Recommend an upgrade to a Jotul 602C...

[mmcc]

I currently have a Jotul 602C in my masonry fireplace, with a stainless steel liner going up my chimney.

The 602C is a nice little stove, but it doesn't throw off enough heat for my purposes, and I'm looking for an upgrade. Some considerations...

- I'd like to get something used (hence, my post on this forum)
- The fireplace opening is 26 1/2" high, 37" wide, and 22" deep. The hearth sticks out 18" from the opening.
- I want to tie into the stainless steel liner in the chimney.
- If it matters, I'm located in Northeast Ohio.
- I'm willing to do some modification, like shortening legs, if necessary.

Any thoughts? I thought a Jotul 118 sitting on the hearth with the flue going into one of the side ports would be nice, but I don't know if I can safely lower one enough to make it work.

 

[VirginiaIron]

I am not an engineer or a stove expert but I think you have some options. First, you will need to follow the installation instructions of the particular model you want to install. This will ensure that your installation meets code and meets the proper clearances to combustibles and is safe to operate. Finding out what you can and cannot do with A particular model will narrow your choices down quite a bit. At first glance it appears that a rear vent woodstove would be your best choice.

You may have combustible flooring and substructure below the masonry hearth in your existing installation. With regard to shortening the legs you will need to know what the floor structure is made of so that you can maintain a safe clearance to combustibles.

If you have no combustibles below the masonry floor finish of your present installation, I don't see why you could not modify a freestanding stove to sit directly on the non-combustible material below and vent out of the rear. It wouldn't be the most aesthetically pleasing installation but it would certainly work.

If the floor structure below your present floor finish and stove is combustible you will have to manage your clearances by either changing the construction of the floor's structure or use heat shields, as approved by your local jurisdiction, to reduce your clearances to a safe limit, if possible.

We had to remove our masonry hearth in order to get a usable opening for the particular stove we chose. Our other alternative was to go through the face of the chimney.

The other alternative is to penetrate the face of the fireplace with a thimble above the smoke chamber into the chimney. You may be able to reuse your chimney liner with the minimal expense of a T adapter. Then you can connect to almost any kind of stove that you desire provided your liner is the correct size and your clearances are safe.

Either way you will need to have your project inspected by the local authority. Therefore, you should get the opinion of the local code official before you start any work so that he/she can guide you in a safe direction which he/she will approve for your use.

 

[begreen]

Looking underneath the floor in the basement or crawlspace may show how the hearth is constructed. If you remove the legs and set the F118 on bricks, or standard cement blocks then top or rear vent then perhaps would work. Heat from the bottom of the stove shouldn't be an issue for the fireplace hearth. Or to play it safe get an affordable Englander 13NCi, Drolet 1800i, or Century CW2500i insert. New, their price is under $1000.