Old Aopalachian 32 insert installation

[Northeastconfederate]

Hello! New member here with a newly acquired old stove to install.

I've been burning wood in stoves for either auxiliary or primary heat (such as in my shop) for years. I bought this old Appalachian 32 stove well used and am preparing to install it in the brick fireplace of our circa 1900 farmhouse.

The fireplace has no damper and no evidence that it ever did (though I suppose there may have been one that completely rusted away). It is a brick fireplace with no Liner of any kind save a thick coat of mortar. I'd like to present my thoughts on how to do this and get feedback from the knowledgeable folks here.

The chimney is roughly 30 feet tall from the top of the stove to the top of the flue. The stove has an adapter to go from the (roughly) 4" x 14" rectangular outlet from the damper (which contains a new catalyst) to 8" round.

What I'm planning to do is fabricate what I think is called a "closeout plate" from 1/8" plate steel with a stub of 8" pipe welded to it to receive the stove's adapter. I would like to insulate this, probably with mineral wool insulation, and protect that with sheet metal, making this closeout plate a triple layer piece. This would be secured in the fireplace using mortar (refractory required here?? Probably not due to minimal heat exposure?). I don't have details of this 100% worked out but am thinking maybe 1-1/2" standoffs threaded on one end welded to the 1/8" plate; a 1-1/2" layer of mineral wool; and sheet metal fastened to the standoffs with screws. Sounds like a LOT of work. I'm wide open to better ideas.

Flexible, insulated stainless liner attached at the bottom to the fabricated closeout/adapter plate.

Next problem is how to deal with the top of the Liner. Picture of the chimney attached. It has a bluestone capstone, so a rain cap is not required. This capstone will make it difficult to install the top plate I see supplied with most of the flex liner kits I've looked at, but I think I can deal with it without having to remove the capstone. As a last resort, I'm sure I can break it loose with hammer and chisel without breaking it, though it will be very difficult to handle from a 40' ladder.

Can such a liner be pushed up from the bottom? Too heavy?

Connect Liner to closeout plate/adapter before plate installation? This would make an already heavy plate even heavier.....

Feedback and suggestions, please!

 

[stoveliker]

Your stove will likely benefit from (the heat retention offered by) a flue (key-) damper, and probably*needs* one with a 30 ft flue. It'll go nuclear otherwise due to excessive draft.

That is hard with an insert but.often not impossible. If your lintel is high enough, allow for a place to install one in your connector pieces.

 

[EbS-P]

I would safely get someone up top with a rope and push - pull it into place. But be prepared to take the cap off. One could fashion a hand winch like an old well to crank that liner up.

I would definitely use the wire mesh wrap and pull from the mesh if winching it up. You can pull apart the spiral wraps of the liner.

 

[Northeastconfederate]

Stoveliker, so you're suggesting a flue damper in addition to the damper assembly inside the stove? That's an interesting idea. I bet that would've helped the stove in my last house for the same reason; its flue was similar height. I never could get that one to burn as slowly as I would have liked. I can probably put a flue damper in the round part of the rectangle to round adapter; I think it will be just under the lintel...

 

[Northeastconfederate]

Regarding excessive draft: the adapter that came with the stove is for an 8" pipe. I think I'm going to reduce that to 6". Thoughts on this?

 

[stoveliker]

Stoveliker, so you're suggesting a flue damper in addition to the damper assembly inside the stove? That's an interesting idea. I bet that would've helped the stove in my last house for the same reason; its flue was similar height. I never could get that one to burn as slowly as I would have liked. I can probably put a flue damper in the round part of the rectangle to round adapter; I think it will be just under the lintel...

Yes. I presume the "damper" is the air inlet?
You most likely need to limit the suction (draft) of the flue on the insert. That is done by a flue or key damper.

 

[Northeastconfederate]

No, the damper is fitted to the top of the firebox and contains the catalyst. When open, the exhaust flows directly through an opening in the bottom of the damper housing and then immediately out the top of the stove through a corresponding opening directly above that opening. When the damper door is closed, the exhaust is forced through the catalyst and then out the top of the stove. The damper door position is variable; it's just a rod with a handle on it that gets pulled forward to open it and pushed inward to close it.

The air intakes are on the front of the stove under the door and are adjustable. They (there are two of them) have little sliding doors. This is where the incoming air is adjusted. They are low in order to draw cooler air from the room near floor level and also draw it in near the base of the fire.

I'll post a few pictures shortly to clarify.

 

[stoveliker]

That's not a damper, that is a bypass.

 

[Northeastconfederate]

Here is a picture of one of the two air intakes; the damper assembly with one of the two new catalysts sitting where it goes - so far without its gasket; and the adapter. I could possibly fit a key damper in the round portion below the level of the pipe that will be inserted in it...

 

[stoveliker]

Yes I would put it in the circular part of the rectangle to circular transition, but check that you can open it completely (that the damper doesn't run into the transition piece).

Or better in the liner above that.

 

[Northeastconfederate]

The Liner won't be accessible for a key damper, but I'm pretty sure I can fit one in the transition piece. I'll do some measuring and make sure.

Thoughts on reducing liner size to 6" from the 8" transition piece?

And BTW, the replacement parts people refer to that assembly in the stove as a damper:

Appalachian Non EPA Damper Assembly

This is the replacement Damper Assembly for the early model Appalachian Stoves that did not have the catalyst option. These would be called NON Catalytic Stoves. This is a complete assembly to include the weldment with slide damper plate, mounting brackets and screws, new damper rod with spring...

store11784174.ecwid.com

 

[stoveliker]

I don't know about the 8 to 6. It might help to decrease the draft.

 

[EbS-P]

Not to including the liner what are you willing to spend to make this work?