DIY Hearthstone Clydesdale Install

[K.Landrum]

Insert Install

I wanted to take some time and describe my experience from start to finish. I’m 25 years old. I have played with fire my whole life. I bought a house in Feb. 2013 with a centrally located chimney (one of my “must haves”). After taking out the vented gas logs, burning a few open fires, I realized I was ready to make a bigger investment. My chimney was unlined according to my best guess. I called out a local chimney service to receive a description of my options and confirm my opinions. I paid Buck’s Chimney Service 60 bucks to confirm my guesses, hear a sales pitch for Buck Stoves, and quote me an install price for an insert: $550 labor $1,500 for parts. I knew it would be high but my goodness, what a quote! I knew I could do it better! I plunged into the hearth forums and YouTube videos letting you people teach how to do everything. I also continued my search for a good used insert. I was hoping I could find a good insert with a seller willing to include a chimney liner that could fit my situation.

I finally found one with which I could not live without: a Hearthstone Clydesdale with porcelain enamel finish. I contacted the seller who was willing to part with his 6” and 15’ flex liner. He used the stove for one winter on only weekends after it was professionally installed in his residence in Springdale, AR, three and a half hours north. I called the local equipment rental place and rented a material handler. I didn’t know these existed. It is basically a four wheeled dolly with forks that can be winched up to 15’ by hand. I drove to Springdale, paid the man, loaded the stove, drove home, and unloaded the stove. It weighs 550 lbs., so the material handler really helped since I usually work solo. I built a track system with rollers out of conduit to get the stove close to the fireplace. I then built a ramp using the same philosophy. Now that the stove was close I needed to work on the flue. I examined my chimney and came up with the conundrum: remove or damper or ovalize liner. I reviewed some discussions on here and opted for the damper removal. I used a cheap grinder to make two cuts from north to south. I pulled out the piece between them.

Wanting to protect my new stove, house, chimney, and draft, I decided to build a blocker plate using instructions I found on here. I am very proud of the way mine turned out. After this, I ran the liner down the chimney, easiest thing ever. I moved the stove into its final position. I connected the liner to the flue collar inside the stove and per the hearthstone manual. I had to run to Congo Stove and Patio the next day (3 hour there and back) for a 6” black pipe crimped on both ends. I later found this part at my local Lowes (20 minutes there and back). I fastened this all together, attached the flue collar, put the stove back together, reversed the door, and capped the flue liner using hi-temp silicone between chimney and cap. I have since been enjoying great heat output from the insert. I wanted to thank everyone at hearth for the ideas and discussions that got me through this project. You all saved me thousands of dollars. I wanted to post this so you would know, YOU make a difference! I would love to help anyone as I have been helped. Please, feel free to ask questions or add comments.

 

[K.Landrum]

 

[K.Landrum]

DIY Blocker plate and damper removal. I used these instructions for making my block off plate. https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/articles/making_a_block_off_plate/

 

[gzecc]

Your wife/family must think your nuts. You belong here.

 

[K.Landrum]

When I was burning wood in my open fireplace, I could burn really long logs. I have a lot of long logs left over from the open fireplace wood supply. I looked up a project today on here that could help me get everything to size. It was a great success so I decided to include my results. I made mine a little taller and wider. I will also include some pictures of the finished install and my Italian Greyhounds enjoying the fire! I would like to credit Loco Gringo for the idea. He posted an article titled something like "H-Frame for cutting splits to length."

 

[BrotherBart]

Welcome.

Could you provide a few more details? Ninja installer.

 

[K.Landrum]

Welcome.

Could you provide a few more details? Ninja installer.

haha What kind of details are you looking for? I learned everything on here, youtube, and a little self teachin', I'll help you out if I can. I'm trying to repay all the information I gained.

 

[BrotherBart]

Just messing with you about the face pics and detailed install pics and narrative.

Thanks for the help offer. And the posts.

 

[Nelson]

Heh, he's just messin with ya. You stick around long enough and you'll realize BrotherBart knows what he's doing.

Nice work on the install. Great attention to detail and love the pics. Good for you. Here's to a warm house this winter!

 

[K.Landrum]

Yeah... I didn't realize he was a staff member until I already posted. Oh well... I almost went with the PE Summit instead of the Hearthstone. I bet that is working well for you! Cheers!

 

[BrotherBart]

Said it many times. That Clyde was a day away from being purchased when I discovered the 30-NC and decided to give it a try in my fireplace. You are gonna love that insert.

Only other one I would wish I had in there is the Mansfield. Flue collar just would not work for it.

 

[Nelson]

Yeah... I didn't realize he was a staff member until I already posted. Oh well... I almost went with the PE Summit instead of the Hearthstone. I bet that is working well for you! Cheers!

No worries, it's all good!

Yes, loving the Summit! Briefly looked at the Clyde during my research phase - beautiful stove. However, my stove is in a lower level so I went with price over looks (bought new).

 

[K.Landrum]

Are you in the top level primarily? If you could tell by my roof pic, I have three flues. One of those goes all the way down to the basement. But, I think it is too small to hold a 6" liner without any extra work (a project I'll tackle later now that I'm a pro haha). Do you have any trouble getting heat upstairs? I wanted so badly to have my stove down there first. Seems like it would offer better temp control for the upstairs.

 

[Nelson]

Are you in the top level primarily? If you could tell by my roof pic, I have three flues. One of those goes all the way down to the basement. But, I think it is too small to hold a 6" liner without any extra work (a project I'll tackle later now that I'm a pro haha). Do you have any trouble getting heat upstairs? I wanted so badly to have my stove down there first. Seems like it would offer better temp control for the upstairs.

Yeah, we are on the main level primarily. We have a partially exposed lower level so it's not a full basement. We have two bedrooms down there for the kids so it made sense to have the stove down there. I also have a fireplace on the main level that we don't use. So far, I've been pleased with how well the heat has moved up from the lower level. We have an open staircase from the lower level to the main level so that helps out a lot.

It's a lot of space to heat so the stove won't heat the house by itself once it gets into the 20s and below up here but I'm cool with that. I've thought about putting an insert into the fireplace on the main level but I'm not sure I'm ready to tend to two stoves.

 

[begreen]

Although I can't install an insert, I too am a big fan of this model. It looks very sharp in that installation. In reading the installation description I found just one gotcha. Black pipe is not permitted in a closed and sealed installation like an insert. It will not last as long as stainless, thus stainless is required. You are all right for this season, but I would replace the 6" piece with a short piece of stainless before next season.

 

[prezes13]

Really nice work. Looks like you are pretty handy. But it makes me wonder how did the Egyptians do it?

 

[begreen]

We moved a 43 ton steel sailboat around on rollers with levers. This was with only 4 persons.

 

[Simonkenton]

You have imagination, and you did a good job. But, you are also lucky.


(broken image removed)

You got this guy to help you. He looks like a real radical to me. You are so lucky, he didn't cry out "Allah Akhbar" and light off his suicide vest.

 

[K.Landrum]

Hey Folks! I need some advice again, if you don't mind. I had some water trouble with the original setup illustrated above. So, I had a custom chimney cap fabricated for me. My question: Is the flue liner to close/too high to work effectively. I am mostly worried about the heat on the brand new cap that could cause discoloration and decrease the life of new cap. If anything, my draft was TOO strong before so that is of minimal concern. I would have cut the tile down shorter but it would have been a real struggle with my angle of attack using a circular saw. Any advice or comments will be appreciated, as always. Thanks in advance!!

 

[bholler]

Is the flue liner to close/too high to work effectively.

yes it is way to close it will destroy your draft. You need to cut that liner down to give you more room Why did you have it made so short if it was custom?

 

[K.Landrum]

Well, it wasn't really discussed during the design process. I figured I could always cut the liner down more if it ended up being too tall. I wanted it to look proportional, as well. Anyway, the draft was fantastic before this new cap (have not had a fire with new cap). I can cut it down if it suffers, or even if you are sure it will be all but diminished completely. Do you think the cap will be damaged by excessive heat?

 

[begreen]

I'd be a bit concerned about smoke being siphoned down an adjacent flue to a lower fireplace. The original setup looks like it was intended to avoid this issue. If the draft is strong on all the stoves/fireplaces including the lowest one then perhaps this will not be an issue.

 

[bholler]

Do you think the cap will be damaged by excessive heat?

That depends on the material and finish and how hot it will get. with a chimney fire yes it will be damaged for sure. And i am all but positive that will seriously effect the draft.

 

[K.Landrum]

Thanks a lot for the input. I will go ahead and cut that liner down as much as I can. The other two flues are not used. That was a very good point, though, begreen. The middle flue dead ends beside the flue I'm using (2nd floor/top story). The far left flue continues down to the basement where I hope to have a smaller stove one day. While we are on the subject, do you guys know any other means to aid in the cutting of that liner. I was using a diamond blade on the circular saw which worked wonders. It is just very tight when trying to navigate around the adjacent liners. Thanks again! Hearth Forums and the members are ALWAYS so helpful!

 

[jrems]

You can use an angle grinder with a diamond blade as well.