Trying to ID my Wood Stove?

[Turkeyleg]

I bought a home 7 years ago with a wood stove that may or may not be original to the house (1980 build). Id like to hunt down a manual and find out about flue damper recommendations. This forum was suggested to me from guys o another forum. Can anyone identify this thing? There are no numbers, data tags or nameplates anywhere i can see?

 

[Manly]

My non expert guess would be the stove is 1980’s vintage. There was a rising popularity of wood burning in that era and I recall seeing many steel stoves by various mfgs. Many with minimal identifications or certification. Much more regulation, efficiency and safety these days. Mo money too 😗

 

[Turkeyleg]

Ok, so it sounds like this could be original to the house? My main reason for wanting an instruction manual is to determine if i should install a flue damper and if so, where? I use a little over a wheel barrow load in a 12 hour period when its about 35 degrees out. I dont know if thats normal or if the flue damper might help or not? So, i figured id start with RTFM.

 

[Jotul_Bird]

Hey Turkeyleg,

This almost looks like a Fisher stove to me. I would check the back side of it and see if it has a tag or model number anywhere.

 

[zak77]

Yes you need a damper with that type of stove otherwise you'll go through a lot of wood, as you know. I'll use 5-6 pieces of wood in my stove over a 12 hour burn w/a damper.

 

[Turkeyleg]

Wow! Ill give it a try then. A foot above the top of the stove shouldnt be an issue, right?

 

[bholler]

Yes a damper will help but there are some pretty serious clearance issues and the hearth is way to small

 

[Turkeyleg]

What are the clearance issues? The stove is 18 inches from the wall. What dimensions am I looking for as far as the brick hearth is concerned?

 

[bholler]

What are the clearance issues? The stove is 18 inches from the wall. What dimensions am I looking for as far as the brick hearth is concerned?

The stove needs 36" clearance to combustibles I don't see how you have that to the walls beside the brick.

Also that brick only gives you a reduction of 1/3. Meaning you need 24" to any combustibles behind that brick.

The hearth needs to be 18" to the sides and front of the stove

 

[Locust Black PhD]

Looks like a private label Timberline stove. One of the many Fisher knock offs from the 70s & 80s

 

[Turkeyleg]

Bhooler,

I dont doubt that those clearances are good recommendations, but I have a hard time believing even 1 percent of the installations out there come close to that. Am I way off base here?

Locust, thanks for the tip, ill look up some of the Timberline / Fisher clones and see what I can find.

 

[bholler]

Bhooler,

I dont doubt that those clearances are good recommendations, but I have a hard time believing even 1 percent of the installations out there come close to that. Am I way off base here?

Locust, thanks for the tip, ill look up some of the Timberline / Fisher clones and see what I can find.

Those are not recommendations. Those are minimum standards required by fire code for unlisted stoves. And I inspect and work on hundreds of stoves a year. The majority of them meet minimum code or better

 

[EatenByLimestone]

It all comes down to the plate on the back. When a stove is tested by a laboratory like UL, minimum clearances to combustible materials are set and verified. This may say 7”, 9”, 18”, etc. but it’s been tested to be safe at those distances.

If a stove doesn’t have one, either because it never did or was removed, it must be treated like it was never tested. Untested stoves require 3’ clearance to combustibles.

 

[zak77]

Wow! Ill give it a try then. A foot above the top of the stove shouldnt be an issue, right?

I'd put it right in the middle of the vertical pipe coming out of the stove. Has the stove ever been run a lot? After looking closely i'd be a little concerned about clearances also. That brick behind the stove looks fake and only applied over drywall for a cheap, decorative "heat shield". Also, is that flooring laminate? I'd be more concerned if laminate vs real hardwood due to the materials used to make it.

 

[Turkeyleg]

Zak, thanks for the response.

So, the neighbor filled me in on the hearth a little. Its actual brick, he says he installed it himself (hes a tile guy). Supposedly full bricks.

The flooring is LVT over top of some rough hardwood floors. The bookcase to the left is new, i havent used the stove with that there yet. Its 29" from the stove, currently, but ive got room to scoot it away to 36", easily.

Ive run it a few years. As far as how much ive run it -- maybe 100 - 150 hours per winter on average? I dont run it when im not home and i dont let it get piping hot before i go to bed.

Typically the outside of the stove doesnt get over 400 degrees under what i consider normal operation. Ive never seen it over 650. I dont know if that is normal, cool, hot, etc...

 

[Turkeyleg]

Limestone, thanks for the info. So the regs are based on unlisted units. That makes sense, as no one can offer guidelines if they dont know what standard the stove was built to (if any).

So the 3 ft of clearance thing is out the window for me. I dont have the room, and apparently never did. Im not getting rid of the thing and i believe the it has been there for 43 years, based on what ive seen.

So let me ask this, will a flue damper installed a foot or two up the pipe make the installation more dangerous in some way? I understand that it could increase creosote in the chimney, but otherwise is there a safety concern im unaware of?

 

[zak77]

If anything, the damper will keep more heat in the stove thus making it radiated more heat. You'll probably have better control over it with the damper in place so you should be able to control it better. Just play it safe. And as long as you're running it properly, dampers do not increase creosote buildup.

 

[bholler]

Limestone, thanks for the info. So the regs are based on unlisted units. That makes sense, as no one can offer guidelines if they dont know what standard the stove was built to (if any).

So the 3 ft of clearance thing is out the window for me. I dont have the room, and apparently never did. Im not getting rid of the thing and i believe the it has been there for 43 years, based on what ive seen.

So let me ask this, will a flue damper installed a foot or two up the pipe make the installation more dangerous in some way? I understand that it could increase creosote in the chimney, but otherwise is there a safety concern im unaware of?

You could address the clearance issues with proper shielding and build a properly sized hearth. No need to get rid of the stove but the install is not safe.

Do you know what pyrolization is? That's why simply saying nothing has happened yet isn't a valid argument. The risks increase with time.

 

[bigealta]

You could address the clearance issues with proper shielding and build a properly sized hearth. No need to get rid of the stove but the install is not safe.

Do you know what pyrolization is? That's why simply saying nothing has happened yet isn't a valid argument. The risks increase with time.

Yes this, but that being said it might be easier, and cheaper, and better, to get a nice used modern epa stove with much better clearances and sell what you have to help pay for a replacement.

Something with a big ceramic glass door would be a crowd pleaser.