I've got a lopi LX insert, that I'm using more less as a free standing stove. I removed our old fireplace, which was made of tin and was useless except for the "atmosphere". I put this lopi in it's place, but I have no brick chimney. I'm using the stainless chimney that was on the old fireplace. My problem is I had no way of hooking my insert up to the chimney, so I cut the top of the old fireplace off with a tin snips. This way I could just set the pipe down on top of the insert. I'd like to get something better.
chimney ? for a lopi insert
- Thread starter aaronl41
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![[Hearth.com] chimney ? for a lopi insert](/talk/data/attachments/13/13970-2ab6963b490c06808d017f67a08f997a.jpg?hash=laeusZW9zf)
Sorry man.... Check out this post to see why.
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/23141/
Is that drywall right behind the insert? and a 2X4 about 18" above it? I seriously wouldn't light this one up unless your behind on your payments. Don't mean to sound harsh, but I'm pretty sure there are at least 3 or 4 combustibles there that are way toooo close. Maybe I'm wrong and it's hard to tell from here. Sorry, I know how hard it is to rig something and have people tell you it's pretty unsafe. Don't know what else to say.
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/23141/
Is that drywall right behind the insert? and a 2X4 about 18" above it? I seriously wouldn't light this one up unless your behind on your payments. Don't mean to sound harsh, but I'm pretty sure there are at least 3 or 4 combustibles there that are way toooo close. Maybe I'm wrong and it's hard to tell from here. Sorry, I know how hard it is to rig something and have people tell you it's pretty unsafe. Don't know what else to say.
You didn't say just what sort of a "tin" fireplace you removed. Odds are, I think, it was a ZC (zero clearance) unit of some sort. Odds are, as well, that the chimney that was installed with the ZC unit is not rated for a woodburning appliance like an insert. We'd need a whole lot more information and maybe some wider angle pics, and whatever you know about the pipe you've hooked that thing up to and/or the unit you took out...but I don't think you've got a safe installation there, from a number of aspects. The way you've adapted that insert to the chimney is not correct or safe, and there are a lot of clearance issues, as previously mentioned. I wouldn't burn in that thing if I were you. Rick
There's about 2 feet of clearance all around the insert except for right above it and on the sides. The 2X4's are going to come out and the opening will be quite a bit bigger, then I'll finish it off with the trim panels that came with the insert. It's just an empty cavity behind the insert. There is also a cold air intake in this cavity which I'm not sure what to do with(I've just got it plugged right now). I'm also going to install some sort of vent/fan to move the heat out of this cavity and into my home. The "tin" fireplace I removed was a wood burning fireplace and was factory installed along with the chimney pipe (I have a modular home). I know it isn't right, but I needed to do something to plug the hole in my roof and this was easiest. I've yet to get the stove up and running, but would like to get the right parts to get it going.
also thinking about knocking the whole wall out (it's a diagonal wall in a corner), welding some legs on the stove and putting some sort of decorative stone on the wall behind. What would you reccommend for a chimney pipe? And how do I connect it to the insert. I could have a piece of 3/16ths or 1/4" plate rolled into an 8" circle and weld it to the top of the insert so I have something to connect a pipe to. Would this work?
The unit just flat out isn't listed or tested for such use. Sell that insert and buy a freestanding stove with the proper double wall connector and properly listed chimney. Again not wanting to sound harsh or derogatory, it's just that "don't burn it!" is the best advice anyone could give you.
In a modular you need double wall connector and Class A UL type 103HT chimney (2100 degree chimney). Look at simpson duravent and selkirk metalbestos those are two of the most common types of chimney, another good one is ICC
What's the difference between this and a free standing stove, if I use this insert just like a free standing unit? I would think if I have the proper clearances it would be none, except for looks. I don't care about the looks as this unit needs to heat my house for this winter and next winter max. After that I'm going to install an outdoor wood burner. I know this setup isn't right as it is now, please, I'm looking for input on how to use it short term safely. Thanks.
Aaron, I really don't think your going to get much advice on HOW to do this. The differences may seem like none but it's in the safety and rating of the unit. People here (me included) are not willing to help you kill yourself and family just because you want to burn this the wrong way. It's not worth it. Search the news, people burn their homes down by using stoves in other ways than the certified way. You wanted advice and the advice people gave was great. Just not the advice you wanted to hear. I realize that codes and designations may seem silly at times, but a lot of homes were burnt down figuring out those codes. It seems so easy... just jam this in there and that in here and voila! cheap fire and heat. And it may work perfectly without any incident. But if it doesn't we sure don't want it on our conscience knowing we told you the wrong way to do it just to please you. That's probably a nice looking insert. If I were you, I would look for an epa wood stove on Craigslist and once you buy one sell yours for over half the price of a good working newer epa stove. There are lots of people out there who don't know or don't want an epa stove paying lots of money for these old stoves. In the meantime I suggest you find out exactly what kind of chimney you have and try to work with what you've got. It should be printed somewhere on the outside of the pipe. If you're lucky you may not have to replace everything. Sorry that aint what you want to hear.
All I can find on the pipe is certified fireplace chimney. The pic doesn't show it, but it's a 8" pipe (Might be 6" I can't remember) inside of an 11". It draws air from the bottom of the outside pipe and vents it out at the chimney cap. I don't have the bottom piece of the outter pipe on right now because when I was on the roof lowering it all down my brother in law for got to set it in there. Now I have 2 feet of snow that I need to shovel off the roof so I'll get it in there while I'm up there.
Please, please listen to the advice being offered. From everything you've told us, it sounds like you have a zero clearance fireplace (ZC) and the chimney system for a ZC fireplace. Again: this chimney is not rated for a wood burning appliance. Believe me when I say that no one here is trying to rain on your parade in any way! We all want you and your family to be safe above all else. I know you just want to keep warm and generate some nice heat, but you need to do so as safely as possible! Hell, it's a fire contained in a metal box, after all. There is an inherent amount of danger involved. Just take a moment to step back, breathe deeeply, and rationally consider what everyone here is trying to tell you: if you hook up that insert to a ZC chimney system, you are gambling with your life, potentially.
This kinda reminds me of the movie A Christmas Story where everybody tells Raphie You'll shoot your eye out, kid. But he didn't listen, if you don't know the movie it goes like this. All Raphie wants for Christmas is a Official Red Ryder Carbine-Action Two-Hundred-Shot Range Model Air Rifle! and everybody tells him You'll shoot your eye out, kid.
Ralphie: [Ralphie is shoved down the slide, but he stops himself and climbs back up] No! No! I want an Official Red Ryder Carbine-Action Two-Hundred-Shot Range Model Air Rifle!
Santa Claus: You'll shoot your eye out, kid.
Ralphie as Adult: [narrating, after BB gun shot bounces off target and hits his face] Oh my god, I shot my eye out!
Don't be like Raphie and listen to all the good advise your getting or "You'll burn your house down, kid."
Ralphie: [Ralphie is shoved down the slide, but he stops himself and climbs back up] No! No! I want an Official Red Ryder Carbine-Action Two-Hundred-Shot Range Model Air Rifle!
Santa Claus: You'll shoot your eye out, kid.
Ralphie as Adult: [narrating, after BB gun shot bounces off target and hits his face] Oh my god, I shot my eye out!
Don't be like Raphie and listen to all the good advise your getting or "You'll burn your house down, kid."
Apparently no one can read what I'm saying. I removed a WOOD burning fireplace. I installed this insert, and reused the old chimney pipe, which was for the wood burning fireplace I removed. I can't see how the old unit was a zero clearance when there's 2 feet of room all around it. None of you guys have never used a product other than it was rated for? How much wood do you haul in your truck? I would bet it's way overloaded. Now you're endangering my life because your driving down the road with too much weight.
http://www.woodlandstoves.com/Faq_Detail.asp?id=917
"A zero clearance fireplace, whether wood or gas, refers to a manufactured fireplace that you can frame right up to. Think of it as a stove in a box with the purpose of the box being to contain and/or convect the heat into the room while maintaining a cool enough exterior skin temperature that wood framing can placed nearly against it."
So, it may be possible that you had a wood burning ZC. Look man, we're just trying to ensure your safety. If you could trouble yourself to come up with a picture of the flue system, that would help us verify if the pipe is UL 103 HT or not. Or, against better judgment, go ahead with your project. But don't get all bent out of shape when goodpeople who are tryingto help you refuse to assist with an unsafe, incorrect install (based on what we've seen thus far).
In any event, let's see some more pics, please.
"A zero clearance fireplace, whether wood or gas, refers to a manufactured fireplace that you can frame right up to. Think of it as a stove in a box with the purpose of the box being to contain and/or convect the heat into the room while maintaining a cool enough exterior skin temperature that wood framing can placed nearly against it."
So, it may be possible that you had a wood burning ZC. Look man, we're just trying to ensure your safety. If you could trouble yourself to come up with a picture of the flue system, that would help us verify if the pipe is UL 103 HT or not. Or, against better judgment, go ahead with your project. But don't get all bent out of shape when goodpeople who are tryingto help you refuse to assist with an unsafe, incorrect install (based on what we've seen thus far).
In any event, let's see some more pics, please.
I never read what you said, I just read what you typed. Your analogy with the truck is completely wrong. What your trying to do is the equivalent of trying to shoot 30-06 cartridges out of a pellet gun. Sure you may be able to machine out the breech to take the cartridge, Even machine out the barrel to handle the 30 caliber slug. But what you don't understand is that a pellet gun may be a gun, but it's designed for lightweight pellets. It's lighter weight than a center fire rifle. Unfortunately you'll just shoot the barrel off or worst it'll blow the whole thing back in your face. That is what you are trying to do with your fireplace. The zero clearance fireplace is not a real heat producing appliance. It's built for looks mostly. Imagine your chimney as the pellet gun barrel. It looks like a real gun barrel, projectiles were designed to come out the barrel, but it's probably not made for the heat of a wood burning stove. Stoves are probably triple the heat than a fireplace. 24" isn't very much clearance when you are talking about wood stoves. EDITED, EDITED, EDITED. Have a merry Christmas and all that stuff. (is that nicer?)
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