# Federal Airtight insert...not in a masonry fireplace?



## eclecticcottage (Jan 25, 2014)

Curious about this install, not familiar with these inserts.  This is not a masonry fireplace, there's just joists below it in the basement and an stainless 8" flue exiting the roof.  Is this an ok install? (this is not in the Cottage)


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## DAKSY (Jan 27, 2014)

Sure doesn't look right. That looks like a stove that somebody took the legs off of. If its not Class A or a masonry chimney, it's not to code & not safe.


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## eclecticcottage (Jan 27, 2014)

It is an insert, at least I'm 99% sure it is.  I've found a few similar ones on the ole interweb.  The surround fits it perfectly.  However...I was under the impression that as an insert rather than a ZC fireplace it would have to be installed in a masonry fireplace.  And it seems you agree. 

It is not in use at the moment and as far as I know, the owner have no plans to use it either, but I know it WAS used as it is, and from my understanding, as a pretty regular suppliment to the forced air.  It just stuck out to me as having "WRONG" written all over it.


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## begreen (Jan 27, 2014)

From the posting in the main hearth forum I gather that this stove could be installed as an insert or freestanding back in the day. If the stove is in good working condition, connected to a liner and the chimney clean, then yes it should be ok.


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## eclecticcottage (Jan 27, 2014)

begreen said:


> From the posting in the main hearth forum I gather that this stove could be installed as an insert or freestanding back in the day. If the stove is in good working condition, connected to a liner and the chimney clean, then yes it should be ok.


It's probably single or double wall...it looks like someone enclosed a stove/insert, like you would with a ZC fireplace...


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## eclecticcottage (Feb 3, 2014)

I found out what was behind the wall....I looked at one corner today and wondered...what is that 2x4 there for?  And then I realized someone took the trim off...this is what is behind the faux stone...That pipe is HUGE.  WAY bigger than the 8" flue that comes out of the roof.  WTH is going on with that??


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## eclecticcottage (Dec 15, 2015)

So as a follow up to this, I actually opened the doors on this thing recently (after locating the handles, which you can see are not on the doors).  And was greeted by two dead squirrels and an undermined number of dead birds (kind of in a pile).  There is something on the top (inside) of the stove that looks kind of like rubber to me (non-metallic looking) that is completely rotted out and a piece of some part of it lying in the pile of dead bodies.  This thing has seen the end of it's days as a wood burner for sure.  I would still love to know what the heck is going on with the "surround" and piping, but I guess it's a moot point.


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## bags (Dec 15, 2015)

That decayed rubber thing is likely an old chimney pillow or balloon they used at some point to seal the draft and cold air infiltration with. The set up looks a bit sketchy to me. Since you have a pet cemetery going on and a dry rotted balloon or pillow I'd say it has not been used in a long while. Not worth risking a house fire over.


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## eclecticcottage (Dec 15, 2015)

Maybe (pillow), it seems like it's where the cat should be?  I'm not familiar with them enough to know but the cat gauge is above where it is.  Yeah, I'm pretty sure we convinced the owner of the place not to use it-although they don't know about the critters.  It's not their full time residence, we help take care of the place for them.


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## bags (Dec 15, 2015)

Get it looked over by a professional or someone that knows what they are doing and it may be usable or fixed so it could be properly. Is it in a cabin? To me the chimney pipe looks like round galvanized duct work but hard to tell from just the pics you have. If so that is a big no-go.


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## eclecticcottage (Dec 23, 2015)

It's a house, just not a full time residence.  The former owner supposedly used it regularly as it is, but it hasn't been used in several years.  I *think*, but am not positive, that there is a regular stove pipe inside of that "duct work".  The pipe that exits the roof is 8" stainless.  The whole set up just gives me the heebie jeebies as far as it being used even thought I know it was, probably from the 80's-a couple years ago.  Of course, that doesn't make it safe, it just means somehow nothing happened lol.  We rented a place in WV a couple months ago with wood heat (and luckily back up electric)-the stove pipe was upside down, there was no door gasket and the air control didn't work.  That also hadn't burnt down...yet.  If by some chance someone wants to "use" it, I'm suggesting cleaning it out and putting in a nice string of lights instead.  Or, just taking the whole mess out, building a new hearth pad and putting in a used (Lopi) Liberty or something if they want a wood stove.  The current owners would probably be just as happy with electric Christmas lights though.


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## begreen (Dec 23, 2015)

It may have a stainless liner as suggested earlier. A certified sweep can verify the safety and burnworthiness of this installation.


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## eclecticcottage (Dec 23, 2015)

Yeah, right now there's no point in calling one since they have no intentions of using it.  It probably does have a liner but the whole thing is just strange looking to me.  That stove/insert is sitting directly on the hearth pad with a wood floor under it-and no evidence of any type of r-value insulation except the two layers of brick.  It wasn't well cared for at any rate-the metal that holds the glass in is rotted and missing in most places, the gaskets are all shot and there is some random piece of the stove sitting in the ash behind the dead squirrel.  I did find the spark screen in another part of the house, I am sticking with the opinion that an electric log set or lights and the screen (or the doors closed and glass cleaned) is the best use for this critter for now, if it was to be used at all.  We did make a pretty big production out of calling a sweep to check it out should they WANT to use it, but they were pretty clear that doing so would be messy, work and not really their cup of tea


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