Buck Stove - Model 20 Insert - Older into Prefab -

[deasnealy]

I have a home built in 1990 - Prefab insert manufacturer is not known. I purchased last year and successfully had fires all winter in the buck insert that was here when I purchased. I decided I wanted to see what the condition of the fire box in prefab was and removed the stove. To my shock I saw that both side fire refracting panels were missing. The stove was vented directly into the prefab pipe with a simple 12 tube. I started looking at this site and figured I just missed my mountain house burning down by the grace of god.

I am now exploring options. Should I just start over and place a new prefab in?? I like the open flame sometimes but would also like some heating capacity. I have vaulted ceilings and bunch of glass. It gets pretty cold.

Is it possible to use the stove or should I just purchase another hearth stove and provide a new pipe. I saw a few stoves that I could open the doors to hear the fire.

Thanks. There are a bunch of experts here and I figured you may have some thoughts.

I am having a certified inspection done Monday, but I figure he will say I need to eliminate the Buck Stove.

 

[jtp10181]

There is no rating plate on the ZC wood unit that says who made it? If not, and the refractories are missing I think technically you would not be able to burn wood in there ever again. You would either have to rip it out or put in a gas or pellet insert. I know some people have use generic refractories and cut them to size but this is not really legitimate as far as I know.

 

[webbie]

First thing to do is obtain the owners manual on that unit. Certain Buck models were approved to go into pre-fabs. See if you can download it from the Buck site or request by email.....

things may not be as bad as they seem - or, they may be!

OK, first thing is that the model 20 appears to be pre-fab approved. That is a good thing.
We then have to deal with the connection to the existing flue and the side panel removal. For both of these, you will need the manual. It is just possible that both are allowed in the installation. Not to say it is the best way, but the stove may have been tested and approved in that fashion.

Running a 6" stainless pipe from the unit all the way up the chimney would improve the job greatly, even if the manual shows that a shorter connector is legal.

As to the removed refractory.......the unit appears to have double wall sides which usually means very little heavy heat radiated out that way. They may have removed the bricks in order to fix the unit further back. Perhaps you could use a thinner material like Micore (1/2"), but that has a better insulating factor than the thicker refractory in most cases.

It does not appear that all is lost - you may be able to patch everything back together and end up with a safe system.

 

[deasnealy]

Thanks for the input. I am going to do a little research today. I have the Buck Manual, but I am not sure about the ZC manual. If I do decide to things are ok, I still have a small issue. The pipe being larger for the zc has no Damper. I great deal of Air penetrates from the exterior into the ZC and seems to be an issue. As I have taken out the Buck stove and temporarily placed insulation to block the air, I have a noticeable improvement in heating. I wonder if there is a fix for this. Also, I was told I could not put a top mount damper.

If I decide I like the open fire, do you have any idea where I could have replacement panels fabricated?

What about the possibility of a Vent free gas alternative and simply cap the pipe with a damper?


I love the heat of the Buck stove but miss the open fire. I have seen other stoves that allow you to enjoy and open fire and close the doors to for more efficiency as necessary. I am consider installing another stove in my basement to allow this.

 

[jtp10181]

FYI an "open" fireplace is a giant energy waster. If you end up keeping the buck stove you should install a fill liner all the way, insulated. And you need to keep the old prefab chimney system intact and still allow its outer cooling air to breathe. You would also want to put in a block off plate at the bottom to keep cold air from coming down into the house from the old chimney.