Fisher Grandpa Bear Pre-1980 Wood Stove Questions

[jeduhi]

Looking to get this wood stove recommissioned for our basement.

This will be in a basement with no floor and just a concrete slab. I have heard these units get very hot, since it will be on the slab only, is there any reason I would need to have a hearth underneath the stove?

We had a serviceman out to check the wood stove and chimney upstairs. When he was here he quickly looked over this unit and said it should be serviceable as long as I made sure to install the piping correctly. That being said is there anything I might want to look at in detail particularly concerning this unit.

Lastly, does anyone have any pictures of what these looked like originally? If this unit works properly I would like to get it refinished and use it in the basement for the foreseeable future.

 

[bholler]

Well to start get rid of that magic heat and what is that reducer for that is sitting on the stove?

 

[jeduhi]

That reducer and a few other parts were here when the house was purchased that has been their home since then.

I am redoing all the piping from the stove to the chimney as advised by the service expert who briefly looked it over

 

[bushman]

Jeduhi, my 1st house was built on a concrete slab. I heated it with a Pacific Energy Vista and it was really nice when the thermal mass of the slab kept our house toasty warm during the all the time burning season which goes for 6 months in Northern Michigan. I could not imagine why you would need any type of pad underneath your stove beings that it's concrete. Just beware, you have been marked with having those reducers in your possession, I just so much as talked about having them and the gestappo was on me.

 

[bholler]

I just so much as talked about having them and the gestappo was on me.

No i just warned you that reducing a stove by 2" generally is not a good idea and will hurt performance. Then you said you were going to go from a 10" vent down to 6". But i totally agree there is no need for any hearth protection

 

[bushman]

Is it Safe?

 

[bushman]

It's cool, just teasing. You are honorable in you concern.

 

[bholler]

I am sorry if i offended you in any way i just try to keep people from making mistakes i have seen many times before.

 

[bushman]

No offense taken, in fact appreciate your willingness to help. Likewise, I do not intend to offend, just tease for the fun of it.

 

[bholler]

It would take way more than that to offend me no worries

 

[coaly]

Lastly, does anyone have any pictures of what these looked like originally? If this unit works properly I would like to get it refinished and use it in the basement for the foreseeable future.

Highlighting was not original.

 

[coaly]

Well to start get rid of that magic heat and what is that reducer for that is sitting on the stove?

It's an upside down increaser.

 

[kennyp2339]

Start stocking up on firewood now, That thing is going to be very hungry, if you use it for a whole heating season 24/7 from Thanksgiving to April you are probably going to need 7 + cords (that means a lot) Also you want seasoned wood (dry wood under 20% moisture content) Good luck with the old stove, I've heard through here they are great heater and if you burn them correctly you wont have a major smoke stack.

 

[coaly]

Start stocking up on firewood now, That thing is going to be very hungry, if you use it for a whole heating season 24/7 from Thanksgiving to April you are probably going to need 7 + cords (that means a lot) Also you want seasoned wood (dry wood under 20% moisture content) Good luck with the old stove, I've heard through here they are great heater and if you burn them correctly you wont have a major smoke stack.

This model was before the Smoke Shelf Baffle was added. So adding one is going to raise efficiency.
This model also has an 8 inch outlet for the ability to burn with doors open and screen in place with less than optimal chimney.
If the OP has a 6 inch insulated chimney, and is not concerned about the regulation that does not allow reducing the flue size, I'd estimate his fuel usage around 5 cords in the north, more like 3 in North Carolina.

As bholler mentioned above, reducing is generally not recommended. However this stove was designed with the larger flue outlet for Fireplace Mode burning. The square inch area of firebox is no larger than the Papa Bear with 6 inch and physically works fine with 6. There are many in use reduced, and even reduced with a baffle installed. Here is a thread with video in post #28. https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/cant-seem-to-figure-out.119184/page-2#post-1617042 This is a double door Fisher with baffle added and 6 inch chimney that does not smoke when doors are opened.

Another example is the special built "Great Grandpa" made the width of Grandpa, and Papa Bear depth. The Fisher fabricator built it with 6 inch outlet.
So there's no doubt that a normal Grandpa will physically work reduced with a proper drafting chimney.

 

[jeduhi]

Thank you so much for all the responses!

The reducer - As far as I can tell this was to incorporate the Magic Heat, which I am getting rid of (hopefully someone on Craigslist wants it). I am going with only 8" piping. Hopefully this will help me thwart the Gestapo.

As you can tell from the previous pictures this unit has a rear outlet, and I definitely want to make sure I handle this correctly.

The outlet sits 22.5"-30.5" off the floor, my thimble is ~63"-71" from the ground. If I understand what I have read correctly then I will need to have a 45 degree elbow from the unit connecting to a 45 degree elbow coming from the thimble, then piping connecting the two. Please correct me if I'm wrong

 

[jeduhi]

View attachment 152712 View attachment 152715

View attachment 152716 Highlighting was not original.

Thank you. I'm glad that highlighting is NOT original. I'm sure some may like it, but to me, what an eye sore. All black is the way to go for me.

 

[coaly]

Two 90* elbows are fine. The solid corrugated ones are the best. The damper goes in the first straight pipe within easy reach. If the material behind stove is not combustible, clearance is not a problem. If combustible wall, 18 inch clearance to single wall pipe is required or 6 inches to double wall close clearance connector pipe. Clearance to the stove from combustible wall would be 36 inches or reduced 66% or as close as 12 inches with approved heat shield.

With 8 inch all the way, I'd certainly look into a baffle. This thread is retrofitting the single door stoves with one similar to what was used in later Grandma and Grandpas. They were designed for smoke reduction and preventing excessive heat from escaping. They do a great job of reducing smoke which can lead to a cleaner chimney.

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads...d-fisher-more-heat-less-smoke-under-25.74710/

When the arched top Cathedral doors were deigned, they were available with brass or nickel plate. I believe that's what many try to duplicate or just like the trees to stand out.

Grandpa III nickel plate.

Guess you wouldn't be interested in what I call "Grandma Green Trees"

 

[bholler]

Yes i agree with coaly totally 2 90s will be fine 45s are a little better but not necessary at all

 

[jeduhi]

Two 90* elbows are fine. The solid corrugated ones are the best. The damper goes in the first straight pipe within easy reach. If the material behind stove is not combustible, clearance is not a problem. If combustible wall, 18 inch clearance to single wall pipe is required or 6 inches to double wall close clearance connector pipe. Clearance to the stove from combustible wall would be 36 inches or reduced 66% or as close as 12 inches with approved heat shield.

With 8 inch all the way, I'd certainly look into a baffle. This thread is retrofitting the single door stoves with one similar to what was used in later Grandma and Grandpas. They were designed for smoke reduction and preventing excessive heat from escaping. They do a great job of reducing smoke which can lead to a cleaner chimney.

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads...d-fisher-more-heat-less-smoke-under-25.74710/

When the arched top Cathedral doors were deigned, they were available with brass or nickel plate. I believe that's what many try to duplicate or just like the trees to stand out.

View attachment 152778 Grandpa III nickel plate.

Guess you wouldn't be interested in what I call "Grandma Green Trees"

View attachment 152777

"Grandma Green Trees" isn't that bad actually. Just being here in the lower foothills of NC we don't get much snow so silver trees aren't doing much for me.

Thank you for the suggestions, I actually already had some leftover piping so I used that. I will need to go buy another 2 feet or so and a damper tomorrow and everything will be connected. If I ever get to changing anything I will definitely look into the corrugated elbows.

I bookmarked your post on the baffle and when I can get by and show the fabricator the info I will be getting that done as well.

 

[jeduhi]

One last question. I don't see how it would be possible to have the male end down with this stove. Anything I'm missing?