HEATFORM FIREPLACE

[Jral]

I have a 37" heat form fireplace that we put in our house when we built it in 1987. We had never had it cleaned or inspected until yesterday and there are rusted holes in the tubes and on the front. Can we repair the holes and put in a wood burning stove without having to tear everything out? The entire wall is brick and the hearth is around 17 inches out from the fireplace and 14 1/2 inches tall. It has flues in the chimney that has cracks that we were going to let them put heatshield in and then they found this issue. We don't get to use our fireplace much because we don't normally have weather for it, but love it when we do and would like to keep it if possible. The hole is covered for the summer.

 

[bholler]

I have a 37" heat form fireplace that we put in our house when we built it in 1987. We had never had it cleaned or inspected until yesterday and there are rusted holes in the tubes and on the front. Can we repair the holes and put in a wood burning stove without having to tear everything out? The entire wall is brick and the hearth is around 17 inches out from the fireplace and 14 1/2 inches tall. It has flues in the chimney that has cracks that we were going to let them put heatshield in and then they found this issue. We don't get to use our fireplace much because we don't normally have weather for it, but love it when we do and would like to keep it if possible. The hole is covered for the summer.

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No need to repair for install of a stove or insert. Just cut away what you need to in order to fit the liner through

 

[Jral]

No need to repair for install of a stove or insert. Just cut away what you need to in order to fit the liner through

Cut away the Heatform? Should we have the Heatshield put in the flues first? And do they run a pipe up the chimney from the insert or somehow attach to the flue? Is a brick mason the best person to talk to about doing it so it's up to code?

 

[bholler]

Cut away the Heatform? Should we have the Heatshield put in the flues first? And do they run a pipe up the chimney from the insert or somehow attach to the flue? Is a brick mason the best person to talk to about doing it so it's up to code?

Yes cut out the heat form enough to get a liner sized properly to match the stove through the damper area and all the way to the top of the chimney. And no don't have heatshield done it would be meaningless after the new liner is installed.

A chimney sweep would be the best contractor to have do this work. Most brick masons honestly don't know that much about it.

 

[Jral]

Yes cut out the heat form enough to get a liner sized properly to match the stove through the damper area and all the way to the top of the chimney. And no don't have heatshield done it would be meaningless after the new liner is installed.

A chimney sweep would be the best contractor to have do this work. Most brick masons honestly don't know that much about it.

Ok thanks. A chimney sweep came out and cleaned it and inspected with a camera yesterday and acted like he didn't have any idea what to do about it. Definitely didn't offer any services to do it. Basically said he didn't even know what to advise us to do and would talk to his boss and see if he knew anyone and not to use it. Hasn't gotten back with us on it. One guy told us to call a contractor. My husband could probably easily do it himself, but would rather have someone who knows exactly how to do it and is licensed and bonded for safety reasons.

 

[Jral]

Cut away the Heatform? Should we have the Heatshield put in the flues first? And do they run a pipe up the chimney from the insert or somehow attach to the flue? Is a brick mason the best person to talk to about doing it so it's up to code?

Ok thanks. A chimney sweep came out and cleaned it and inspected with a camera yesterday and acted like he didn't have any idea what to do about it. Definitely didn't offer any services to do it. Basically said he didn't even know what to advise us to do and would talk to his boss and see if he knew anyone and not to use it. Hasn't gotten back with us on it. One guy told us to call a contractor. My husband could probably easily do it himself, but would rather have someone who knows exactly how to do it and is licensed and bonded for safety reasons.

He also told us that most of the time when he tells people around here they have this problem they just quit using them. Where we live we may get to use a fireplace 10 or 20 days a winter if we're lucky so alot of people don't care about it. He said he's never had anyone ask to fix them.

 

[bholler]

He also told us that most of the time when he tells people around here they have this problem they just quit using them. Where we live we may get to use a fireplace 10 or 20 days a winter if we're lucky so alot of people don't care about it. He said he's never had anyone ask to fix them.

It can be fixed for use as an open fireplace as well but that usually costs about the same or a little more than a stove and liner

 

[Jral]

I think that doing an insert will be the easiest way. I've only been able to talk to a couple of people so far and they say tear down the entire wall and redo it. It's so frustrating.

 

[bholler]

I think that doing an insert will be the easiest way. I've only been able to talk to a couple of people so far and they say tear down the entire wall and redo it. It's so frustrating.

No absolutely no reason to tear down the whole wall that's ridiculous. Even to build a new firebox that isn't nessecary

 

[Jral]

No absolutely no reason to tear down the whole wall that's ridiculous. Even to build a new firebox that isn't nessecary

Maybe I can find someone. There is only one or two chimney sweeps in our area. One of them may have retired because I never could get them on the phone when I wanted it inspected and cleaned. Fireplace fixing isn't top priority around here unless it's new construction it doesn't seem like.

 

[bholler]

Maybe I can find someone. There is only one or two chimney sweeps in our area. One of them may have retired because I never could get them on the phone when I wanted it inspected and cleaned. Fireplace fixing isn't top priority around here unless it's new construction it doesn't seem like.

Where are you located?

 

[Jral]

Where are you located?

Southeast Alabama. About 10 miles from the Florida line.

 

[Jral]

Southeast Alabama. About 10 miles from the Florida line.

Have you ever heard of a prior Fire fireplace?

 

[bholler]

Have you ever heard of a prior Fire fireplace?

Yeah I assume you mean the prefab retrofit one not a custom built in place one like Chris prior used to build.

The design is interesting but very new and relatively unproven. If going that route I would go with a belfire or ahrens fire unit

 

[Jral]

Yeah I assume you mean the prefab retrofit one not a custom built in place one like Chris prior used to build.

The design is interesting but very new and relatively unproven. If going that route I would go with a belfire or ahrens fire unit

I'm not sure. It is something that HeatShield sells. That's what I'm worried about is that it's new.

PriorFire Retrofit Fireplace System - Heat Shield

heatshieldchimney.com