Installing freestanding in front of existing fireplace

[daisyblend]

Finally got our hands on a woodstove. Awesome. Now, about the installation... We plan to switch the openings so the pipe comes off the back of the stove instead of the top. It will then run straight into the existing fireplace and this is where we were wondering what to do. Some have advised that we seal off the fireplace front with steel and run the pipe into this. Others say you won't get as good a draft that way as running the pipe to a T and up, fitting it somehow to the existing damper opening (which looks kinda tricky). Is one way better than another?
Also, since this is the way we're leaning at the moment, with what and how would a person seal off the FP opening? It's a red brick front, then a layer of firebrick up the sides behind the red brick, then the steel box. And firebrick all across the bottom of the box. Would it fit against the redbrick, or the steel box or what? Would you have to fashion something removable for cleaning? Any thoughts at all would be splendifourus.

~K~

 

[dtabor]

Youre beginning description is close to what I have....I ran horizontal from the back of the stove to a T and then that goes stright up a one piece SS liner to the top. I havent closed in my FP yet as I just wanted to get the thing up and running last fall and havent decided what I want to do with the opening at this point.

The tricky part for my installers was the shelf up in the FP. They ended up having to hammer out a few bricks to get the liner to fit up thru it.

 

[begreen]

What is the stove make and model? I suspect you'll want to install a full liner in the chimney, through a damper block-off plate to either an elbow or cleanout tee. You'll need to keep the horizontal run from the tee (or elbow) to the stove as short as possible and be sure the pipe is sloped uphill at least 1/4" per ft. from the stove to the tee or elbow.

Here's a link on block-off plates.
https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/wiki/Why_damper_seal_is_needed/

 

[daisyblend]

Okay, the link to the block-off plate deal helped me a lot. The top of my firebox is somewhat different than the one in the diagram, but a plate across the top seems like it would do the trick. Thanks!
The stove is an 7yr old Englander 24-ACD. I was a little bummed to end up with a catalytic type because it seems like a lot of extra work for newbies. But for $250 close to home, it was a deal we couldn't pass up. It should get us started and if we really don't like it we can always find something else in a year or two. You know, they're so easy to move around. <grin>
As for the chimmney, it's is lined with 12" clay tile and is pretty sound. Will that do the trick?

 

[begreen]

Contact Mike here - stoveguy2esw about the stove. It is a good heater and that is a nice price. Has the catalytic combustor been checked and gently cleaned?

FWIW, I would put a full liner, all the way to the top of the chimney for this stove. I think you will find it performing much better.

 

[edthedawg]

We have an old house (1885 Victorian) w/ a very tall, but shallow firebox, and just installed a Heritage in front of it. The chimney is a huge 3-flue masonry monster, and the fireplace is on the center flue. In the attic, the chimney turns and takes about a 10-15 degrees angle, then restraightens going out thru the roof. Last year we had the top of the chimney rebuilt, added 6 brick columns plus a bluestone cap, and installed a stainless flex liner with a chain-pull damper running up to the top. Inside the top of the firebox, there was a sheet of stainless around the tail of the liner, mortared on the long faces, and curved down on the sides and screwed to the top edges of the metal panels.

This year we were able to pull out the curved stainless panel, shorten it and mount it lower, plus add some collars to hold the liner, which was able to pull down a little and tie into a stainless tee w/ a cleanout, which ducts into the back of the Heritage. This is working very well for us. I've attached an image.



I would not be comfortable without the liner running the full height and out the top of the chimney. Adding a plate to the front of the firebox sounds not only costly to make look good and function well, but a collossal pain in the butt to deal w/ chimney inspection, clean-out, future repairs, etc. Hope you find this useful!