Summer Cleaning and insulating my Regency i2400

[chazcarr]

Pulled out the Regency today to clean up everything. Removed all the firebricks and checked everywhere for cracks.



Found nothing, but did see what my original installer considered a "Mantle plate". What is this stuff? It feels like cotton balls glued to aluminum foil.


Well that clearly wouldn't do so I got out the Roxul and redid the whole deal.





Roxul is not that easy to work with, but I feel safe with it in here. It has surrounded my father's furnace for a few years and hasn't even changed color at all.

Here are the firebricks placed back in after being brushed off. I wondered if it was OK to powerwash firebricks but in the end decided not to. Has anyone ever tried? I figure they will be real dirty soon again.



Thanks for reading, I know you folks enjoy pics.
Burning season does not seem that far off now.

 

[begreen]

It looks like they loosely shoved some foil backed fiberglass up there. Your work looks more professional. Definitely don't wash the firebrick. It will absorb the water like a sponge and may take quite a while to fully dry out. Trapped moisture + rapid heating is likely to = cracked brick.

 

[chazcarr]

It looks like they loosely shoved some foil backed fiberglass up there. Your work looks more professional. Definitely don't wash the firebrick. It will absorb the water like a sponge and may take quite a while to fully dry out. Trapped moisture + rapid heating is likely to = cracked brick.

Thanks, I rubbed them with a bristle brush and that was it. I didn't think of the cracking, I was more worried it might cause rust inside the firebox.

 

[Ram 1500 with an axe...]

Thanks for the post... Now my question is, in the 5th picture, is the roxul on the top basically your block off plate? Thanks for any and all info...

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Cracking would be minor to what could possibly happen when steam can't escape fast enough. You could have the rock explode.

Did you do anything to stop air from moving up the chimney beside roxul? Convection currents have a way of finding any little hole they can.

 

[My Oslo heats my home]

I like the finished product on the roxul, It looks very professional. How did you attach the roxul the bottom side of the metal block off plate on the inside?

 

[begreen]

Good question. I was wondering what is holding all of this in place.

 

[chazcarr]

Hi everyone, thanks for the comments. To answer some questions.

1) The original foil thing that was in there was very thick foil. I pushed it up and creased it over the flue opening to make it as tight as possible. That is the "block off plate" now. Probably not as good as a metal one, but the flow of air I felt was greatly reduced. I admit, there was still a small amount of airflow.

2) I placed the back pieces in first and then used the side ones to pressure hold all of them in place. It should hold well.

3) For the top, I place the Roxul on the "shelf" created from the back and side pieces and then used one of these to hold the front up. It is resting tightly in the mortar between the bricks by pressure. I will probably add another one next time I look back there so that there is minimal sagging.

With all that in place, there is still one small area in the back where I can feel some air movement. I crammed some Roxul into that spot, but at some point I may have to make a real block off plate.

The reason I did not this time is that no one could help me, and I could not safely move the firebox out of the fireplace to get direct access.

 

[My Oslo heats my home]

You might be able to get away with your temporary insulation job this year but I think the block off plate needs to be installed in the not so distant future for safety reasons.

 

[chazcarr]

You might be able to get away with your temporary insulation job this year but I think the block off plate needs to be installed in the not so distant future for safety reasons.

What kind of danger am I facing with a non-metal plate? Smoke getting in or worse?

 

[webby3650]

You will need to do something to keep that insulation from falling on the stove, it won't stay in place very long like it is. Get some of that metal S channel thats for connecting metal ductwork together, you can bend it to any shape you want and fasten it in. It does a good job of keeping everything in place.

Also keep an eye on that adjustable elbow. I don't like to use those on the stovetop. I have had them give out in the swivel a couple of times, they came apart way too easy for comfort.

 

[webby3650]

What kind of danger am I facing with a non-metal plate? Smoke getting in or worse?

The fear is that it can fall on the stove, causing the stove to overheat. A block off plate isn't a safety concern and is not required with a full liner. It just keeps your heat from traveling up the flue.

 

[chazcarr]

The fear is that it can fall on the stove, causing the stove to overheat. A block off plate isn't a safety concern and is not required with a full liner. It just keeps your heat from traveling up the flue.

Thanks, I have heard that Roxul can shrink at around 700 degree temps. Do you think some metal insulation hangers would hold it up well? I cannot really get up to the smoke shelf to install a proper block off plate.
Thanks again.

 

[webby3650]

The hangers do great to hold it back. Use some tap cons or drive in wedge anchors to attach it to the brick.

 

[chazcarr]

You will need to do something to keep that insulation from falling on the stove, it won't stay in place very long like it is. Get some of that metal S channel thats for connecting metal ductwork together, you can bend it to any shape you want and fasten it in. It does a good job of keeping everything in place.

Also keep an eye on that adjustable elbow. I don't like to use those on the stovetop. I have had them give out in the swivel a couple of times, they came apart way too easy for comfort.

If the elbow comes apart, how will I know? SMoke starts to fill the room? I noticed that the cement stuff around the bottom of the swivel is cracked and loose, does that need to be reapplied?

 

[webby3650]

It can be separated without you even knowing it, if you have a good draw. The cement doesn't even need to be there, some installers just do it as a habit. Sometimes the connection is a little loose and it is needed, but not very often on new stoves. It's never a bad idea though.
The elbow is most likely just fine, unless the stove gets moved. Just look it over good.

 

[chazcarr]

It can be separated without you even knowing it, if you have a good draw. The cement doesn't even need to be there, some installers just do it as a habit. Sometimes the connection is a little loose and it is needed, but not very often on new stoves. It's never a bad idea though.
The elbow is most likely just fine, unless the stove gets moved. Just look it over good.

I suppose I am being very overly cautious with all things lately. My wife is 6 and a half months pregnant with our first child, so I am "childproofing" the house. I am currently online looking for a hearth gate to install once the little one starts crawling. I have probably vacuumed a dozen times since the install to make sure I have all the Roxul fibers picked up.