Installed secondaries in older stove

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Isaac Carlson

Minister of Fire
Nov 19, 2012
1,131
NW Wisconsin
I was asked to repair and update an old burned out stove last year. It was over fired bad. I removed the bad steel and welded in new. I also installed an air wash and secondary air with a baffle, full air controls, door gaskets, and heat shields for reduced clearance. It turned out nice, but his insurance company would not let him install it because it was not ul listed. (He had informed me that they were ok with it when I started the project) Here is a video of it with only 5 ft of pipe and some cardboard and bark for a test burn. The firebox was not insulated yet. The burn time on a couple handfuls of bark was over an hour. The stove temp was 475 pretty much the whole time.

 
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Well done that stove will be much more efficient and save on firewood. Did you have any before and after pictures of some of the work you did on the stove? This video was great but could not make out what kind of stove you worked on.
 
Nice improvement! Did you add airwash for the glass or did the stove already have a basic airwash?

I can see how the insurance company would balk at the lack of UL testing. It's unknown what the clearances would be. But some insurance companies will accept them as long as they are installed by NFPA guidelines for clearances, hearth protection, etc.
 
I designed and made the air wash. I never got to talk to his insurance company. He talked with them, but didn't really know what he was talking about, so they probably figured someone rigged up a questionable stove and wanted to vent it out a window or something. It turned out REALLY nice. I think the clearances would have been 12" on just the stove.

It was a night watch stove. The previous owner must have burned it with a tall stack and the door open because the insides were melted and some of the welds were broken. It was a mess. The whole stove would have melted if it wasn't lined with fire bricks.

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Super very professional work. I like the side heat shields and the type of bolts you used they add some class to that old stove. So I am guessing that the insurance company won't let you install it. From watching the video I would guess you installed it yourself for your home or shop. I have never heard of a Night Watch stove it does have glass on the doors which I think look nice. I can't see how that glass ever stayed clean before you put in the air wash system.
 
Thank you for the compliment.

It was never installed. The video was of a small test fire just to make sure it was airtight and burned well. It was a 5 ft stack just set on the collar and a handful of bark pieces and just a few pieces of firebrick. It burned really well and I would love to install it somewhere rather than see it sit in his garage collecting dust. It's an awesome stove.
 
Ahh yes you did say it was just a test with a handful of bark. I was just watching the video again and with only 5 ft. of stack the secondary burners were flowing nicely. I agree it is a shame the stove is just sitting in the garage especially after all the work you did to it. Hopefully it will find someplace to be put to use.