Gibralter

dsteinel · Post by **dsteinel** » Tue. Apr. 14, 2009 7:16 pm

I bought a Gibraltar insert CFI like yours last month. Mine has a round exit hole on the top. However, it came with a rectangular cast iron piece that fits over the exit hole and converts into an 8 in oval exit pipe that goes up the chimney. You need that heavy duty iron exit piece that sits on top coverning the exit hole.

cf1 · Post by **cf1** » Tue. Apr. 14, 2009 7:32 pm

dsteinel did you buy that off craigslist in pitts or lancaster pa? Do you have it installed yet.. If not and your close I would like to see it.. I seen one on craigslist but just missed it. Im over here close to pitts. pa

grizzly2 · Post by **grizzly2** » Wed. Apr. 15, 2009 6:29 pm

I was picturing having enough space between the top of the stove and the top of the fireplace to be able to reach in and adjust the baro. damper. Sounds like you don't have that kind of space. It would be safe if you had the flue sealed off from the fireplace, so that the baro. was dawing inside air only. Sounds like you have found your solution with the manual damper though. Good luck.

cf1 · Post by **cf1** » Wed. Apr. 15, 2009 8:32 pm

Yes mine is a tite fit I couldnt use a barro.

dsteinel · Post by **dsteinel** » Wed. Apr. 15, 2009 8:51 pm

CF1,

I did not buy mine on ebay, but on craigslist out of Lancaster, PA. I think yours was the one on Ebay last week, I could tell from the pics.If I recall correctly, that one on Ebay sold for a little over $50. What a deal if it is functional. I bid on a Hitzer insert last month around Pittsburgh but lost it when it went over $900.

Mine came with the rectangular piece that fits over the top.

I live in Columbia, Maryland which is just south of Baltimore. Since it is cold now, I have it fired up right now. I have been experimenting with it. I have not loaded it up to the top yet. That would be over 80 lbs of nut coal. I have half that in it and it is chugging along at 400 degrees and heating the living room just fine. It was a bitch to haul off the back of my pickup and get it into my fireplace. My only gripe is that the fans are loud. It is hard to hear the TV over the fan noise.

cf1 · Post by **cf1** » Wed. Apr. 15, 2009 9:10 pm

there was another one that went for $250.00 in the pa area. Im going to make a free standing stove out of this and get a hitzer 503. I like the gibralter because the grates should never warp and this hitzers and harmons has smaller grates that do warp. As for any of these stoves your going to have fan noise..

coal berner · Post by **coal berner** » Thu. Apr. 16, 2009 12:36 pm

dsteinel wrote:CF1,

I did not buy mine on ebay, but on craigslist out of Lancaster, PA. I think yours was the one on Ebay last week, I could tell from the pics.If I recall correctly, that one on Ebay sold for a little over $50. What a deal if it is functional. I bid on a Hitzer insert last month around Pittsburgh but lost it when it went over $900.

Mine came with the rectangular piece that fits over the top.

I live in Columbia, Maryland which is just south of Baltimore. Since it is cold now, I have it fired up right now. I have been experimenting with it. I have not loaded it up to the top yet. That would be over 80 lbs of nut coal. I have half that in it and it is chugging along at 400 degrees and heating the living room just fine. It was a bitch to haul off the back of my pickup and get it into my fireplace. My only gripe is that the fans are loud. It is hard to hear the TV over the fan noise.

I don't know why it was a bitch getting it off the back of the truck it only weighs 650 lbs

coal berner · Post by **coal berner** » Thu. Apr. 16, 2009 12:44 pm

cf1 wrote:there was another one that went for $250.00 in the pa area. Im going to make a free standing stove out of this and get a hitzer 503. I like the gibralter because the grates should never warp and this hitzers and harmons has smaller grates that do warp. As for any of these stoves your going to have fan noise..

Get a Sq to Round flue piece made at a sheet mental shop and use a manaul damper in it you will need to use a section
of stove pipe anyway to stick on it to go up threw your fireplace chimney stick the damper as close to the flue as you can
seal the Sq to round flue piece on the insert with furnace cement or hi temp silicone /caulking

baldeagle · Post by **baldeagle** » Fri. Apr. 17, 2009 10:35 am

cfi -- I have read on the site of Mark III grates warped after the first season, have you seen this on Hitzer?
We are burning our 503 for third season, onr of the features I have come to like is the independent shaking od
the small grates in the 503, I wish the grates were independent in the 354. Best,baldeagle

cf1 · Post by **cf1** » Fri. Apr. 17, 2009 6:10 pm

Baldeagle but comparing the grates of a Harman or hitzer to a gibralter theres no comparison. I do like hitzer I only wish the grates was like gibralter.I will more than likely put a 503 in this fireplace before its over..

baldeagle · Post by **baldeagle** » Fri. Apr. 17, 2009 6:50 pm

Thanks -- had me a little worried there! 70's today, probably let the 503 go out next week; if I
see anything "interesting" I'll try to remember to send a heads-up. One note, some of the owners of "new"
503's have mentioned a manual upper (chimney) damper - At low settings (#=< 20#/day) I doubt it matters
but at 70#+ per day it is likely a good idea. We were away last weekend from 7PM Friday till about 10AM Monday,
no problem with the restart of the fire. baldeagle