Stove Insert Installation (PIC HEAVY) CW2500, How to install

[hempdiddy]

First off, a big thank you to everyone here! This is my first post and I'd like to thank everyone for everything I learned trolling these pages. I'm sure I saved thousands doing this installation myself. This is my "payment forward" hoping that anyone else looking to take on a small stove insert themselves can learn something from my project.

Anyway, on to the picture show:

I bought a new house here in Michigan sold to me by the son of the man who built it. The son was basically a depressed person who mourned the passing of his wife in 2007. He spend most of his days smoking heavily in the living room while sitting in front of his fireplace burning over-heated fires in his antique insert.

To say the least, I had a lot of work cut out for me. In total, from removing and cleaning the old system to installing the new one, this took nearly 35 hours to complete. On my own. Saved thousands, I'm sure.

This is the fireplace. Exterior wall. Stone construction. Old insert had no liner. Was just sitting in the firebox. Dangerous and disgusting. Remember, this fireplace was IN USE.

Failed mortar and over-fired brick.

Have you seen worse? I was shocked. Remember this flue was IN USE. This took one full day of brushing with a 6"x2" wire brush fastened to an extension pole to clean from the top in January Michigan weather. Not pleasant.

All cleaned up.

Mortar caulk completed. The joints were so bad it took four full tubes of DAP 10.1 oz. Black Stove and Fireplace Mortar. This alone took 5 hours.

Century Heating CW2500. Ordered it directly from SBI. Was delivered to Ace Hardware in Ann Arbor, MI. I picked it up and dropped it off here until the job was completed.

 

[hempdiddy]

All cleaned up and now cutting the damper to make room for the 6" SS flex liner flue.

Used Roxul AFB for all insulation. Picked it up from a local builder's supply for under $50. I wrapped the full 15' of new liner with it as well. Used aluminum duct tape, galvanized strapping and rivets to fix the Roxul blanket to the liner. Took time, but it was worth it. The Roxul I ordered was 1.5" thick. 3 to 6X thicker than the crap insulation blanket you get from the online retailers. Roxul is beast. It won't melt and won't deteriorate from water/weather. Get some.

Dropped in the new liner.

Fabbed up a block-off plate.

Packed insulation in the smoke chamber.

Installed the block-off plate. Picked up this technique from a fellow hearth.com member. Took the flat bar stock you see above and "hung" it in place of the old damper and ran 1/4" bolts through to the wing nuts. This block-off plate is about 3" below the damper shelf, so you can bet there's insulation packed in there too. In fact, that's what the 3M tape is helping to hold in place. Roxul sheets.

 

[hempdiddy]

All hooked up. The Permatex Ultra Copper is just a safety measure. The joints positively sealed without it.

More Roxul for the exterior brickwork.

All the way up to the block-off plate.

CW2500 secondary air tubes and a view of the flue connection.

Getting close...

Face plate installed.

Because I have a stone fireplace, the faceplate didn't sit flush. Another piece a flat stock, painted in flat black stove paint, set to the right depth and screwed to the lintel took care of that.

JOB DONE.

 

[BrotherBart]

Great job. Now, let's see some FIRE.

 

[Sodbuster]

Great job. Now, let's see some FIRE.

Wow, nice job, very professional. The before pictures had my jaw on the floor, I have never seen a chimney that dirty.

 

[BrotherBart]

Yep. The pic of that chimney just got filed in my "Holy Chit" file.

 

[begreen]

Wow. Someone else posted recently about a old 5 hole slammer. What stove is that? That chimney has to be a record. So glad it didn't catch on fire. Nicely done. Keep us posted on the Century once you have fired it up and broken it in.

 

[Sodbuster]

Yes those nice shiny secondary tubes and clean firebrick is a travesty, get some ash on those things!

 

[bholler]

that did burn begreen that creosote in the flue that is all bubbly and puffed up definatly burnt

 

[mol1jb]

I would be interested to hear how you got the chimney so clean after seeing how aweful it was.

 

[bholler]

very nice job by the way. never saw anyone insulate liner with roxul looks like a real pita but it should work well

 

[lostDuck]

Awsome job! Glad I wasn't the only fool to brave the cold weather and do an install. Mine looked like a cake walk compared to yours.

 

[bholler]

we did one today but we get payed for it so that is different. I have been putting off lining my chimney for weeks now lol. parts aren't coming for my cawley lemay for another week anyway. hopefully this weekend will be a little warmer

 

[wenger7446]

Looks like a neat old house

 

[CBL]

Nice work! I'm surprised you managed to insulate the liner with roxul. That stuff does not hold up well to being bent.

 

[cableman]

Great job! Can all inserts be insulated behind like that?

 

[USMC80]

Wow, impressive job!

 

[hempdiddy]

Great job. Now, let's see some FIRE.

A couple of shots from last night. We're still moving into the place. Admire the asbestos flooring!

 

[mstoelton]

Where did you get your Roxul locally?

 

[hempdiddy]

I would be interested to hear how you got the chimney so clean after seeing how aweful it was.

Found a square flue cleaning tool in the garage after we moved in. It's made by Neuman. It was kinda neat, but didn't really do much more than knock the flakes down.

Most of the work was done by me working a small wire brush (it's all I had) up and down it for hours.

I fastened the brush to a 8 foot wooden pole, climbed up and started scrubbing. It was cold and tiring. The worst part was that it didn't reach quite to the bottom, so I had to sit in the firebox and scrub UP while all the nastiness fell down on my face. Goggles and respirators helped...just a little bit. Here's a few shots of me up top. You'll notice the weather is ideal for sitting around scraping creosote 35' feet in the air.

I burned a few calories getting to this:

 

[hempdiddy]

Where did you get your Roxul locally?

Benson's Building Supply. Redford, MI

 

[hempdiddy]

Nice work! I'm surprised you managed to insulate the liner with roxul. That stuff does not hold up well to being bent.

It wasn't the easiest method, but I figured if I did it right today, it should last forever. I had some help wrapping it. Then I taped it with aluminum tape, and put strapping over the tape which was fastened with rivets. It's not going anywhere. The only real risk was tearing the Roxul as you handled it during the install.

Flue Liner Installation:

 

[hempdiddy]

Looks like a neat old house

Thanks! The stove has a few large windows to compete with: