# Help!  ID stove for insurance purposes?



## rbrooks (Apr 25, 2013)

Hello all,

My first post is going to be 'help!'

My wife and I bought our place last month and the HOI had an issue with the pad the stove was on.  Said we had to make it extend 18" in front of the door.

No big deal, I buy a cheap fireboard that does that and send him photos.  Well, in typical fashion, they reply, 'Since we can't ID the maker of the stove, we have to default to asking for 18" on either side as well'.

I'm a little perturbed that, just coming from an account-draining home purchase, that I have to spend more money.  Most of the premade pads are $500+, and out of my budget at the moment.  In addition, once I HAVE the budget, I want to build a nice place for it.  What I'm doing right now is a stopgap measure on a stove that I don't plan to really use much except in power emergencies.

I digress...  Either way, I need to identify this thing and can't seem to find a tag on it.  If the manufacturer calls out less than 18" on sides, it will help me come to a conclusion on this matter with the HOI at an acceptable price for a stopgap measure.

Has bears, looks Fisher-esque but can't find Fishers with flat tops and brass knobby things.

Any input, ht.com?  Thanks a million in advance.


----------



## mellow (Apr 25, 2013)

I would just remove it for now to satisfy the insurance company and revisit it in the fall,  maybe you will find a new stove deal in the mean time that the insurance company will be OK with.  The hearth pad will have to be upgraded no matter what you go with,  maybe over the summer build one yourself one once you figure out what your going to do for a stove.

With no tags it is going to be hard to prove it is UL listed and the clearances.   It looks to be just another Grizzly knock off stove that has long since gone out of business and defaults to the maximum clearances.


----------



## Ashful (Apr 25, 2013)

Almost any stove is going to require a pad somewhere on the order of 50" square, and it looks like you're WAY short of that.  I hear what you're saying about only wanting to use it for power outages, and not put any $$ into it, but here's another way to look at it:

1.  Hang out here a few weeks / months, and listen to the stories.
2.  Learn that you can save a few thousand PER YEAR in heating costs with a good stove setup (I saved $2200, this year alone)
3.  Start collecting your fuel supply, which must season a year or three anyway
4.  Use your new knowledge and our help to find the right stove, and build a proper hearth for it.
5.  Say bye-bye to the oil man and the propane man.  Your wife was getting too friendly with him, anyway.


----------



## PapaDave (Apr 25, 2013)

Even most new stoves require side clearance on the pad of 6-8" and it doesn't look like you have that.
I'm actually surprised they didn't say anything about the pad. What kind of R-value has it got?
Some stoves only require ember protection, and others require quite high values because of the heat emanating from the bottom of the stove.
Someone will correct if I'm wrong, but if it's not UL listed and no tag, the default CTC in the back may also be 36". Unless my eyes deceive, you don't have that either.
What's with the wood thing under the pad?
If the stove isn't there, the HOI can't complain. Remove it for now, like mellow said, and revisit later this year when you have more time and maybe money. Lots on your plate right now with a new house to deal with this.
Also, looks like a Grizzly or knockoff. My brother has one, but a little different. His is a steptop and says Grizzly on the front. That's how I know what it is. I'm observant like that.
Joful made good points, especially about the wood. Go get a bunch of wood....... yesterday... and get it cut, split, and stacked in the windiest/sunniest spot on the property. Do that.......we'll wait.
You WILL have a miserable burning experience if you don't get some wood ASAP. If you already have a bunch, go get more. This is your prime goal, not the stove. Trust us on this.
How's the flue situation?


----------



## webby3650 (Apr 25, 2013)

Unless someone on this site has one, I doubt you will be able to ID it. It's a knock-off of some sort made in the back of a welding shop somewhere. There probably very few in existence. They didn't bother to put their name on it, that says a lot! 

It looks like brick veneer behind the stove, if so, the stove is also too close to that wall. The hearth pad will need to extend on the sides as well, the insurance is right. I don't think that pad is approved for a non UL-listed stove either. Most old stoves require it to sit on solid masonry or something comparable.

Like was mentioned above, hang out, do some research on here. Pull that thing out, fix the leak where the pipe meets the wall,gather all the wood you can  and gather all the advice you can.
 By this fall, you will be running a new, efficient stove!


----------



## Defiant (Apr 25, 2013)

webby3650 said:


> Like was mentioned above, hang out, do some research on here. Pull that thing out, fix the leak where the pipe meets the wall,gather all the wood you can and gather all the advice you can. By this fall, you will be running a new, efficient stove!


Great advice


----------



## rbrooks (Apr 26, 2013)

Let's try to tackle things bit by bit:

The 'wood' under the pad is actually a phenolic fiberboard.  Trade name would be Micarta.  It's not flammable, but I have no knowledge of prior use in this sort of application.  Under that board is 1.5" thick brick elevating the stove to 2" above.  The phenolic and the pad extend to the back wall, which isn't just a faux brick veneer, that's actual thin brick mortared into place on a cement board or hardibacker base.  They had no issue with that, the stove is about 18" from that wall.

The pad I put it on to extend the 18" in the front is a fireboard.  I got it at the local hardware store and it's sold just for this purpose.

Discussions with the insurance carrier reveal that, for the moment, I can put two 3x5' pieces of Durock (Cement Board) under there and that will satisfy them for the requirement.  After that I have the summer and most of fall to disposition the stove as either a decoration or replace or remove it.

Removing it is one of those 'easier said than done' things.  I will have to pull out a section of railing and I'm not 100% convinced it will fit through my door without actually undoing some of the door casing.  :/


----------



## mellow (Apr 26, 2013)

Would they consider it decommissioned if you took out the single wall pipe and put a cap on the thimble?   That way you could push the stove against the back wall and have more room till you figure out what you are going to do.

Seems excessive to have those big sheets of durock hanging out just so the stove can sit there.


----------



## rbrooks (Apr 26, 2013)

I don't know, that might work.  Probably not, though.

Worst case it sits on the Durock for the moment until I build it up into an actual pad.  The Durock can be part of it.


----------



## webby3650 (Apr 26, 2013)

rbrooks said:


> the back wall, which isn't just a faux brick veneer, that's actual thin brick mortared into place on a cement board or hardibacker base. They had no issue with that, the stove is about 18" from that wall.


Well, that's what brick veneer is.
It's the material behind that I am concerned about. If the stove has no tags, then it would need to be 36" from the wall to meet code without a proper wall protection.

I have seen stoves that insurance has signed off on that were in no way in compliance with codes. One had upside down pipe, a dislodged stovepipe adapter, and it was 8" from the wall. This stove required 36". The insurance and the home inspector said it was good to go. SO, they don't always know what they are talking about. More often than not, they aren't correct. You need to make a proper hearth pad and wall protection, or replace the stove with one that is code compliant, one that requires minimal hearth protection. You don't want to burn down your new house!


----------



## billb3 (May 1, 2013)

faux brick = high density polyurethane 
common in sheets and also a fake thin brick
they are for looks only
I just took a brick chimney down that had a plywood chase covered with the things
they pop off easy and those popped off: you can still smell the acrylic resin used to glue them down 40 years ago


----------



## Ram 1500 with an axe... (May 1, 2013)

I'm sorry to say but your pad does not look legit. Get something safer for your family, good luck


----------



## WeldrDave (May 13, 2013)

Definetly not a Fisher!,  I'm going back many years but I "think" either Montgomery Wards or the old chain store W.T. Grants sold that stove.  Again, I'm not positive but that stove rings a memory bell in one of those stores.

Good luck


----------



## tekguy (May 13, 2013)

i wouldnt feel safe with that install.......


----------



## Jags (May 20, 2013)

For some reason - to me it looks kinda Scandia.  Without research, I am no where near sure of that, but you might want to do a little googling.


----------

