This how it really went Installing Turner-n-burners stove and the planning process behind the insta

[elkimmeg]

I’ m sure some of the digital pictures will follow: Here is some of the steps concerning Turner-n-burner’s install and some of the decision making process
When I first arrived, I noted how Turner’s home appeared the oak floors looked as good as the day they were installed.. All trim had been replaced in the home and the painting job one of the neatest I ever have seen. The older home also has the modern European kitchen cabinet looks. Everything inside that home has beer redone recently, including his furnace 3 zones all on separate circulatory pumps. Probably 3 cords of processed stacked wood. We quickly discovered Turner is into woodworking. He has a table saw ,I would die for, in his garage and band saw and equally a lathe.

First task was to remove the glass fire doors to his fireplace opening. Next I removed the damper plate ,this was the only part that went according to plan. The fire box was very deep 26” 3' wide and about 30” high, plenty of room the get that monster insert in. The hearth is raised about 4 “. The brick work appearance is still in great shape.
Finally with the damper plate removed, it was time to size up what we had to work with. The front had double angle iron support with the damper located farthest to the rear. The throat smoke shelf area, was expansive a where the flue started about 4’ above the damper. At that point it took a sharp 45-degree bend to the front of the home. His original damper opening was surprisingly larger, than most common 4.5 “ ones found today, his opening was nearly 5.25” The front of the damper box, was filled up with concrete and bricks, so close to the lip ,that it was useless to cut. There was a little that could be cut in the rear, but where and why, bringing the pipe more to the rear and coming in from the side It was not easily to determine where to cut and if it would help us. Next we cut a scrap of wood 6.25” and attached it to a telescoping pole, to test our clearance distances, to figure out, if we could even make it past the 45 degree bend. It scraped by but made it. We knew then, the insulation wrap and mesh would never afford clearance. The first big break came ,when I measured the actual liner. Whether by design or altered by shipping ,the first 3’ of the liner was slightly ovalized and only 5”. Could it be possible it could make it threw the damper area without further moderation?

Time to find out we fully extended the 28’ ladder, just enough to make it beyond the chimney and started to remove the existing chimney cap. Surprise surprise, there was no concrete chimney cap crown just this aluminum vent cap held on by 4 screws and caulking. That it Just a huge void! The top rows of bricks were held I together by the caulking and chimney cap the two flues moved and sold bricking was really 15 rows down from the top
GVA brought harness and safety belt and straps and fastened then to the chimney base as he worked the top. By this time, we had moved the stove from the garage and it rested in front of the hearth. Mind you, up the front 6 steps using 4 of us, one of his friends, staging planks and 2/4 wedging it up each step of the way..

Back to the liner, we rolled it out to straighten the coil then fished a 50" rope down the center. Turner has a 50’ coil electrical snake the made the task much easier. With metal snips, I cut slits about 6” up and placed another rope onside attaching a huge washer. I folded the slit end in and duct taped the crap out of it making a cone. I attached a socket to the other end of the rope to be dropped down the chimney. The plan was if we got stuck we had a rope to be able to pull it back out. The rope in front was to help pull it down. Truner and GVA got the liner to the roof and dropped the socket down.
Turner fed the liner to GVA and I in turn helped pull it down from the inside with the rope.
I soon found out why I was wearing safety goggles, all kinds of crap falling on me and around me. About 6' down we hit a mortar snot between the flues and got stuck. GVA pull it back up and I tried to use the rope to direct it away from the mortar chunk up and down a few time, then all of a sudden the mortar chunk breaks off and falls about an inch from my right ear. Chunks of creosote ash also falling on my face. Between the push /pull we get to the 45 degree angle transition area. A little shifting with the rope position and pulling ,it went threw. N
Next task was to get threw the damper area. Naturally the ovalized section did not line up. I am now able to get both hands on the liner and GVA and I were able to rotate it, so that the ovalization lined up with the damper opening. GVA pushing me pulling it when threw, huge break it went threw. GVA with his grinder cut off the makeshift cone area, but we were there.
To be continued

 

[GVA]

Allright pics been resized heres a couple of the inside

 

[GVA]

Short video of the view from the top and lack of a cap

http://www.youtube.com/v/WcBxADYkZQ0

 

[GVA]

The slightly ovalized liner before and after install

 

[GVA]

And the stove that we are gonna try to shove in the firebox.............It fits :cheese:

 

[ourhouse]

Great work Gentlemen

 

[GVA]

The height doesn't bother me it's the landing. :lol:
I tied off to the chimney with a fall arrester, I may be crazy but not stupid ;-P

 

[elkimmeg]

Time now to check out the location we unbolted the stove from the create and liftedslid it on to the hearth. Under the leveling feet we placed some sheet metal to facilitate sliding it or out as need be After many attempts of pulling the line up and down which meant a trip up the ladder, GVA suggested an adjustable elbow. I can let your mind fill in the blanks, but language was spoken that cannot be pit in print here More than a few f bombs were expressed as we fought trying to position the stove and liner. SS liners are only so flexible to an extent.
A stove shop was but a few minutes away. Turner went out to get the elbow and pick up pizza. GVA and I discussed the forum and Harman pellet stoves and our family situations and jobs. The teamwork between us fell naturally into place. Naturally Turner had Sam Adams ready and after all the swearing at the situation and some frustrations they were welcome. But there was still work to do and ladders that would be climbed again so we all stopped the Sams ate some pizza. Turner headed for the tool shop to get some drill bits. The 6’ elbow would not fit between the space at the top of the stove and the fireplace opening we had to pull that beast out. GVA headed back up the ladder and pulled or pushed the needed distance to liner so I could line up the elbow angles and fit it into the stove collar. Finally I got it both ends fully inserted. Turner read with his cordless drills the holes and drives the sheet metal screws. I look out side and realized it was getting dark and had tools planks ropes out all over the place. We still had to cut the top off and install the termination cap. No outside plugs, I get the 100 ft cord to feed power to GVA metal cutting grinder. There is 6 ‘ above his cut, so he has to make two cuts. The first one 8” above the final one to get that 6’ weight and swaying pipe removed. The cap assembly goes on easily I tell him once snug give it ½ more turn to secure it My trip home is 1.5 hours GVA 10 minutes I pickup the tools and load my truck securing the 28’ ladder. I go back inside and explain how to cut and fit the damper block off plate that it will be a two piece operation caulking the crap out of it to seal it I really have no more time to complete it but left the sheet metal there From this point forward GVA was still there working with the final stove placement what happened beyond this GVA can fill you in with. Had this been a straight drop down we would been finished and lifted a few more Sammys
I must say it was all worth it to meet turner and GVA

 

[Turner-n-Burner]

Again - big big thanks to you, and GVA - and my buddy Chuck who dropped in just to help with the lifting !

After you left, GVA and I took another look at the placement of the insert. I finally found the setup instructions for the surround and learned how it mounted - from that we realized that the insert was a full 2" forward of where it needed to be.

With the way the adjustable elbow was set up, and the pressure from the liner, the beast was NOT moving. The ladder had left with you so we had to take our chances with any adjustments we could make from the bottom. I figured if all else failed, I'd get another chance to make adjustments from the top when the mason staged it for the repair work.

It was a struggle, but we were able to pop the elbow out and gently push it and the liner back behind the insert. We walked the insert back a couple more inches, and then double checked the position with the surround plate.

I took a stab at stealing back two inches of depth by reconfiguring that adjustable elbow - and beyond all odds, it went back in

Shortly after that, GVA's wife called looking for him, and I realized how tired I was from lifting that beast over and over. That was it for the day!

Today was about cleaning the yard full of leaves and putting my motorcycle in storage. Tomorrow I am meeting a mason to take a look at fixing the chimney.... I decided not to fire the stove until everything is really ready - just in case I have to pull the insert out again. I'll start making the block off plate when my back recovers from the lifting and the leaves!

 

[Hogwildz]

The height doesn't bother me it's the landing. :lol:
I tied off to the chimney with a fall arrester, I may be crazy but not stupid ;-P

Tying off to that chimney wouldn't make me feel much safer man. I seen em like that all the time as a roofer.

 

[Rhone]

Yikes, remove the reversible flue collar instead of moving the whole thing in/out. Remove the baffle up top, it's 2 allen wrench screws in the back, lift it up and pull it forward and you can lay it on the floor of the insert. 4 nuts and the flue collar will drop and you can take it out of the insert. You now have a big opening you can fit parts into like that elbow without having to remove the insert, and easier to move the insert around and into position and then slip the collar from inside the insert onto the liner than it is installing the liner and trying to move the whole works into position. Once you caulk up top trying to lift the liner up and out of the collar can break the seals. Anyway, maybe next time I hope you installed it as far out as possible.

I did a double-take on the video of the chimney then I heard GVA mentioning you hit a snag. That's very odd. Seeing a fresh new Clydesdale sure brings back memories of mine.