Brunco Insert Questions

I have just purchased a used brunco insert for my fireplace. it is older coal burner with solid(no glass) doors.the previous owner says I don't need to install a pipe liner as stove is designed without one. it has a manual sliding damper plate that covers the exhaust vent. I have an older (1976) fireplace with clay tile/brick chimney in good condition. so I plan to just slide it in.the question that I have is do I need to seal or insulate around the outside edges of the shroud that covers the extra space in the opening.also if anyne knows how to tell the model of this insert/ or where to find a downloadable operators manual let me know. thanks in advance for any replies or tips on use of this insert as it is the first coal burner I have owned and need to get as much useable heat out of it safely.

Shortcut
You should run stove pipe from your stove to atleast the terracota of your chimney then pack the damper area of your fireplace with insulation. Did you remove your damper from the fireplace? It needs to go. After packing the damper area you should'nt need to seal the shroud.
Acesover

there is no damper in the fireplace it has been missing for years. there is a steel back plate and sheetmetal wrap over the smoke shelf. there is no place on top of the insert to attach a pipe it has a square opening with a steel plate damper that is moved by a rod sticking out the shroud in front. the chimney has been inspected and is in safe condition. we burn fires in the fireplace but as you can see all the heat goes straight up hence the purchase of this insert. here is photo of unit

I would be concerned about just sliding the stove into the fireplace opening. What Acesover suggested is best, a piece of stovepipe running up inside the chimney several fee, with fiberglass insulation packed around the pipe sealing the gap around the old damper/steel shelf.

The reason that the piece of pipe is a good idea is that you want the coal gas/exhaust/fumes/carbon monoxide to be partway up the chimney, not trying to leak out into your room around the insert's surround shroud. You don't want carbon monoxide trying to get into the room.

Can you bend a piece of pipe to fit the square smoke outlet of the insert?? or can you fabricate an adapter from the square outlet to a 6" or 7" round pipe?? This would be much safer and probably provide a much better draft as well, you won't be heating the fireplace opening, just the chimney with the insert's exhaust.

You can seal the surrounding shroud to the fireplace opening somehow. But it must be airtight. So all air going up the chimney comes through the stove, and if there is a draft reversal there can not be any carbon monoxide getting into the room .

Hope this helps, Greg L

Hmmm northern ohio, you are planning on burning anthracite coal, not bituminous right??

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Is the faceplate removable? If not, it is going to be fun trying to pipe it into the chimney (maybe that is why they say it doesn't need a pipe, it seals on the faceplate?). I have a 6" oval adapter somewhere with a few feet of flex S/S pipe made to put a stove in a fireplace. I will try and post a pic later.

Hello, I use a Harman fireplace insert. They and the folks here both recommend using at least 5ft of pipe up the chimney past the smoke chamber also to use fiberglass insulation pushed up around the pipe tight in the smoke chamber to seal it from back draft. Also they recommend to use fiberglass insulation strips around the shroud to seal that area up as well. this can be purchased at the local stove dealer pre-glued on one side to make it easy or you can just cut 1 inch strips of 1 inch thick insulation as I did to seal it, it woks great. Please don't forget to pick up a good c/o detector! (My nighthawk is so sensitive that if I run my John Deere 214 in the garage the c/o detector picks it up, wow now thats working!)

Hello again, Maybe this will help. Here is a link to the maufacturer, might be able to get a manual from them. http://www.brunks.com/Bruncofurnaces.html

here is why I think no pipe possible photo of top and back of unit also needs some of the cracked fire brick replaced.

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I believe you need to have an adapter made up to adapt that flat rectangular area to an oval or round pipe to insert up the chimney. Where in Northern Ohio are you?? PM me with your location. I may be able to help you fab an adapter if you are near Toledo or NW Ohio.

Also, what type of coal are you planning on burning?? Anthracite or Bituminous?? Or are you planning on burning wood in the insert too?

Greg L

mostly wood with anthracite after fire gets hot. How can I put a stack on it and still move the damper plate? I am in canton.it is now inside fireplace very tight fit.

before and after.top shroud needs to be modified as 1976 decorative brick is in the way it sticks out too far.

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That is such a tight fit that I don't think there is any way to adapt a pipe to the top of the stove, It looks like you only have about 1"-2" of working space between the top of the insert and the brick.

You could make a square adapter that bolted to the two side guide rails for the damper, and had a slot for the damper rod, creating a shallow box around the damper, leaving an opening near the back of the shallow box, attaching a pipe to the top of the box, the pipe extending up the chimney.

What I'm concerned about is that you will loose so much heat to the brick of the fireplace, that with a low fire you won't get enough draft to keep a coal fire burning. a roaring wood fire may work fine in this instalation.

Greg L

That's one cool looking stove. I'm not sure if this would work but how about a power vent on your chimney. It can be wired easily and you'll always have an excellent draft?

its actually zero clearance on top (mabey 2-3 sheets of paper would fit) any pipe would need to be lower from the top. about 25 feet tall chimney 12" square opening. chimney seems to draft well even with no fire,when cleaning fireplace all ash dust goes up and out not into the room. I'm not familiar with a power vent does it go ontop or insde? will it melt?

A power vent for a chimney goes on top of the chimney and sits outside. It's like a hat for your chimney with a fan inside that creates a draft. Why not seal the stove in side the chimney as is and see what happens. Just make sure you have a co2 detector that reads out PPP.