Trying to find a low flue stove

[Crissytal]

Hello everyone,

I am new to this forum, but I am not new to wood stoves. I have recently moved to a new home that has a fireplace. The fireplace is useless. I looked into inserts first, but none are available for the model I have. It is not a masonry fireplace. My family and I would much prefer a wood burning stove anyway. We've been looking around for a few weeks. We just installed the third liner in our chimney yesterday. We just have to figure out what stove we want now. Here's the issue, the flue has to be a rear hook up and it can't be over 22" to the top of the flue. In other words, the total height from the feet to the top of the flue can't exceed 22" because of how the fireplace is made. Finding something has been a challenge. I'm aware there are short feet kits. I'd be willing to have the feet cut off if need be, but most will only go so low and exceed my limit (most have ash boxes so it can only go so low anyway). I'd really rather not have to start cutting out the stone rock work on the front of the fireplace. That's going to be a mess. We found one wood stove that will work, the Hearthstone Homestead. It is soap stone though, and we'd all prefer all metal. It's also a bit more than we'd like to spend. As far as other specifications go, it needs to heat at least 1600 sq. ft. If it's too wide to fit on the rock in front of the fire place, we can extend. We would prefer not to, but that should be easier than having to reduce the height and then extend too. The Hearthstone Homestead will fit without having to extend. Any help would be appreciated on any stove that would fit my requirements.

Thank you for your time,
Crystal

 

[begreen]

Hi there. That's a low lintel. I'm wondering if there are any other options. Is the base of the fireplace at floor level or is the hearth raised?

What's the make and model of the prefab fireplace?

 

[Todd]

Call a mason and see how hard it would be to move up the lintel.

 

[burleymike]

It sounds like a zero clearance fireplace. Why not just remove the fireplace and then get the free standing stove of your choice.

 

[Crissytal]

Thanks everyone for your replies. Taking the fireplace out will not make a difference. The rock work will still be in place. We don't want to fool around with breaking out the rock work. Reducing the height of the rock work would fix the issue, but we'd rather get a shorter stove. No one knows of a stove similar to the Hearthstone Homestead that has a metal finish? We know what our opinions on as far as redoing the fireplace. We want to get around that. I need suggestions on stoves.

Thanks,
Crystal

 

[tickbitty]

I totally get that, I don't like having to majorly change the fabric of the house when I can find something that will work without having to do all that. (Kudos, however to all those that do!)
Looks like the woodstock stoves rear exit at center 22.75 - anyone know if you can get shorter leg kits for those?
Or, would you consider an insert that goes partially in the firebox and partially out? (Like the Lopi revere or some of the Regencys)
My insert looks like a freestanding stove that ain't got no legs! I had a tall fireplace but clearance issues would have been compromised with a freestanding stove.

Edit, I just looked and they can't do short leg kits for the woodstocks but they have other suggestions - here
http://www.woodstove.com/pages/fireplaceinstall.html

 

[mtcates]

I had the same issue. Most all new stoves have a top vent and I was restricted to what would work for me. I decided to lower my fireplace floor and hearth. It was 12 inches above the floor and now it is 3.5 inches high. I can get a top vent stove now and install it inside the fireplace. Here are the pictures during and after the renovation.

 

[begreen]

That was my thought , if the hearth could be dropped, but the questions are unanswered. Crystal, can you post a picture of the current setup?

 

[Crissytal]

Yes, the hearth can be dropped. That is what I meant by removing some of the rock work. It is a very large area that would need to come out, about 2x bigger than what mtcates kindly posted. It is something that we do NOT want to do. Hence why I'm looking at stoves with rear vents that are under 22" (or a few inches over). It's much easier to find a lower flue stove and just chop the feet. There's the Resolute from the Vermont Casting line as well as a Quadra fire Yosemite that I am now looking at. I need stoves guys, not reconstruction of the hearth. I'm sure there has to be more, I'm just not familiar with the various brands and their lines. The local shops only want to sell what's in store. They are using the "don't tell them other models exist except what is on the floor" technique. Any suggestions on stoves are still appreciated.

 

[begreen]

mtcates situation was a bit more dramatic than I was thinking. The entire hearth doesn't need to be dropped. And it doesn't need to be dropped to floor level if one a few inches are needed.

Good that you are looking at the Yosemite, that is one of the lowest flue out available.