Converted see through to fireplace insert

[BillyB62]

Hi all,

Here's my current set up. I have a fireplace insert in one side of what was a see through fireplace which was constructed out of cinder block and covered with granite. Back about 15 years ago, my father-in-law (when he owned the house) put in the insert and I've since replace his old stove with a quadrafire 4100. This past fall, I had my chimney's lined with stainless steel. Currently, my furnace and fireplace use separate flues.

My wife and I renovated the TV side of the house (the side that does not have the insert) and would like put something functional in that "hole". I've thought about putting another stove in (either gas or pellet), bricking between the two stoves and was wondering if this can be done and what would I need to do to vent it.

 

[mellow]

Do you have room to run another liner up the chimney?

 

[begreen]

Either stove should be vented. That would require checking out the chimney to see if there is room for another 3-4" liner. Or maybe just put a grille over the hole so that some of the heat radiating from the Quad can still come through?

 

[BillyB62]

I'll check tonight (one plus of having one side open). The chimney was lined professionally, so I've yet to look up there.

 

[BillyB62]

Either stove should be vented. That would require checking out the chimney to see if there is room for another 3-4" liner. Or maybe just put a grille over the hole so that some of the heat radiating from the Quad can still come through?

Thanks for your quick response (both mellow & begreen) - I've searched this forum a lot over the past few months looking for a similar situation and read where pulling heat away from the existing solution wasn't recommended - please correct me if I'm wrong. I've also searched for things like a pipe reclaimer or another heat exchanger, but the forum seems to be lukewarm to those ideas too.

Also, although my preference would be gas, but my wife is less than enthusiastic with having a gas line so close to the wood burning insert so I'm thinking maybe pellet would be a viable option. I've researched ventless gas units but not sure how I really feel about them.

 

[mellow]

I would not do vent less.

The magic heat and other heat reclaimers are robbing your chimney pipe of needed heat to establish a draft, having two back to back has been done and no negative reviews that I have seen, the biggest issue would be with having space for 2 liners, going with a pellet stove might help solve that with a smaller exhaust, but then you really need to have an outside air kit hooked up to it. The guys on the pellet forum might be more help on this issue if that is where you are thinking about going with this, I would be worried about the electronics on the back of an insert, maybe a model out there has a shield?

 

[avsmusic1]

pics?