Aspiring Hampton HI300 owner

[DougR]

Hi everyone,

Great site! I've learned a lot already from pouring through the archives and search results and have decided to install a Hampton HI300 insert; and more importantly, my wife has given me clearance to go ahead Reading some of the install stories, I really want to make sure I understand everything before turning my home over to an installer. Pulldownclaw, I've been reading your recent thread and feel for you.

We live in eastern Massachusetts, and the fireplace is in our family room. We have an external masonry chimney with a brick hearth. All the clearances look ok according to the HI300 manual, except for the hearth depth, which is only 20" from the face of the opening. I've found a dealer/installer that I get a good feeling from. Their plan would be to remove the damper; run a full-length, uninsulated, 5.5" stainless steel liner from the insert to the top of the flue; and seal between the surround and the facing of the hearth with insulation. My understanding is that this install is allowed by both the manual and by code. I asked, and they are willing to install a damper blocking plate (insulated or not) for an extra charge. So here are my questions:

1. I understand that an insulated liner would be ideal, but is it required? By "required" I mean is it foolhardy to go with an uninsulated liner?

2. Where exactly does the combustion air come from in this stove? I haven't been able to figure it out from the manual, or from searching the forums here. Does it come from within the fireplace (behind the surround,) or from the room?

3. Can I seal my fireplace with both a damper blocking plate, and insulating around the surround? One of my goals of installing the insert is to stop my furnace heat from leaving the house via the chimney (even when the insert is not operating.)

4. Is it useful to insulate a damper blocking plate, or just overkill? Closely related to this question I guess, is whether using a damper blocking plate is itself overkill when the top of the chimney, and the surround faceplate are both sealed?


Many thanks!
Doug

 

[Corie]

Just going to jump in on a couple of questions here.


The Hampton draws combustion air from a punch out plate I believe on the rear or side of the unit. Therefore, you can't seal the surround against the fireplace opening, unless you have the stove hooked up to use outside air for combustion.


A block off plate is required, even if the top of the flue is sealed, and in part because you can't seal the face of the insert against the fireplace completely or the insert will have to place to draw combustion air from.


I will let some others touch the rest of the issues

 

[jtp10181]

Doesn't the unit have a 6" flue collar? Why use a smaller liner than the flue the unit is supposed to have? I can't find a manual online to review and I pretty much know nothing about this unit.

 

[Corie]

Probably because a true 6" round liner won't fit.

 

[DougR]

Hey guys -- I've seen reference in a few places to using the 5.5" liner with this stove, and it appears to be the liner that Hampton sells for the purpose:

"Stainless Steel Liner Kits For Wood Inserts," 5.5" x 35 Ft. Insert Flex Kit, part number 948-635.

Corie, what do you mean when you say that the blocking plate is "required"? The manual doesn't even show that as an installation option with the full liner; they do show it for direct flue connections though (this makes sense to me.) I know that Elk is a true believer in installing with both a full liner and the blocking plate, but I don't exactly understand why.

 

[elkimmeg]

the flue colar is attached to the top with 3 L brackets and sheet metal screws for some reason i the 5.5 fits the flue collar bracket Regency has been specting the 5.5" liner for years.

They also require a full liner in an exposed exterior ch fire place flue If your liner is in good shape and n meets current NPA level II inspection then insulation is not required to obtain UL1777
zero clearance to combustiables. If the chimney is not up to current NFPA condition insulation becomes mantitory. Insulation does enhance draft and may be worth the added cost.
In my town in Eastern Ma I require a well sealed damper plate before I will pass the instillation .Your retailer know this and has made a few w extra trips to straighten out installs that did not pass their initial inspection. PM me which town you are in. They also know the the revised NFPA 211 cross-sectional code. I faxed it to them a few years back .

 

[DougR]

The Hampton draws combustion air from a punch out plate I believe on the rear or side of the unit. Therefore, you can't seal the surround against the fireplace opening, unless you have the stove hooked up to use outside air for combustion.


A block off plate is required, even if the top of the flue is sealed, and in part because you can't seal the face of the insert against the fireplace completely or the insert will have to place to draw combustion air from.

Hi Corie,

Thanks for this reply. If the combustion air is drawn from within the fireplace cavity, this makes sense to me -- if I were to seal both the damper area and the front of the fireplace, I could starve the stove for air. Two things though -- First, my fireplace has a little door in its floor, leading down the chimney to an ash-cleanout in the basement (well, garage, actually.) Would this provide enough air if I were to seal the fireplace? Second, is there any reason that the insert wouldn't be drawing combustion air from the front of the fireplace, rather than the side/rear? I haven't found an outside air-kit from Hampton, nor words or pictures in their documentation and manuals about rigging something, using cutouts, etc...or really any reference at all to combustion air. In fact, a couple of their installation options (positive and direct flue connections) in the manual do show both the damper areas and the fireplace front being sealed.

Your explanation is complete and consistent -- just trying to reconcile it against Hampton's docs, which don't seem to be!

Cheers,
Doug

 

[DougR]

If your liner is in good shape and n meets current NPA level II inspection then insulation is not required .

Thanks Elk -- this answers my questions about using an insulated liner. Basically, if my chimney is in good shape then I don't have to use an insulated liner, even on an exterior chimney, but I would get somewhat better performance if I did.

What about the damper blocking plate? Do you have any opinions about insulating this plate? I know that you require the plate, and have also read your feelings about installers that just stuff insulation around the liner in lieu of a plate...but what about using both plate and insulation? Any benefit?

Thanks for your PM as well..


Doug