I have a 30+ year old Gold Marc insert. The insert is used at weekends when we're at home, or during power outages, probably 30 days each year. For the first few years in the house, I had the chimney cleaned each year, but now every other year, with no reported creosote problems. This is a great insert.
Unfortunately, there is a cracked weld where the top baffle attaches to the sidewall, and so the baffle is warping slightly downwards. The baffle itself is beginning to corrode, almost de-laminating along the entire lip, but otherwise it continues to run great.
Is it time to get something new? How dangerous are Pre-EPA inserts? Will a new insert actually be better?
To meet code, I assume I need a liner in the chimney, no problem, but my bigger concern is clearance, I have a raised brick hearth and my insert extends flush with the lip of the hearth. If I need 18" from the front of the doors, how is this calculated since horizontally (as shown in catalog diagrams) I have 30 feet, but vertically I have only 8-10" to a hardwood floor. If the sum of the horizontal and vertical is 18" am I good? Is this code, or just manufacturers recommendations?
If I get a flush mounted inert to meet clearance requirements, will this create a lot more heat in the old fireplace than my current insert? The reason I ask is because the Heatilator vents are extremely efficient in reverse when the fire is not lit, drawing huge quantities of cold air from the masonry into the room, so I have blocked those vents. Before doing this, I lit a huge fire in the insert and checked that the area behind the vents was still easily cool enough to touch. Could a new insert cause damage if the vents are blocked? Any option that leaves these vents open is unacceptable, I don't want to rebuild the entire fireplace but leaving these vents is like leaving a window cracked.
Final question, my chimney has two flues when viewed from the cap. One is obviously the fireplace flue, but there is a second, smaller pipe, perhaps 6-8" wide which is still clean terracotta pipe, what could this be? Could it be an outside air supply for the old fire, a vent for the old ash dump?
Thanks
TE
Unfortunately, there is a cracked weld where the top baffle attaches to the sidewall, and so the baffle is warping slightly downwards. The baffle itself is beginning to corrode, almost de-laminating along the entire lip, but otherwise it continues to run great.
Is it time to get something new? How dangerous are Pre-EPA inserts? Will a new insert actually be better?
To meet code, I assume I need a liner in the chimney, no problem, but my bigger concern is clearance, I have a raised brick hearth and my insert extends flush with the lip of the hearth. If I need 18" from the front of the doors, how is this calculated since horizontally (as shown in catalog diagrams) I have 30 feet, but vertically I have only 8-10" to a hardwood floor. If the sum of the horizontal and vertical is 18" am I good? Is this code, or just manufacturers recommendations?
If I get a flush mounted inert to meet clearance requirements, will this create a lot more heat in the old fireplace than my current insert? The reason I ask is because the Heatilator vents are extremely efficient in reverse when the fire is not lit, drawing huge quantities of cold air from the masonry into the room, so I have blocked those vents. Before doing this, I lit a huge fire in the insert and checked that the area behind the vents was still easily cool enough to touch. Could a new insert cause damage if the vents are blocked? Any option that leaves these vents open is unacceptable, I don't want to rebuild the entire fireplace but leaving these vents is like leaving a window cracked.
Final question, my chimney has two flues when viewed from the cap. One is obviously the fireplace flue, but there is a second, smaller pipe, perhaps 6-8" wide which is still clean terracotta pipe, what could this be? Could it be an outside air supply for the old fire, a vent for the old ash dump?
Thanks
TE