worthless prefad fireplace

[homebray]

I have a small prefad fireplace. It is worthless, the fire box is too small and the draft is poor. I can't even tend a fire without getting smoke in the room. I am tired of it I would just assume put a pellet insert in and be able to enjoy a fire. I would like to remove the fireplace and then build-in a pellet stove, my reason beeing that I will be less constrained on the size of the stove due to the size of the fireplace. Does this make sense? Will it be difficult to do the demolition? The flue is steel enclosed in a wood framed alcove.

Last question - will I need to run a new flue 3" up to the top of the existing flue?

 

[wg_bent]

I have a small prefad fireplace. It is worthless, the fire box is too small and the draft is poor. I can't even tend a fire without getting smoke in the room. I am tired of it I would just assume put a pellet insert in and be able to enjoy a fire. I would like to remove the fireplace and then build-in a pellet stove, my reason beeing that I will be less constrained on the size of the stove due to the size of the fireplace. Does this make sense? Will it be difficult to do the demolition? The flue is steel enclosed in a wood framed alcove.

Last question - will I need to run a new flue 3" up to the top of the existing flue?

Prefab? Anyway, removing the fireplace may leave you with clearance issues. You'd essentially be creating an alcove for a stove to sit in. An insert is intended to be inserted into a fireplace, not a hole in the wall. And yes, a new 3" flue is required.

 

[MountainStoveGuy]

Typically, when you go verticle with pellet pipe, you would go to 4". Less restriction and backpressure on the combustion blower. Im not shure how many pellet stoves can be "zero clearanced" some can and some cant. I would pick your insert out before you do anything. Or do what warren said, and create a alcove for a free standing unit. The quadrafire castille, and the 1200 can both be built in the wall against combustables. But if the insert will fit in the firebox why mess with all that work? One correction to the above statement, the 1200 has to be installed in a optional shroud that is avalible from quad.

 

[homebray]

Free standing stove was the other thought I was having. Simply place a stove in front of the fireplace and seal up the front and run the flue up the chimb.

I was looking at the Quad Castile and that is where I discoved my problem. The fire box is only 16" deep and the Castile calls for 18" in a Zeroclearance fireplace. But as a builtin unit it looks like I can do it in around 17" which should not be a problem after the fire box comes out.

Would it be acceptable to build a sheet metal shroud that sticks out a couple inches in order to gain the needed clearance?

 

[MountainStoveGuy]

if you download the (broken link removed to http://www.quadrafire.com/downloads/installManuals/man_castileInsert.pdf) you will see that the castill insert can be installed in a zero clearance application.

 

[homebray]

if you download the (broken link removed to http://www.quadrafire.com/downloads/installManuals/man_castileInsert.pdf) you will see that the castill insert can be installed in a zero clearance application.

Which is why I am confused....

In a masonry fireplace they want the depth of the firebox to be 14" in a zero clearance fireplace they want the depth to be 18". However, if you build-in the castile you need only 3" clearance to combustibles. Seems to me I should be able to put it into my 16" firebox since there is already more than 3" clearance in the factory built fireplace.

 

[MountainStoveGuy]

Im no engineer, but there must be a reason. I agree and see your point, but the news is no matter how illogical it may seem, it would be a illeagle installation, and open your self up to insurance libility.

 

[webbie]

I have a small prefad fireplace. It is worthless, the fire box is too small and the draft is poor. I can't even tend a fire without getting smoke in the room. I am tired of it I would just assume put a pellet insert in and be able to enjoy a fire. I would like to remove the fireplace and then build-in a pellet stove, my reason beeing that I will be less constrained on the size of the stove due to the size of the fireplace. Does this make sense? Will it be difficult to do the demolition? The flue is steel enclosed in a wood framed alcove.

Last question - will I need to run a new flue 3" up to the top of the existing flue?

Sounds doable.....

Remove the entire fireplace AND pipe and replace with an Pellet Insert which allows zero-clearance installation (check with dealers and manufacturers - as I remember, some can be built in like this).

 

[MountainStoveGuy]

i think i have confused the issue, the insert in question can be installed in a framed wall, so the insert is a "insert" and a "zero clearance" appliance.