# Converting Fireplace Insert to Wood Burning Stove



## Thumper (Oct 29, 2009)

Im in the process of converting my pre-fab fireplace insert that has a double wall pipe into a wood burner (See Pic).  I am planning to install a Vermont Castings wood burner which requires a class A pipe.

Is my best bet to yank what is in there and put in a whole new Class A pipe?  From what I have read on here I can use a standard stovepipe in the room until I take it into the chimney.


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## DAKSY (Oct 29, 2009)

Thumper said:
			
		

> Im in the process of converting my pre-fab fireplace insert that has a double wall pipe into a wood burner (See Pic).  I am planning to install a Vermont Castings wood burner which requires a class A pipe.
> 
> Is my best bet to yank what is in there and put in a whole new Class A pipe?  From what I have read on here I can use a standard stovepipe in the room until I take it into the chimney.



You DON'T need to yank out the air-cooled chimney.
You DO need to have an insulation wrapped liner installed the full length of it.
Single-wall connector from the flue collar to the tee is fine IF you have the specified 18" to ALL combustibles...
If you don't, you either have to move the combustibles, or use double-wall connector...


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## polaris (Oct 29, 2009)

As was said you do not need to replace your chimney. You do need to line it. Some say it must be an insulated liner many say the insulation is not necessary. I have an insulated liner with double wall connector run through my ZC and it works well. Others on here have done the same type of install sans insulated liner and report all is well. My guess is you would would be fine either way.


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## DAKSY (Oct 29, 2009)

polaris said:
			
		

> As was said you do not need to replace your chimney. You do need to line it. Some say it must be an insulated liner many say the insulation is not necessary. I have an insulated liner with double wall connector run through my ZC and it works well. Others on here have done the same type of install sans insulated liner and report all is well. My guess is you would would be fine either way.



I would say that having combustibles less than 18" from an UNINSULATED liner has death & destruction written all over it.
The problem is the framing inside the chimney chase.  Without tearing siding & sheathing off the outside,
you will never know if you've charred the framing members, until it's too late.


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## Thumper (Oct 29, 2009)

To insulate the inner vent pipe (its an 8") I would need to pull it out.  I assume this can be pulled out from the top, wrapped and re-installed.  But that liner insulation is definitly not cheap, its almost the same price to get the Class A pipe and just replace from what I have seen online, maybe I am looking at the wrong liners though.


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## polaris (Oct 30, 2009)

You may be correct but what you have is an ss liner enclosed in a second air cooled pipe surrounded by a 3rd pipe air cooled or wool insulated. I don't see much getting through that. Thumper,You do not pull the inner pipe out and insulate it. You run a liner which is a 3rd pipe through your existing chimney.


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## Thumper (Oct 30, 2009)

I can only see two of the pipes but there may be a third around the outside before the frame of the chimney.  

I thought the insulation went around the outside of the most inner pipe.  At least that is what I saw online in a couple of videos.


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## polaris (Oct 30, 2009)

No. Your current set up is an air cooled chimney and you do not disassemble it. The liner insulated or not simply goes in the current chimney as it is. This liner would be the third or inner most pipe.


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## Thumper (Nov 2, 2009)

Well, the inner pipe is an 8" pipe and the Supervent Pipe I bought from lowes is an 8" ID with a 10" OD.  I could not fit that pipe down the inner or outer pipe so I ripped them both out of the chimney and am basically starting from scratch.  I even decided to rip the pre-fab chimney box off of my roof and just have the stainless Supervent pipes showing.

Inside the house I am ripping out the fasade rock wall and also starting from scratch as the builder of the home left less than an 1" from the inside of the framing.  I will post some pictures later this week.  This project was frustrating at first but now that I know what I need to do im getting into it.


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## Thumper (Nov 5, 2009)

Moving right along.  I think im all set on my outside supervent Class A pipe and how it goes through my ceiling.  My question now is should I use the Double Wall Pipe or use the single wall pipe that is porcelin coated that the guy is giving me.  Where the ceiling adapter comes in I only have 12" of clearance to the nearest wall but am planning on bricking this.  I will get some pics up this weekend but any advice now would be really appreciated.

Thanks for all the help on this!


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## MountainStoveGuy (Nov 5, 2009)

Thumper said:
			
		

> Well, the inner pipe is an 8" pipe and the Supervent Pipe I bought from lowes is an 8" ID with a 10" OD.  I could not fit that pipe down the inner or outer pipe so I ripped them both out of the chimney and am basically starting from scratch.  I even decided to rip the pre-fab chimney box off of my roof and just have the stainless Supervent pipes showing.
> 
> Inside the house I am ripping out the fasade rock wall and also starting from scratch as the builder of the home left less than an 1" from the inside of the framing.  I will post some pictures later this week.  This project was frustrating at first but now that I know what I need to do im getting into it.



glad you put in a new chimney. Its really the only correct way per code to do it. You get the added bonus of having the correct transitions pieces from the new class A to the connector pipe.


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## Thumper (Nov 5, 2009)

Yep, this site really helped me to make the decision and I feel pretty good about my current approach.  I guess my question really is that my class A pokes through the ceiling in the corner of the room with 12" of clearance to each wall from the outermost of the circle.  Single wall pipe says 18" to combustables but what if I brick or tile the wall with backer board and tile or brick does that satisfy the requirement?  Or do I need to use the Double wall stove pipe to get it down to 8" of clearance?

I plan to backer board and tile the wall either way.  I already have the porcelin coated single wall pipe that matches the stove this is why I am asking.  If I need double walled then I will just take it 45° angle out to get my 18" of clearance and then tie into the porcelin coated stove pipe.


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## Thumper (Nov 6, 2009)

Here are some pics of the demo.  You can see the hole in the ceiling is about 12 inches from the two walls.   Hopefully this explains what I stated in the previous posts.  I will start installing tomorrow so any help would be great.  The chimney still needs to come off of the roof too.


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