Insulation and draft concerns

[gardnert]

Just had my liner and stove installed this week; stainless steel 6", 1/2" insulation wrapped.

Here is a picture of the installation. (not included in image is the stove board that sits in front of it)(EDIT: box for said stove board is actually in the picture, keeping a cat locked in the back room)

I've got a mantel shield I'm installing this weekend for the horizontal section of the mantel, but the parts below that are not within the clearances for combustibles. The offending part of the stove is the connector that's running to the t-pipe and liner. If I wrap that connector with 1" ceramic insulation, will that: 1) affect the draft of the liner, and 2) help lower the clearances to combustibles?

The long-term plan is to replace the mantel with a noncombustible version, as well as level out the hearth, but I'd really love to do that work in the spring/summer.

Thanks, everyone.

 

[begreen]

Looks like it is almost ok once the upper mantel shield is in place. What is the distance from the connector to the side wood? Insulating the connector won't hurt the draft. It will reduce the radiation from the pipe but that's not tested, so how much I can not say.

 

[gardnert]

Looks like it is almost ok once the upper mantel shield is in place. What is the distance from the connector to the side wood? Insulating the connector won't hurt the draft. It will reduce the radiation from the pipe but that's not tested, so how much I can not say.

Thanks so much for the reply.
The upper section of the mantel is inline with the back of the stove, 10" in front of the front of the T-pipe, 8.5" and 11" off the top (but not over the stove)

7.5" from end of stove to wood on the side (which is about 1" behind the stove back plane).

I would love it if the ceramic blanket wrap would solve both problems: the mantel shield is huge compared to the mantel.