Exceeding manufacturers insertion figures

[glenlloyd]

Avalon does not say that one cannot insert a unit further into the firebox to comply with hearth distances, the only metrics they seem to talk about are distances from the unit to adjacent materials and hearth extension in front of stove.

Std flush mount install extends 6 3/8" out of firebox. Add to that the 16" that Avalon requires for hearth in front of the unit and you get 22 3/8". Since I only have 20.5" of hearth in order to comply with the 16" setback from unit to combustible flooring I would need to back the unit into the firebox further by just under 2", which for me is not a problem because I have the space. The only thing it does is preclude using the standard Avalon face panels, which I don't like anyway.

I don't think I'm creating a compliance issue here since I'm only backing the unit further into the firebox, and Avalon says nothing about that.

If I had my way I wouldn't have any face panels on the front of the unit anyway, I would prefer to seal with a block-off plate at the upper rear of the firebox and leave the unit semi-exposed. I'm not offended by an exposed insert because it fills so much of my existing firebox. Is there an issue with block-off plates and flexi liner kits?

Has anyone else installed in a manner similar to this?

Comments on both of these issues are welcome.

Thanks
Steve A

 

[pen]

How about putting a small hearth pad in front of the stove to protect that floor?

pen

 

[glenlloyd]

How about putting a small hearth pad in front of the stove to protect that floor?

pen

Yeah, there is that option but those hearth pads are not thin, and I wanted to avoid having to put a 'hearth on top of a hearth' to comply with the set back. It just seemed to me that recessing the insert an additional 2" was the easiest solution. It also makes aligning the liner with the insert that much easier.

All the install instructions focus on how much insert you can have in front of the firebox which leads me to believe that a further recess of two inches is not a problem. I can and will likely contact Avalon about it but because there's no discussion of it in the manual I have to believe that it's not a concern. As long as you have the firebox capacity to accept more of the insert I cannot see how it wouldn't be ok. It's not like the firebox is so big that it's going to engulf the entire insert, there will still be 4" of insert projecting from the front onto the hearth.

Thanks for the comments though, hope to get more.

Steve A