P35i Installation

[Eng5ive]

Hi folks. This is my first post here. I spent several weeks researching online and in a few different B&M stores and came up with the Harman P35i. It's going into an existing fireplace that the previous owner used for a wood burning stove.

Right now the damper has a hole cut in it which I think will fit my flue pipe. I do have a few questions though since I have never used a fireplace or installed one of these.

The flue cap- how do I secured that to the top of the chimney? With the high temp silicone? Right now I have a screw on grate just to keep water and animals out.

The Harman instructions say to insulate the flex pipe between the stove and the damper. They recommend kaowool which I've never heard of before. Can I pick this stuff up at HD or Lowes? Is any fireproof insulation okay?

Lastly, I have about a 1" drop between the front of the fireplace and where the insert will sit. Should I level this with something? My concern is that the stove won't make that clearance to slide out for maintenance. Attached is a picture of how it sits now. You can see the slight drop in the picture.

 

[fmsm]

I have 2 P35i's and you will love yours! Install is pretty straight forward if your a little handy.

Use Roxol for the insulation, it is available at Lowes or Depot. I also used it to create an insulation block off plate at the damper.

I used a silicone adhesive to secure the cap, I went crazy and purchased a cap that also has an independent shelf for a outside air pipe, it is called a prairie cap. You can accomplish the same thing if you have enough room by simply drilling an additional hole and putting your OA pipe thru it. Just make sure your exhaust is higher and separated.

You will need to level the floor so it's even, if not the unit will not slide out. I am not sure that you would need to do the entire area but at least the area the rails sit on. I would try cement board even if you need two layers to build it up with, even if it was slightly higher you should be fine.

 

[Eng5ive]

I have 2 P35i's and you will love yours! Install is pretty straight forward if your a little handy.

Use Roxol for the insulation, it is available at Lowes or Depot. I also used it to create an insulation block off plate at the damper.

I used a silicone adhesive to secure the cap, I went crazy and purchased a cap that also has an independent shelf for a outside air pipe, it is called a prairie cap. You can accomplish the same thing if you have enough room by simply drilling an additional hole and putting your OA pipe thru it. Just make sure your exhaust is higher and separated.

You will need to level the floor so it's even, if not the unit will not slide out. I am not sure that you would need to do the entire area but at least the area the rails sit on. I would try cement board even if you need two layers to build it up with, even if it was slightly higher you should be fine.

That is a huge help. I went back to the dealer today to buy insulation and they looked at me like I had two heads. I told the guys it specifically says in the install manual to insulate between the stove and damper and the tech said he had installed several hundred and never done that. So now I'm not sure who to believe but my gut says to insulate it.

Right now I am not going to run the OAK since our house is old and moderately leaky. The cost of the kit kind of gave me heartburn...350$ from the dealer....150$ online or something close to that. Plus I feel like I could make one with an afternoon in the garage.

I'm looking at tile or something to level the floor. I think this part I'll need to be creative with but I can McGiver something.

I am pretty handy and this doesn't look very challenging overall, I think a lot of my apprehension comes from simply a lack of experience with these appliances.

 

[Kennyz]

If the house is old and leaky that's all the more reason to install the oak. The stove will create negative pressure inside your house, so while your new baby is pumping out heat every window, door ,crack it going to let in cold. Simply put, all the air coming out the exhaust pipe will have to find a way into the house somehow..not sure of the combustion blower spec but it might be ~175cfm. Besides, ask anyone here, they'll tell you you'll have less problems and the stove will burn better in the long run. I know the extra cash can be a hard pill to swallow, but you'll probably save that and more if you can do it now. Congrats on the new purchase and welcome aboard.

 

[Eng5ive]

If the house is old and leaky that's all the more reason to install the oak. The stove will create negative pressure inside your house, so while your new baby is pumping out heat every window, door ,crack it going to let in cold. Simply put, all the air coming out the exhaust pipe will have to find a way into the house somehow..not sure of the combustion blower spec but it might be ~175cfm. Besides, ask anyone here, they'll tell you you'll have less problems and the stove will burn better in the long run. I know the extra cash can be a hard pill to swallow, but you'll probably save that and more if you can do it now. Congrats on the new purchase and welcome aboard.

Thanks Kennyz. We did order the outside air kit on yours and a few other recommendations. Much cheaper online than in the store, I'm glad we waited.

One of my concerns (I think I'm being over cautious) is the insulation from the stove to the flue pipe. Can I wrap it with the Roxul that was recommended or should I buy a stove pipe liner? The Harman manual says its required but I went back to the dealer and they said they have installed hundreds of them without insulating this area, just run the flue liner up.

 

[Lake Girl]

I went back to the dealer and they said they have installed hundreds of them without insulating this area

That is the dealer/installer taking the easiest route but ... it is not their home so the more questionable dealers could care less. Roxul is a good product. Are you making up a block off plate or just insulating with the Roxul at the smoke shelf/damper? Plate is probably more effective but Roxul is better than nothing!

Outside air kit (OAK) is a good investment for the long term. Kennyz is accurate when he states you'll be pulling cold air in around windows, doors without it.

Keep us posted on your installation. Pic of the first burn or it didn't happen (Might want to do a "curing" burn outside first as it does smell).

 

[Eng5ive]

That is the dealer/installer taking the easiest route but ... it is not their home so the more questionable dealers could care less. Roxul is a good product. Are you making up a block off plate or just insulating with the Roxul at the smoke shelf/damper? Plate is probably more effective but Roxul is better than nothing!

Outside air kit (OAK) is a good investment for the long term. Kennyz is accurate when he states you'll be pulling cold air in around windows, doors.

Keep us posted on your installation. Pic of the first burn or it didn't happen (Might want to do a "curing" burn outside first as it does smell).

I was planning on documenting the install. First thing's first is to get the back of the firebox leveled out and waiting for the outside air kit to arrive.

I need to see if my damper is removeable. If it is I'm planning on running the 3" pipe up through the existing hole and cutting another hole for the OAK to make a nice clean install.

 

[Lake Girl]

Good luck with the leveling. Documenting helps others who run into the same snags or have the same concerns and questions...

 

[CBL]

[quote="Eng5ive, post: 1979986, member: 46646" ] The Harman manual says its required but I went back to the dealer and they said they have installed hundreds of them without insulating this area, just run the flue liner up.[/quote]

I believe it's only required on a zero clearance installation but not required (yet still recommended) on a masonry fireplace install. Use a piece of ceraminc chinmey liner insullaion. Don't attempt to wrap the pipe with roxul, it breaks apart easily and will make a big mess.

 

[Eng5ive]

This is where I'm coming up with this in the manual. Maybe I'm reading it wrong but it seems to specify they require this for an existing fireplace. Again I'm not sure if I'm being a nervous ninny about this or what. Right now I have 4" single wall SS liner that I got from the dealer for the liner.

 

[fmsm]

I had no trouble wrapping mine with Roxul and foil tape.

 

[Eng5ive]

I had no trouble wrapping mine with Roxul and foil tape.

Yeah I'm thinking about doing that. Double wall pipe and insulated stove pipe is like 250-300$ and I need maaaaybe 5 feet of it.

 

[Eng5ive]

Well, I thought I was done spending money but I went with this insulation wrap for peace of mind. Guess it's better to spend the money and maintain the UL cert than it is to just wing it, even if it seems like everyone else is. https://www.rockfordchimneysupply.com/chimney-liner-insulation-blanket-kit.php

That kit and the outside air kit should be here next week.

 

[Eng5ive]

Almost a month later, got her installed. Took about half of today. Most of that was spent cleaning the house after I used a shop vac with no filter to vacuum out the smoke shelf. The soot went in one side of the hose and out the other side of the vacuum in almost perfect succession as to not have a single speck actually stay inside the canister. Oh well, lesson learned.

If anyone is interested I'd be more than happy to expand on what went right and what went wrong. This place was a huge help, most of the information I found by searching around.

 

[anthonyj124]

Looks great! I didn't go with the outside air kit or the insulation on mine, but every install is different.

What did you do for the floor drop?

 

[Eng5ive]

Looks great! I didn't go with the outside air kit or the insulation on mine, but every install is different.

What did you do for the floor drop?

Thanks I'm really happy with it. Fired it up to get the paint/ first fire odor out while it was warm the other night and run it for about 2 hours.

I installed the OAK kit but couldn't get my piping to line up in the chimney. So I have about 4 feet that extend up past my damper and will be installing an intake into my flue cap. So even though they don't mate up I figure it's better than nothing.

The insulation got pretty chewed up moving it up and down through the damper plate trying to get the position just right, but we were able to just foil tape it back on.

For the floor I used some scrap steel that was laying around my garage and built it up about 1/8" below the ledge. The leveling screws made up the rest of the difference.