Q&A Dutchwest model FA224ACL

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QandA

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Staff member
Nov 27, 2012
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Question:

Just bought (used) Dutchwest FA224ACL. Paid $325, hope not too much for this. It appears in real good shape. I will be installing it this weekend. Can I install this stove as a freestanding (without the legs) directly on 2 inch fire rated base? This fire rated base is a 6ft x 6 ft square 2 inch thick and is laid on a hardwood floor. Would this set up be acceptable.



Answer:

I think you paid too much...it was about $400 to $500 when new, or possibly less and this model was made in Taiwan. You should do research before you buy instead of when it is too late to do anything.

BE CAREFUL!

I'm not sure if this stove was a model with or without an ash pan and convection chamber around the bottom....I think it is the old A+ model and may not have one or the other.

Setting a stove on a 2" base with no legs is probably unacceptable in any case. Nothing less than a SOLID MASONRY OVER BARE EARTH can take the heat of a stove sitting directly on it with no air space.

About 25 years ago I learned this lesson when I tried to take a stove off it's legs and place it on a stove board in front of our fireplaces. Within a day or two, the floor underneath had charcoalized and was smoking!

Please have an expert chimney sweep or installer specify the safety of your installation.

If for some reason I had to lower a stove like this, I'd do the following:
1. Cut the legs, leaving at least 3"
2. Place a good stove board or base...with a sheet of sheet metal (at least 3 feet square) under it.
3. Mount a double heat shield under the base of the unit. This means two sheets of sheet metal approx the size of stove base - the first one spaced 1" down from the stove bottom and the second 1" below that.

In my opinion, this would greatly reduce the downward radiation.
 
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