Help! Can’t get insert in!

[Chadillacgrill]

Hey guys! New here. I’ve run into an issue. I have two fireplaces. One upstairs and one downstairs. Last year I put a wood burning insert in the fireplace upstairs. It works so well that I am attempting to put one in the basement now. I removed all the old stuff from the fireplace and started cleaning it out. I got to looking and realized that it’s not just a brick fireplace like upstairs. There is a giant cast iron insert in here with two small fans on either side that blow air out the top. I thought this would be beneficial but I will not be able to run the liner through for the wood stove without cutting this thing to pieces. Removal is not an option as the rock that makes the wall can not be removed. Wondering what my options are here and if anyone has run into this issue as well. I will post pictures if I can figure out how. Hahah. Thanks a lot for any future help and advice!

 

[bholler]

What you have is called a heatform it is just a metal firebox. Cut out what you need to to get the liner through

 

[Chadillacgrill]

What you have is called a heatform it is just a metal firebox. Cut out what you need to to get the liner through

okay. Thanks. Is there anyway to utilize the blower pipes that are left in there or will the air blowing against the liner mess with draft and stuff?

 

[Sodbuster]

A friend with an Oxy/Acetylene cutting torch with a welding blanket would be a good friend to have. If not, be prepared to spend some quality time with a reciprocating saw. It's really not that bad, just have a bunch of extra blades on hand. I don't see why you couldn't use the fans, unless they would get to hot.

 

[begreen]

okay. Thanks. Is there anyway to utilize the blower pipes that are left in there or will the air blowing against the liner mess with draft and stuff?

You'll need to cut one or two in the center to pass the liner. The outer ones might catch a little heat, but it probably will be small.

 

[firebox115]

I've been pretty impressed with the carbide recip blades that have become very popular over the last few years. Great for situations like this if you don't have a torch.

 

[tadmaz]

My installer was able to use something like a 30 degree angle collar, from Regency, and didn't have to cut anything out of my heatform. But otherwise you can cut out what you need.

 

[bholler]

Don't use a torch. You can have it cut out with a combo of sawzall and grinder in 30 mins or so. And year the carbide blades are nice. But at least the ones I used don't cut curves at all in metal

 

[ewang]

I used Diablo blades for cutting my firebox apart, along with a cutoff wheel. You're going to want to properly install a blank off plate, which will limit the amount of heat available to the remaining tubes.

 

[Sodbuster]

Don't use a torch. You can have it cut out with a combo of sawzall and grinder in 30 mins or so. And year the carbide blades are nice. But at least the ones I used don't cut curves at all in metal

Why no torch, Holler?

 

[bholler]

Why no torch, Holler?

It is just unnessecary it is just as easy to use a sawzall and grinder and those don't fill the house with smoke. The metal really isn't very thick it cuts easily.

 

[peakbagger]

Ideally a plasma arc would be the faster and leave a pretty clean cut. its a lot cleaner than a typical torch job although most folks don't know how to use a torch and their holes tend to be real messy compared to what could be done by someone who knows what they are doing.

 

[bholler]

Again there is absolutely no need to go to the extremes of a plasma cutter or torch. These fireboxes are easy to cut out. You cut the tubes off with a long sawzall blade. A min each at most. Then cut down in the back with the saw. Connect those 2 cuts with a grinder too and bottom. Then cut the same way on the smoke shelf. I am typically done cutting in 10 mins or so. With only a few mins setup and cleanup. And no smoke in the house.