No liner masonry fireplace with freestanding wood stove

[mikeyf1992]

Hello,

I have review so many threads and could not find an answer to my question. I am attempting to install a freestanding wood stove (VC Aspen) into masonry fireplace. However when I went to install the liner I could not get it by the smoke chamber it would not go. The smoke chamber is barely 4 inches wide at its widest point and goes towards the back of the fireplace then in order to pass through the damper it comes back to the front so I kind of zig zags and would pinch the liner even if I was able to ovalize it and snake it through. I know I can remove the damper without much issue but is it possible for me to remove some of the bricks in the smoke chamber to pass through the liner. My alternative is to run a small run of flue pipe as far as i can and use my existing masonry chimney. I would rather not do this though for both safety and efficiency. It is not an insert so I do not believe it would be as dangerous since i could install a removable block off plate and clean.

 

[begreen]

Can you post a picture or two of the damper area? If necessary you may remove a brick to increase clearance for an insulated liner. You'll definitely want to have a full liner with the Aspen.

 

[mikeyf1992]

Can you post a picture or two of the damper area? If necessary you may remove a brick to increase clearance for an insulated liner. You'll definitely want to have a full liner with the Aspen.

I can post pictures later this week. It is not an insulated liner though. Would that impact anything?

 

[begreen]

An insulated 6" stainless steel liner would be what is installed in the chimney in order to make it safe, woodstove compatible and up to code. While you are poking around there see if you can measure the ID of the current chimney throat above the smoke chamber.

 

[mikeyf1992]

An insulated 6" stainless steel liner would be what is installed in the chimney in order to make it safe, woodstove compatible and up to code. While you are poking around there see if you can measure the ID of the current chimney throat above the smoke chamber.

Gotcha. unfortunately not able to reach the top of the chimney throat because the damper and smoke chamber is only 4 inches and through it about 3 feet above the damper. Seems like a weird set up.

 

[mikeyf1992]

I have attached 3 photos. It can be hard to make them out but please let me know if you have any questions. You can see there is a metal bracket where the smoke shelf begins. I am not sure if this is structural or not. Or if it was just put there to hold the brick during assembly. My goal is maybe to remove the bracket and the row of bricks attached to it to make room for the liner to be installed.

 

[begreen]

It looks like there is some sort of plate above the damper area. Not sure what that is about, but a grinder should cut through it. Turn the flash on the camera and stick it up in the gap so that it takes a picture of the actual chimney throat. It may be plenty large enough to pass an insulated 6" liner, so this is just checking.

 

[Sodbuster]

Get or borrow a saws-all, and rent a rotary hammer, and get to it to open that sucker up.

 

[shortys7777]

I used a grinder to cut my damper and knocked a few bricks out with a hammer and mason chisel to open mine up. Fire place was not used be the previous owner much so I got the shop vac up there and vacuumed all the junk out of there before the install.