Looking to avoid expensive flex oval piece in wood stove hearth mount. Suggestions?

[stixnskis]

Hi All- I've learned more than I ever thought I would in the last few days while perusing the forum! My husband and I started looking for an insert this summer. At the stove store I was taken by the cast iron free standers (I know, typical) so we ended up with a quote for both a Jotul Castine and a VC Resolute Acclaim. We were sidetracked by a 1980 VC Resolute on Craigslist, decided we should really go for a newer, cleaner burning stove, but are having a hard time forgetting the low price tag of the used stove. In looking for ways to bring the price down for a new stove, I got stuck on the nearly $800 for flex oval tube and adapters for each side that get the pipe around the damper and the shelf thing.

So, can we possibly do some monkeying with the damper and flue in our masonry chimney to allow the normal 6" pipe and elbow? I know you can't see my chimney, but is this ever done? Don't care if we lose the functionality of the fireplace- realize whatever we do will be permanent. Advice?

 

[pen]

If you give us the dimensions of your fireplace, hearth base, and flue, as well as info on your woodburning ambitions (full time heating, ambiance, part time, supplemental, etc) as well as a rough idea of what your home's structure is like, we may be able to give you some cost friendly options. If the fireplace is large enough, a freestanding stove may sit nicely inside of it.

There are tools for busting apart that damper (air chisels/hammers, sawzalls, etc) that will make the room you need if your current flue is large enough.

Let us know more about what you have (the folks here love pics) and I bet we can help you find a modern and safe solution.

Welcome to the site!

pen

 

[fossil]

The damper assembly (or part thereof) can be, and routinely is, removed. The damper door itself should just lift out, leaving the steel frame in the chimney. A section of the middle of both long sides of that frame must then be removed. It's not a lot of fun...it's working with a grinder with a metal cutting wheel or a reciprocal saw with a metal cutting blade. The damper assembly will be irreversibly destroyed. Your original open fireplace will be rendered permanently unusable. But...a 6" round flex liner then will fit down past the smoke shelf. This is actually a pretty routinely done step in the installation of lots of inserts. There have been many threads on here detailing the work involved, including lots of pics. Rick

 

[stixnskis]

So here is the view up the flue- scary! I know! The fireplace has a fitted box in front of it, we don't look at that all day. The damper lever is stuck, so I can't show how large the opening is with it fully open. Front width is 32", depth is 22.5", height is 30" and bottom width across back is probably 28". It is an interior masonry fireplace. We plan to use the stove on weekends and some evenings. House is 1600 sq ft. I realize we'll need a lot more hearth. Thanks for thoughts and ideas!, I'll trying searcing for the damper removal threads.

 

[rkshed]

You may luck out and have just enough room to work a 6" flex liner down without cutting into the metal frame. Worked for us. Our damper measured out at just under 6" so the "flex" part came in handy. Just a little squeezing.
Good luck and welcome.

 

[Stump_Branch]

Like fossil stated a flex steel liner can be squeezed in there. Arough look, yours appears like mine. I still had to cut the damper assembly but did get the liner through it. I previously had Ann insert and went to a hearth mount as well. They look great and work nicely in my opinion. Do yourself a favor and if the Stove is a rear exit, put a tee on the back connected to the liner. This makes cleaning a simple step process and you shouldn't have to mover the stove

Best of luck to you.

 

[BrotherBart]

Yeah like folks have said. You cut out enough of the damper frame to allow the liner through. If the fireplace ever needs to be used as a fireplace again you install a chimney top damper that has a chain dropped down through the chimney to open and close it. They cost around $150.

http://www.woodlanddirect.com/Chimney/Top-Sealing-Chimney-Dampers/Lyemance-Damper-Energy-Saving

 

[Heatsource]

Yeah like folks have said. You cut out enough of the damper frame to allow the liner through. If the fireplace ever needs to be used as a fireplace again you install a chimney top damper that has a chain dropped down through the chimney to open and close it. They cost around $150.

http://www.woodlanddirect.com/Chimney/Top-Sealing-Chimney-Dampers/Lyemance-Damper-Energy-Saving

Most installs more than just the damper removed, back plate, smoke shelf bricks- and could never be used again as an open fp, even with a top sealing damper...

 

[BrotherBart]

Agreed if structural changes are made to the fireplace. But I question the "most installs" part. Smoke shelf and other structural changes appear to be the exception in most installs reported here. Most just the cutting of the damper frame.

 

[Heatsource]

ok, maybe just in my area, almost all the brick and mortar fp's are heatilators.
one tube gets cut out, and the back plate, as they typically have a 4" throat just removing the damper doesn't give you a big enough opening.

 

[stixnskis]

So much great info- thanks all! Wish my local stove shop has been as forthcoming with ideas... I wonder why they hold their cards so tight?