DogHouse for Avalon Bay...need akternative

[restorer]

I've spent the last four months planning this and now I am against the wall. Tomorrow we're supposed to drop to the 30's and I have no way to heat my shop and home. A little background, I am a junior/senior (58) I have been self employed for 25 years. Business went it the crapper two years ago. Closed the store and took 320 square feet of my shop as a home. Total space is 1,600 sq.ft. Home space is a founders house, 1880's extra siding and shop added to back and side. I had a major disagreement with the Natural Gas supplier. They over-charged several hundred dollars for store and shop that they couldn't prove and were not willing to explain. Had them pull their meter and line. Now, this is my situation. I purchased an Avalon Newport Bay insert. Got it from a subcontractor working on a remodel. It was cheap and I knew it was a good stove. Checked out the stove and with local suppliers and learned that this needs to be installed in an approved fireplace or prefab, but can not be converted to a free standing stove. One company said it could be put in a “Dog House” made of brick and cinderblocks like a fireplace. So I have planned to build the masonry structure and fire up.

Now the problem. I have sketched it out. Planned the material and done the hard-thinking. I just can not, for the life of me, justify this massive structure because Avalon does not sell a surround to make the Bay a free standing stove. So the question is????? Do I have to build this 5 x 3 monster, because it wasn't designed for free standing, or can I do something with a good fabrication shop and some good insulation? I have little room for installing a mass, but will do whatever it takes to get heat this year. I realize all you Travis Industries dealers are hobbled to reply, but can anyone give me a reasonable suggestion for getting heat. Insurance is not an issue, I don't care about the inspectors, they don't approve my shop anyway, furniture restorers are just below body shops on the we don't want list. I have been here for 20 years and nothing has burned down so far. I have a very limited budget and can't replace the stove for what I paid for it. I really am stretched to the limits.

I have a chimney to connect to and a good outside position to do a direct vent, but giving up the space for the huge masonry enclosure is too much. A surround suggestion would be the best.

All help is greatly appreciated.

UncleRich

 

[hearthtools]

Avalon Now makes a ZC kit for the Larger Pellet unit.
I dont know about the newport for I stopeed selling it for it is to small for for the price.

Check with your local avalon dealer have them call to see if it can be used with the Newport

<Snip from the Dealer Back office>

Large Pellet Insert ZC Kit Now Available


Many of you have asked for a simple sheet metal enclosure for a pellet insert
that can be built into the framing of a house and substitute for a metal or
masonry fireplace. I want to thank you for those suggestions and announce
that we now have this item in stock.

• The Large Pellet Insert ZC Kit is assigned SKU# 99200149

• The kit ships as a light-weight, flat, sheet metal assembly

• The kit ships via UPS at regular rates

• On the building site, the installer unfolds the assembly to form a 4-sided enclosure.
Flanges are easily bent by hand to form a top stand-off and
overlapping edges to accept screws

• Sheet metal screws included with the kit hold the sides firmly together

• The kit allows the insert hopper to be raised to its maximum capacity position to hold
89 pounds of pellets

• Standard pellet panels are used with the insert

• Installation of the kit is simple, and you may select either vertical or
horizontal venting using standard 4 inch, Type "L" pellet vent

• You must place one layer of non-combustible floor protection under the full
width and depth of the enclosure and 12" in front of the enclosure

• The floor protection may be cement board or sheet metal (.018" thick or 26 Ga.
minimum

• We recommend using the insert wiring kit, SKU# 97200315, that allows you
to hard-wire the insert to house power, thus eliminating a visible power cord.

I know you will agree this Large Pellet Insert ZC Kit is a welcome addition to
the pellet line. It adds greater flexibility to your installation options
and helps hold down costs for your customers. Please contact your sales
representative for pricing.

 

[Todd]

Why can't it be used as a freestanding stove? I don't see why someone couldn't weld some legs or a pedistal underneath? Or even sit it on top of some decorative concrete blocks?

 

[Shane]

It's just going against the testing and listing of the appliance. Anything that you do with or to that appliance beyond installing it in a code approved fireplace is sticking your neck out there. You have stated that you don't care about code etc. so do what you will.

 

[restorer]

It's just going against the testing and listing of the appliance. Anything that you do with or to that appliance beyond installing it in a code approved fireplace is sticking your neck out there. You have stated that you don't care about code etc. so do what you will.

Shane,
First, I want to do what is safe. The code issue is I am a non-complying(zone exception) business already and won't be inspected. That doesn't mean I want to compromise the installation. I and local dealer discussed some of the horror stories he's seen. I lined out the space for the block and brick install and I lose way too much space. I have been told other makers sell conversion enclosures, but Avalon doesn't. If there is a safety issue using a sheet metal enclosure, I'd like to hear it. If there is a sensible way to do this I'd like to hear that.

 

[Shane]

To give advice in direct contradiction to what the appliance is supposed to be used for is sticking my neck out there. I will tell you this go and look at an actual FS Newport. You'll find that it's basically an insert with a pedestal & sheet metal sides and back.

 

[restorer]

To give advice in direct contradiction to what the appliance is supposed to be used for is sticking my neck out there. I will tell you this go and look at an actual FS Newport. You'll find that it's basically an insert with a pedestal & sheet metal sides and back.

Shane I appreciate your position. As a dealer you have a liability issue to go agaainst the manufacturers I have not been the free stander, none on display here. I am going out today and see if the distributor has one I can check out. I have been told by two stores they are the same basic unit. Thanks for your information.

 

[hearthtools]

A avalon Insert does not have all the heat shields inplace around the Combustion chambers.

It does not have Legs to keep it off the ground.

and there is no Safe place to mount the control board for on the insert it is on the Seround Panel.

 

[seaken]

Heck, I'm an Avalon dealer and I would put in the new ZC box they just added to their line. May not be technically "approved" but I think it is better than the "dog house" solution. Now what? Should I add a disclaimer? It's your stove and your house. Be careful. Use common sense. And go for it.

Sean

 

[restorer]

Heck, I'm an Avalon dealer and I would put in the new ZC box they just added to their line. May not be technically "approved" but I think it is better than the "dog house" solution. Now what? Should I add a disclaimer? It's your stove and your house. Be careful. Use common sense. And go for it.

Sean

Sean:
Is the ZC enclosure available for the Newport? Can't seem to get a straight answer. Can you give me a product number or order number my local stove folks can locate? Best advise so far. I'd rather go with a manufactured part by the original manufacturer, than a very good, but doesn't have a clue about stoves. Your help is appreciated

 

[Shane]

The ZC kit is manufactured for the larger Travis units. Not the Newport.

 

[seaken]

Heck, I'm an Avalon dealer and I would put in the new ZC box they just added to their line. May not be technically "approved" but I think it is better than the "dog house" solution. Now what? Should I add a disclaimer? It's your stove and your house. Be careful. Use common sense. And go for it.

Sean

Sean:
Is the ZC enclosure available for the Newport? Can't seem to get a straight answer. Can you give me a product number or order number my local stove folks can locate? Best advise so far. I'd rather go with a manufactured part by the original manufacturer, than a very good, but doesn't have a clue about stoves. Your help is appreciated

SKU# 99200149

No, Shane is correct, it is made for the large pellet models. It is not technically approved for the small models. You're on your own. But it should work pretty good with few if any modifications.

Sean