Hello, newb wood burner

[84td]

I admit I have been reading old posts for about 2 days and have learned alot. I bought a 50500 squire stove like this
http://surfingoc.com/Squire/
I found out I have a improperly installed stove(just shoved in) so I want to fix it.

What I want to do is this....
I want to do a catalytic retrofit which I understand is just some mystery device that makes the fire box hotter.
I want to order a pipe that takes the rectangle and make it a pipe so I can run it up the flue
I want to make a block off plate and remove the trim peices around the stove and put it in the hearth a little more, there is about 8 in of room behind the stove and I want to move it back about 4. This will also put the exit right under the flue.

Does that all sound OK?

What is the best way to do the catalytic thing? It looks like they make them for the pipe but it seems it would be better to have it in the rectangle exit hole if I understand it corectly.

Is it OK to remove the trim around the stove if I do the block of plate? I thing it would put out more heat since the whole stove would radiate heat instead of just the front and I think it would look better.

Any links to the items I am looking for would be much much appreciated

Burn on!

 

[SolarAndWood]

What is the best way to do the catalytic thing?

If you want to do the catalytic thing, buy a good catalytic stove. Even a lot of stoves that were supposedly designed as catalytics burn like junk, let alone trying to retrofit a stove that wasn't designed for it.

We have an old slammer installed insert at our family's camp. I accept it for what it is, a steel box that makes a lot more heat than an open fireplace. Someday when I get sick of feeding it, I will replace it with a new one. Until then, it keeps the place warm just fine.

 

[Renovation]

Welcome 84td, from one newb to another!

What I want to do is this....

Does that all sound OK?

As someone who learned completely new skills to rebuild a house that should have been demolished, I speak from experience when I suggest that you reconsider doing the same sort of thing with a wood stove.

From your readings, I bet you've noticed that it's often challenging to master the use of a quality stove in good condition. You'd be adding designing, testing and building one to the equation and that's something entire companies go bankrupt doing. But that may be just your passion, as my house resuscitation is for me, complete PITA that it is.

But if you put any value at all on your time and peace of mind, buying a quality modern product would cost you about 1/20 of trying to understand, redesign, and rebuild what you have. I'm just sayin'.

If move your stove back in your hearth, it may radiate out less heat.

And +1 on what Solar said--just enjoying what you have for what it is--that's a fine thing.

Again, welcome, and good luck whatever you do!

 

[Pagey]

Welcome to the forums. I can't say that I've ever heard of doing a catalytic retrofit on a stove, but I've never owned a cat stove. Basically, the goal of any modern stove is to "reburn" the smoke/volatile gases released from the primary combustion of the wood. This reburning is referred to as "secondary combustion". There are two main stove designs on the market today - the catalytic stove and the non-cat stove. The catalytic stoves uses a catalyst, which is a ceramic honeycomb treated with special metals (some stoves now use a stainless steel cat). These special metals allow the smoke to "reburn" or combust at around 500F or so. Once the cat is hot enough to become "active," it will burn up the smoke, thus extracting the heat energy from it, and return this energy to the room as heat.

Non-cat stoves usually have a series of burn tubes in the top of the stove just underneath some sort of a baffle. Think of a baffle as a "shelf" that sits in the top of the firebox, extending from the back of the stove to about 3/4 to the front of the stove. Secondary combustion air is preheated and drawn into the burn tubes and "injected" onto the top of the fire, producing enough oxygen at a high enough temp to sustain secondary combustion. These stoves require internal temps of 1,100F or so to sustain secondary combustion.

Cat stoves are known for their long burn times and their ability to burn smoke at lower temps than a non-cat stove.

There are many fine manufacturers of both types of stoves on the market today. I know how tight money is right now, but I would personally look at getting a true catalytic stove that's been tested to certain UL standards before trying to retrofit one myself.

 

[84td]

Ok, so forget the conversion. I only got the idea from a old thread I was reading where someone who had the same stove I have and put something called a Nu-Tec Cat Combuster System on it. So I thought maybe it was common.

So I guess all I need to figure out now is the proper install. I read my stove wants a 8in pipe so I guess I am going to have to go with something oval or square.

Any reason why I should go all the way to the top? I was going to go to the first tile since that would be a vast improvement over what I have now which is nothing and maybe doing a full install next year. My chimney is full masonry built in 57.

 

[Pagey]

Many people use a "slammer install," which is what you are describing. There are certain disadvantages to this type of install, mainly the fact that you will have to pull the insert every time you sweep the flue.

Of course a full stainless steel liner from the top of the insert to the top of tiles is the best option. You may find this option more affordable that you'd imagine, too.

Do you know the dimensions of your flue tiles? Some masonry flues have relatively large inner diameters, and this can cause slow, sluggish draft. If your stove does in fact have an 8" outlet, you're probably in better shape venting into that flue that you would be with, say, an insert with a 6" exhaust.

 

[wood-fan-atic]

Welcome,84td. Glad to hear you scrapped to retro-fit, wouldve been an eternal headache! You DEFINITELY want to go with a complete top-to-bottom liner. Much better draft(much better fire), much easier cleaning( much SAFER burning). Read up on the stove reviews here and get a better idea of what would work best for your situation. You need to take many factors into account - size of your house, location in the house, central or outside wall chimney, part of the country youre in, etc. LOTS of info here!! .......and keep asking questions.....the only silly ones are the ones not asked

 

[84td]

Not a 8in per-say but its a 4x14 rectangle so in sq-in equates to 8in pipe. My tiles are huge, they are up there so I cant get an exact measurement but I would guess 8x16

Forgive my ignorance,
Whats the deal with draft? if it goes up the chimney isnt that good enough?
Would it be sacrilege to use a 6 in pipe?
Not sure if I can afford to line it, it looks like it will set me back a few hundred just for the rectangle to circle adapter and the block off supplies and some pipe.

No adapter, The outlet looks like this...

 

[Pagey]

Draft is the engine that drives the entire stove/burning/combustion system. Draft is caused by the warm air in the flue rising, which pulls cooler room air into the firebox for combustion. If you have a sluggish draft, you can have lazy burns or even a house filled with smoke every time you open the door on the stove. Draft is a, if not THE, key element in having a well functioning system. (Draft and dry, seasoned wood.)

Most stoves are designed to function with X size exhaust. If you vent the stove into a larger opening than X, you can cause sluggish draft because the exhaust cools and slow as it expands to fill too large of an area.

This can also cause more creosote buildup in the flue. Cool flue gases combine with water vapor and unburned organic compounds to form the dreaded creosote.

Further suggested reading:

http://www.chimneysweeponline.com/hoosst.htm

http://www.chimneysweeponline.com/hoosin.htm

http://www.chimneysweeponline.com/hodraft.htm

 

[84td]

Oh yea, I forgot to add, my place is only 1400sq ft and this will be supplemental to my baseboard heat. Out climate here is mild, it only drops below freezing a few times during the winter but I will be burning often, maybe not 24/7 but definitely every night. Our chimney is in the middle of the house so its ideal.

Any ideas on how to adapt the rectangle to the pipe w/out dropping $150?

 

[84td]

suggestions?

 

[begreen]

Is this a non-cat Squire for sure? They did make a cat model.

The best suggestion would be to get a new cat insert like a Buck 20 that is sized for the place and install it with a full 6" liner. That will totally qualify for the tax credit and will give you years of predictable, clean burning.

Making the old Squire work will have some of the same costs, but higher for the 8" liner. Whatever you decide, have the chimney cleaned and inspected first.

https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/articles/install_insert