Busting out my flue damper????

[JoeRJGR]

Hi All,

Still trying to decide between two different companies to buy and have my Clydesdale installed. My concern is the flue damper.

One guy wants to use a 5.5" single wall SS liner, just to make sure it gets through the damper with no problem. The other guy wants to use a 6" double wall (super-flo) ss liner. The super-flow is smooth inside and he claims that the double wall provide a small amount of insulation. Problem is he may have to bust out the damper to make it fit. He says it has to do with angle in which the liner has to come down, not just the size of the damper opening. The size iof the opening is exactly 6" and I can remove the door. he has been to the house cant say for sure if he needs to bust out the damper.

My concern is if I ever want to remove the insert and use the fireplace as it is, or sell the house and take my insert, then I have to replace the damper. THe says thats no big deal because I can then install a top sealing damper which is way better anyway.

Course, isnt the top sealing damper issue the same as a block off plate? Why let the room air go all the way up the chimney before it is blocked off assuming I make it back into a fireplace...?

As alwys thanks for your help....

 

[JoeRJGR]

Guys...no opinion here?

Thanks?

 

[firefighterjake]

Give it time . . . a lot of folks are either working or on the left coast . . . folks generally will respond . . .

 

[gpcollen1]

I used Duraliner and used a flexible oval pipe to get through the damper that then attaches to the double wall and up the chimney. The bottom of the flex can attach to a fitting and then to the stove or to a tee and to a rear vent stove like mine. Works rather damn well and I did not have to alter the damper. As for cleaning, I brush down the liner with the 6" round and i brush up with a smaller brush [pellet stove brush] for the 6 ft I need there.

http://www.duravent.com/pdf/catalogs/duraliner10.pdf

 

[JoeRJGR]

Interesting...they calim the double wall takes the place of insulation....huh?

 

[Todd]

They can ovalize the 6" liner to fit through the damper if you don't want to damage it and want to turn it back into a working fireplace later on.

 

[JoeRJGR]

Todd,

Thats what I thought too...maybe thats a little harder to do with the 2 ply flexible liner/

 

[Todd]

Todd,

Thats what I thought too...maybe thats a little harder to do with the 2 ply flexible liner/

Give these guys a call. They have the 2ply smooth inside liners and said you can ovalize it.

http://www.chimneylinerdepot.com/

 

[JoeRJGR]

thanks Todd,

I got to figure if you can bend it, you can ovalize it....

 

[Wood Heat Stoves]

Interesting...they calim the double wall takes the place of insulation....huh?

ul1777 if it is so rated, no blanket needed

dura-liner "rigid pieces are factory insulated"

 

[Eaglecraft]

Hi All,

Still trying to decide between two different companies to buy and have my Clydesdale installed. My concern is the flue damper.

One guy wants to use a 5.5" single wall SS liner, just to make sure it gets through the damper with no problem. The other guy wants to use a 6" double wall (super-<span cla="">ss="spellchecked_word">flo</span>) ss liner. The super-<span cla="">ss="spellchecked_word">flo</span>w is smooth inside and he claims that the double wall provide a small amount of insulation. Problem is he may have to bust out the damper to make it fit. He says it has to do with angle in which the liner has to come down, not just the size of the damper opening. The size iof the opening is exactly 6" and I can remove the door. he has been to the house cant say for sure if he needs to bust out the damper.

My concern is if I ever want to remove the insert and use the fireplace as it is, or sell the house and take my insert, then I have to replace the damper. THe says thats no big deal because I can then install a top sealing damper which is way better anyway.

Course, isnt the top sealing damper issue the same as a block off plate? Why let the room air go all the way up the chimney before it is blocked off assuming I make it back into a fireplace...?

As alwys thanks for your help....

Hi Joe:

Still thinking about that Clydesdale...

Confronted with the same choice as yours, I chose the cut out the damper to get the pipe through. My thinking was this: if I sold the place, the Clydesdale stays. In my situation, getting the Clydesdale out is possible, but not worth the trouble/expense. If I move to another house, I'll install another one. The deciding factor to cut the damper out was that my masonry fireplace was built around a Superior Heatform, which had to be seriously modified (cut) anyway to get the SS flex pipe down to the Clydesdale. So it's done as far as using it as a "fireplace" ever again.

When I was considering what type of SS pipe to bring down my terracotta flue, my final conclusion was that I didn't want any joints in the pipe. Since the pipe was going into an area that would be difficult to observe in the future, I wanted a continuous run from the rain cap to the appliance. That isn't to say that connections can't be made tight/solid, it's just adds another factor into the equation.

Looking forward to seeing photos of your final installation...

 

[JoeRJGR]

volemister,

Thanks for the info...I am defintly getting a Clydesdale, just deciding on who I dont trust less....long and short of it is 1 guy has been in business 35 years, uses his own installers and the the other 6 months and uses contractors....i'm going with the 35 year guy....

I can pretty much guarentee that we wont take the insert with us either...but I am always thinking 2 steps ahead....just in case...drives my wife crazy...not really, she's good about it...

I think I'm going with the 2 ply liner...I'll remove the door before they come, and if they cant get it in, I'll have them ovalize it...or...since we are going to cover the brick with stone veneer before the installation anyway, I'll let my wife decide if she wants a big old knob sticking out of the stone work.... if she says no, decision made!

Even though our insurance company says we're covered because we currently have a fireplace, I have not seen anything in writing. Therefore, I'm going to get the proper permits and inspection by the township...if god forbid the house burns down and the fire department says it was due to an improperly installed insert, I want a piece of paper form the township saying they OK'd the install.....probably over thinking this, but it is fire after all............

 

[gpcollen1]

On ovalizing, you will end up with a short run that is smaller [area] than the rest of the flue - if that is what you want. That is why the factory oval pipe is best. Ovalize all you want but it just seems like the cheap way out.

Circumference of 6" = ~18"
Length of outside of an oval section for 6" = ~25"