installing Hitzer 983 fireplace insert

Am going to purchase the above fireplace insert and have a question. I just talked to someone who works in the coal stove business who has this same insert. He told me has been burning coal in it for 20 years. He just slid the thing into the fireplace, put an airtight seal around where it contacts the brick of the fireplace, and uses it safely that way. He has no 8 in metal flue liner that runs up the chimney, which he said is a recent addition to codes and is unnecessary. He claims it draws just fine, and heats up his whole house.

What do you experienced people think of such an installation? Are there safety concerns? He tells me I am running fires using wood in the fireplace right now and the stove doesn't raise any additional factors when you seal it in place.

I think using a piece of pipe with a baro damper and then sealing it up into the flue would be the best choice, you may have to fabricate a plate to block off the existing damper to adapat the flue pipe out of the stove (or remove it) then you don't have to seal it all up into the fireplace opening.

To: desteinel -- Does your code actually require a liner? If so you might want to review your obligations to the code & your insurance policy. We had a 503 installed in a 3 floor colonial built in 1936 ... the central chimney included 3 clay-tiled lined flues ... hot water tank, steam boiler for house (original coal stoker has been replaced) and the fireplace flue. We had a chimney sweep clean/inspect all three ... all three were fine. Our installer simply removed the original fireplace damper,protected the hearth and after assembling the custom ordered cowl to the 503 - sealed with fiberglass insulation and pushed tight against the seal. About 2 hrs. of work ,no problems at all but the fireplace was large enough to require a factory supplied cowl to fill the opening. If we were doing today (3 years in operation-no problems) we would have raised the unit on similar hearth brick and used the old ash cleanout door to bring combustion air from the boiler room by creating an air channel under the stove -- we would also "cheat" the stove as far as possible out into the room to maximize the radiant heat, I believe on warmer days that would likely mean no need for the fans. A lot is available on the site about operation -- one "idea" I have seen here we will try this spring is to shake only one grate as we move into warmer weather to maintain a lower burn rate/less coal consumption. The original chimney provides super draft and we have seen no problem -- we do have a CO detector in the room with the burner. Please note it is virtually impossible to insert the H983 into a fireplace opening and utilize a barometric damper, the combustion air for our 503 ... and indirectly the draft is completely controlled by the small opening in the ash removal door. I understand the new 503 's have a manual damper which can be opened or closed, on the 983 I don't know? Best of Luck, baldeagle

Dsteinel—

My 983 stove was installed in the October. The installer removed the original fireplace damper, “ovalized” the 5 or 6 foot stovepipe which was inserted up into the chimney, and packed the area around it with fiberglass insulation from which the paper backing had been removed. Although a good draft may well suck exhaust gases up and out the chimney without benefit of a flue, I like having the flue there—I know that the gasses are being released well up into the chimney and are thereby less likely to leak back into the house in any way. No additional fabrication was required for the installation.

Although it may theoretically be possible to install a barometric damper in the flue pipe, keep in mind that, once the stove is installed, you will have absolutely no access to the barometric damper. This is one less variable to take into account when you’re trying to operate the stove. My stove has a manual pipe damper and, with adjustments to it as well as the ashpan door vents as baldeagle suggests, I have complete control over how my stove burns regardless of wind/weather conditions.

Good luck.

My bother-in-law had a Hitzer 983 insert installed (by a Hitzer dealer) in the fall and thats exactly what they did. They closed up the ash dump and pushed the insert in then put the insulated shroud on to close up around the insert. The dealer assured him that he will have no problems with it. He has bin burning it for four month now with NO problems at all. He can damper it down hard on the warm days without losing the draft or the fire. 2800 sq ft house and he cut his oil bill down by 75%.

Razzler & dsteinel --- Yup, as Razzler states unit works great, as I mention I regret that I gave up the fresh air possibility so readily from my old fireplace ash dump - it would have taken very little work to have done earlier. Enjoy the 983;
my 503 dropped our gas consumption to near zero. Best, baldeagle

I'm contemplating installing a Hitzer 983. I have an old, 2800 sq. ft. house and my oil bills are killing me. Can anyone tell me how well it heats a large house - a basement and 3 floors? My fireplace is on the first floor and I have enclosed staircases going up to the 2nd and third though I don't use the 3rd floor (I want to sell the house in a couple of years though so would like it to heat the whole house. )Thanks, I appreciate hearing about your experience!

Amishlucy wrote:I'm contemplating installing a Hitzer 983. I have an old, 2800 sq. ft. house and my oil bills are killing me. Can anyone tell me how well it heats a large house - a basement and 3 floors? My fireplace is on the first floor and I have enclosed staircases going up to the 2nd and third though I don't use the 3rd floor (I want to sell the house in a couple of years though so would like it to heat the whole house. )Thanks, I appreciate hearing about your experience!

If you have hot water baseboard heating, a coal fired boiler would give you the most evenly distributed heat.

Amishlucy welcome to the club,I heat a 2400sqft bi-level with no trouble at all(heatpump and oil furnace not running once all winter ) but I have a 12"X30" vent cut in the floor in the bedroom above the stove and I am going the add one more in the master bedroom which are at the far end of the house so the heat goes up the vents and the cold air runs down the open staircase in the center of the house to the family room where the stove is.The key to this thing is to get the air moving(cold air down,hot air up)but sometimes that's harder then it sounds,the big thing is the house,is it tight or does it leak like a sieve,windows good or bad,insulation R0 or R60?.Getting the air to the third floor I think is going to be waste of time but if your going to sell in the next two years or so try fans to move the air but I would not be cutting holes in the house(like I did) unless your in it for the long haul.That stove will put out the heat but getting it where you want it is the key.Take care and good luck .Keepaeyeonit

Amish Lucy, You don't state where you are located so it hard to know what your situation might be. A freestanding stove will provide more radiant heat than an insert but some people don't have the luxury of the space for one. The Hitzer insert makes up for that with blowers to move heat out and away from the insert but now if you have an electrical failure, you lose that ability. You'll also have the noise of the blower too. That's a pretty good sized space you're wanting to heat with one insert in my opinion. Everyones situation is different but Keepaeyonit is right that getting the heat where you need it is the biggest challenge regardless of freestanding or insert. If you don't live in an extremely cold area and you're home is reasonably insulated, you might be fine. It's just to hard to tell from the information you've provided. In all honesty you are asking a whole lot out of one appliance with 2800 sqft, a basement and 3 floors. Mid Atlantic with perfect placement and some circulation work you might get away with it. Any further north and I'd say no way that can be your only heat source.