Can you folks give me some of the do's and donts? I'm wanting to put a wood heater where a fireplace is. I'm VERY new, but not crazy. This fireplace is a gas/wood. It can be used with either one. What are you guys thoughts? The wood heater is a Fisher grandpa bear.
Installing a wood heater in a fireplace
- Thread starter Fishing-addict
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Not sure if this is possible or not. Is this a masonry fireplace with a gas log set or a prefab unit with a metal chimney? If this is a masonry fireplace, is it large enough for the stove to fit in? A picture can help us see what you're starting with.
Be green, it's a metal chimney. No masonry at all. I will take some pictures in just a little bit. I appreciate the reply. I hope it's possible.
Sounds like that is a prefab ZC fireplace. I don't think you can do this for a number of reasons. Size and chimney connection are the two most obvious. The ZC chimney is most likely air cooled and not rated for wood stove use.
Here are a couple of pics. And I lied. Inside the "fire box" portion of the fireplace there is a little masonry work done. Do these pics help? I'm really hoping to be able to use this wood heater. Safely of course. If there's any other specific pictures that would help, please let me know and I'll be glad to take them.
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Sorry, that is just not going to work out. It has an air-cooled chimney, not rated for wood stove use. Also, the Grandpa Bear is a big stove. It wouldn't fit. A small insert like the Lopi Answer might fit and work with a stainless steel liner, but we would need to know the make and model of the fireplace. Usually this is on a tag in the door frame.
Grandpa specs:
Grandpa UL Unlisted pre 1980 with 2 square doors;
Width ; 29 1/2" across top plate.
Depth ; 30 1/2" overall with ash fender (shelf)
Approx. weight 454 pounds
Logs to 24" across stove
Heats approx. 2000 s.f.
Requires 6 bricks across back, 4 sides
Flue size 8 inch top or rear
Door opening ; 22" wide X 11" high
Grandpa specs:
Grandpa UL Unlisted pre 1980 with 2 square doors;
Width ; 29 1/2" across top plate.
Depth ; 30 1/2" overall with ash fender (shelf)
Approx. weight 454 pounds
Logs to 24" across stove
Heats approx. 2000 s.f.
Requires 6 bricks across back, 4 sides
Flue size 8 inch top or rear
Door opening ; 22" wide X 11" high
Dang , dang, dang , dang .. thanks for the help though. What else can I Do? Anything to make this heater work?
I'm not wanting it to fit inside the fireplace. I'm wanting to use it like it's intended to be used. And just like it out the existing chimney. Still nothing?
You could put the stove in front of the existing fireplace providing you can put a 90 degree bend right on top of the stove and have a short run of pipe going horizontally into the fireplace than another 90 going up you would need a stainless steel liner though that would be the problem I have done this with my wood stove
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The stove needs 36" clearances from combustibles in all directions. The stove would need an insulated 8" liner up the current chimney. I am almost certain that would not fit up the existing chimney which is most likely 8" ID.
Jan Pijpelink
Minister of Fire
Call a chimney sweep with a good reputation. Let the chimney cleaned and inspected. Ask a quote for an insulated liner (installed/not installed).
Ask a second quote from another company for comparison. Then you'll know.
A properly sized and insulated liner will not fit and regardless that zc unit looks well past its useful life. I would just look at installing a new prefab chimney.
This is not an option for this fireplace. The chimney pipe is mated to the stove and possibly venting heat off the cabinet.
Just to clarify for the OP, you mean a new class A chimney in another location, correct?
Other than that crack in the pic the rest of the chimney is actually in really good shape. My dad was saying that it actually is the right pipe. I don't really think he knows what he's talking about though. Lol. But on a side note, my grandparents live in a double wide trailer and use the same Fisher heater. They're chimney looks just like this one. And so does someone else's that I know of. I'm not saying it's the same because I really don't know. But whatever they are using must work because they've used them for years.
Just because it has worked for years doesn't mean it is right or safe.
And I can see distortion of the fireplace screen and the screen on top of the chimney and discoloration above the firebox. All of that plus the deterioration of the refrsctory panels tell me it has been used hard.
We can only tell you the right way to do this. Every installation is different. Your home looks really nice. The stove that works best may not be the same as dad's or other relatives. There are many stoves out there besides old Fishers. Modern stoves are going to use a lot less wood and burn a lot cleaner.
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