Pellet stove insert - got some questions about the chimney liner

[alia176]

Fellas,

I'm in the process of acquiring parts for a Quardrafire 1200i pellet stove insert that I acquired last summer through CL. It was a great deal and works quite well, at least it heated up the driveway air!!! Anyway, my question is regarding the chimney liner, top plate, connector, etc.

The existing fireplace is made of brick with a huge hearth and comes with a cap with an anti pest screen on top. The cap on top is approx 14" across, didn't have a ladder to measure it exactly.

My plan is to install something like this

Fireside Chimney Supply FireFlex 316Ti Basic Flexible Chimney Liner Kit - 4in x 20ft - Ducting Components - Amazon.com

or

DuraVent 4DF304-15K Stainless Steel 4" Inner Diameter - DuraFlexSS 304 Flexible Liner Chimney Pipe - Single Wall - 15' Basic Kit Includes Top Plate, Cap, Connector and Flex Length.

Talking to the local pellet stove shops, I need a 4" SS flexible liner given the elevation of 7,000'. Easy peasy.

From what I gather, the top plate is responsible for attaching the 20' of flexible liner (or ducting). The liner will hang from this top plate, correct? I'll need to replace the current chimney cap with the one from the kit.

My insert has a 3" outlet which I'll use an adapter to convert it to 4". I was thinking of using something like this Amazon.com: Walker Exhaust Adapter-Connector (41989): Automotive Will this work?

Next question is regarding the fireplace flue modification. I can either leave it wide open and close it but create a 4" hole. If the flue was closed then it'll provide another barrier against the cold air outside but I was trying to figure out how to make a 4" diam hole in situ. If I can remove it, I can easily drill the hole in the garage. I'd like some ideas here as I know diddly about fireplace flues!

The floor of the fireplace sits about 1.25" below the hearth so my plan is to install these ball conveyors McMaster-Carr under the insert so that I can easily pull it out for PM. I'll need to put down a cardboard on the hearth in order to prevent scratching it up or transfer paint from the insert.

Thanks for any insight.

 

[Living in the Past]

I looked into doing a wood burning insert into my masonry fireplace. I already have a wood stove in the room and thinking of switching to save floor space. Running down the clay flue stack wasn't the problem it was getting thru damper. It required cutting and removing it. Plus my current wood stove I only use the fan while warming the place up. A insert would need to run all the time. For now sticking with my current wood stove I know keeps the place warm and cutting out the damper means never going back if I want too. The roller conveyors are rated for less then two hundred degrees because of the enclosed space would be worried it might possibly melt the nylon or at least

For reference I'm at 7,000 in Northern Arizona.

 

[alia176]

I looked at my flue damper the other day and looks like I can remove it if needed. I was thinking of removing it, make two holes: 4" for the flue and 2" for the fresh air intake. This way, the damper can stay closed all year around while minimizing cold air ingress.

Regarding the temp rating of the roller conveyors, I was thinking the floor shouldn't get very hot. In fact, the entire space shouldn't get very hot since all the heat is in the fire box which is in the living air space. The hot exhaust is getting carried out via the 4" flue pipe and the actual "skid plate" that the insert is attached to stays fairly cool. But, I'm thinking of simply inserting the pellet stove insert into its final resting place w/o the conveyors and see how I live dragging the thing in/out for annual PM.

 

[Living in the Past]

My hearth is also higher then the fireplace itself. My thought was to use some type paver to even it up. Mine has a old school clean out in the floor. Was hoping to it as the fresh air intake but never found a stove insert with inlet to hook up to instead of louvers. I also thought about using high temperature insulation to line the sides of fireplace. Masonry fireplace gets cold when not being used and do little to prevent heat transfer. I have a wood box built into the fireplace to store my wood and can feel the cold. Curious what the cost of pellets are? Forest Service sells permits to cut firewood at five dollar a cord. Need to find and cut yourself but enjoy getting out into the forest.

 

[alia176]

I have a real nice wood stove Lopi Liberty, that sits in the corner. It provides a lot of heat but I often wondered why the PO didn't use a wood stove insert for the useless fireplace. So, I'm planning on using both the wood stove and the pellet stove insert for a few years to see what I like. I bought two tons of pellet from Missouri for approx $2.50/bag. Bunch of bought two semi truck loads in order to save some coin.

 

[Cruiser Jimmy]

Call up Carl from back in IN. He can help you out.