Fireplace insert question

eelgrass

eelgrass

Long Time Member
Messages
31,797
Do the modern ones work all that well for heating? Or are they mostly for looks?

I have a insert that was custom made back in 1984. It's still solid, made out of 3/8" plate. I got the bright idea to bring it up to code and add a 8" stainless steel liner. I had to have a custom made adaptor to connect the stove to the pipe. Now it won't draw air and the smoke comes boiling out into the house every time I open the door. I even put a 2' extension pipe on the top to see if that would help. The choke point is in the connection from the stove to the 8" pipe.

My only two options at this point are to either buy a new insert or remove the stainless steel pipe and go back to the way it was....after spending about $2500. A new insert will add another $3000 on top of that. I'll buy a new one if I'm convinced it will heat well. Any other ideas? Winter is coming and the wife ain't happy...:mad:
 
Here's my existing insert. It's ugly but works very well for heating. It sticks out into the room a lot farther than a new one would. I think that's why it works so well.
P1010277.JPG
 
Eel if you have a Lopi dealer in your area, check with him for a insert with a blower. we had a Lopi propane fireplace that heated our house, 2600 Sq. feet, and was very efficient on fuel use.
I believe Lopi also have wood burning inserts. We got rid of our Earth stove and went with Lopi as it was far better on heating the house and maintaining a even temp.
RELH
 
AZGuy said:
Can you take a picture of the adapter?
Click to expand...
Not without taking it apart, at this point. It was built by a woodstove guy and he was confident it would work. He installed it. We had to attach it to the stove and then slide the stove back into position. The open part of it is about 2" high and 8" wide when in the final position.
 
RELH said:
Eel if you have a Lopi dealer in your area, check with him for a insert with a blower. we had a Lopi propane fireplace that heated our house, 2600 Sq. feet, and was very efficient on fuel use.
I believe Lopi also have wood burning inserts. We got rid of our Earth stove and went with Lopi as it was far better on heating the house and maintaining a even temp.
RELH
Click to expand...
That would be an option too. I'm trying to be as self sufficient as I can since I have an endless supply of wood. I think natural gas and propane will skyrocket in the near future because of the climate change thingy. And you can't beat the nice dry heat of wood in our rainy weather here on the coast.
 
Eel,

I had a similar problem with a box stove. 2 problems can occur. Sometimes screens are two small at the chimney opening and restrict breeze passing horizontally across the top of the chimney which helps pull air up through the pipe. You can also have an obstacle which shields the chimney and does the same thing. Also cold air can be in the chimney and " falls" down the chimney towards the warmer air in your house forcing smoke into the house.

Great looking box. Looks like a good one to cook a pot of beans on or keep the coffee warm on.

I would start with a very small fire. Something that produces just a little smoke. This allows two way passage of air in the chimney pipe until the chimney itself warms up and starts drawing air vertically. You can look inside the box and see the smoke sitting inside the box against the roof. Once the smoke is traveling straight up the pipe only start building your fire a little more at a time until it is the desired size you want.
 
Tristate said:
Sometimes screens are two small at the chimney opening and restrict breeze passing horizontally across the top of the chimney which helps pull air up through the pipe.
Click to expand...
That's worth looking into. I'm going to try that. I know it can be a fine line between working and not working.
 
I'd Be very Cautious When Buying a New KALI/Catalytic Approved Wood Burning Stove!

The Newer Insulated Double Wall/Government Approved Flue Pipe Doesn't Draw/Pull near like the Old Triple Wall Pipe would!

One More Thing Our Government Has Destroyed Due To Their BS Ways!
 
I have a Lopi Flush wood insert in my cabin and it rocks. Blows my old Country wood stove away. Burns less wood, burns way hotter, all around better. But not cheap.
 
Just a little FYI. Digital currencies based on block chain technologies have a gigantic carbon foot print that actually grows exponentially.

In other words a single bit coin may require several times as much electricity to maintain a year later depending on the number of times it's traided. The longer it is used the worse it is for the environment. People are just now starting to notice. There are actual digital currencies incapable of supporting themselves because of the electrical demand their growth is placing on the assets it takes to maintain the technology.
 
elkassassin said:
I'd also be very Leary Of The Obama/Catalytic BS that are on Some of the Newer Stoves/Inserts!
Click to expand...
I'm in Kali and we burn a couple million acres of forest and blanket the entire country in smoke all summer but the EPA wants my woodstove to have a catalytic converter. Now that's funny.

They can't put the fires out in Kali and I can't get one started. Dang. :LOL:

Yes we cleaned the flue before we started. I clean it every two years.
 
Tristate said:
Just a little FYI. Digital currencies based on block chain technologies have a gigantic carbon foot print that actually grows exponentially.

In other words a single bit coin may require several times as much electricity to maintain a year later depending on the number of times it's traided. The longer it is used the worse it is for the environment. People are just now starting to notice. There are actual digital currencies incapable of supporting themselves because of the electrical demand their growth is placing on the assets it takes to maintain the technology.
Click to expand...
WTF does that have to do with eel's wood stove??
 
Atmospheric Vents can be a real Pain in the Ass!

Is There a Clean-Out on The Flue Pipe?

Did You Take a Shop-Vac & Suck all the Sought out after You Brushed it?

I Had a Wood Stove Once & After I'd Brush the Flue Pipe I'd Have to take a piece of Kindling and use it to Clear the Sought That Stacked up in the top of the Stove doing So through the Front Door on the Stove!

I Learned the Hard way on that one!

So Eel?

Has It ever Flued Right Since The Guy Built/Installed the Adapter?
 
Sometimes mine gets a little cold air in the flue….. I use a plumbers torch and run it up the flue for a minute or so before I light the fire to get the draft going.

I use that torch with map gas every day to get the fire going and a bottle lasts about 2 months…..pretty cheap.
 
So?

Is The New Stainless Pipe You Installed a Double Wall Pipe with High-Temp Insulation In between the 2 Walls?
 
elkassassin said:
So?

Is The New Stainless Pipe You Installed a Double Wall Pipe with High-Temp Insulation In between the 2 Walls?
Click to expand...
Yes. The whole idea is to prevent a chimney fire that could spread to the wall. Here in earthquake country a cracked clay flue could be bad. It will make it a lot easier to clean too.
 
That Double Wall Wood Stove Flue Pipe with the High Temp Insulation in between the Walls of the Pipe is the Worst F'N Junk they ever Approved!
 
It's not absolutely required that I do it. Like I said, I can yank it out of there or get a different insert. Those are the two choices. I just don't know if one of those new ones will put out enough heat. Nobody knows until they try I guess.
 
Just Looking at Your Stove Eel I'd Bet You'd Have a hard Time Finding one that Would Work any better!

A Salesman Might Tell You Different But I Won't!
 
That's timber company land behind the house. They've been logging back there so they might open up my view.
 
Homer said:
so....no warranty from the guy that made the ss parts??
Click to expand...
The guy who cleaned my chimney and sold me the liner ordered the ss connector. He's the one who said it would work. The guy who built it helped install it. Then I paid the bill. They took off and it wasn't until a couple days later I thought I should give it a try. When I called and said it won't draw he said let's try a 2' extension so he sent his flunky out. We tried it while he was here and it still wouldn't work.

So the boss called and asked me what I want to do? Get a different stove or what? I said I'd think about it. That's where I am now.
 
Just to throw another wrench into the mix, all the commercial inserts I've looked at on line show a 6" pipe. I now own a 8" liner to fit my insert that won't draw. What a fuster cluck.
 
Eel, it might be just me but that flue pipe from top of chimney to top of the cover looks a little bit off tilt, I don't know if that would make problems but it might caused the flow of air movement across the top end of the flue to create a down draft.

Check out these suggestions.
love.firerock.us

How to Identify and Fix Common Smoke Draw Issues

A fireplace with poor smoke draw can cause smoke fill your house. Learn how to identify the cause of smoke blowing back into your house and how to fix it.
love.firerock.us love.firerock.us
 
The Newer Double Wall Wood Stove Pipe Is JUNK!

But Expensive JUNK!

I Went Through The Same Experience as Eel Several Years ago!

But it's Government Approved & Mandated!
 
Eel,

Get on the roof and take the big silver gorilla off and start a fire in the box. See if it draws up the chimney. That will tell you whether it's the box or the fancy top.
 
notdonhunting said:
Eel, it might be just me but that flue pipe from top of chimney to top of the cover looks a little bit off tilt, I don't know if that would make problems but it might caused the flow of air movement across the top end of the flue to create a down draft.

Check out these suggestions.
love.firerock.us

How to Identify and Fix Common Smoke Draw Issues

A fireplace with poor smoke draw can cause smoke fill your house. Learn how to identify the cause of smoke blowing back into your house and how to fix it.
love.firerock.us love.firerock.us
Click to expand...

TOO TIGHT THROAT OR SMOKE CHAMBER​

A throat or smoke chamber that is too tight for the size firebox will create smoke draw issues. The throat front and back should fit well at the top of the firebox and not restrict the opening air space.
 

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