newbie looking for suggestions on my situation (Sorry, I fixed the link, I think)

[MattKeck]

I want to install a wood burning insert into my open fireplace. I have a brick chimney with 3 exterior walls and 20 ft height, lined with 10x10 clay tile for the top 10-12 feet. I know our upstairs bath tub is along the chimney somewhere but I can't see how exactly, but we hear people in the tub through the fireplace. So to make sure I have a clear run for some 6" flex pipe, I dropped my son's 6" soccer ball down. It made it easily to a point about 4 ft up from the fireplace and got lodged. You can see it clearly in one of the pics linked below.

So what do you think needs to be done to line this chimney? Do I somehow try and dislodge a brick or two at that bottleneck by reaching up through the damper? We're scared to do that. Do I try and jam some 4" oval pipe through there? I kinda like that idea, but I'm told there needs to be some air between the liner and the chimney wall, which there would be much of for the entire 20 ft length except for about 3 inches of it.

Any recommendations would be appreciated. Thanks.

(broken link removed to https://picasaweb.google.com/112453503522456919254/Fireplace?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCKGlvp2qhLbNfw&feat=directlink)

 

[daveswoodhauler]

Link isn't working.....but I got a kick out of hearing the soccer ball get tossed down there

 

[Jags]

Linky broke: Sorry, that page was not found.

Asking the question - could you ovalize a section of pipe to make it fit. Without the pic, I can't see how much you need.

 

[ScotO]

I want to install a wood burning insert into my open fireplace. I have a brick chimney with 3 exterior walls and 20 ft height, lined with 10x10 clay tile for the top 10-12 feet. I know our upstairs bath tub is along the chimney somewhere but I can't see how exactly, but we hear people in the tub through the fireplace. So to make sure I have a clear run for some 6" flex pipe, I dropped my son's 6" soccer ball down. It made it easily to a point about 4 ft up from the fireplace and got lodged. You can see it clearly in one of the pics linked below.

So what do you think needs to be done to line this chimney? Do I somehow try and dislodge a brick or two at that bottleneck by reaching up through the damper? We're scared to do that. Do I try and jam some 4" oval pipe through there? I kinda like that idea, but I'm told there needs to be some air between the liner and the chimney wall, which there would be much of for the entire 20 ft length except for about 3 inches of it.

Any recommendations would be appreciated. Thanks.

(broken link removed to https://picasaweb.google.com/112453503522456919254/October192011?authuser=0&feat=directlink)

Sounds to me like you better get an experienced professional to check that out....that is one thing you do NOT want to guess at.....and in the end he will probably tell you (like most on here are going to tell you) to spend the money and get an insulated stainless liner installed...well worth the money and it will last for decades...

 

[fossil]

Sounds to me like the ball fell right on down to the smoke shelf area of the chimney and came to rest on the damper frame. Installation of a woodburning insert into an existing masonry fireplace typically involves removing the old damper and cutting out part of the damper frame to make room for getting a chimney liner down through and connected to the insert. The linked article below is about installing a freestanding woodstove, but installing an insert has a whole lot in common with it. Start here...paying attention to the cross-sectional drawing of a masonry chimney. I think you'll immediately understand where your soccer ball stopped. Rick

https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/articles/installing_a_woodstove

 

[MattKeck]

Thanks for the replies. To clarify, I'm definitely planning a stainless steel liner, but I'm wondering if it's ok that my liner will barely squeeze through that one spot. I've heard that there should be air between the stainless liner and the brick, and there won't be in this one spot.

I'm not sure what you'd call the spot where the bottleneck is, but it's not the damper, it's about 4 feet up from the damper, which one can hopefully see now that the link is (hopefully) working.

 

[ScotO]

Thanks for the replies. To clarify, I'm definitely planning a stainless steel liner, but I'm wondering if it's ok that my liner will barely squeeze through that one spot. I've heard that there should be air between the stainless liner and the brick, and there won't be in this one spot.

I'm not sure what you'd call the spot where the bottleneck is, but it's not the damper, it's about 4 feet up from the damper, which one can hopefully see now that the link is (hopefully) working.

Just for your own piece of mind make sure you get a sweep or a chimney mason to check it out for you.....just to be safe.....I am not real sure if you need an airspace between the SS liner and the masonry flue....whatever space is left is best to fill with vermiculite or another non-combustible insulation....keep us posted and stay safe...

 

[begreen]

Still no pictures Matt. Use the post reply function to add them directly to the site. Here are some instructions:
https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewannounce/27_2/