New to the Forum, Looking at Coal

Well done! Looking forward to seeing the install. Congrates and keep them pix coming,

Installed the liner last night. Went off without a hitch. I used loose insulation and put it around the liner at the top. I'll put some around the smokeshelf before setting the stove in.

I think the easiest way to install the insert will be to go up there after the stove has been set and loosen the connection and raise the liner to the right height (whatever that may be) and then cut it off at the top versus trying to cut it at the right length in the fireplace itself. It is long by about 8 inches or so with out the collar adapter attached.

A question: I have hi temp caulk. Do you recommend using it around the flue collar on the appliance for a good seal? I'm planning on putting it on the adapter to seal it to the liner itself. Maybe the appliance is overkill.

I used furnace cement around the flue collar and the pipe.

That's looks great so far Brewmiesterbuck. I wouldn't be afraid to use the HT. I use HT pipe joint compound on my both my Glenwood's stove pipe joints. It creates a nice seal and probably helps the draw a little and helps safety. It's also easy enough to take apart at the end of the season for cleaning too. It's not absolutely necessary, but I use it especially where the pipe connects to the stove and at the thimble.

I hope the stove works out for you . I love my hitzer 82 . I bet you won't need any backup heat .

You will like the 503...
The 'rents have one heating a large 2400 sq ft house on the cape...
I installed it with an insulated liner...
External chimney...
Would have chimed in sooner but...
The twins now 3 months...
Require vast amounts of time and resources...
thus little time to type here...
You did it right, you will be warm...
The 503 crew here will answer your newbie questions when the time comes...

Took out the gas logs last night. The propane company picked up the tank and it was 70% full. The refund will nearly pay for coal for the year.

MCB- I think that it will heat it as well. It doesn't get real cold here in the SC PA mountains. Last year, knowing it was warmer, it never got below about 18 on the coldest night, days were almost always above freezing. I think the sun room with its dozen windows may need a little help but who knows...I may be surprised.

CC- Congrats on the little ones. My wife and I don't have any of our own, yet, but we own a daycare and I know how much work they are. They are so worth it though, I see pictures and videos when she comes home every night. Thanks for the reassurance. People at work think I'm crazy, people where I live just ask if I'm getting a Harman. When I say Hitzer they say "You're gonna love that Harman." I smile and say, "Yes I am."

More pics to come, the stove goes in tomorrow.

Last winter the 'rents ran more pea coal...
Because it was too warm to run the stove hard...

I'm going to see how the nut does for me, getting it in bulk.

My wife comes from a coal burning family and is used to 80* (I prefer much much cooler, but thats what my sunroom is for). Also, my windows can open.

I'm going get some pea in bags just to try it.

I hear you on the heat...
Wife is half Cuban...
75* is cold...
Thanks to coal heat...
She is not cold...

You can always mix in pea with the nut to cut down on the heat output somewhat.

Our windowstats were used quite often last year. Mostly self inflicted because I swapped out the hand fed for the stoker in the house for the first time last year and even with the temp swings we had I kept it running just because I could!

Update:

Saturday morning my Dad and I took the trailer to go get the 503. They had it waiting on the fork lift when we got there. After chatting a bit and looking over the other stoves they carry (I was impressed with Leisure Line). We were on our way back to the house.

I insulated with the standard pink insulation (paper backing removed) around the damper opening and smokeshelf. I had also insulated at chimney cap. I figured the air blanket would give a little insulation to the liner and help with draft. I don't think I'll have a problem with draft, It was 80* outside Friday night and I went to see if their was draft and I could hear and feel the air rushing up the liner. That's good news. Shouldn't have a problem when the temp drops and there's a fire in the stove.

I put the liner to collar adapter on and sealed it with high temp caulk.

I had a bunch of guys come over around lunch and after some pulled pork I made we brought it in the house by hand truck. We took the hopper lid, hopper, firebrick, grates and doors out. It really wasn't bad at all with four guys. Got it in the house, protected the hearth with cardboard and slid it in the fireplace. The hardest part of the install was getting the liner attached to the stove. It was a really snug fit and there wasn't a lot of room to work. I was on the roof twisting the liner and two guys were working at the fireplace, one with their hand in the stove and up the collar and another with a ball peen and long screw driver tapping it back and forth. It finally fit in after a while of working with it. I had pulled the liner up from the chimney to fit it in the stove. Then used snips to cut off at the cap. That way we weren't guessing on correct length. Finished it off with a stainless self-tapping 1" #10 screw.

The shroud was a bit of a pain because my fireplace isn't plumb. But after some trial and error we got it. I didn't insulate inside the fireplace. I only used the supplied bats behind the shroud per instructions. It's a nice fit, so I don't think there will be an issue there.

I really like the stove, I like the way it looks. Overall I like what the dealer said about coal in general when I picked it up, "keeps the Arab out of the basement". The cat's love it already, there's one laying on it in the picture. She'll have to learn quick once I fire it up. Most importantly, the wife is happy.

So for the pic:

One thing to add: If you look to the left of the stove you will see the cord that supplies power to the fan. I didn't want a box on the hearth so I ran a 1/2" PVC pipe under the tiles when I retiled. The way the hearth is built, there was just blocks layed on their side to form the inside of the hearth. I contacted Quikrete and they recommended "Sand Topping Mix" to fill and level the gap between the blocks and the top of the brick facing. I used an 8ft piece of pipe for conduit and it's buried 1/2" into the concreate mix with thinset and tile on top of it. Used a hole saw for tile at 3/4" to cut down into the conduit then fed the wire into the closet to the left of the fireplace. I'll put a junction box in there. Thats just in case anyone wondered where the cord disappeared to.

Real nice looking install.

We had a couple cats that had to learn quick also. It only took one time landing on the top of the stove and it wasn't a problem after that.

Thanks T1. Can't wait until I can light it up.