Block off Plate

[Berner]

Howdy,

After hours, days, weeks, and months of research on block off plates I'm still on the fence about what to do with this. The install of the Progress Hybrid is a tight one. The stove sits very close to the front edge of the raised hearth with the rear of the stove close to the "firebox." I wish I was able to build the hearth bigger but I'm trying to make the best of the current situation. What would you guys do?

Cleaning the liner is a huge pain because of the close quarters. I take off the screws on the stove collar and to access/clean the elbow and bottom of the liner I need to pull the whole system to one side. This seems to be the only way to clean the liner.

My fear is that if I install a block off plate that I won't be able to clean the liner. From the looks of all the block off plates on here the liner is pretty well fixed into position.


Is there a solution where I can have both a block off plate and easy liner cleaning?

Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[Don2222]

Hello

You may want to consider using Roxul instead of a blockoff plate. Block off plates were made to use on short liners to dump the smoke into the chimney. Nowadays a full liner to the top of the chimney is usually required by code. This way, no down draft will blow smoke back into the room. Although some towns or municipalities may still require a block off plate to pass code. Hopefully that will change.

Since Roxul is 100% fire proof, it makes an even better blockoff plate because the insulation keeps the heat in the room from escaping up the chimney. It is also flexible and may be easy for you to still cleen the flue. I would also recommend an outside air kit if the chimney is sealed and insulated. We install a second 3" flex liner for fresh air to the pellet stove. It is not required by code but makes the house much more comfy with no drafts! Jus my 2 cents.

 

[Grisu]

What kind of material is showing in the second picture in the top of the firebox? I hope it is not wood. A block-off plate would go somewhere in that area but I don't see how that would make cleaning the flue more difficult. Also, the Progress has an 8" hearth requirement in the front even with the ash lip. You should put a hearth extender where your boots are.

 

[Berner]

Hello

You may want to consider using Roxul instead of a blockoff plate. Block off plates were made to use on short liners to dump the smoke into the chimney. Nowadays a full liner to the top of the chimney is usually required by code. This way, no down draft will blow smoke back into the room. Although some towns or municipalities may still require a block off plate to pass code. Hopefully that will change.

Since Roxul is 100% fire proof, it makes an even better blockoff plate because the insulation keeps the heat in the room from escaping up the chimney. It is also flexible and may be easy for you to still cleen the flue. I would also recommend an outside air kit if the chimney is sealed and insulated. We install a second 3" flex liner for fresh air to the pellet stove. It is not required by code but makes the house much more comfy with no drafts! Jus my 2 cents.

Yes I have a full liner to the top of the chimney. As I understood it the block off plate can either be Roxul a metal plate or both. I think using just Roxul would make sense with this setup. The flexibility will be nice. Is there anything to the installation besides stuffing it up from the bottom? How much should I stuff up there?

I looked into the OAK's but I have an old drafty house and determined that it wouldn't be necessary. I'm eager to see the benefits next year of how much more heat comes with some sort of a block off plate installed.

 

[Berner]

What kind of material is showing in the second picture in the top of the firebox? I hope it is not wood. A block-off plate would go somewhere in that area but I don't see how that would make cleaning the flue more difficult. Also, the Progress has an 8" hearth requirement in the front even with the ash lip. You should put a hearth extender where your boots are.

I believe the 8inch front requirement can be measured vertically. My raised hearth is 9 inches up so I think I'm ok. The top of the firebox is all brick. We ran out of the specific brick we were using so had to improvise towards the top. Unfortunate but the only place you can see it is if you stick your head behind the stove and look up. Not a huge deal.

I believe the metal block off plate will cause the liner to be anchored. I cleaned it a few times during my first burning season last year. During the cleanings being able to move the liner around was essential so I could get a brush into the elbow. Maybe the metal block off plate won't anchor the liner as much as I think it will?

 

[webby3650]

Have you considered putting a Tee on the bottom of the liner? That is the most common way of doing it. After its swept, the Tee cap can be removed to access the mess. Then a small vac hose can be pushed up through the snout and into the flue collar.

 

[Berner]

Have you considered putting a Tee on the bottom of the liner? That is the most common way of doing it. After its swept, the Tee cap can be removed to access the mess. Then a small vac hose can be pushed up through the snout and into the flue collar.

That was my original thought. Truthfully opening that elbow when cleaning didn't give me the warm and fuzzy feeling. The creosote seemed to fall and settle into the elbow. Not ideal.

I tried to fit an elbow but the way the fireplace is built it is not possible. The brick runs backwards which is opposite to the typical fireplace where the back wall tips forward. The only thing I could think of is if someone makes a T which isn't exactly 90 degrees. Does this exist?

 

[webby3650]

It would take some doing bit it looks like a Tee would fit to me. You would have to chip some brick and possibly use an elbow on top of the Tee.
I also worry about that adjustable elbow. I have had a few of those come apart on me while trying to line then up. Now I won't use one at all, it's just not worth the risk to me. Welded seem elbows are all I'll use anymore.

 

[Berner]

I had one come apart on me as well during the install. Not a great feeling. Does anyone know of any T connections that aren't on a 90?

 

[webby3650]

I had one come apart on me as well during the install. Not a great feeling. Does anyone know of any T connections that aren't on a 90?

No

 

[webby3650]

It looks like you may have room for a vertical T with an elbow on top of it.

 

[bholler]

i think it looks like there is room to webby. Looks like you will need a short peice of pipe between the tee and the stove and then a 15 degree elbow

 

[Berner]

i think it looks like there is room to webby. Looks like you will need a short peice of pipe between the tee and the stove and then a 15 degree elbow

What is "webby"? I tried the T connection first and it didn't work. They would have to make short T connector piece with a total height of 7inches or so. The normal T connectors are too tall and end up just below the lintel. However even the flexible liners don't have enough flex to fit past the lintel and up the smoke chamber.

 

[begreen]

Spelling error. That should be ..."there is room too, webby." The suggestion is to take a tee and put a 15 deg. elbow on top of it, then connect the liner to the 15 dg. elbow.

 

[webby3650]

What is "webby"? I tried the T connection first and it didn't work. They would have to make short T connector piece with a total height of 7inches or so. The normal T connectors are too tall and end up just below the lintel. However even the flexible liners don't have enough flex to fit past the lintel and up the smoke chamber.

Most every install requires some custom work. Like trimming the T down, crimping, elbows, and almost always chipping and cutting brick out of the way. Open up that damper and remove some bricks so it can be properly installed. So many people want to preserve the open fireplace, but lets be honest, who would give up a stove for an open fire? Well, except me?
If that is ever decided, bricks can be replaced and a lock-top damper installed. That's better in the long run anyway.

 

[Lakeside]

Truthfully opening that elbow when cleaning didn't give me the warm and fuzzy feeling.

There's is a solution to your concern. check-out this link.
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads...n-chimney-first-time-tips.90981/#post-1189802

 

[Berner]

Most every install requires some custom work. Like trimming the T down, crimping, elbows, and almost always chipping and cutting brick out of the way. Open up that damper and remove some bricks so it can be properly installed. So many people want to preserve the open fireplace, but lets be honest, who would give up a stove for an open fire? Well, except me?
If that is ever decided, bricks can be replaced and a lock-top damper installed. That's better in the long run anyway.

I'm hesitate to remove bricks from my fireplace mostly because I don't want an ugly gap to show. Also the area that is obstructing everything is the lintel. What I would need to make everything work is a really really short T.

 

[bholler]

Looking at it yes you would need to cut the top side of the tee down as short as you could and then put an elbow on top of it The construction of your fireplace is very strange the way the back wall slopes back did it work as a fireplace? It does not look like it would have worked well at all

 

[Berner]

Looking at it yes you would need to cut the top side of the tee down as short as you could and then put an elbow on top of it The construction of your fireplace is very strange the way the back wall slopes back did it work as a fireplace? It does not look like it would have worked well at all

Looking at it yes you would need to cut the top side of the tee down as short as you could and then put an elbow on top of it The construction of your fireplace is very strange the way the back wall slopes back did it work as a fireplace? It does not look like it would have worked well at all

It was built for the purpose of running a stove. Unfortunately the mason didn't plan it very well and I ended up with what you see in the pictures. So I never got to try it as a fire place but yes I would imagine it would not work very well.

Does anyone know of a custom iron shop that would take on the task of a short T into an elbow?

 

[bholler]

Most good sheet metal shops could do it but it would be way cheaper to get off the shelf stuff and cut it down. if you are not comfortable with that i would call a local sweep and see what they would charge to do it i would bet that it would still be cheaper than custom ss components. The few pieces we have had made were pretty pricey.

 

[Berner]

Most good sheet metal shops could do it but it would be way cheaper to get off the shelf stuff and cut it down. if you are not comfortable with that i would call a local sweep and see what they would charge to do it i would bet that it would still be cheaper than custom ss components. The few pieces we have had made were pretty pricey.

The T connector that I did get had a top connection that was secured by a hose clamp. If I cut it down I would lose the hose clamp. Maybe that's where the chimney sweep or sheet metal shop come into play. They can cut it down and reattach the hose clamp.

22 gauge stainless steel is what I'm looking for correct?

Should I go for a T and elbow all in one piece or should I keep them as two separate pieces? If so how do you guys recommend securing them together?

Thanks for all your help guys, this is phenomenal!

 

[bholler]

that would not be the end that you cut down that is the end that would go into the stove. Attach the 2 together with ss rivets.

 

[webby3650]

I would get a rigid 1 piece T with no band clamp. Then attach an elbow with the clamp to the top of the T. Both could be slightly altered to shorten the overall height. I would also chip some brick out of the way.

 

[Berner]

that would not be the end that you cut down that is the end that would go into the stove. Attach the 2 together with ss rivets.

Maybe I wrote this wrong in my previous post.

The top of the T where it connects to the flexible stainless steel liner is what I need trimmed down to be shorter. The other end I crimped slid into the stove collar and secured with the screws provided.

I will contact a chimney sweep and sheet metal shop about trimming it down and connecting with an elbow. Thanks.