ZC fireplace and a Hearthstone Homestead, I think I've got it now....

[stoveguy13]

that stove has a super high R value requierment for its hearth you may want to double check that with the installer with the 6 inch legs it 2.5 R value and with the 4 inch legs it requiers 6.6 R value

 

[webbie]

That is one of the few (or it is the only) stove that I have seen which is approved for that use. If it works, that price is not too bad. As Stoveguy mentioned, the hearth requirements are STEEP. Check it out and see if you can meet those specs....don't assume your dealer will take care of it.

 

[Scott in IN]

I'm all good on the R value for the hearth, which is soon to be expanded ceramic tile over a concrete slab (not much better than that). Then there are are bricks over concrete blocks behind the stove (no wood or other combustibles) so I'm all good there too.

 

[DiscoInferno]

Thanks to the board, I think I've FINALLY got it figured out now.....

The Hearthstone guy was out today and gave me a quote on the installation in front of my ZC fireplace of a showroom demo Homestead (hearth stove approved for these type of installs, per the manual), a full 6" liner with 1/2" insulated wrap for just over $3100.

Thoughts from the group?

If you go that way I'll be curious to hear how it works out; that's one of the things I'm thinking of doing with my WMC42. The required R-value would be my main problem, as my concrete hearth is sitting on wood framing.

 

[Gooserider]

It may be late but what was occurring to me when I looked at the pictures was that it looked like the stuff around the original fireplace was just brick - no combustibles? If so, why not do a sort of alcove install - rip out the ZC box, put a free standing stove in the hole, and either run up the ZC stack with an insulated liner, or pull out the stack and replace it with a Class A chimney?

Would get the stove out of the living room space, and give heat to the workout room area off the back of the stove (might want to come up with a grate or something if the stove backside is not pretty...)

I've seen variants on this done by other posters, and it looks sharp....

One other thing I saw mentioned that is not good though, was the discussion of adding a cold air return near the stove and using the furnace fan to circulate heat... BAD IDEA!

1. Codes prohibit a return air intake w/in 10 feet of the stove

2. Most posters here (myself included) have found that attempting to move stove heat with the HVAC system does not work - results are poor at best, many found they made for a heat loss... lots of explanations about why in other threads)

Gooserider

 

[Scott in IN]

Ripping out the ZC box would be a MAJOR undertaking. Downstairs it's faced with brick and then concrete block behind it along with a steel beam or two. Everything downstairs is supporting a 10' wide natural stone hearth and 20' stone chimney upstairs.

As far as the cold air return I'm now seeing that it's not a good idea.

I think I'll be more than happy with the Hearthstone, now it's just a question of waiting till the taxes are done or pulling out money from savings? Note: I just ordered more propane at $2.33 a gallon (sucks).....