" of hearth beyond the side door. But you must extend the hearth in front of the stove too. This can be done at floor level with a sheet of metal (screwed down for the winter), inset tiling or a hearth pad.

Welcome to the forums! Do you have a plentiful supply of well seasoned, stacked wood for the winter?

Thanks for the help! I have 5 acres of hardwood here, but no splitter or chainsaw. As you can see, I'll have many more questions!

 

[Woody Stover]

I have 5 acres of hardwood here, but no splitter or chainsaw

I suggest finding some dead standing trees in your woods, with the bark fallen off. If you can get it dropped and sawed to length, you can split it by hand with a maul. It might be dry enough to be somewhat burnable. I previously ran a 2460, and they want dry wood (like all modern EPA stoves.)
Welcome, alfalfa...feel the burn!

 

[Woody Stover]

Have you used a wood stove before? Where did you get this stove?

 

[alfalfa]

Have you used a wood stove before? Where did you get this stove?

I haven't had a wood stove before. Someone had this for sale locally here in ne Georgia. I would like to thank everyone here for their posts!

 

[begreen]

I think you'll find out pretty quickly that dry wood is the only way to go for good predictable heat and a clean chimney.

 

[Woody Stover]

Someone had this for sale locally here in ne Georgia.

Did the seller say he had replaced the catalytic combustor recently? If the stove is like my 2460, you'll be able to look up toward the top of the fire box through the glass and see the combustor glowing if it's working (but the combustor can be working even when it isn't glowing.) You'll want to check the door and ash drawer gaskets to make sure they aren't leaking air into the stove; You need to have good control of the air entering. You can check the gaskets by closing and latching the door on a dollar bill. If it's hard to pull the dollar out, the door is sealing tightly against the gasket. Test in several different places around each gasket. Check that the door glass isn't loose, which would allow air past the gasket. Do the dollar bill test with a cold stove so that your dollar doesn't burn up.
Here's a link to the manual in case you didn't get one. I don't think the current 2461 is any different than an older one...
http://literature.mhsc.com/monessen/manuals/7001135_Dutchwest_2460_29.pdf

 

[alfalfa]

Did the seller say he had replaced the catalytic combustor recently? If the stove is like my 2460, you'll be able to look up toward the top of the fire box through the glass and see the combustor glowing if it's working (but the combustor can be working even when it isn't glowing.) You'll want to check the door and ash drawer gaskets to make sure they aren't leaking air into the stove; You need to have good control of the air entering. You can check the gaskets by closing and latching the door on a dollar bill. If it's hard to pull the dollar out, the door is sealing tightly against the gasket. Test in several different places around each gasket. Check that the door glass isn't loose, which would allow air past the gasket. Do the dollar bill test with a cold stove so that your dollar doesn't burn up.
Here's a link to the manual in case you didn't get one. I don't think the current 2461 is any different than an older one...
http://literature.mhsc.com/monessen/manuals/7001135_Dutchwest_2460_29.pdf

He had pulled the top off and taken a picture of it to show me the condition, but what do I know. If I posted close up pic of the inside and gaskets, you would question if the unit had been used. I'll give these things a try. I noticed on the manual you posted, there is a thermometer in the center of the top, however mine only has what appears to be a factory installed bolt. Am I right in assuming I purchase a Condar, remove the bolt, and screw it in the same hole? Also, I need to increase the 6 inch flue to 8" single wall. If you could take a look at my pictures and pass. along any advice, I would appreciate it. A big question is...are all brands of single wall pipe compatable?

 

[Woody Stover]

He had pulled the top off and taken a picture of it to show me the condition, but what do I know. If I posted close up pic of the inside and gaskets, you would question if the unit had been used. I'll give these things a try. I noticed on the manual you posted, there is a thermometer in the center of the top, however mine only has what appears to be a factory installed bolt. Am I right in assuming I purchase a Condar, remove the bolt, and screw it in the same hole? Also, I need to increase the 6 inch flue to 8" single wall. If you could take a look at my pictures and pass. along any advice, I would appreciate it. A big question is...are all brands of single wall pipe compatable?

If the 2461 is like the 2460, there are four bolts holding the top on. You can remove those and lift off the top. There is a refractory package covering the combustor. If you gently remove the refractory, you can have a look at the combustor. If it's in good shape, not cracked or with pieces missing from the honeycomb, leave it in place; If you remove the combustor, the interam gasket will crumble and you'll have to replace it to reinstall the combustor. Once you fire up the stove you'll be able to determine if the combustor is working. If it is, you should see it glowing if you look up through the glass and the baffle, and the temp on the combustor thermometer will go up to 1200* or so.
The combustor thermo just drops into the hole in the center of the recessed area in the top cover. I think what you need is the 1.5" long Condar probe, maybe others that have that stove can confirm. That bolt is probably just dropped into the hole; There are no threads.
I think that weather you can go from the 6" outlet to 8" chimney and still have good draft will depend on how tall the chimney is. Although I installed my chimney myself, I'm not an installation expert but I do know that it's not recommended to mix chimney components from different manufacturers, and doing so may jeopardize your insurance coverage. You might be able to see a sticker somewhere on the class A double-wall, maybe in the attic or outside on the roof, that will indicate the brand of pipe you have.