Wood stove inside fireplace

[Tdm90]

Hey forum,I've pretty much read everything I could find about putting a freestanding stove inside a fireplace, so I just want to post everything I'm planning on doing to make sure everything is correct (or wrong). This is my first time posting.

So first off, I live just outside philadelphia pa so the climate isn't as cold as where most of you guys are located. I'm in a 1950s one story ranch 1600sq ft with an exterior wall brick fireplace. I'm using the stove for supplement heat, especially for the drafty 20x20 room with 13ft ceiling that the fireplace is in. Insulation in the house okay. Not the greatest. The bow window is the cause of most of the draft.

I'm looking to get the englander 13nc freestanding. I don't really like the look of inserts as much. The stoves dimensions are D20.25, H28.25, W25. I've attached a photo of my fireplace dimensions. The 27.75 is where the side edge of the stove would be. Ive read that with the legs installed, the stove is an inch shorter. So I'm thinking it'll fit

My plan is to cut hole in damper for 6" ss liner wrapped with insulation. Make a block off plate with roxul above it. Line the walls with roxul and sheetmetal (probably painted black with high temp to make it less noticeable)

My questions are is it too small of a space that it would get too hot in there that it'll cause problems to something?
Is lining the walls with sheet metal good or bad?
The fireplace I doubt has gotten cleaned in awhile. Should I get it swept first before I install, or does it not matter because it's getting a new liner

A lot to read sorry but you guys seem to be knowledgable and very helpful. Just want to know if I'm going about this right. Give me your best criticism. -Timn

 

[begreen]

Sounds snug. Remember you need room to fit and connect the liner. A bit of wiggle room really helps. An option would be to get the insert version and not install the surround. Or the legs could be cut down.

 

[Tdm90]

Sounds snug. Remember you need room to fit and connect the liner. A bit of wiggle room really helps. An option would be to get the insert version and not install the surround. Or the legs could be cut down.

Yea it's definitely gonna be snug. More of my concern is that it'll be safe with all that heat confined in there. It'll have the blower though

 

[Nick Mystic]

In response to your question regarding whether you need a sweep before you do the installation, the answer is: Yes. From my person experience of installing a stove in front of a fireplace and running a ss flex liner up the flue I can tell you that you need to pay particular attention the smoke shelf when you do the sweep (or have it done). That is a particularly nasty spot to reach when you sweep, but it is also a spot that will really collect heaps of creosote that has flaked off your clay liner flue. A shop vac can work well reaching up there, but be warned that you need to pay particular attention to the filter on the vac since some of the dust you will suck out is extremely fine (think talcum powder) and will coat your entire house if you aren't careful. Don't ask me how I know! These days I tie an extra fine cloth over the exhaust port of my shop vac as a secondary filter for this reason whenever I'm sucking up soot/creosote/ash from my stove or flue.

 

[begreen]

Yea it's definitely gonna be snug. More of my concern is that it'll be safe with all that heat confined in there. It'll have the blower though

If it's a properly built fireplace it will be safe. There will be a lot less direct heat than with an open fire burning in the fireplace. Mantel clearance is another issue. I would plan for a mantel heat shield on the underside of the mantel.

 

[Pellet_Pete]

My plan is to cut hole in damper for 6" ss liner wrapped with insulation. Make a block off plate with roxul above it.

This sounds good to me - exactly what I did.

Check your stove's manual, but you may need a mantel shield. I made mine out of 24 ga sheet copper, annealed with a MAPP torch and bent by hand with clamps & wooden blocking. The annealing made for a nice patina that I totally didn't plan for, but it makes me look really creative .

Also, if you need to extend the hearth, the affordable route is the Hy-C type 2 hearth extender (I didn't pay that much though - google the crap out of it for a better price). They're not nearly as ugly as I'd feared (wife-approved).

 

[Tdm90]

Okay so seems to me so far that its safe to do just will probably be a pain in the ass to get the pipe connected to the liner. Thanks for all the replies and tips so far. Great site this is.

 

[Tdm90]

Also, if you need to extend the hearth, the affordable route is the Hy-C type 2 hearth extender (I didn't pay that much though - google the crap out of it for a better price). They're not nearly as ugly as I'd feared (wife

This sounds good to me - exactly what I did.

Check your stove's manual, but you may need a mantel shield. I made mine out of 24 ga sheet copper, annealed with a MAPP torch and bent by hand with clamps & wooden blocking. The annealing made for a nice patina that I totally didn't plan for, but it makes me look really creative .
View attachment 175665
Also, if you need to extend the hearth, the affordable route is the Hy-C type 2 hearth extender (I didn't pay that much though - google the crap out of it for a better price). They're not nearly as ugly as I'd feared (wife-approved).

Yea I was also worried about that too. Didn't know they had those that you could just lay down for the burning season and remove during summer. Hmm if that's the case then maybe I should go for the nc30 instead and trim the legs to 6 inches. It would be half in half out and get more radiant heat and could lay down the hearth extension right?

 

[Pellet_Pete]

Hmm if that's the case then maybe I should go for the nc30 instead and trim the legs to 6 inches. It would be half in half out and get more radiant heat and could lay down the hearth extension right?

I don't know about cutting down the legs, but as a rule (from what I've read on here), the further out from the fireplace the better for exactly what you said - more radiant heat. That's why I brought mine right to the edge of the masonry. Access to the T for clean-out is also helpful.

 

[weatherguy]

The England is only top vent so it's going to go where it lines up with the liner, you would have to get a stove with a rear exhaust to bring it out further.

 

[Tdm90]

The England is only top vent so it's going to go where it lines up with the liner, you would have to get a stove with a rear exhaust to bring it out further.

Very true. Ill probably go with the 13 and when I install the liner and its too buried in the fireplace I could return it and get the 30 (only $200 more) which seems to have the same spot for the exhaust but the front sticks out further. Planning on installing in the spring

 

[LukeT509]

Are you me? I'm looking to do the exact same thing. I posted a thread about it also: https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/a-quandary-for-the-best-and-brightest.153987/

I hope you report back on how yours went because I'd be very interested in seeing that. I also am going to have hearth clearance issues and was worried I'd have to rip up flooring and put down tile, but that hearth extender seems like its just the ticket.

 

[Tdm90]

Are you me? I'm looking to do the exact same thing. I posted a thread about it also: https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/a-quandary-for-the-best-and-brightest.153987/

I hope you report back on how yours went because I'd be very interested in seeing that. I also am going to have hearth clearance issues and was worried I'd have to rip up flooring and put down tile, but that hearth extender seems like its just the ticket.

Yea the hearth extender seems like a better way to go for me considering I just put down new floor. I'll let you know. Not sure when I'll be getting to it because I have plenty of projects. Thanks for the link also, I'll check it out