Converting Fireplace Xtrordinair to stand alone woodstove

[rbw1969]

Hello,
I currently have a Fireplace Xtrordinair 44 Elite installed in the main living space in my home. This was installed by the previous owner of our home. Last winter, when it was very cold, the fireplace would only blow hot air out for a few seconds and then it would blow cool air. It had a hard time heating our home when outside temperature was below 20 degrees F. The way the fireplace is designed, it pulls outside air in and blows it around the firebox and out into the room once the firebox heats up to a certain temperature. I am not happy with the amount of wood this fireplace needs to keep the firebox hot.

I was thinking of putting a stand-alone woodstove in front of the fireplace and connecting the output to the existing chimney.
The existing chimney is 8" all the way to the roof. I also like the idea of having a stand-alone woodstove that does not require electricity for when the power goes out. Currently, if the power goes out , the blower on the Extordinair would not work, so heat output would be limited since there is no radiant heat from the fireplace. I was thinking that a rear vented woodstove, like a Jotul F500 might work in this situation. I could place the woodstove on the hearth and connect the exhaust from the back of the stove to the existing 8" chimney. I have attached photos of the current stove. The dampner plate blocking the current 8" piping shows 6 nuts, so it should be able to be removed to provide clear access to the chimney. Anyone perform a similar conversion? Thoughts on this? Thanks!

 

[Whitenuckler]

We can solve your power issue with an inverter and battery, and you should have a generator as well. I'm not sure why it blows cool air, but to me it looks like you need a new insert. You should be able to have someone figure out if your's is working correctly. Have you have it all cleaned and inspected?

 

[stoveliker]

A stove or insert should never suck cold air in with the blower.
It should route room air around the firebox.

Sucking in outside air and blowing it into the home will mean you're forcing warm air from within the home thru the cracks to the outside.
I e. you're heating the great outdoor.

If that can be corrected, it may all work fine. (When having a battery etc )

 

[rbw1969]

A stove or insert should never suck cold air in with the blower.
It should route room air around the firebox.

Sucking in outside air and blowing it into the home will mean you're forcing warm air from within the home thru the cracks to the outside.
I e. you're heating the great outdoor.

If that can be corrected, it may all work fine. (When having a battery etc )

Thanks for your replies! The blower is on the outside of the house on the bottom of the fireplace chase shown in the first picture. This was done according to the installation instructions. Only in extreme northern climates, does the manual say to install the blower on the inside of the house. I've attached a pic for reference. The intake for the air intake of the stove is also on the outside (cold-air intake). These are located on the sides of the chimney chase. I wouldn't be able to re-locate the blower without disassembling the chimney chase. I actually just had this done 2 years ago due to a water leak and it was very $. The same would be if I decided to replace the fireplace with a new one. This has to be done from the outside of the house. The chimney chase would have to be opened up and the fireplace removed from the back of the house. The stonework in my living room would also have to be taken apart. I'm not looking for a big, expensive project. I would just like to know if venting a standard woodstove into the existing vent would work. I also like the idea of a standard woodstove that has a cooktop surface. That would be an added benefit of a standard woodstove.

 

[stoveliker]

Okay. Very inefficient way to do this.
Outside air intake for the firebox is fine.

If you go with a stove in front, that can be hooked up to the existing chimney if it's a class A pipe, or masonry - the latter would need an insulated liner in it, but that is possible with a 8" flue.

 

[rbw1969]

Okay. Very inefficient way to do this.
Outside air intake for the firebox is fine.

If you go with a stove in front, that can be hooked up to the existing chimney if it's a class A pipe, or masonry - the latter would need an insulated liner in it, but that is possible with a 8" flue.

Thanks. Yes, the existing pipe is 8" triple wall Class A chimney pipe.

 

[kborndale]

Most modern stoves require a 6" chimney.

 

[begreen]

FPX fireplaces work on positively pressurizing the house using a fresh air intake. It works in most cases, but apparently not here. There could be a number of factors that could affect the outcome. The heat loss of the house may exceed the output of the fireplace or the fireplace was not getting hot enough. In the latter case, the firewood could have been poorly seasoned or the catalyst may be dead or partially clogged, etc.

Is the fireplace being run with the bypass closed once the fire is burning well? It will take 30 -45 min to warm up. Has the fireplace been serviced recently?

 

[stoveliker]

Interesting. I would never want a fireplace that only runs when the home is pressurized.
What if you overheat a bit, crack a window to cool down, and as a result the flow in the fireplace is not pushed up the flue ...

 

[begreen]

@webby3650, have you installed some of these systems?

Exterior air supply for convection is optional. The convection blower can be supplied by exterior or interior air. In very cold climates interior air is recommended.



The posi-pressure system used by FPX has been around since the 1990s. It's liked for its even heating throughout the home. Proper installation is essential. They strongly recommend a check to be sure the house is not under negative pressure to start with.

https://www.fireplacex.com/innovation/wood/#posi-pressure

 

[begreen]

Interesting side note. The hammered finish on the faceplate is done by a real blacksmith. I got to see him doing this during a factory tour. His biceps were huge, larger than my thighs.

 

[stoveliker]

@webby3650, have you installed some of these systems?

Exterior air supply for convection is optional. The convection blower can be supplied by exterior or interior air. In very cold climates interior air is recommended.

View attachment 347647

The posi-pressure system used by FPX has been around since the 1990s. It's liked for its even heating throughout the home. Proper installation is essential. They strongly recommend a check to be sure the house is not under negative pressure to start with.

https://www.fireplacex.com/innovation/wood/#posi-pressure

Interesting.
That does mean the install can likely be changed to not pump in outside air into the home.

 

[stoveliker]

Interesting side note. The hammered finish on the faceplate is done by a real blacksmith. I got to see him doing this during a factory tour. His biceps were huge, larger than my thighs.

Comparing body parts never goes well.
One looses such muscle fast tho. I once rode a bike (+tent etc) for 1000 miles in three weeks in France. My upper legs looked mal-formed at that point.
But three months after that they were back to (flat land bike) normal.