Pulling out a Quadrafire CB1200i to get behind it

[Lab227]

I have a one year old Quadrafire Classic Bay 1200 insert that is working great except the remote equipped thermostat seems to have died. I was going to replace it with the stock wall mounted thermostat but decided to go with an Ecobee smart thermostat. I just need to either pull out the unit or somehow remove the right side panel so that I can drill a hole into the floor to run some 18 ga wire to the thermostat. I was not at home when it was installed so I don't know if I can just pull the unit out enough to reach in and make the hole or if there is some way to temporarily remove the factory surround.

Would anyone be able to tell me if I can just pull the unit out or is there an exhaust that would have to be uncoupled first?

The factory surround goes up against a slate surround from the old gas fireplace so I would have to go to the inside where the unit is, and there is plenty of clearance behind the stove within the wall.

This way I can run the control wire to the thermostat down under the floor and to the wall where the thermostat will be located. I will probably also run a second 18 ga wire for power from the thermostat back to the stove so that I can have it set up so that the blower power cord and transformer are both plugged into the same outlet (to the right of the unit, just off of the photo). That way I don't have to go to two different places to unplug the blower and the transformer.

 

[begreen]

We can't tell how it has been installed but usually it will be connected to a flex liner that will allow it to be pulled out a bit. But why are you using a transformer? There are good, battery operated remote thermostats that just need the 2 wire connection.

 

[Lab227]

The Ecobee is a smart thermostat and requires a 24v power source when connecting to a R/W two wire unit. This way all of my thermostats are the same brand and model, as I have two others for my two zone HVAC, upstairs and main floor.

 

[Lab227]

I ended up drilling a hole in the floor near the stove, but to the side, inside the wall cavity that the stove is mounted it. I wired it so that the CB1200i's 120v power cable and the thermostat's transformer are using the same outlet (it is located near the stove). Now with the Ecobee I can control the pellet stove with the app or with Amazon Alexa commands, i.e. "Alexa set the Pellet Stove to 70."

Now I would just like to figure out a way to control the hi/medium/low setting on the stove by using stage 1, stage 2, and aux heat. Probably have to find a relay that could take the place of the fan switch (I believe it is a dpdt switch? in the CB1200i?) But for now I am adjusting the fan manually.