New guy here with some install questions

[Mattyj92]

Hi there! I’m new to this forum but I’ve been heating with wood my whole life. My wife and I recently just had a son and now have a home of our own. The house is 10 years old and has a “Superior by Lennox” prefab fireplace. I’d like to install a wood stove in its place. Recently, I’ve purchased a Hearthstone Phoenix really cheap that needs some repair. Can I use the existing chimney for this woodstove or will I have to install a completely new one?

 

[bholler]

Hi there! I’m new to this forum but I’ve been heating with wood my whole life. My wife and I recently just had a son and now have a home of our own. The house is 10 years old and has a “Superior by Lennox” prefab fireplace. I’d like to install a wood stove in its place. Recently, I’ve purchased a Hearthstone Phoenix really cheap that needs some repair. Can I use the existing chimney for this woodstove or will I have to install a completely new one?
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It is very unlikely that you would be able to use the existing chimney. Most used for prefabs are not rated to high enough temp for a woodstove most are also to large.

 

[Ashful]

Couldn’t he just slide an insulated liner down inside the prefab chimney?

 

[bholler]

Couldn’t he just slide an insulated liner down inside the prefab chimney?

That is debatable but i wouldnt. Regardless of code issues it leaves you with the old drafty pos fireplace still there.

 

[kennyp2339]

Couldn’t he just slide an insulated liner down inside the prefab chimney?

I often tried to wrap my head around that to, I've come to the conclusion that while it can be done using an insulated liner, would it be really beneficial?
The perfect storm of measurements would have to be perfect to pull it off for a neat an clean looking install, the fireplace would have to remain in place since that's how the base of the chimney is terminated, then a new hearth would have to be built in front of the fireplace, to often taking up sqft of living space and the stove (only a few models) would have to have a rear outlet.
You can't really install a stove into a zero clearance fireplace because all to often either the zero clearance fireplace hasn't been tested to have another wood burning device in it, or the wood stove hasn't been tested to be put into the zero clearance fireplace. The manufacturer of the stove will usually want to fall back onto an alcove type clearance (this does not include solid masonry fireplaces)
So then what do you do? Its easier to rip everything out and start over, take the zero clearance unit out, make the proper alcove (if desired) use a ceiling support box, the proper class a pipe, the proper black connecting pipe.

 

[Ludlow]

True. And you may just find charred wood in there from an improper DIY install. You plunk a stove into a ZC and you have to have a lot of faith in the faceless guy that originally installed it. Rip it out and do it right. Sleep like a baby at night.

 

[bholler]

True. And you may just find charred wood in there from an improper DIY install. You plunk a stove into a ZC and you have to have a lot of faith in the faceless guy that originally installed it. Rip it out and do it right. Sleep like a baby at night.

Its not just the diy ones you need to worry about.

 

[begreen]

Its not just the diy ones you need to worry about.

Isn't that the truth!

 

[jzampieron]

If you look at my thread from a while back, you can see where I rip out a ZC fireplace and install a PH in it's place.

After seeing the original ZC chimney, there's no reasonable/safe way you could mate that up to a new stove. At least not with UL listed parts.

Original Thread from 2014 is here: https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/woodstock-progress-hybrid-install.129609

 

[Mattyj92]

True. And you may just find charred wood in there from an improper DIY install. You plunk a stove into a ZC and you have to have a lot of faith in the faceless guy that originally installed it. Rip it out and do it right. Sleep like a baby at night.

Sorry it took so long to get back on here. But yea that is what I’ve been thinking about. I’ve been fixing a lot of stuff around this house since we got here and definetly have no faith in whoever built it. I’m having someone coming this week to quote me for a new chimney so I can do a proper install.

 

[bholler]

Sorry it took so long to get back on here. But yea that is what I’ve been thinking about. I’ve been fixing a lot of stuff around this house since we got here and definetly have no faith in whoever built it. I’m having someone coming this week to quote me for a new chimney so I can do a proper install.

Good choice