Any idea on what kind of Fisher this is? We have been using this wonderful wood stove in our home for years, but she needs some TLC. I just read about replacing the fire rope/gasket, but I have no idea on what size thickness or density to buy. Also, is it recommended on removing the glass to replace the smaller fire rope around the inserts? How do I clean the glass? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
Fisher identification and replacement parts
- Thread starter PruittPyro
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Fisher Fireplace Insert Series IV doors on Honey Bear Insert. (no channel iron trim on ash fender and rectangular outlet define the Honey Bear)
Remove the grate. It is for wood burning in an open fireplace. Burn on abed of ash about 1 inch deep, so when you clean it out, leave 1 inch of ash. This will slow the fire down and you will get longer burns and more heat.
The gaskets appear to be fine.
You can test them by closing and latching doors on a dollar bill and pull it out feeling the resistance all the way around. You can tell if there are any places where it is loose and not sealing. It should feel the same all around. If it was leaking, you would have a hotter than wanted fire, not being able to slow it down much (the grate will cause that as well) and you would see a clean spot on the glass where air was leaking into the stove around door seals, preventing smoke particles from sticking.
If you need new, match it up at a hardware store that sells gasket by the foot off a roll. They will have an assortment to choose from. Rutland Stove and Gasket Cement is a good adhesive for door gasket material.
I've used glass cleaner for wood stoves, oven cleaner, Windex with mixed results. I personally like to wet it with glass cleaner and use a razor blade to make it like new. You may find it stays cleaner by being hotter without that grate. That doesn't belong in any wood stove.
Glass gasket material is flat and crushes between door and glass. It doesn't go bad and only needs replacing if you ruin it when replacing glass.
You will only get particles to stick to the glass when smoke is present. At the coaling stage, with no smoke, you can slow the fire more with no fear of creating creosote or fouling glass. You can't do that with a Fireplace grate, since you never have coals laying on the bottom to rake ahead or burn it correctly.
Start your fire on the ash covered brick bottom, and in the morning you will find it burns down to fine ash in the front where air comes in. You will have coals and charcoal in the rear. Remove a small amount of ash each morning and rake the coal pile ahead to build the new fire on. It should take right off. This prevents the need for letting the fire to go out completely to remove ash. The Fireplace Insert is the deepest design which will have the most coals in the rear and after burning 24/7 (hard woods) for a few days, you will find you have too many coals and need to burn the pile down for loading room. That doesn't happen burning on a grate, since the logs get far too much air being elevated. You need that in an open fireplace so the fire burns fast and clean to heat a much larger chimney flue and prevent a smokey fire in a pile on the hearth bottom smoking up the house. Not so in a stove or Insert.
You DO need to make sure your Insert is connected to a liner the entire height of the chimney and that the inside flue dimension is the same size as the Insert outlet. This is for safety as well as efficiency reasons. This will help evacuate the smoke from firebox, eliminating extreme glass cleaning. I can tell by your pictures something isn't right. The inside of your doors is like looking at a cold spark plug fouling with too much fuel, not enough air.
Remove the grate. It is for wood burning in an open fireplace. Burn on abed of ash about 1 inch deep, so when you clean it out, leave 1 inch of ash. This will slow the fire down and you will get longer burns and more heat.
The gaskets appear to be fine.
You can test them by closing and latching doors on a dollar bill and pull it out feeling the resistance all the way around. You can tell if there are any places where it is loose and not sealing. It should feel the same all around. If it was leaking, you would have a hotter than wanted fire, not being able to slow it down much (the grate will cause that as well) and you would see a clean spot on the glass where air was leaking into the stove around door seals, preventing smoke particles from sticking.
If you need new, match it up at a hardware store that sells gasket by the foot off a roll. They will have an assortment to choose from. Rutland Stove and Gasket Cement is a good adhesive for door gasket material.
I've used glass cleaner for wood stoves, oven cleaner, Windex with mixed results. I personally like to wet it with glass cleaner and use a razor blade to make it like new. You may find it stays cleaner by being hotter without that grate. That doesn't belong in any wood stove.
Glass gasket material is flat and crushes between door and glass. It doesn't go bad and only needs replacing if you ruin it when replacing glass.
You will only get particles to stick to the glass when smoke is present. At the coaling stage, with no smoke, you can slow the fire more with no fear of creating creosote or fouling glass. You can't do that with a Fireplace grate, since you never have coals laying on the bottom to rake ahead or burn it correctly.
Start your fire on the ash covered brick bottom, and in the morning you will find it burns down to fine ash in the front where air comes in. You will have coals and charcoal in the rear. Remove a small amount of ash each morning and rake the coal pile ahead to build the new fire on. It should take right off. This prevents the need for letting the fire to go out completely to remove ash. The Fireplace Insert is the deepest design which will have the most coals in the rear and after burning 24/7 (hard woods) for a few days, you will find you have too many coals and need to burn the pile down for loading room. That doesn't happen burning on a grate, since the logs get far too much air being elevated. You need that in an open fireplace so the fire burns fast and clean to heat a much larger chimney flue and prevent a smokey fire in a pile on the hearth bottom smoking up the house. Not so in a stove or Insert.
You DO need to make sure your Insert is connected to a liner the entire height of the chimney and that the inside flue dimension is the same size as the Insert outlet. This is for safety as well as efficiency reasons. This will help evacuate the smoke from firebox, eliminating extreme glass cleaning. I can tell by your pictures something isn't right. The inside of your doors is like looking at a cold spark plug fouling with too much fuel, not enough air.
Here is what your Insert and tag would look like removed.
Notice this was designed to be slid into hearth and use the original chimney flue for fireplace. This practice is no longer acceptable or legal by code and must have a direct connection to liner. Normally a "boot" is attached to Insert top and connected to liner. Removing the upper hearth opening face plate will reveal if it is connected to liner, then make sure the liner extends to the top of chimney.
The reason for the change was due to expanding exhaust gasses cooling in the larger chimney flue. These gasses must remain above 250* f. to the top due to water vapor from combustion condensing on the flue walls. This allows smoke particles to stick, which is creosote. It also prevents removing the Insert every time the chimney is cleaned to remove fallen debris.
Notice this was designed to be slid into hearth and use the original chimney flue for fireplace. This practice is no longer acceptable or legal by code and must have a direct connection to liner. Normally a "boot" is attached to Insert top and connected to liner. Removing the upper hearth opening face plate will reveal if it is connected to liner, then make sure the liner extends to the top of chimney.
The reason for the change was due to expanding exhaust gasses cooling in the larger chimney flue. These gasses must remain above 250* f. to the top due to water vapor from combustion condensing on the flue walls. This allows smoke particles to stick, which is creosote. It also prevents removing the Insert every time the chimney is cleaned to remove fallen debris.
Todd67
Minister of Fire
Interesting fireplace insert! I haven't seen these listed or referenced in the Fisher Stove manuals.
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