How to physically pull Buck insert out of fireplace?

[ghmerrill]

I'm just looking for experience people have with this, and any advice. My wife and I are in our mid-70s and I'm about to embark on replacing the fan in our Buck 26000 fireplace stove. I've got it disconnected from the stainless flue liner and now "only" need to pull it out. If I were 30 years younger and without back problems, this maybe wouldn't be such a challenge. But I can't budge it by myself without asking for some debillitating back consequence.

Together, my wife and I MAY be able to wiggle/lever it out enough to get at the fan mechanism, but before we try that I thought I'd ask if there are any approaches that might make this easier. It's possible that I can rig something to use a cable winch, but that will be a bit tricky.

Any thoughts or experience?

 

[begreen]

If you have a sheet of metal you can slide under the front of it, that will help it slide easier. Otherwise, wiggle it out a little with your partner, then use a crowbar and a fulcrum to lever it up an inch and slip some rollers under it. 1/2" pipe will work. If you have a stout hand cart, then strapping the insert to it with ratchet straps so that it has wheels underneath, will make a big improvement. Or just hire a couple young football players for an hour.

 

[ghmerrill]

Also, maybe take the doors of first. That might help a bit. I don't know about football players, but the guy who mows our "lawns" would be a good candidate for help.

I'm not sure how far I have to get this out to get to the fan stuff (it's in the back), but I'm hoping I don't have to get it entirely out of the enclosure, but can rotate it to get the necessary access.

Thanks for the pipe roller suggestion, I should have thought of that since that's how I moved a 600 lb safe into the house years ago. The ancient Egyptians were leaders in that technology.

 

[begreen]

Yes, remove as much weight as possible.

 

[stoveliker]

Depending on your hearth, I'd put a metal plate down regardless; protect what's nice looking. A 600 lbs hunk of metal can scratch a lot.

 

[ghmerrill]

We can do this. I've got it part-way out, and I think we can rotate it to expose the fan in the back. As usual, once I dig into a lot of the work that's been done by local "professionals", I discover stuff I didn't want to see. There's a 2-piece cast iron "adapter that fits the (round) stainless flue to a cast iron base that screws onto the stove -- or at least is supposed to.

As often the case around here, the prior work was shoddy -- with one of the machine screws for the base missing, the others loose, one of the nuts on the bolts for the flue adapter missing, and the other loose. This even after a $250 charge about a year ago which the local Chimneys Plus place insisted on charging for a cleaning (unneeded) before doing fan service -- and then decided they couldn't do fan service after all because the only guy who might have been able to do that had quit on them. DIY isn't a hobby -- it's a necessity.

 

[ghmerrill]

Depending on your hearth, I'd put a metal plate down regardless; protect what's nice looking. A 600 lbs hunk of metal can scratch a lot.

It's on brick and has been in and out of there a few times, but I may try to get a piece of masonite or plywood under it if it looks like it's going to get bit wonky.

 

[bholler]

We can do this. I've got it part-way out, and I think we can rotate it to expose the fan in the back. As usual, once I dig into a lot of the work that's been done by local "professionals", I discover stuff I didn't want to see. There's a 2-piece cast iron "adapter that fits the (round) stainless flue to a cast iron base that screws onto the stove -- or at least is supposed to.

As often the case around here, the prior work was shoddy -- with one of the machine screws for the base missing, the others loose, one of the nuts on the bolts for the flue adapter missing, and the other loose. This even after a $250 charge about a year ago which the local Chimneys Plus place insisted on charging for a cleaning (unneeded) before doing fan service -- and then decided they couldn't do fan service after all because the only guy who might have been able to do that had quit on them. DIY isn't a hobby -- it's a necessity.

I personally refuse to service those fans anymore. They are such a pain in the ass

 

[ghmerrill]

That definitely opens an opportunity for DIY.