Need help: Unemployed, but have a kent tile stove. Now what?

[gldntrout]

Looks like there is a plate in the pic with the ladder?

The stove looks great in that fireplace, by the way.

Thanks! It worked out better than I had hoped

 

[Holiday]

When you say block them out do you mean splitting them as well? Nothing really dries all that well until actually split.

The more a person can get cut and split the better, even if it's for 2 years from now.

 

[rowerwet]

even with a lower block off plate in the chimney the heated air would flow directly to the chimney. the best way to take care of that is a ceiling fan, the next best would be a wire cage type fan blowing straight up from the floor to mix the colder air with the hot. Place the floor mounted fan in a corner and leave it running whenever the stove is.
ceiling fans add value to a house, mix and move heat better, help move a/c more evenly, or help endure hot weather without a/c(much cheaper electric bill). A ceiling fan over the table blowing down on high can keep you comfortable enough to want to eat on those super hot muggy days when otherwise you just don't fee hungry. (since A/C season where I live in Maine was 4 weeks at most we lived there for 10 years with no A/C)
A ceiling fan over the bed allowed us to sleep on hot muggy nights, also.

 

[Ashful]

The best thanks you can give is to stick around, and advise the next guy! You're an expert, now.

On screws into liners/connectors... totally unnecessary, when everything is running right. However, you'll be glad you have them in the event of a chimney fire, or one of those "liner wrinkling back puffs," BrotherBart once warned against.

 

[Dave A.]

Not sure if i did it right here, but I used chimney cement to fix the metal cap plate to the top of the chimney.

I believe the normal method is to use high temp silicone (black) to seal the plate to the top of the chimney (usually around the edge of the top clay tile). That should keep it air and water sealed. I'd keep an eye on the chimney cement which is more likely to crack and leak, I'd think. The top plate should also be mechanically attached to the chimney either with fasteners (drilled into chimney cap) or tension screws like with a "terracotta top plate". (though some have suggested, you can get by with just the silicone)

 

[Dave A.]

Since it fit so well, I decided not to use stove screws to fix the connector to the chimney. My thought is since it fits tightly, and there is up-pressure from the stove, and down-pressure from the chimney, the screws weren't necessary, and poking holes in the liner (however well-filled by a screw) is just opening up points of weakness, and potential spots for hot-gas to leak out. Not sure if that's the right way of thinking, so I'll go with your advice on this.

Joful makes a good point about that, plus I believe it's code (3 screws into the stove flue collar) for a reason, safety. I was told if it's too tight to get all three in, then at least one.

Good luck with it, nice looking fireplace, stove looks good in it.

 

[begreen]

I don't think furnace cement is going to adhere well nor seal out rain. The plate should be sealed with a generous bead of silicone. I would remove the plate, completely clean off any furnace cement and get the surfaces dust free. Then put down a fat bead of a good silicone adhesive sealant like GE Silicone II and press the top plate down on to it.

 

[MDFisherman]

Joful makes a good point about that, plus I believe it's code (3 screws into the stove flue collar) for a reason, safety. I was told if it's too tight to get all three in, then at least one.

Good luck with it, nice looking fireplace, stove looks good in it.

How about a hose clamp to connect stove to liner. Or better yet 2 with them tightening in different directions

 

[Dave A.]

Am not an expert on this, but don't believe that's an accepted method. My understanding is if clearance issues prevent getting screws in there, then the way to go would be a draw down type connector attaching from inside the stove.

Actually it's not the liner which is being drilled for the screws but rather the appliance connector. The liner goes inside the appliance connector which fastens to the liner with a hose clamp type attachment. The appliance connector then goes into the flue collar on the stove. So can't see how a hose clamp would work when the fitting goes inside the flue collar. Maybe you should explain why you're doing it that way (and a pic might help)

 

[gldntrout]

I don't think furnace cement is going to adhere well nor seal out rain. The plate should be sealed with a generous bead of silicone. I would remove the plate, completely clean off any furnace cement and get the surfaces dust free. Then put down a fat bead of a good silicone adhesive sealant like GE Silicone II and press the top plate down on to it.

Yeah, I went up and checked today, and it appears that furnace cement isn't the way to go. The weather is going to be crappy for the next couple of days, but as soon as it clears up, I will climb back up there, clean off the cement and go with silicone. The way it is now will work in the short term, but defiantly not the right way to go.

 

[gldntrout]

I believe the normal method is to use high temp silicone (black) to seal the plate to the top of the chimney (usually around the edge of the top clay tile). That should keep it air and water sealed. I'd keep an eye on the chimney cement which is more likely to crack and leak, I'd think. The top plate should also be mechanically attached to the chimney either with fasteners (drilled into chimney cap) or tension screws like with a "terracotta top plate". (though some have suggested, you can get by with just the silicone)

The top plate does have an integral hose clamp that attaches the liner to the top plate, so the liner is mechanically attached at the top.

I'll also put a couple of screws into the appliance collar to attach it to the liner in the morning when the stove is cool.

 

[begreen]

Yeah, I went up and checked today, and it appears that furnace cement isn't the way to go. The weather is going to be crappy for the next couple of days, but as soon as it clears up, I will climb back up there, clean off the cement and go with silicone. The way it is now will work in the short term, but defiantly not the right way to go.

After cleaning up, wipe the metal down with alcohol to remove any residual oils before siliconing. You want a good fat seal there.

 

[Dave A.]

The top plate does have an integral hose clamp that attaches the liner to the top plate, so the liner is mechanically attached at the top.

(broken link removed to http://www.instructables.com/id/Chimney-Liner-Installation-Step-By-Step-Guide/step8/)

and

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[gldntrout]

Quick update:

Furnace cement was defiantly not the way to go for the top cap. Cleaned it of with a scrapper then a wire brush, used alcohol (thanks begreen) to make sure there weren't any oils to mess up the seal, and then resealed the top cap with a FAT bead of chimney specific, high-temp silicone (purchased from a fireplace store, where the purveyor laughed at me for what I had done - another reason I'm glad I came here for help). Checked it a couple of days later and it set perfectly and has a good seal all the way around.

We've been running the stove pretty much non-stop since the install, and I can't say how much I'm impressed. Our avg temp inside is 70-73, even when it's been in the teens outside. Considering the heating bills paid last year ($300+/mo to keep the house at 65) this has been an incredibly rewarding experience. I love seeing the NG bill come in and it's in the $30 range (water heater)

I've got a bunch of wood, scrounged like a maniac, and filled my permit, have split around 2 cords-ish (wild guess), and have 8x4x4 stack of blocked wood, and a log pile that's 8x8x6 that needs some chainsaw love. crazy mix of wood. Beech, maple, oak, poplar, ash, walnut, and even some plum mixed in for good effect. I'll get a new permit at the beginning of the year and start cutting for next winter.

I'm still working out some of the newbie issues - how to pack the stove to get it to run through the night, how long do I let it run before emptying the ash, what to do with the ash afterwards. ie stupid learning experience stuff. But in general, incredible positive experience, and a huge plus for us.

 

[rwhite]

Nice work! Refreshing to see a good install. As for the ash. Get a proper ash can with lid. I usually clean ash once a week. Takes about 4 cleanings to fill up the can. I leave it sit outside (away from everything) for a week or so and then just dump in the dumpster. Looks like your into it for the cost of liner and some gas to gather wood so you may see your return in a few months