will trimming the pedestal of a free standing slightly effect performance?

[tholmes69]

I have been stalking this forum for a few months, gathering info and waiting to strike. I finally did locally on craigslist and scored a brand new complete, never installed, been sitting in a shed Century FW3000 for the tidy sum of $100. I plan to install it in my exterior wall fireplace, single story home. Has the ash "dump" in the floor of the existing fireplace, I will be installing a 6in full liner with cap and block off plate at the damper/smoke shelf. My question, my fireplace dimension has only a 28in height in front (width is plenty wide on my fireplace opening). I know the stove will stick out 7in on my hearth, but the height at the lowest on the stove is 28.5 inches. SO, can I trim the bottom two "angles" on the pedestal to gain an inch and allow it to slide into the opening? Will that effect the performance of the stove at all? There isn't any sort of intake air that comes up through the base, is there? Below is a picture of the stove, and what I am referring to trimming is the bottom 45 degree angle on the front and back of the stand, so it would sit flush on the bottom plate.

Thanks for the advice and guidance.

 

[mellow]

If your going to cut it you might as well take out the ash pan as well, just note that any modifications will void any warranties. Take all the bricks out and baffle and door and tip the stove upside down, you might be able to reuse the bottom pedestal piece to attach to the bottom of the stove as long as you do not block any of the air intakes on the bottom of the firebox.

Just keep in mind that any modification will possibly fail an inspection or give the insurance company a reason to not cover you in the event of a chimney fire.

If it was me I would resell the stove and buy an insert.

 

[BrotherBart]

Yeah the first cut will void the UL certification at the very least. I would advise against it if nothing else because the thing becomes unstable and you do not want a large box full of burning wood falling out into the room. Here is an exploded pic of how the stove is put together.

 

[FyreBug]

Not just the warranty but clearances as well. It's also not certified as an insert. Check with your insurance first.

Why not just re-sell it for a profit then get yourself an insert?

 

[Grisu]

Did you actually measure it out? At the Century website the stove is listed as: Height - Overall: 31 1/2"
http://www.century-heating.com/en/products/wood/wood-stove-on-pedestal-model-fw3000
Hence, you may need to remove much more than just the two "angles" and severely impair its original specifications.

 

[coldkiwi]

You could take the firebricks out ,set the stove on the hearth,grab a buddy to help you .Lean the stove backwards to clear the lintel and push it in.
It is a pity it has an ash drawer a pedestal mod would have been way easier if it did not have it.
Thinking about it more...you may be able to buy a plain pedelstal and modify that

 

[tholmes69]

Thanks all for the replies. I attached a picture to show what I was thinking of doing and the dimensions of the stove noted. Not sure what to do now.... My plan had been to get a cutting wheel and remove the rectangled portion in red.... I could resell it, inserts are pretty darn expensive and I thought this was a good way to make a good deal work out for me.... I thought if I could just get that .5in of clearance....

From my searching on here, it seems that there is nothing illegal or against code with putting a free standing stove into a existing fireplace opening. Is that a correct assumption on my part? I know it is not certified as an insert, but I thought all I had to do was ensure clearances were met. Again, not trying to go against the wisdom that has been thrown out there, but if someone simply took a hammer and banged the angled feet flat that I circled (or item #17 from the part list of BrotherBart's post), I just can't imagine how that effects the operation of the stove... oh well.

 

[BrotherBart]

Being as how I have installed a large stove in a fireplace I would remind you that you need room to get your hands in there to attach a liner and also the convection air that comes up and over out of that rear heat shield needs a straight shot out of the fireplace over the top of the stove. For mine I had to replace the standard nine inch legs with six inch legs. And it was still tight working in there.

Needs careful planning. Not a "Hey Bubba. Hold my beer and watch this!" kinda thing.

 

[bag of hammers]

Is it possible that Century sells legs for that model - take the pedestal / ash pan right out of the equation? A manufacturer-approved option perhaps? Lower it down without insurance or warranty problems?

Maybe there's a dealer lurking who would consider taking that unit on "consignment" - since it's still new, never used, they might find a buyer, off-load it for you, apply the $ to another unit for you, maybe an insert?

I dunno about anyone else, but $100 still in the crate is a real score - if I score a great deal on anything I gotta have it and I really hate to part with it - even if I can't use it. Maybe a guy thing. Anyway, there may be a bit of extra hesitation here to flip it just 'cause it was such a fantastic deal? (apologies for that - I have my pointy DIY psychology hat on right now). Anyway, I agree with the veterans - I would never take a torch / grinder / etc to a stove unless it was destined for the firepit.

 

[coldkiwi]

Is there a leg option for this stove

 

[coldkiwi]

ah posted same time as b of h

 

[mellow]

This unit is the lower end of the spectrum and only comes as you see it (pedestal), with the ash pan it would require a new ashpan for the legs to work on it anyhow.

 

[bag of hammers]

This unit is the lower end of the spectrum and only comes as you see it (pedestal), with the ash pan it would require a new ashpan for the legs to work on it anyhow.

Didn't even consider the ash pan thing - thanks for sanity checking.

I just had a flashback about how my insurance balked at a potential purchase a few years ago - a solid stove, my top pick at the time. But no CSA approval. Then this year they demanded a WETT inspection. After 3 years burning, a file full of install pics, etc. Anyway, the guy shows up and goes over the install top to bottom - he reminds me that ANY visible issues and I don't pass until I fix them to original spec / code - or I lose my coverage. I love home-grown, DIY stuff. And sometimes the rules seem over-the-top or even absurd. But wood stove in the house isn't the place to experiment or push the envelope, IMHO.

 

[mellow]

This is from Century's website, just an FYI.

Can I remove the legs or pedestal of my stove and convert it into a fireplace insert?

Unfortunately, there is a major design difference between a freestanding wood stove and a wood insert. The wood insert (like all other inserts) has an extra steel jacket that covers about 2/3 of its firebox on the sides and all of its back. This serves to accumulate the heat radiated by the firebox. The heat is then pushed in front of the unit and into the room by a blower. Without this feature, the heat radiated by the insert would be lost into the masonry cavity. Hence, a stove inserted into a masonry fireplace would not have the same efficiency. Furthermore, its clearances to combustible materials could vary. If the stove has not been tested for this type of installation, it cannot be inserted into a masonry opening.

 

[bag of hammers]

When someone installs a freestanding stove on an existing hearth, at what point is it considered a converted fireplace insert? I'm guessing that as long as it still meets any required clearances, and isn't modified in any way, then it's a non issue. The OP's original plan might fit the definition, since the stove is being "converted" in some manner. But then I'm also thinking of all the fine installs out there on existing fireplace hearths, where someone (like an insurance person) could / would maybe want to split hairs? I wonder if that ever happens.

 

[FyreBug]

If you are placing a wood stove in a masonry fireplace without any modification to the stove there are no issues with that.

The problem is any modifications void the MFG warranty. Then all safety testing are void and any clearances stated are no longer valid. My guess is any WETT or NFI certified inspector would not approve it and insurance might have something to say about that.

 

[Oregon aloha]

I have been facing the same issue about my fire place modification to accept a wood stove. Even though I modify the fire place the insurance company could call the install an insert and not pay. I found out that the Kuma Ashwood is certified as an insert, free standing, and alcove approved so my install will not be questioned on this issue and my warranty intact. This stove may fit your fire place, with the cast iron legs, it measures 28" tall.

What I have found is, if the stove sits in the firebox in anyway it needs to be certified as an insert.