Castile Insert

[tonyd]

I purchased a Quad insert and have a few questions about the install. It is being installed in my existing fireplace. 1. On the video, it suggests insulating around the stove. What type of insulation should I use and where and how much? 2. I"ll be using flex pipe 5' up the flu and my question is, do I remove the damper altogether and insulate around the pipe. I was thinking about tracing the damper on a piece of steel with a hole cut out for the pipe and replacing it altogether.. Any suggestions would be helpful. Any suggestions on putting anything down on the hearth to slide the insert into the opening over the fire brick. The back legs get hung up on everything. I will be installing it as soon as the Chimney Swifts fly the coup. Thanks (Greenhorn) Tony

 

[DiggerJim]

You should replace the damper with a sheet of steel with a hole cut out for the flex pipe. Remove the damper. Measure the chimney throat and add an inch or so in both directions. Cut a piece of steel (you can get it at HD or Lowes) -- 24ga should be fine -- to these oversize measurements. Bend the sides down (you'll need to clip the corners to make a nice corner fold) to leave the steel at the correct dimensions of the chimney throat - leave the bent sides flared out a bit so they will friction fit when you slid it up into the fireplace/chimney. Cut a hole a tad bigger than the flex pipe so you can slip it in easily - make sure about a foot extends up past where the damper was. Grab some fiberglass insulation and wrap that around the upper end of the flex pipe where it comes out of the hole in your steel plate. Poke some of it in the little space between the pipe and the steel hole. Now slide the whole thing up into your fireplace. You can pack the insulation in the gap around the hole in the plate. Drill a couple of holes for masonry screws (into brick) or sheet metal screws (prefab fireplace) on the "legs" of the plate and screw it in to hold it up. Now you're done.

You might want to make a cardboard mockup of this before you commit to steel. And you really want to have that hole in it for the flex pipe before you try any test fittings or you're going to find it really hard to get it out

 

[tonyd]

Everything sounds good. Any chance of the insulation catching on fire or is their any special insulation I should be using? Is their any need to insulate around the stove itself? Thanks Tony

 

[DiggerJim]

Everything sounds good. Any chance of the insulation catching on fire or is their any special insulation I should be using? Is their any need to insulate around the stove itself? Thanks Tony

No and no - any fiberglass insulation will work (except don't keep the paper backing on it ). Oh, and no.

 

[tonyd]

I haven't heard the birds in the chimney today, maybe they flew the coup. Maybe I can start my install. I want to see some fire. Thanks Tony