Using Pellet stove insert in place of free standing unit

[Mojo]

Hi, I'm new to the board and had a question I was hoping to get the collective wisdom of this group to weigh in on. I recently complete a detached garage/workshop. It's about 1500 sq feet. I want to get a pellet stove unit as it pretty much seems to be a plug in, fill with pellets and ignite. I'm just looking for a simple way to take off the chill when workin the shop. Not looking for bells and whissles as its' just another tool in the shop. I've got a line on fully tested and working Whitfiled WP2 for a very reasonable price. Im not looking for anything terribly pretty. Building code aside, is there any reason why I shouldn't use a pellet stove insert as a stand alone. I have searchd for some time and haven't found anything relevant.

Thanks for any help,

Tracy

 

[pegdot]

I have a similar situation since I have a pellet insert that I'm considering installing as a free standing stove rather than putting it in the fireplace. I've test burned the insert outside and really other than the lack of legs I don't see any difference between it and a stove. The outside didn't get any hotter than my stove does, etc. Is there a reason you can't use an insert, on an adequate hearth pad of course, as if it were a stove?

We've discussed using stoves as shop/garage heaters here before.....https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/14010/

Basically, I think it boils down to what you store/use in the shop. If you have solvents or other highly flammable items in there a stove probably isn't a smart idea. You wouldn't, for example, want to store the gas can for your lawnmower in there. As I stated in the above thread, I've used a wood stove in my work shop for years but it is something that I'm extremely cautious about. Using the stove to heat the shop, mainly a matter of getting the slab warm, before I'm ready to spend time out there working and then shutting it down and using the radiators to keep it warm when I'm working with flammables has worked well for me but it's certainly not ideal.

 

[hearthtools]

Short and sweet reason why not to use an insert as a freestanding stove
There is NO safety shielding around the electronic or the blower motors.
An insert is safety tested to be used in an approved fireplace and not as a free stand

so if you burn your house down or someone gets hurt touching it it would be your ass and your insurance company would not have to pay because the stove was not listed to be used as a freestanding unit.
NOR IS IT TESTED TO USED AS A BUILD IN.
IT MUST BE USED IN A FIREPLACE.

 

[pegdot]

Thanks Rod! That makes sense. Guess I'll just have to install it in the fireplace or let it sit in the shed.

 

[hearthtools]

Thanks Rod! That makes sense. Guess I'll just have to install it in the fireplace or let it sit in the shed.

you could buy a LARGE $500 zero clearance fireplace and insert it into it

 

[pegdot]

That's certainly an option. I'll have to check into that. Hubby still has some reservations about pulling the wood burner out of the fireplace to replace it with the pellet insert. He wants to keep his options open given the current pellet supply situation. :roll: Of course, if I just sold the insert and put the $500 I'd spend on a zero clearance with that money I could probably about pay for another free standing stove. ;-)

 

[kbd627]

Short and sweet reason why not to use an insert as a freestanding stove
There is NO safety shielding around the electronic or the blower motors.
An insert is safety tested to be used in an approved fireplace and not as a free stand

so if you burn your house down or someone gets hurt touching it it would be your ass and your insurance company would not have to pay because the stove was not listed to be used as a freestanding unit.
NOR IS IT TESTED TO USED AS A BUILD IN.
IT MUST BE USED IN A FIREPLACE.

My neighbor has a raised ranch that he purchased with the lower lever unfinished. The house has a fireplace on the mainlevel and a cut-out in the foundation where another fireplace could go on the lower level. He is in the process of finishing lower level (yes I've spent the last week helping him frame for lower walls in front of foundation). He went to the local dealer and was told he could build a hearth and install a pellet insert in the cut-out. I was with him and he specifically asked if he had to put in a cheap fireplace to put the insert in and was told that it wasn't necessary. Was the clerk wrong on this? He didn't purchase one since there were none to have so he probably will get one after this winter.

 

[hearthtools]

Short and sweet reason why not to use an insert as a freestanding stove
There is NO safety shielding around the electronic or the blower motors.
An insert is safety tested to be used in an approved fireplace and not as a free stand

so if you burn your house down or someone gets hurt touching it it would be your ass and your insurance company would not have to pay because the stove was not listed to be used as a freestanding unit.
NOR IS IT TESTED TO USED AS A BUILD IN.
IT MUST BE USED IN A FIREPLACE.

My neighbor has a raised ranch that he purchased with the lower lever unfinished. The house has a fireplace on the mainlevel and a cut-out in the foundation where another fireplace could go on the lower level. He is in the process of finishing lower level (yes I've spent the last week helping him frame for lower walls in front of foundation). He went to the local dealer and was told he could build a hearth and install a pellet insert in the cut-out. I was with him and he specifically asked if he had to put in a cheap fireplace to put the insert in and was told that it wasn't necessary. Was the clerk wrong on this? He didn't purchase one since there were none to have so he probably will get one after this winter.

Some older pellet inserts were used as a build in and then they ran into problems with charing under the hearth
Most manufacures stoped listing the stoves as build in. Recently Travis cam up with a CAN you can install it in.
http://www.travisdealer.com/TechnicalNotices/17601441.pdf

Other like Enviro do not have a build in option at this time.
Profile 30 inserts where not aproved.
I dont know about harmon or others

I dont like build ins because they are very hard to work on and make more noise because you are in a hollow cavity.
with a insert into a fireplace you can use Stainless flex this gives you the movement to move the stove in and out to work on the stove
with a build in you have to use RIDGED L vent and you can not move the stove.

 

[kbd627]

Short and sweet reason why not to use an insert as a freestanding stove
There is NO safety shielding around the electronic or the blower motors.
An insert is safety tested to be used in an approved fireplace and not as a free stand

so if you burn your house down or someone gets hurt touching it it would be your ass and your insurance company would not have to pay because the stove was not listed to be used as a freestanding unit.
NOR IS IT TESTED TO USED AS A BUILD IN.
IT MUST BE USED IN A FIREPLACE.

Some older pellet inserts were used as a build in and then they ran into problems with charing under the hearth
Most manufacures stoped listing the stoves as build in. Recently Travis cam up with a CAN you can install it in.
http://www.travisdealer.com/TechnicalNotices/17601441.pdf

Other like Enviro do not have a build in option at this time.
Profile 30 inserts where not aproved.
I dont know about harmon or others

I dont like build ins because they are very hard to work on and make more noise because you are in a hollow cavity.
with a insert into a fireplace you can use Stainless flex this gives you the movement to move the stove in and out to work on the stove
with a build in you have to use RIDGED L vent and you can not move the stove.

Ok so If I understand your answer correctly it is your opinion. As long as the insert is aproved for this type of installation it is ok. This will be installed in a cut-out in the foundation. The floor is cement (foundation) so I don't think hot embers will ignite that. I will tell him to check with local building deparment to make sure they allow this type of installation. Thank you

 

[hearthtools]

Ok so If I understand your answer correctly it is your opinion. As long as the insert is aproved for this type of installation it is ok. This will be installed in a cut-out in the foundation. The floor is cement (foundation) so I don't think hot embers will ignite that. I will tell him to check with local building deparment to make sure they allow this type of installation. Thank you

The stove has to be approved for a build in
It will have to have this in writing on the owners manual or on the UL label

you local building department cant say ya you can.
But they can say NO YOU CANT even if it is listed to be used as a build in.