Open fireplace SS reline--eliminate smokebox an option?

[gfish]

Want to reline with SS liner, but also preserve open masonry fireplace (with glass doors and outside air vent) for aesthetics. Has anyone relined and kept their fireplace an open fireplace (without adding insert, etc.)? Wondering if I can just extend liner to connect directy through the damper area (have a new, round damper in a short piece of stovepipe that would be sealed through the damper and airtight), or if the smokebox (which is not parged with mortar and vastly oversized due to age of chimney--it extends at least 5-8 feet up a 15 foot flue before flue tile starts) is somehow THAT important to draft or function (This portion of the chimney appears unsafe and I would like to eliminate it (cannot line it with mortar without rebuilding chimney to a great degree/expense). Please help!

 

[DAKSY]

By code, you can't do what you want, unless your fireplace opening
is REALLY small.
Your chimney cross-sectional area -using a ROUND liner - can't be less than 1/12 of the
cross-sectional area of the fire place opening, or it won't draft.
You'll hafta do the math do determine if you'll meet the NFPA 211 spec.,
but I think if you line the chimney, you might as well put an EPA compliant
appliance attached to the liner...

 

[Yagminas Masonry and Wood-heat]

Up here, the installer just has to make sure there is adequate draft for the unit that the chimney serves. That said, whenever I come across one of these jobs I ask the customer how the f/p draws in general. If it's good, I'm comfortable fitting the biggest liner I can into the flue and draft is always better than before. I open up the f/p just above the damper, measure the rectangle inside the throat and have a collector box made of s/s tapered to the size of the new s/s liner. I install the box with tapcons or expanding pins and fill around the box with cement almost up to the liner connection. This method allows the use of the stock damper. I've never had any issues with these installs and I must have done a dozen or so. Future installs will be dura-vent lined for code compliance issues.

 

[gfish]

Thanks so much for the advice--both were very helpful in a decision. Currently, I plan to go forward with a basement flue reline (my other flue in the chimney) and attach a woodstove--this will likely serve any additional heating needs and serve as an emergency heat option for my family. I probably will hold off on the other flue for now, continue to research other options, and only burn occasionally when we want some ambiance/extra warmth in the den.

Originally, I did a bunch of internet searching to find an appliance like a prefabricated fireplace (this would serve all of my requirements: safer due to reline at same time, more aesthetic according to wife than an insert, and would be more efficient with outside air hookup and doors shut than what we have now). Trouble is, I can't find a prefab small enough for my firebox (36" wide masonry opening, and all the prefab fireplaces are slightly larger than this in order to have a 36" wide viewing area). If anyone knows of a prefab fireplace (one that you can leave the doors open for a few hours while in the den to enjoy an open fire--this I believe elimnates inserts/high efficiency, etc), either heat circulating or radiant that would fit a 36" wide opening please let me know. This would be, to me, the best solution for our unique dilema. It would allow the firebox to flue ratio mentioned, as well as very effectively allow a small collection/channeling area that was mentioned as well. Any thoughts on this? Thanks in advance. I realize some additional metal work/stone/ or brick may be needed to make install appear built-in.