Replacing fireplace with a proper stove insert

[jeremy29]

Let me apologize in advanced for the wall of text.

I want to replace my old fireplace. It appears to be a Superior SP38, but I'm not 100% sure about that. The only number I could find was on the handle, and beyond that my internet sleuthing skills have returned nothing. As a fireplace goes, it seems pretty decent. I am able to heat that room to 75* and that side of the house to 70* with a few box fans to circulate air, but it uses a lot of wood and won't burn for more then a couple hours without additions. There is no damper or air control of any kind.

I've been considering a stove for a while to help reduce electric heating costs, which during these months is running around $500 a month. I have a heat pump and keep the house at 65*. Natural gas or propane is not an option. I have decent insulation in the attic, newer windows, and feel the house is pretty tight. My home is around 3200sq feet and is a tri-level with a very non-open floor plan. I'm considering both the Drolet Escape 1400i, because it is cheap, and the Buck Stove Model 91 because there is a very reputable dealer 5 miles away. Obviously I have concerns about one being too small (in which case I could re-purpose it to another part of the house later on) and the other too large (eh, the room gets hot).

I pulled the lower grill off it this evening because I can feel a rush of cold air coming in constantly. My initial thought was that the cold air was coming down the chimney (it's a 8" double wall air insulated pipe, in masonry, on the exterior of the house) and spilling out the bottom of the fireplace. However, after removing the grill I found several holes in the masonry where the air was pouring through. One of them was quite large and I can see that the fireplace is not resting on solid brick, but on several layers of concrete block and wood. My guess is, if I were to remove the fireplace I would find a large unfinished masonry hole...not a proper masonry fireplace but no combustible framing either.

So, I feel like I can't really put it off anymore and I should have jumped on the tax credit sooner. Regardless, something has to be done about the amount of air coming in, which means removing the fireplace anyway. I'm thinking the following...
1. I will have to replace the chimney pipe. I'd run 8" and adapt down to 6" if necessary, but this would give me the most options. The current pipe has a great draft and I would use it if I could.
2. Assuming there is just unfinished masonry back there I realize I will have to finish it off using some combination of steel studs(?) or brick, cement board, and probably slate (left over from another project).
3. I'll most likely have to extend the hearth a bit.

Here's a pic of the entire fireplace.

And a pic of one of the holes underneath. You can see the cement block and wood under the fireplace.

Here is a pic of the outside wall (bad cell phone cam pic). The bump out is 18" deep and 48" wide.

I would appreciate any advice, input, or criticisms. I'm a fairly experienced DIYer and feel pretty comfortable with the task...besides, I can always come back and ask for more help and information, right? Thanks!

Jeremy

 

[webby3650]

Welcome to the hearth For a project like this you will need to find an insert that is approved for installation into a Zero Clearance fireplace, this will also require a full SS insulated liner. We install Lopi/Travis Ind. inserts into Pre-fabs. The Travis 1750I is a tight fit and has telescoping legs available, kinda looks like a stove set back into the fireplace when it is complete. Making the connection onto the stove can be a real pain. The fact that you see wood framing under the unit is not a real concern, since it is a Pre-fab it only requires 1/2" clearance to combustibles. A hearth stove is another option, we installed a Jotul F-400 with the short leg kit last week, it had a full liner with a Tee at the bottom, looks real nice.

 

[begreen]

To clarify, are you looking to pull out the Superior and replace it or are you looking to put an insert into the existing unit?

 

[jeremy29]

Thank you for the welcome. I've been lurking here a while but finally decided I need to go ahead with this.

I want to pull the entire insert and basically turn it into a hearth. Am I wrong in thinking that as long as I meet clearance requirements this will be ok? Thanks again!

 

[heatxchanger]

Hello jeremy,

I believe that you currently have a zero-clearance pre-fab fireplace. This means that you do not have a proper masonary fireplace. If you rip out the old fireplace you cannot put a wood-burning INSERT into that hole. The only thing that you can put into the hole is another zero-clearance fireplace which is exactly what I recommend you do. Rip out that old zero clearance fireplace and in its place install a new zero-clearance HIGH EFFICIENCY fireplace. There are maybe a dozen models of these on the market.

Osburn Stratford
Kozyheat Z42
Napoleon NZ26
Several at (broken link removed) (Brentwood, Solana, Villa Vista, etc...)
RSF models
Travis models
etc...

If you are on a tight budget I recommend you take a serious look at the Lennox Solana. LINK: (broken link removed)

heatxchanger

 

[Dakotas Dad]

Well... you may be able to go with a freestanding stove install of some kind.. My guess is you don't have a real chimney around the flue for that fireplace, so a new chimney is needed either way. That is what we had/have, we also found lots of air leaking into the chase between bricks. No problem now. Many people have done what we did.. click the link in my signature for a look at what you face..

 

[jeremy29]

Thanks Dakotas Dad! That is exactly what I needed to see. It looks like the perfect weekend project to spend the next month on. I'll start hunting rock wool now. Thanks again!