Fisher Double Door into a Zero Clearance

[ibbuckshot]

Greetings folks,
I am new to the site but not new to wood heat. Many years ago we purchesed a Fisher Double Door fire place insert. We added legs to it to make it a free standing double door. For those many years we used, cooked on and enjoyed it while living in a place called Sweet Valley, Pennsylvania. There is a chill in the air in that area from time to time and it served us VERY well. We have since moved to Ocala, Floirda. Our home is in a rural area and is equiped with a Zero Clearance fire place with a standard 8 inch (inside) insulated chimney. This fire place is, in my mind, like any other fire place - not worth a hoot!! It is nothing more then an exhaust pipe for the heat in the winter and the cool in summer.
When we moved from Sweet Valley we kept the old wood stove and brought it with us. I have recently removed the legs I had added years ago taking it back to it's fire place insert status. I Have replaced the 8 inch coller at the top of the unit welding in a 7 inch and purchased the heaviest 7 inch stainless pipe I could find to install inside the 8 inch insulated chimney. I will have a 7 inch stainless off set made for the connection from the coller to the pipe. Just not sure what the length and degree will be yet. I know others have completed the same project but thought I would run it by you folks on the site to see if there are any pitfalls I may have missed. We will be using the stove evenings - nights during mid Dec. to late Feb. cold snaps.
I hope you folks will not nail me to the cross for still using this older unit. It's kind of like one of my old friends or a faithful old dog. I just don't want to throw it away! Thanks in advance for your feed back.
By the way the Bob Fisher read was well worth the time - Thank you
Have Fun,
Buckshot

 

[Captain Hornet]

Been there, done that!! Actually it came out really good. I lined with a seven inch ovel liner because it was the only one I could install in the old flue. I also thought the stove would heat much better if I put a blower on it. As you can see, it is a old Stanley blower from Walmart for $39.95. I worried about the blower being too big and taking too much heat from the stove but it was not a problem. It drafts much better now with the liner and is not a creosote generator the old slammer installation was. I left the surround off because I thought it looked better. I super insulated the old smoke area and flue and installed a top and bottom block off plates. The liner goes straight up and has enough draft to suck paint off the walls. I put a damper in the new welded part of the smoke pipe, you can see it on top of the stove. It is our only heat in a 2800 sq foot house on a slab, one story. We burn 24-7 and wife loves it because I usually keep the house around 80 but it's easy to get to 86. I took a old slammer insert and ended up with a safe, free standing stove. Works perfect!! Pictures next.

 

[Captain Hornet]

stove pix

 

[Captain Hornet]

close up of damper install