Lopi Endeavor inside a fireplace - fits but can't operate bypass damper

[souljah978]

Hi folks,

I wanted to put either a wood stove or insert in my fireplace and after reading about people complaining that the insert surround traps heat behind the stove, I decided to get a wood stove. I found a good deal on craigslist, two Lopi Endeavor for $200. I was planning on putting one stove in my fireplace and the other in my basement to replace an old 1979 nightingale woodstove that came with the house.

The problem is that I didn't do my research and although the wood stove fits in my fireplace, there's no room in the back to operate the bypass damper. I'm actually new to wood burning/wood stove and wondering if the bypass damper is necessary - can I just keep it closed at all times? If not, my backup plan is to sell one of the Lopi and get a Quadra-fire wood insert on craigslist for $400. Now here's the problem with that....my fireplace opening height is 36 inches and the wood insert surround is only 31 inches. I'd have to somehow hide 5 inches or live with a gap above the insert surround... What should I do? Any advice is greatly appreciated.

 

[begreen]

Yes, you can operate it with the bypass closed all the time. Starting may at times be a bit slower, but if you normally do top-down starts, you may not notice much inconvenience.

Some sheetmetal can be spliced onto the top and painted black.

 

[john26]

Most insets have a surround or flashing kit i made my own using sheet metal like Begreen said. Here is a few pics for ideas.