New insert, what to do w old heatform vents?

[wildwildwest]

Should we keep the vents open and rewire the two pitiful fans on the bottom vents?
Will it circulate heat passively with a new woodstove insert (w blower)?
Could we save drafts from inserting foam blocks?

Thank you for any ideas!

 

[Dix]

That looks nothing like my FP set up, which we have talked about.

Glad you posted this.

I think, in the end, you will be safer.

 

[wildwildwest]

That looks nothing like my FP set up, which we have talked about.

Glad you posted this.

I think, in the end, you will be safer.

I thought you had a similar passive vent system in your hearth?

 

[Dix]

You're talking fans.

Mine doesn't have fans.

 

[wildwildwest]

thanks Dixie. They are after market fans added by a previous owner who bought this home several decades after it was built. Our hearths just look so similar....

Can anyone else chime in?

 

[wildwildwest]

bump

 

[Fod01]

I have passive vents as well. This morning I had 85 deg. air coming out the top. I figure that the insert is going to heat up the old steel liner anyway, so might as well let the heat out. My bet is that yours will circulate passively as well. They are a closed system, so there should be no drafts per se, but rather indoor air cooled by the brick (when the insert isn't burning) which falls out the bottom vents.

As to whether you can block them, I did a quick 5 minute search but couldn't find a definite answer either way. If you block them, you'd probably wind up heating your bricks a bit more (not a bad thing). Hopefully others will chime in.

I am looking to dress mine up a bit by replacing the old vent covers with some cast or ceramic trivets. The problem is finding something sized correctly.

Good luck to you.
Gabe

 

[Fod01]

Read this...
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/covering-cold-and-warm-vents-on-heatform-fireplace.61573/

My stove is the Montpelier. Another user found in the manual that the vents should not be blocked.

Gabe

 

[wildwildwest]

Read this...
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/covering-cold-and-warm-vents-on-heatform-fireplace.61573/

My stove is the Montpelier. Another user found in the manual that the vents should not be blocked.

Gabe

Thanks Gabe!! I have poured over these messages here for more hours than I will admit... I did not see that one!

We will keep the grills/passive vents There are what appears as add-on fans that are not hooked up tucked behind the lower grills. I am going to see how well they do passively before I hook them up. Though we are calling our electrician for concealed electrical outlet for the new insert blower, so we can get fans that are more user friendly if needed.

Thanks again Gabe!

 

[Dix]

This is what I started with

This is it now


The grates (or lack there of) havent been an issue. I saved the old grates incase they could be reused, some how.

 

[wildwildwest]

This is what I started with

This is it now

View attachment 142974
The grates (or lack there of) havent been an issue. I saved the old grates incase they could be reused, some how.

Thats the pic Dixie!! Our hearth has similar grates!!

PS, your new hearth is beautiful! Almost as pretty as your horse.

 

[Dix]

If you opt to tile or do anything with the face of the FP, do it after the insert is installed. Ask me how I know this

 

[wildwildwest]

If you opt to tile or do anything with the face of the FP, do it after the insert is installed. Ask me how I know this

Watch out Dixie, I may need advice on that soon! Your new hearth is beautiful.
We will try clean as much soot off the hearth as we can, then re assess our budget again next winter. Thanks for everything.

 

[wildwildwest]

Ask me how I know this

I can't help myself but to ask, how do you know?

 

[Dix]

We tiled first, before the surround went up. Misjudged height, and ended up taking all of the tile down, so the insert could be installed, then had to rethink the new tile facing.

Hence the smaller row of tile directly over the top of the surround.