Newbie Looking for Advice on Chimney Insert, Insul and Insert Adapter

[ginobass]

I have come into an older Carolina Stove insert (catalytic) from my best buddy's brother in law. Price - zero. Unit is soild and in good shape, all the firebrick accounted for. My house is a cape about 60 years old, brick, with a masonry fireplace with steel firebox. I used to run the fireplace until a couple years ago a sweep showed me where the steel was slightly warped where it met the clay tile flue, he recommended I not use the fireplace anymore, which was fine, I had been wanting to get an insert for better heat anyway - it gets mighty cold here in Buffalo. He was supposed to come back and advise me on an insert, the install, estimates, the works, but never came back. Must be nice.

The chimney is on the north side of the house (see pics) and is approx. 26 feet from ground level to top. Measuring it was lots of fun, my ladder got to within 5 feet of the top. I had to get up on the flatter rear roof and climb over the peak to reach the top of the chimney to measure the flue. It looks like it's about 5 1/2" x 9", ID, and protrudes out of the cap about 3 inches. Man, I'm going to rent one of those electric lift buckets when it's time for the liner install....

The round opening at the top of the insert is 8 3/8" ID, 8 3/4" OD taking into account the lip/flange. which is about 1/4" high.

So here are my questions:
- What size liner would folks recommend here? Length I'm thinking go 25 and trim back as needed. Diameter, I don't know. I was hoping the flue would be 8x8 or greater but no dice.
- Should the liner be insulated? That would certainly affect the liner diameter.
- The opening in my insert - is that considered "9 inch'? Does the connector go inside the opening or outside/over the opening?
- Are there adapters/reducers/connectors available to accomodate the opening of my insert and the (to-be-determined) liner?

Here's the chimney pics:

I do appreciate your learned input here, thanks

 

[Hogwildz]

I have come into an older Carolina Stove insert (catalytic) from my best buddy's brother in law. Price - zero. Unit is soild and in good shape, all the firebrick accounted for. My house is a cape about 60 years old, brick, with a masonry fireplace with steel firebox. I used to run the fireplace until a couple years ago a sweep showed me where the steel was slightly warped where it met the clay tile flue, he recommended I not use the fireplace anymore, which was fine, I had been wanting to get an insert for better heat anyway - it gets mighty cold here in Buffalo. He was supposed to come back and advise me on an insert, the install, estimates, the works, but never came back. Must be nice.

The chimney is on the north side of the house (see pics) and is approx. 26 feet from ground level to top. Measuring it was lots of fun, my ladder got to within 5 feet of the top. I had to get up on the flatter rear roof and climb over the peak to reach the top of the chimney to measure the flue. It looks like it's about 5 1/2" x 9", ID, and protrudes out of the cap about 3 inches. Man, I'm going to rent one of those electric lift buckets when it's time for the liner install....

The round opening at the top of the insert is 8 3/8" ID, 8 3/4" OD taking into account the lip/flange. which is about 1/4" high.

So here are my questions:
- What size liner would folks recommend here? Length I'm thinking go 25 and trim back as needed. Diameter, I don't know. I was hoping the flue would be 8x8 or greater but no dice.
I don't see you getting a liner large enough for that stove, yet small enough to fit down the existing clay liner.
- Should the liner be insulated? That would certainly affect the liner diameter.
You ain't going to fit insulation, let alone the liner down that existing liner.
- The opening in my insert - is that considered "9 inch'? Does the connector go inside the opening or outside/over the opening?
Thats considered 8" and the liner would go inside the insert outlet,
- Are there adapters/reducers/connectors available to accomodate the opening of my insert and the (to-be-determined) liner?
Yes they make adapters but again with the existing liner at 5-1/2" to go even smaller is not a possibility as far as I know.

Even if you went uninsulated and with a 5" lining, with any minor offsets in the clay liner's joints or any mortar that oozed out when the original was built, I doubt you will get a 5" down there.
Doesn't look good. Sorry I have no happy info to share.
If the original clay liner is in good shape with no cracks etc. You could direct connect, but you will need to pull the insert out every time you clean it.

Here's the chimney pics:

I do appreciate your learned input here, thanks

 

[DavidV]

my setup was similar. I had 8 inch hole on the stove and bought 8 inch line, then as carefully as possible, I ovalized it. then unovalized it at the bottom and used an adapter and jumped thru hoops, etc. If I had it to do over I would use a 6 inch line and call it a day. If I were you I'd use 6 inch liner and probably ovalize it every so slightly so that I could get it down the chimney.....and here is the key.....you have to Pull it down. hook up a rome on one end ( I used a shload of duct tape and 550 cord to attach the pull rope to mine. But you have to have someone strong on the bottom pulling. I was uptop pusing and kinked the damned thing, etc and struggled for hours to try to get it down. I had a rope attached to it but couldn't be supporting it on top and be pulling on bottom. Finally the wife took her arm out of a sling and pulled it down while I was up top. It took some muscle but she is pretty strong.

Again, I'd use a six inch, get it down there by hook or by crook attatch it to a reducer and call it a day.

David

 

[southland]

my setup was similar. I had 8 inch hole on the stove and bought 8 inch line, then as carefully as possible, I ovalized it. then unovalized it at the bottom and used an adapter and jumped thru hoops, etc. If I had it to do over I would use a 6 inch line and call it a day. If I were you I'd use 6 inch liner and probably ovalize it every so slightly so that I could get it down the chimney.....and here is the key.....you have to Pull it down. hook up a rome on one end ( I used a shload of duct tape and 550 cord to attach the pull rope to mine. But you have to have someone strong on the bottom pulling. I was uptop pusing and kinked the damned thing, etc and struggled for hours to try to get it down. I had a rope attached to it but couldn't be supporting it on top and be pulling on bottom. Finally the wife took her arm out of a sling and pulled it down while I was up top. It took some muscle but she is pretty strong.

Again, I'd use a six inch, get it down there by hook or by crook attatch it to a reducer and call it a day.

David

You should consult a professional installer before you connect a insert that is designed for an 8" liner to a 6" liner. You may not have enough draft for the insert to work well.

How did you ovalize your liner?

Thanks.