Chimney Re-line Idea

[Old School]

Fellow wood burners,

I have been following this forum for several years and have gotten lots of information. I only recently joined and appreciate the info so far.

I am currently getting ready to install an older insert into one of my fireplaces, I know, I know many feel that only the new epa stoves should be used and I do have one, an Appalachian 52 bay in my basement fireplace, but personally I like the older models like I grew up with better. I feel they throw out more heat and are more user friendly. That being said I have the older unit ready to install into an old heatilator double wall metal firebox masonry fireplace and I am torn on liner size.

The opening on the heater is 6.5 x 6.5 square. I know the math says I need an 8" liner. I am not and will not under any circumstance cut my heatilator because it has worked well as a fireplace and who knows what the future holds. So I have a section of 6" ss flex left over from the Appalachian install roughly 4' long that I tested and it goes through damper with no problems barely even scrapes. What would be wrong with running thy 6" section from heater through the damper then connect to 8" and running the remaining 25' out of chimney (which is 13x18 clay lined? I plan to use a dura liner round flat stove connecter mounted to stove which will cover the existing square opening and allow me to connect to round liner.

Thanks in advance for the answers. I will attach a few pics.

 

[Grisu]

It sounds like you have a zero clearance and not a masonry fireplace. Some newer inserts are approved to being installed there (although quite a few members here think that is not a good idea in any case). However, I am pretty sure the unit in your picture has never been tested and therefore should never be installed in a ZC fireplace. You say it yourself: Those older stoves often throw more (radiant) heat. Thus, it can easily create an unsafe condition where something combustible in the wall next to the Heatilator catches fire.

Unless I misinterpreted your situation (and sorry if I did), your plan is unsafe and cannot be done.

 

[Old School]

I may not have been clear on the heatilator set up. I do not think it is zero clearance. It was put in when the house was built in the 70s and is surrounded by masonry. It does not come into any contact with combustibles. From what I can see it appears to have firebrick, block and then faced with stone.

 

[Grisu]

Is it maybe a heatform fireplace like in this pic? What is the bottom made from?

That would be a different animal then. Sorry for my first post.

 

[Old School]

It is like that. Bottom is firebrick. Mortared in.

 

[webby3650]

You could order an 8" liner with the last 3' ovalized, and an oval to round adaptor.
That being said, I have no idea why you would be unwilling to just cut that box and be done with it.

 

[Old School]

Ovalizing is a good idea.

I just hate the idea of cutting the box rendering it useless for future use as an open fireplace or gas logs without having to do repair work etc... I know the chances of that are slim but still possible.

Thanks for the suggestion.

 

[bholler]

Ovalizing is a good idea.
I just hate the idea of cutting the box rendering it useless for future use as an open fireplace or gas logs without having to do repair work etc... I know the chances of that are slim but still possible.
Thanks for the suggestion.

If you ovalize you then need to increase the size of the liner in order to maintain the correct volume. What we do is just make nice straight clean cuts that can be welded back into place if you ever want to go back. I really dont think that running 6" through the throat will work well at all you will be choking that stove down pretty hard.

 

[webby3650]

I really really doubt ovalizing an 8" liner that has 25' feet of vertical will ever be a problem with an old easy breather like this.