Hearthstone stove installation questions

[kksalm]

Hi! My first post. Please direct me to the thread if this question has been asked before.
My wife and I live in an old homestead house in Alaska. When natural gas was cheap we really didn't mind the $60. a month it cost to for heating the old place. Our gas bill has tripled in the last two years! and now it's time to put our fireplace to good use. It has an opening of 33" wide, 30" high, and is 21' deep at the base ,16" deep at the top of the opening. The concrete base extends 9" out into our living room. I really don't like the looks of an insert and was wondering if I couldn't just install the Phoenix half in, half out of the fireplace. I'd like the front to stick out about that 9 inches. I saw an article about sealing the draft of the fireplace opening with a cutout for the flue. I'm thinking the 45 degree exit allowed by the Phoenix would be just right or this. Am I off base in considering the Phoenix half in, half out of my fireplace? It's a lot of money to put out if I'm missing something here.
Best regards to the forum.
Happy Holidays! Ken

 

[sgcsalsero]

Hi Ken, assuming you haven't seen this, give a read (broken link removed to http://www.hearthstonestoves.com/documents/Phoenix8612Manual.pdf), should answer your questions.

Good luck and post some pics !!

 

[BrotherBart]

Soapstone stoves look fantastic installed in fireplaces. Do it!

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/3106/

 

[kksalm]

Thank you for the input. Pyro Extraordinaire's photo's showed my wife what I couldn't quite explain. Do any other members have photos of their wood stoves nestled in their fireplace? Thanks again, Happy Holidays!
Best regards, Ken

 

[Todd]

Sounds good to me. I would also consider a rear heat shield to help reflect the heat back out towards the front.

 

[Harley]

Ken
can you post a picture of what you have there? Unless I read something wrong on the dimensions - you would have to extend the hearth out from 9", regardless of an an insert vs a free-standing stove.

 

[Mike Wilson]

You are going to need 18" of hearth in front of the door of whatever stove or insert you have. In the past, only 16" were required, however with the recent changes, the US is now on par with Canada, and requires 18" in front of the opening.

-- Mike

 

[jadm]

In response to Mike's post. I am considering doing the same thing. My chimney sweep was here yesterday and had a look at my fireplace and all the specs. for the Phoenix including the 18'' in front of the door. I have a raised hearth-approx. 15'' tall. The depth from the front of my fireplace is only 19''. I plan to have 8'' of the stove sitting inside my fireplace with 12'' on the hearth. I'm 12'' short on the required space but my sweep told me that a fire proof rug - which is basically a wool rug - on the floor at the base of my fireplace is acceptable. ( He is a fireman and has been in the sweep business for years.) That was a relief to me otherwise I was going to lay tile on the existing floor to make up for the inches I was short.

 

[thechimneysweep]

Perplexed:

I think you're getting some bad advice about the hearth requirements for your Phoenix. The floor protection for a wood stove must be solid, continuous, permanent and non-combustible. For the Phoenix, it must be at least 3/8" thick, or have an R value of .100.

Wool happens to be combustible, but that's a moot point, because hearth rugs don't meet floor protection code for any wood stove, regardless of what they're made of: hearth rugs are not permanent, and a hearth with a rug in front is not continuous.

Contrary to what seems to be the popular opinion on this forum, the 18" hearth requirement in front of the loading door is a "generic" requirement, like the 36" rear clearance requirement, and only applies to stoves that weren't tested and listed with a smaller hearth. Hearthstone's newest model, the Equinox, went through the lab AFTER the new 18" generic requirement was in place, but was listed with a 16" hearth extension. The Phoenix is also listed for a 16" hearth extension in front of the door.

 

[jadm]

This isn't my topic. Can I respond to you in it??? I am new at this. I'll do it and see what happens. I do have a topic out there with it's own string going.

Tom Oyen - thanks for the info. I got my okay from my sweep who is also a fireman and has been for about 30 years so I naturally took his word that what I was planning was okay. My hearth is raised and I can install tile on the floor if that is necessary. It really isn't that big of a deal as that is what I was planning to do in the first place. He was the one who suggested the rug.

 

[Gooserider]

This isn't my topic. Can I respond to you in it??? I am new at this. I'll do it and see what happens. I do have a topic out there with it's own string going.

Tom Oyen - thanks for the info. I got my okay from my sweep who is also a fireman and has been for about 30 years so I naturally took his word that what I was planning was okay. My hearth is raised and I can install tile on the floor if that is necessary. It really isn't that big of a deal as that is what I was planning to do in the first place. He was the one who suggested the rug.

He may be a fireman, but is he a BUILDING INSPECTOR? Will he sign off on your installation? (Required by law in most places, as well as your homeowners insurance) A hearth rug won't get it in terms of code requirements in any jurisdiction I'm aware of. However putting down tiles, if they are thick enough will. What I actually reccomend is removing any carpetting or wood subfloor down to the decking, then building back up with a layer of Durock and tile over that in order to get a close to flush installation that looks good and will meet Code requirements for most stoves (not all, some require more insulation than that)

Gooserider

 

[jadm]

Gooserider - Thanks for the info on hearth materials. I can do that but lately after reading more I'm again looking at inserts due to how they heat. Just a bigger unit than I have. The more I read the more I go back and forth here but I do not have to make any decisions quickly....What a learning process

 

[Gooserider]

Gooserider - Thanks for the info on hearth materials. I can do that but lately after reading more I'm again looking at inserts due to how they heat. Just a bigger unit than I have. The more I read the more I go back and forth here but I do not have to make any decisions quickly....What a learning process

Yes, there is a lot to it, but I think you'll be glad that you went through the process... Each technology has it's own advantages so it's not an easy decision to make. Keep the hearth extension idea in mind however, as you may need it even with an insert. Many stick out into the room a fair ways, and you will need to have a minimum of 18" of protected floor in front of any loading door.

Gooserider