Remove the pedestal?

[KB007]

I've been looking at the pictures of stove in hearths and even some inserts without surrounds and I really like the look. We currently have a Regency U23-LP in our living room housed in what I believe is a factory built fireplace. (How can I check this?)

The fireplace opening is 32.5W X 27"H X 25"D at the bottom, 24" D at 20" up the back wall and 22" D at the top.

The question is: Is it possible to take something like our Nap 1450 stove (pedestal) and remove the pedestal and install it on some form of short legs to fit into this opening? It's a raised hearth (and I realize I'll have to re-do the hearth a little and add something to protect the floor). I know most will say just buy an insert, but given the price of the Nap 1450 stove, it would be significantly less money to buy anther 1450 and install it in the LR without the pedestal, or on some form of shortened leg assembly. I know the air intake is on the bottom, so I need something to allow air circulation - I would try to fabricate something perhaps out of square tubing. I've looked there's nothing inside the pedestal. The idea is to replace the gas insert with a second stove in the LR.

Am I crazy?

 

[djamwolfe]

I think it would only cost a few hundred more to get an actual insert, the Englander 13 NCI is about 1500 at the depot.
But as far as your plan goes, that is exactly what I did with our century, removed the pedestal, welded on 4" of angle iron to the bottom for legs and stuck it in the fireplace opening. Make sure you add the Fan as ours only works OK as long as we have a fan blowing on it to get the heat out, but I am replacing it next month with a Blaze King princess insert.

HTH --- Devon