I learned a lot by searching around here before I got started, so I wanted to return the favor by sharing my experiences for others who will search at some future date.
I wanted to cut my fuel costs by installing an insert in my masonry fireplace. I was fortunate that the fireplace is big, deep, and all brick. No worries about clearances. But, it had a steel liner that was crazy overbuilt- more on that later.
So, first I needed an insert. I looked at the new units, but I just could not justify dropping $2,000 or more for the kind of insert I wanted. So on to Craigslist. I found just what I wanted, a big heavy Regency with a huge firebox for $400. Seemed like a steal. So I drove 100 miles to the guys house, disconnected it from his fireplace, loaded it on my trailer, and then I saw a 6" long crack from the corner of the stove up to the top. I told the guy "deal off," I can put it back in your fireplace or I'll take it to the dump. Long story short, it went to the dump.
Back to Craigslist. Several nice inserts came and went in a hurry, you have to REALLY be ready to roll to get a good deal. Then I saw mine- 2005 Avalon Olympic $500. Two hours later I was at the guys house looking it over. Perfect shape, used one season, with blower, not one cracked firebrick. Deal. So it came home with me.
Now I need a liner. I looked and looked all over the Internet. Found a nice kit for a fair price at chimneysweeponline and placed an order. Less than 24 hours later it was on my doorstep- and the work began.
Someone else had posted this link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRauuzjI-H4
and it was a HUGE help. It was just about exactly the same kit I had received, and there is nothing like seeing it before you try it. It was way, way harder than the guy in that video made it look. Just getting it straight on the ground took me as long as the whole installation took them. But once it was straight enough, getting the insulation and mesh sleeve on was very simple. Took maybe half an hour, tops, for my 20' length.
Then I headed inside with my sawzall to cut a hole in the steel liner. I knew it was going to be a PITA, but holy crap. I burned 9 bimetal blades just to get through the face of the liner, and I still had to cut the horizontal top part to get the liner down. Back to the store with $15 more for blades... The steel liner was 1/4" thick, and seamlessly welded together. I tried to make cutting the top part easier by banging the face in with a 2 lb maul, and it laughed at that. I could not budge the flap I had cut out. There was a LOT of cursing at this point. Long story short, I ended up going back and buying the longest bimetal blades they had, which allowed me to cut a big enough "V" in the top and face to get the pipe through. I ended up spending $50 on blades, but I did it! Why on earth they thought they needed 1/4" steel for a liner is beyond me. It's beyond overbuilt.
Then was the fun part- climbing 25' up a ladder with a 20' semi-rigid stovepipe over one shoulder. My cape cod style roof has a 1:1 pitch, so you can't stand on it. I had to do everything from the ladder. I rested the stovepipe on the crest of the roof, and got the base of it into my 13" square clay liner (had it been an 8" liner, it would have been a nightmare). Wiggling it down was surprisingly painless. I just had to jiggle it up and down, and turn it now and then, and down she went. I was extremely lucky with my length- if the stovepipe had been 3" shorter it would not have worked. I needed exactly 20' to go up two floors- I didn't even need to cut it. The cap provided with the kit was a perfect fit, as was the appliance attachment on the bottom. A few more trips up and down the ladder and I was done.
It took me 5 hours start to finish, and cost $1,200 for the stovepipe, all attachment hardware and insulation, and the stove. I saved at least $2,000, maybe more like $3,000, by using Craigslist and doing it myself as opposed to going to a stove store and getting them to do everything.
So if you are halfway handy, and have access to a few things like a big ladder, a utility trailer, and some power tools, go for it. It's not that bad.
I wanted to cut my fuel costs by installing an insert in my masonry fireplace. I was fortunate that the fireplace is big, deep, and all brick. No worries about clearances. But, it had a steel liner that was crazy overbuilt- more on that later.
So, first I needed an insert. I looked at the new units, but I just could not justify dropping $2,000 or more for the kind of insert I wanted. So on to Craigslist. I found just what I wanted, a big heavy Regency with a huge firebox for $400. Seemed like a steal. So I drove 100 miles to the guys house, disconnected it from his fireplace, loaded it on my trailer, and then I saw a 6" long crack from the corner of the stove up to the top. I told the guy "deal off," I can put it back in your fireplace or I'll take it to the dump. Long story short, it went to the dump.
Back to Craigslist. Several nice inserts came and went in a hurry, you have to REALLY be ready to roll to get a good deal. Then I saw mine- 2005 Avalon Olympic $500. Two hours later I was at the guys house looking it over. Perfect shape, used one season, with blower, not one cracked firebrick. Deal. So it came home with me.
Now I need a liner. I looked and looked all over the Internet. Found a nice kit for a fair price at chimneysweeponline and placed an order. Less than 24 hours later it was on my doorstep- and the work began.
Someone else had posted this link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRauuzjI-H4
and it was a HUGE help. It was just about exactly the same kit I had received, and there is nothing like seeing it before you try it. It was way, way harder than the guy in that video made it look. Just getting it straight on the ground took me as long as the whole installation took them. But once it was straight enough, getting the insulation and mesh sleeve on was very simple. Took maybe half an hour, tops, for my 20' length.
Then I headed inside with my sawzall to cut a hole in the steel liner. I knew it was going to be a PITA, but holy crap. I burned 9 bimetal blades just to get through the face of the liner, and I still had to cut the horizontal top part to get the liner down. Back to the store with $15 more for blades... The steel liner was 1/4" thick, and seamlessly welded together. I tried to make cutting the top part easier by banging the face in with a 2 lb maul, and it laughed at that. I could not budge the flap I had cut out. There was a LOT of cursing at this point. Long story short, I ended up going back and buying the longest bimetal blades they had, which allowed me to cut a big enough "V" in the top and face to get the pipe through. I ended up spending $50 on blades, but I did it! Why on earth they thought they needed 1/4" steel for a liner is beyond me. It's beyond overbuilt.
Then was the fun part- climbing 25' up a ladder with a 20' semi-rigid stovepipe over one shoulder. My cape cod style roof has a 1:1 pitch, so you can't stand on it. I had to do everything from the ladder. I rested the stovepipe on the crest of the roof, and got the base of it into my 13" square clay liner (had it been an 8" liner, it would have been a nightmare). Wiggling it down was surprisingly painless. I just had to jiggle it up and down, and turn it now and then, and down she went. I was extremely lucky with my length- if the stovepipe had been 3" shorter it would not have worked. I needed exactly 20' to go up two floors- I didn't even need to cut it. The cap provided with the kit was a perfect fit, as was the appliance attachment on the bottom. A few more trips up and down the ladder and I was done.
It took me 5 hours start to finish, and cost $1,200 for the stovepipe, all attachment hardware and insulation, and the stove. I saved at least $2,000, maybe more like $3,000, by using Craigslist and doing it myself as opposed to going to a stove store and getting them to do everything.
So if you are halfway handy, and have access to a few things like a big ladder, a utility trailer, and some power tools, go for it. It's not that bad.
