Lopi Evergreen rear clearance - can't get a clear answer

[tls]

I'm looking at putting in a Lopi Evergreen stove.

It'd back up to a flat wall where we took out an interior chimney chase - for about an 8' run behind the stove location the wall's currently bare concrete block, and we'll put in steel furring strips, some roxul thermal/acoustic insulation, durock, and a little slate over; so, obviously (it would seem to me) about as noncombustible as it gets.

We'd like to line up to the existing roof penetration from the old chimney, with no offsets, which would bring us as close as about 6" to the wall surface (depending how far out we bring the slate, just for aesthetics).

Our local dealer says that per the flat-wall diagram in the Evergreen manual, this is a no-go; there's only a single rear clearance number given for the flat-wall configuration, and it's 9". This is also described as "to combustibles" but since there's no other number given, he says he has to go with that one.

Of course, the next page has the diagram and numbers for an alcove configuration, and there they show considerably reduced clearance if the walls are noncombustible construction. I have a lot of trouble seeing how a flat wall configuration could require more clearance than an alcove...

I can understand why the dealer doesn't want to put the stove 6" off the wall if the only diagram in the Travis manual says 9". He doesn't seem to want to try to get a different answer from them; I'd chase them around myself, but of course it's basically impossible to get Travis on the phone or by email as an end user as far as I can tell.

Can anyone here offer advice or guidance? On everything else I've had a good experience with my dealer, so "find a different Lopi dealer" is probably not the way, though we do have a few in our area.

 

[begreen]

The dealer is misunderstanding the manual. The clearance requirements are to the nearest combustible. As described there will be no combustibles behind the stove. If there are none, then this is no different than installing the stove in a masonry enclosure like a fireplace.

From the manual:
• Must maintain the clearances to combustibles listed below (drywall, furniture)

One thing you will need to watch is the stove pipe clearance requirement which will be 6" for double-wall stove pipe. If there is no combustible trim at the top of the wall then it should be ok.

 

[tls]

The dealer is misunderstanding the manual. The clearance requirements are to the nearest combustible. As described there will be no combustibles behind the stove. If not, then this is no different than installing the stove in a masonry enclosure like a fireplace.

That's what I thought. Where we tore down the chase from the old fireplace, it's bare CMUs all the way up to the cathedral ceiling / roof, where there is some wood framing that's definitely more than 2" off the exterior of the existing double-wall pipe left from the old fireplace (dealer says the new pipe, though insulated, will have almost exactly the same OD and clearance requirements). Though unless I go with stone all the way up, I guess where I transition to drywall I need to be sure the pipe's 6" off the wall.

I'm looking at it clear as day on page 8 of the manual, third bullet point: "Must maintain the clearances to combustibles listed below (drywall, furniture)" (my underline). I guess I'll just point at that sentence and try as gently as possible to ask the dealer what I'm missing. He's one of the more experienced guys around here so I'm inclined to think he must have something in mind, but...

 

[Espartaco]

Nothing to add. Love my Evergreen! Love the giant window, packed with dry wood you get great secondaries.

 

[Espartaco]

Actually something to add, this stove is an E/W loader. I think you can get 22 inch logs. N/S you're looking at 13 inch logs to clear the air box, 14 or so to clear the glass.