Hearthstone Heritage II Rebuild

[heating a shack]

I decided to start my own topic in hopes of attracting a bit more attention to the subject.
What I have is a salvaged unit that had been WELL used and possibly Abused prior to me resuing it from a House that had been left to rot.
I have a 80's Model Hearthstone
Heritage II wood / coal fuel unit.

The inside Cast pieces have surely been overfired and will need replacement.
The Soapstones are in good shape with the exception of one which appears to have cracked a piece from the face of a stone and probably be replaced on a proper rebuild.

The flue on this unit was an oval and adapting a 6" round pipe to fit my chimney opening was a bit but accomplished after a few tips from the local sheet metal fab guy who said he didn't want to charge me for work I should just do myself in 15 so I did.

I originally didn't include a damper for fear of backing up smoke.
That was a mistake and probably added more stress to already over fired cast pieces inside.
The main baffle broke 2 or 3 fires into the season and with it being the only heat source in this place we'll have to limp it along till it can be torn down and rebuilt in the spring.

Torn apart I may be able to get it moved to be more square under the opening as it hasn't moved sence it was set there.Too dern heavy thats for sure. Between the radiant heat and the decent loks I want this stove to be around for some time to come.

I do not have a manual for this unit and understanding the workings of the specific unit will probably make it more efficiant then I ever.

A parts diagram would be a great starting place for this project so if anyone could share a copy I would be most gratefull!

Thanks
Keep Warm

 

[Gooserider]

I'd suggest contacting Heritage, they can probably help you out with the documentation you need. I would also try doing a search on "Heritage II" if you haven't already done so, as I know this is a topic that has come up several times previously.

Gooserider

 

[Beanscoot]

You refer to a Hearthstone Heritage II wood stove. Is this different from the Hearthstone II wood stove? I am curious because I recently bought a used example of the latter and wonder if it is the same model as yours.

 

[heating a shack]

My unit is an 80's model. Commonly reffered to as a HII or heritage II
Normally there is an ID Tag on the back of the unit with alot of usefull information like clearances and such.
Here is a picture of mine located near the spring damper handle.

The picture used in my avatar is a cropped picture of the front of our HII stove.


HearthStone Quality Home Heating Products, Inc.
317 Stafford Avenue
Morrisville, VT 05661
http://www.hearthstonestoves.com


This is the manual of the current version of the Heritage,
(broken link removed to http://www.hearthstonestoves.com/documents/Heritage8021Manual.pdf)

Hearthstone Company themselves are very good about supporting their products, wood tech Jim is very good to work with.

Through reading here on site, I have seen where others have replaced the perforated baffle in the top of the stove with the replacement one with out the holes for around $130 if memory serves me. I am looking to tear it down and completly rebuild this spring / summer and hope to be able to accomplish the rebuild with under $300 in replacement cast pieces if the overfire damage is more severe then suspected.

 

[heating a shack]

I stand corrected!
upon closer examination of the ID tag I reffered to in the above post the tag has the model as the Hearthstone II listed.
I could have sworn after describing the unit and all of the information I had to Jim Casavant
[email protected]

Still looking for a decent picture of the handle for this unit would like to get a proper one either made or bought.


Thanks

 

[Beanscoot]

Hi Heating a shack,
You seem to have gotten a stove almost exactly like mine, except mine is greenish. Mine cost $200, and needed a back plate and side plate. The side plate was eroded into two chunks, and the stone behind it badly cracked, possibly from the direct heat of the fire, or from an owner throwing logs against it. I ordered replacement parts a couple months ago for about 300 or 400 bucks. My baffle is also wrecked, but I hope to make up a piece at work to save money. I'm not bothering replacing the stone as the manufacturer didn't think it was necessary, and replacements might not match the color and pattern very well.

 

[tickbitty]

I just bought one of these! I'm really excited, as I didn't think I would be able to afford one. And I got a great deal at $150! Mine is a 1986 and the stone and outer metal are in great shape, the insides a bit rusty and mysterious. It has not been used in many years. I just wrote and asked for the manual, but is there something else I should keep in mind? I'm not familiar with this kind of thing enough to know about rebuilds etc. Just hoping that it will work with my real masonry fireplace, I bought it without knowing for sure, but it was such a good price I had to buy it right off! I sure hope it works. Does anybody use the front door for loading wood? If we have to use the side door we won't be able to sink it very far into the fireplace and it will stick way out. Who is the best kind of expert to hire to help us with the installation, a plumber, chimney sweep, stove person or ?

I hope this thread is still active, I am so happy to have my new cheap hearthstone!

 

[Beanscoot]

Hi Tickbitty,
I'm glad you got a good deal on a Hearthstone II. Of course it will be a bit rusty inside but some rust is no problem, so long as the castings are reasonably sound. How is the baffle plate and secondary air tube? These are more or less consumables and the first to wear out. But this is okay as they are also easy to replace.
Since I haven't yet posted pictures on this site now is a good time to try, so I'll see if I can get my stove uploaded. It sounds like I have the same installation issues as you. I will wait till the end of heating season to replace my existing worn out plate steel stove because I have learnt that any project is a big project.

Well no luck on the image upload.

 

[Gooserider]

The Hearthstone II, as opposed to the Heritage, is an older stove, that has some clean burning features, but is usually classed as a Pre-EPA stove, and is not as clean burning or good of a heater as the later models - it can be identified by the wide stones between the door frame sides and the corners of the stove, the later models had bigger doors and the same stones are barely visible.

They are rebuildable, but it is best not to sink huge amounts of money into them.

As to uploading pictures, I find the best option is to use JPG files, which MUST have the extension on the file name, and can't be too big - I reccomend 640x480, at the default compression, should be about 100k or so file size, seems to be a good balance between viewing quality and file size. Hit the choose button where it says attachments, and select the file you want to upload. I then hit the "preview" button which will let you know if there are any problems (you will get an error message) and / or select additional photos up to the 350K total size limit.

Gooserider

 

[tickbitty]

Thank you for the quick late-night replies! Yes, the Hearthstone II from 1986 is definitely what I have. (It's on the tag on the back!) I can't tell the condition of the elements you mention, as I just don't know that much about what's in there! Is the baffle the thing on top inside? WIth the round holes in it? I think that piece looks like it is just fine. The intake pipe thing, I have no idea, couldn't see it! Nothing in it that I could actually see looked cracked or broken or anything but just inside the oval collar on top there was some scaly rust stuff and there were some old ashes or whatever in the bottom. I have not picked it up yet, just paid for it, and have no pics. He has the handles and whatnot and a screen that you can sit on the front if you are running it with the front door open. If it turns out that I can't use it because it won't work with my fireplace or something, I have a friend who might be able to use it but other than that it sounds like at the least I can possibly double or triple my money because what I paid was so reasonable. Looks like a fair number of these are still out there.
Sure, I do understand that it wouldn't be the highest efficiency or anything, but there is no way I could afford a 2,000$ stove so I was pretty thrilled to find this bargain one. If I bought new it would be a lot more than this for even the lowest end stove. So hopefully I can use it or at least learn something. I think it's real pretty. Has the grey stone which is in beautiful shape, and the un-enameled metal.

 

[tickbitty]

To those who have these stoves, once I get the monster home, I can try to clean out the inside best I can to evaluate the condition and maybe post some pics for help. What is the best way to clean the interior for this kind of evaluation, a wire brush and shop vac, or some other method? If it turns out we can't use the stove I will try to sell it, but it would probably be best for me to know something about whether the thing is somewhat ready to go or needs work, ya know?

 

[Gooserider]

First off this is definitely a job that calls for a mask, eye protection, etc. You probably will do pretty well with a wire brush ans shop vac as mentioned, I'd probably also use an air compressor to blow things out and especially to detect any flaws in the joints. Cleanout and disassembly is the first step, then look for parts that are rotted away or warped beyond being useable.

I think if you do a search you will find some threads on the specifics of rebuilding one of these, with some pictures. You should also be able to get a manual for the stove from Hearthstone.

Gooserider

 

[Beanscoot]

Thanks Gooserider for the picture advice, but as I am inexperienced at image software like converting pictures from JPEGto JPG, modifying the size, etc. I'll leave that project for another time.

"Is the baffle the thing on top inside? With the round holes in it?" This sounds like the secondary burn tube. Mine is made of 1" pipe with six 1/4" holes drilled in it. The upper baffle is a quarter inch thick or so curved plate the width of the stove and about a foot long, it makes about a quarter arc of a circle. The bottom of it is just above the aforementioned tube. If these parts are good then probably most of the rest is fine.
I would brush the inside a bit to see, but generally problems with woodstoves are rather obvious like parts broken or corroded in two, more so than fine hairline cracks and the like. Peer in the crannies with the aid of a flashlight.
The stove is really heavy. Remove as much as you can for moving it, like doors.

 

[tickbitty]

Thanks! Any other tips on moving these? I am a little worried about getting it onto the truck because of the weight. I'm afraid of cracking stones or something. Should we bungee some blankets around it or anything?
I really appreciate all the tips you guys, thank you!

 

[Gooserider]

Thanks! Any other tips on moving these? I am a little worried about getting it onto the truck because of the weight. I'm afraid of cracking stones or something. Should we bungee some blankets around it or anything?
I really appreciate all the tips you guys, thank you!

#1 - TAKE IT SLOW - plan each move out before you make it, preferably plan the next several moves so you don't work yourself into a corner.

#2 - Remember your simple machines, they are your friends - the "get a bunch of friends together and heave" method will sometimes work, but more often will get someone hurt, or damage the thing you are heaving on. - use ramps, pulleys (I am very fond of "come-alongs")rollers, levers, and other such items that will give mechanical advantage.

#3. - Avoid straining the legs, they are cast iron and can break. What I did when moving my VC was to put the stove on a sheet of plywood and moved the plywood using rollers and ramps, along with a come-along. Doing it this way, my GF and I were able to move the stove from the back of our van into our house and position it on the hearth without problems (I did most of the manuvering, she cranked the come-along as needed) A part of this was to have a bunch of rollers that I made by cutting a length of 1/2" pipe into 6" or so lengths.

#4 - lighten the load - Remove the doors and any other readily removable parts such as grates, ash-pans, etc. However be careful not to remove parts that are critical to holding the stove together - I don't know about Hearthstones, but Woodstocks have rods that run from the legs to the top of the stove, unbolting those rods to take the legs off can allow the stove to literally collapse into a pile of broken stones.

There are other things, but the top couple will get you most of the way there. If you can find a helper that has moved large heavy things in the past that will help a great deal.

Gooserider

 

[DriftWood]

Thanks! Any other tips on moving these? I am a little worried about getting it onto the truck because of the weight. I'm afraid of cracking stones or something. Should we bungee some blankets around it or anything?
I really appreciate all the tips you guys, thank you!

#1 - TAKE IT SLOW - plan each move out before you make it, preferably plan the next several moves so you don't work yourself into a corner.

I second all that and a four wheel furniture dolly and a small hydraulic auto jack work wonders. I once walked one up out of a basement with three hired hands from a moving company when I was younger. We shoved it into a cargo van that day. . Straight out the door and onto the truck is the best if possible bumper at the door and truck bed at he same height as the floor inside then just wheeled on. Remember to get some of the weight on the fount wheels of the truck.

 

[fred wark]

I just found several postings over the past few months regarding the rebuilding of a Hearthstone model II. Several years ago I was given, free for the hauling a 20 year old model II in decent shape. I now need to replace the back and rear inner panels. The best prices I have found for these two pieces are about $150 each. Did anyone find them at a better price anyplace? What was involved in taking the old pieces out? Did you have to do any major disassembling of the stove? Did the new pieces fit in properly? Am I going to be opening up the proverbial can of worms if I start taking this stove apart? Any advise or information would be appreciated. Thanks Fred

 

[tickbitty]

I don't know the answer to your question but I did get the PDF of the manual (with pricelist at the end) from Hearthstone. If you want I can email it to you (though hearthstone is very good about doing so too, it might just take a little longer)
I sent a follow up email to him asking about the prices and availabilty of the parts listed at the end and I believe he said to check with dealers for that.

 

[Beanscoot]

I paid about $350 - $400 for the rear and side iron castings about six months ago, but I'm about as far from New England as one can get in North America (Actually I'm on an island off the west coast of North America), so your prices seem reasonable. You might be able to save a bunch of cash if you can fabricate the sheet steel baffle plate and secondary burn tube yourself if they're worn out.
I haven't yet redone my stove, I plan to do this in the summer.

I also like the idea of rebuilding the old stove, as I prefer to keep things working than replace them. So long as people will repair these stoves and thus buy the new castings and other parts from the manufacturer, the manufacturer has incentive to keep the parts in production. Once these parts go out of production, then a lot of stoves will have to go for junk.

 

[fred wark]

Tickbitty. Is the manual you have a rebuild manual? If so, yes I would appreciate it if you could send me a copy ([email protected] ). I do have a copy of the original owners manual. It does not have any rebuild instructions. I do have a recent parts diagram tho.
As far as moving your stove, or any other stove, the trick is to do as little lifting as neccessary. I am a professional chimney sweep. When I first started this work, I assissted my local competitor with several new stove installations. Even with dollies, you still have to manually move them . A good trick is to run a length of thick rope under each of 2 opposite sides of the stove (two seperate ropes) The ropes must be long enough that you can put one end in each hand , makeing several wraps around each hand while being very slightly stooped over. The thicker the rope, the less it will cut into your hand. If you straighten your back, now your legs should be shightly bent. Each person now lifts by straightening their legs. You are now lifting with your legs, not your back. All four corners of the stove should be now off the ground only a few inches. You can now put the stove back onto the floor and make any needed adjustments in the lengths of the ropes by adding or taking wraps off your hands. You only need to pick it up a few inches this way. The less you pick it up, the less it falls if you have to let go of it. Shuffle your feet slowely, moving where you need to put the stove. Be carefull not to put you feet under it in case you have to put it down quickly. This technique is usually good for moving anything that is very heavy amd awkward.
If you can get a dolly under it, that is best. It is also helpful to attach the stove to the dolly with a nylon ratchetting strap. That way, when you are pushing it around, the stove should not slide off, if you hit a bump in the floor. The bigger the wheels of the dolly, the easier it will be to push over these small floor obstructions. If you do not have a dolly you can put several pieces of 1" diameter plastic drain pipes ( about 30" long ) underneath and roll it pretty easily. You will have to keep taking the rollers from behind you, to in front of you. If the stove is raised up on legs, get a piece of 3/4 " plywood under the legs, and put the rollers under the plywood.
The big trick is to do as little lifting as possible. My model II is the 4th stove I have put into my home over the past 35 years. My problem is the location of the house in relation to the nearest road. The house is in the middle of a hill with no road access. Everything has to be carried up a set of 25 steps (including groceries, firewood etc. I should stop burning wood, and let the gas furnace run all day and night, but I must have some firebug in me). I have access to a crane which I use to get these stoves from the truck, to the front door. It is still a hassle. That is why I am fixing this ModelII. I dont want to have to move it out when it becomes to unsafe to operate. It should be easier to install new panels, then to move another stove up the hill.
When you install your stove, be sure to adhere to the required clearance requirements to combustible materials. I have seen several improper stove installations that eventually resulted in structural fires. And dont forget to clean the chimney
Fred Wark

 

[tickbitty]

No, sorry - the manual I have is just the owner's manual - there's a parts list at the end though I don't think the prices are current. Hope you saw the other hearthstone rebuild thread that I bumped to the top as those guys had great pics and really seemed to know what they were doing! https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/8572/

Thank you for all the tips on moving! We did get our stove here... and while I passed along all the info nice folks posted here, I myself did nada, my husband and our friends moved it! It's in our shed now, and I am bumming because I am not sure we can use it now. It was such a nice deal I jumped at the chance but as you know the "stack" only comes out the top and I am now thinking it probably won't fit in my firepace. We could take the pipe up and into the wall above the mantle, but I don't know if we want to do that.. a shame though because I love the stove! It's out in the shed presently.

Since you are a sweep maybe you can tell me, if I want to install and we aren't the most knowlegable "DIY"ers, would a chimney sweep be the right kind of call to make to install and make sure everything is hooked up right? I posted a question about that to the anonymous call in line to our twice weekly local paper and nobody answered my question... whether to call a sweep, handyman, plumber? to help install a woodstove.

As for the chimney, it's clean! We took care of that when we moved in 2 yrs ago but only had one fire since then! It's a 1953 brickhouse with an interior chimney (not on the end of the house) and I think it would be perfect for a woodstove!

 

[Gooserider]

No, sorry - the manual I have is just the owner's manual - there's a parts list at the end though I don't think the prices are current. Hope you saw the other hearthstone rebuild thread that I bumped to the top as those guys had great pics and really seemed to know what they were doing! https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/8572/

Thank you for all the tips on moving! We did get our stove here... and while I passed along all the info nice folks posted here, I myself did nada, my husband and our friends moved it! It's in our shed now, and I am bumming because I am not sure we can use it now. It was such a nice deal I jumped at the chance but as you know the "stack" only comes out the top and I am now thinking it probably won't fit in my firepace. We could take the pipe up and into the wall above the mantle, but I don't know if we want to do that.. a shame though because I love the stove! It's out in the shed presently.

Since you are a sweep maybe you can tell me, if I want to install and we aren't the most knowlegable "DIY"ers, would a chimney sweep be the right kind of call to make to install and make sure everything is hooked up right? I posted a question about that to the anonymous call in line to our twice weekly local paper and nobody answered my question... whether to call a sweep, handyman, plumber? to help install a woodstove.

As for the chimney, it's clean! We took care of that when we moved in 2 yrs ago but only had one fire since then! It's a 1953 brickhouse with an interior chimney (not on the end of the house) and I think it would be perfect for a woodstove!

What is the cross section area of the chimney flue, what's it made from, and what kind of shape is it in? Since you have an interior chimney, if it has a cross section more than 3x the outlet on your stove you need to think about a liner - also if the chimney is not made with clay flue tiles or equivalent, and in excellent condition... I suspect that most (though not all) chimneys will need or at least benefit from liners.

The moving tips are excellent, I've seen similar things done with cargo straps, or they even make straps specifically for that purpose - good if you are moving a lot of things, probably not needed if you aren't. I've also seen variations on the idea, where you make a loop and put it over your shoulders, or around your lower arms so that the pull is near your elbows - in any case the main idea is the same, keep your back straight and lift with the leg muscles. I also find that it's better to let your bones carry things, not your muscles - try to arrange the load so the weight is bearing on your skeleton as much as possible, rather than holding things up with your muscles. It's a leverage thing....

As to the general stove install question, yes a sweep is the best person to call if you want relevant knowledge, as opposed to just a strong back... Challenge can be to find a good one, it's like finding a good auto mechanic, there are good ones and there are hacks, and sometimes it can be hard to tell which is which. (If you search here, you can find an unfortunately large number of horror stories) - I would start by looking for folks that have been around a while, and that have some sort of certification (CSIA is one), and that can give you some relevant references.

As a final note, I'm not sure about your specific stove, but SOME of the Hearthstones are built with a "reversible" stack outlet such that it can be removed with a few bolts and set up as either a top or rear exit, check your manual to see if your's is one, I think it may be.

Gooserider

 

[tickbitty]

Thanks! I was figuring on needing a liner all the way up. It's a one-story house so I think that is the thing to do anyway - it's just that, like I say, we probably won't be able to handle it ourselves without a little help and onsite advice to do it right! Thank you for the tips on finding some help. I imagine that it is, as you say, similar to finding a good mechanic! There is a really nice woodstove store in town here, but I don't know if they will do any install help if they didn't sell you the stove. We've been there numerous times and never seem to get that much good help or information, I am very glad to have found this forum!

 

[Beanscoot]

My Hearthstone II has the pipe coming out the back. So yes, you can switch yours over to this style.

 

[tickbitty]

Really? I don't see how one would do that! It's stone all the way across the back, etc? I don't think I saw anything in the manual indicating that switching it was a possibility, and it looks like you'd have to rebuild it or something?

I don't have pictures of mine right now, but there's one on ebay right now that is pretty much identical to mine -

(broken link removed to http://cgi.ebay.com/Hearthstone-2-Wood-Stove_W0QQitemZ300210560381QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item300210560381)