Englander 13I Questions

[tkirk22]

Hello All.

I'm planning to install an Englander 13I insert in a very shallow fireplace. The specs on the insert say I need 14" of depth. I have 15.5" of depth on the bottom of the fireplace and about 12" of depth where the top of the insert would be (22"). Would there be any problem if I offset the insert in the room 2 inches and make new panels to accommodate the difference?

Also my flue has a 45 degree twist in it as it leaves the fire box. The mason left a lot of brick corners sticking into the flue at the twist and I think I may need to knock the corners off to install the 6" stainless. What's the best tool to do that? I'm thinking an air powered chisel??

One last question: I'm planning to do the install myself but I would like a pro in case I encounter a problem. Do you guys know of any good wood stove professionals in the Amherst/Lovingston VA area?

Kirk

 

[Gooserider]

Hope a reply will bump this back up so that our Englander members, Corie and Mike will see it and help on the dimensions...

I would probably consider using an angle grinder w/ a masonry cutoff wheel and / or a brick chisel and hammer to deal with your protruding corners - be sure to wear good protective gear, particularly eye and ear protection and a dust mask. Note that it is not a problem to trim off protruding corners, but you should avoid taking out anything that is actually part of the structure.

Gooserider

 

[tkirk22]

Thanks for the reply Gooserider.

I have grinders, chisels and safety equipment but I'm a metal guy not a mason and chipping bricks inside a flue is one of the few things I haven't tried yet. Some of the brick is going to be out of arms reach and I'm hoping that a telescoping chisel bit on the end of a small air chisel would do the job. I'll bring my grinders too though.

The good thing about this fireplace is that it is so small it's unusable and it's been plugged since the 50s so it's clean!

I know I could adapt the stove side plates safely, but in this world of regulations, I don't know if it would pass legally.

Kirk

 

[Gooserider]

The problem with a chisel is in getting the brick to break only where you want it to... I'd be nervous about the brick cracking back into the structure instead of just taking off the protruding corner. If you can pre-score the cut line, then hitting along the line with a chisel works pretty well. It's sort of like cutting glass.

While cleaning up the flue is a good idea, another option that might help is to consider getting a section of "ovalized" liner, or to slightly ovalize a short length of your flex. This does slightly reduce the cross section of the liner, but as long as you don't squeeze it down more than about an inch, it usually isn't a problem to do so. I'm not sure I'm getting what you are talking about in the way of a "twist' in the flue, but if it's a thing where you are using rectangular flue tiles and the long axis of the tiles is turning like a twist drill, then what I might be tempted to do is to try ovalizing the bottom section of the liner with a matching twist so it would sort of screw into the location, though it might be tricky to do this in practice...

The panels you are talking about - are those the "surround" panels that just fill the gap between the insert and the firebox? If so, there are generally few restrictions on modifying the panels to fit the install, especially on a masonry firebox - w/ a prefab, you have to be careful not to block any cooling air vents needed by the pre-fab box or chimney.

Gooserider

 

[stoveguy2esw]

Hello All.

I'm planning to install an Englander 13I insert in a very shallow fireplace. The specs on the insert say I need 14" of depth. I have 15.5" of depth on the bottom of the fireplace and about 12" of depth where the top of the insert would be (22"). Would there be any problem if I offset the insert in the room 2 inches and make new panels to accommodate the difference?

Also my flue has a 45 degree twist in it as it leaves the fire box. The mason left a lot of brick corners sticking into the flue at the twist and I think I may need to knock the corners off to install the 6" stainless. What's the best tool to do that? I'm thinking an air powered chisel??

One last question: I'm planning to do the install myself but I would like a pro in case I encounter a problem. Do you guys know of any good wood stove professionals in the Amherst/Lovingston VA area?

Kirk

i'll have to check on the measurements, one issue you may have with moving the unit forward is that will move the flue opening forward as well, this could cause problems clearing the lintle. as for a local pro , i do know a guy in amherst , his name is david mayberry , , i have him on my rolodex at the shop, i'll look him up and pm you his contact info. comes well recommended around here.

 

[tkirk22]

Thanks again. I'll be out there this weekend and I'll try to take upload some decent pics.

The problem with a chisel is in getting the brick to break only where you want it to... I'd be nervous about the brick cracking back into the structure instead of just taking off the protruding corner. If you can pre-score the cut line, then hitting along the line with a chisel works pretty well. It's sort of like cutting glass.

I'm nervous about the bricks cracking the wrong way too. It's seeming more and more like I'll should make a pole mounted grinder w/ cam. (If nothing else it may make an entertaining video for you guys)

While cleaning up the flue is a good idea, another option that might help is to consider getting a section of "ovalized" liner, or to slightly ovalize a short length of your flex. This does slightly reduce the cross section of the liner, but as long as you don't squeeze it down more than about an inch, it usually isn't a problem to do so. I'm not sure I'm getting what you are talking about in the way of a "twist' in the flue, but if it's a thing where you are using rectangular flue tiles and the long axis of the tiles is turning like a twist drill, then what I might be tempted to do is to try ovalizing the bottom section of the liner with a matching twist so it would sort of screw into the location, though it might be tricky to do this in practice...

The flue is like a twist drill bit but only at the bottom. The fireplace sits in a corner. After the damper, the mason used the bricks to form a 45 degree twist that leads to a straight chimney tile flue. From memory, it takes about 3 feet to make the 45 degree twist.

I thought briefly about ovalizing the liner in a twist fashion but I do not think that is going to work because of the bend to get to the damper. It looks like a jam waiting to happen and then I'd be worried about damaging the liner on the brick corners. (Note: I've never handled a liner, I have only read about some of the problems people have)

The panels you are talking about - are those the "surround" panels that just fill the gap between the insert and the firebox? If so, there are generally few restrictions on modifying the panels to fit the install, especially on a masonry firebox - w/ a prefab, you have to be careful not to block any cooling air vents needed by the pre-fab box or chimney.

Yes, those panels. I guess in a nutshell I'm trying to find out if those panels are part of the UL listing when the stove was tested or are they considered an 'accessory.'

I now see that Drolet doesn't include the panels so I'm thinking that the panels are a 'beautifying accessory' but I would like a confirmation.

Kirk
PS Thanks for helping out a noob.

 

[tkirk22]

i'll have to check on the measurements, one issue you may have with moving the unit forward is that will move the flue opening forward as well, this could cause problems clearing the lintle. as for a local pro , i do know a guy in amherst , his name is david mayberry , , i have him on my rolodex at the shop, i'll look him up and pm you his contact info. comes well recommended around here.

Thanks Mike. I should be able to fit the liner into the insert opening just fine. The firebox is tall enough that a 2" offset should not be a problem. I'm even considering raising the firebox base by 1 or 2 bricks but I'll decide on that after I see the insert in place.

I asked this in the post above but I'll ask you directly. Are the side and top panels considered an accessory that I can modify or are they considered part of the insert's UL listing that should not be radically modified?

Kirk