Questions about Roxul

[Bagelboy]

When my Osborne 2400 insert was installed, the installers just placed it inside the fireplace and ran the liner straight up the chimney. Since it is a 2400 insert, and weighs a thousand pounds, I don't think I can pull it out. The liner is not insulated. I plan on putting a block off plate, and roxul. My questions are this, can I put roxul on top of the insert since my burn times are not very long. I can get the insert up to about five or six hundred degrees, but then it starts to come down very quickly to about 300 within 2 hours. I need to reload usually around every 5 hours because the insert will be around 250 degrees. My other question is that I have around 2 inches on each side of the insert next to the brick. Should I shove roxul in there? I love the insert and I love the fact that I can really pack it full, but my burn times are not very long.[ATTACH)125114[/ATTACH]

 

[etiger2007]

I called SBI and asked this question and they said "no" do the sides and back but do not lay insulation directly on top of the unit. It sounds like there is something else going on, have you checked your door for gaps yet ?

 

[Bagelboy]

I did the dollar check all around the door and this baby is tight. So they said the back and sides are fine to do? That should help some. I saw that Roxul is rated at 2100 degrees and even if my stove went nuclear, it would only reach 1000 degrees. I wonder why you can't do the top? Either way, this Spring when I stop burning, I ll have to install some sort of blockoff plate up in the top of the hearth and shove some Roxul up there.

 

[weatherguy]

Are you sure your wood is seasoned?
Also for insulating the sides there's been a couple threads lately of members that have done just that if you want to search and see what they did, I think one guy used durarock over the roxul to hold it in.
You should get burn times a lot longer with that insert.

 

[Bagelboy]

Moisture check on freshly split wood is 18%! I know for a fact the wood is good, I split it 3 years ago.

 

[etiger2007]

You have a big stove , how full are you filling the firebox when you load it up, how big are the splits your burning? Others report getting good heat out of that unit for six plus hrs. You might have a really strong draft, you can take some foil heat tape and partially close of the primary air located under the front of your stove above the blower channel. I have Roxul stuffed tight up against the back and sides of my stove and the roxul still looks brand new. I think SBI is concerned of people overfiring their stove is why they dont recommend lay insulation on the top.

 

[Bagelboy]

I definetly stuff it good, and like I said, it's a great stove. However, I think I could get the heat to stay in the box longer, and get a longer burn time if it was insulated. Right now, the insert is basically just been inserted into my fireplace opening with no insulation whatsoever. I figure if I put Roxul around the sides, and close off the damper area, it should help the box retain a lot more heat, which hopefully will result in loading up a lot less often. The one question is I only have about 2 inches on each side of the box because it is so tight in the opening. Does it matter if I stuff Rolex up against the sides of the insert? I guess it makes sense that SBI says not to put insulation on top of the stove since these EPA stoves can go nuclear so easily.

 

[Sully]

After reading this I ended up pulling surround and stuffing sides and back. I think the outside chimney cools it off fast so I am going to give it a try. On my old insert I had roxul touching the sides. Had no problem

 

[mellow]

That insert comes in at around 550 lbs, its heavy but nothing that cant be moved out of the fireplace, your challenge will be to remove the liner from the stove, correction, your challenge will be to get the liner back in the stove

As with anything stuck in a box the heat will be radiated to all corners, just not the front, so it would be best to stop that transfer of heat to unused portions of the firebox. A metal or cement/fiber board block off plate will stop the heat going up, Roxul & or cement/fiber board on the back & sides will keep more of that radiated heat in the firebox.

The top block off plate should have a few inches air gap.

 

[chazcarr]

Here is what I ended up doing.

I am going to remove the stove this spring and add some Durock panels as well to make sure things stay in place. Noticed a big difference immediately afte doing this.

When my Osborne 2400 insert was installed, the installers just placed it inside the fireplace and ran the liner straight up the chimney. Since it is a 2400 insert, and weighs a thousand pounds, I don't think I can pull it out. The liner is not insulated. I plan on putting a block off plate, and roxul. My questions are this, can I put roxul on top of the insert since my burn times are not very long. I can get the insert up to about five or six hundred degrees, but then it starts to come down very quickly to about 300 within 2 hours. I need to reload usually around every 5 hours because the insert will be around 250 degrees. My other question is that I have around 2 inches on each side of the insert next to the brick. Should I shove roxul in there? I love the insert and I love the fact that I can really pack it full, but my burn times are not very long.[ATTACH)125114[/ATTACH]

 

[mellow]

I am going to remove the stove this spring and add some Durock panels

If you can I would recommend getting some Micore 300, the R value is much higher than Durock and will help reflect more heat back to the insert. I didn't feel like waiting for Home Depot to get a sheet of it shipped in so I went with Durock to see how it performs, it performs good enough that I will swap it all out with Micore this summer in hopes of trapping even more heat.

 

[etiger2007]

I definetly stuff it good, and like I said, it's a great stove. However, I think I could get the heat to stay in the box longer, and get a longer burn time if it was insulated. Right now, the insert is basically just been inserted into my fireplace opening with no insulation whatsoever. I figure if I put Roxul around the sides, and close off the damper area, it should help the box retain a lot more heat, which hopefully will result in loading up a lot less often. The one question is I only have about 2 inches on each side of the box because it is so tight in the opening. Does it matter if I stuff Rolex up against the sides of the insert? I guess it makes sense that SBI says not to put insulation on top of the stove since these EPA stoves can go nuclear so easily.

My insulation on the sides and back are in touching the insert with no issue

 

[chazcarr]

If you can I would recommend getting some Micore 300, the R value is much higher than Durock and will help reflect more heat back to the insert. I didn't feel like waiting for Home Depot to get a sheet of it shipped in so I went with Durock to see how it performs, it performs good enough that I will swap it all out with Micore this summer in hopes of trapping even more heat.

I guess that means it doesn't perform that good at all. Is there Roxul behind the Durock? I can wait, I am just sticker shocked at the Micore.

 

[mellow]

Durock works, I can't compare the difference between Durock vs Micore but on paper Micore has a higher R value, if you can't swing Micore then go with Durock. I have no complaints with Durock at the moment in my install, it is working well coupled with Roxul, as I mentioned HERE about it Roxul alone was not doing the job, Durock + Roxul is much better.

 

[Dave A.]

I thought there wasn't room for Roxul on the sides of Mellows'. Chazcarr seems to have roxul on the sides, so there'd be less need for the addl insulation value of micore. Surprised no one's tried sheets of metal with roxul behind it, similar to the way a block off plate is. The metal would seem to be a good way of reflecting the heat back into the room. (Haven't done it myself yet, but thinking about it.)

 

[chazcarr]

I thought there wasn't room for Roxul on the sides of Mellows'. Chazcarr seems to have roxul on the sides, so there'd be less need for the addl insulation value of micore. Surprised no one's tried sheets of metal with roxul behind it, similar to the way a block off plate is. The metal would seem to be a good way of reflecting the heat back into the room. (Haven't done it myself yet, but thinking about it.)

I have thought, but figured using the Duroc would be easier to use with my limited tools.

 

[mellow]

Sheet metal has a higher R value then Durock but not as high as Micore. I am not as worried about the sides of my fireplace as I am the back and top, however if you can fit Durock and Roxul on the sides I would say go for it as it will help and will help contain the fibers from the Roxul.

With my setup the sides of the fireplace still heats the brick INSIDE my house, I am ok with a bit of heat loss to that, just don't want to heat the outside brick and up my chimney.

 

[Dave A.]

I have thought, but figured using the Duroc would be easier to use with my limited tools.

Probably would. And I forgot that my setup is different so metal might not be such a good idea for those with a sealed surround. I (will be) using a ventilated surround -- also should work with no surround.