The image at left is from 2010 when the chimney was treated is Siloxane(PD). I've included it so you can see the original vent caps.

There are two (2) chimneys: the one on the left (larger cap) is for the fireplace on the ground floor; while the one on the right (smaller) is for the wood stove in the basement.

The hubby replaced the fireplace vent cap with a taller version. So far, the theory that the smoke coming out of the higher venting will be blown away instead of being drawn back down the basement chimney is proving true. (fingers crossed, etc.)

As an aside, we discovered that the new vent being taller may be creating a stronger draw. We are able to use the wood stove insert with the interior openings closed down further than previously which prevents the osage orange sparks less opportunity to escape onto the hearth rug.

While he was up there, he saw that the cap on the chimney has scaling and needs to be redone. Hopefully, I’ll find someone to do that and to also inspect the architectural stone and do tuck pointing as needed. We are also due for another treatment with Siloxane(PD).

Installation of the KUMA Alpine LE-1 Wood Stove Insert.

Happily, the labor cost included cleaning our 10” chimney tubing AND hauling away the old Country Flame insert.

As usual, I made sure that they were OK with me photographing the installation. I really enjoy watching people do their work and I made sure they understood I was watching for that reason and not as an ‘overseer’.

Here is contact information for

Hearth and Home in Lee's Summit MO:

816-524-7492

kchearthandhome.com

Hubby brought up the canvas drop cloths we keep handy, just in case. They told us their shop vac has a ‘soot filter’ and we shouldn’t have any problem with air quality or clean up but I like to be prepared for anything. The night before, we moved the shelves from next to the fireplace and also the decorations on top of the mantel out of the way. The morning of, I shifted the recliner closest to the patio doors out of the way and rolled back the rug.

The crew brought everything they needed and made sure there was protection for our floor between the door and the fireplace.

The crew of two (2) men arrived as scheduled on the 22nd. Interestingly, the guy from the showroom was one of the installers, but that was in a learning by doing capacity because the usual 2nd member had torn his bicep (ouch).

This meant the install would take longer than usual because the experienced guy would have to oversee the apprentice guy; as opposed to two (2) experienced guys each doing their portion of it: one inside, one outside.

That truck has a lift gate which makes getting the insert out of (and also into) the bed easier.

I had seen the Country Flame insert removed to facilitate cleaning the chimney, but this time was different because they removed the surround separately.

They had to shift the whole insert forward to be able to reach the screws that hold the surround in place. The light shining on the brick shows it has been shifted just a couple of inches.

Each action was accompanied with vacuuming to eliminate creosote and other particles spreading into the room.

Here you can see that the insert is at the front edge of the bricks.

The side sections of the surround have been removed.

I'll point out here that the Country Flame insert filled the entire fireplace cavity - side to side and front to back. It was designed with a hole on the top (with it's own flue) to allow for the smoke and heat to rise into the chimney. You'll want to note that the new insert is MUCH smaller and yet uses less wood to achieve a better/longer heating and efficiency.

The top surround section is removed and further vacuuming is done while they inspect the back before shifting the insert onto the dolly.

The crew manuevers shims under the insert to protect the brickwork as they shift it even further forward.

The anticipated position of the dolly turns out to be problematic because the substitute crewman is not as strong as the original. It will take both men to lift it onto the dolly.

Having changed the direction of the dolly, the insert is lifted by both men to rest on it while they further inspect the fireplace.

In this image, you can see the hole with it's own flue (not visible) in the top of the Country Flame insert.

You should also be able to see a metal access panel on the floor of the fireplace cavity. We opened it to find it provides access to the foundation of the building. It won't work for an air access so it was closed. Nice to know it is there though.

It is very handy having patio doors that open fully.

With the insert secure, the crew takes it out to the truck.

The fireplace is thoroughly inspected and the chimney is swept and everything is cleaned before further work is done.

Sorry, I don't have a photo of the sweep from the outside.

I was so intrigued about the equipment and learned that when you have a metal liner, your sweep must use not use a metal brush because it can scrape or damage the liner making places for creosote to easily attach and cause a fire hazard.

Once they are done there will be a liner attached to the insert within the liner used to repair the chimney.

The insert creates such a complete burn and high heat that there should not be any need for further sweep cleanings. However, the chimney/liner should be inspected every few years anyway.

The replacement Kuma insert needs additional space at the top/back area of the fireplace to facilitate connecting the chimney liner directly to the insert.

This required 'smashing' some of the fireplace bricks. The bricks that need to be smashed are marked clearly.

It doesn't not create a fire hazard when this is done for the purpose stated.

This image is looking UP into the chimney above the fireplace cavity.

You can see here the ORIGINAL open fire style flue (metal at the top of the image) and the chimney liner that repaired the problems with the chimney in 2008 (the shiny bit 2/3rds up the image).

The black residue is the remaining creosote left after the crew cleaned the chimney.

The new, smaller chimney liner being connected directly to the wood stove insert means there will NOT be anything building up in this area again. AND, the original flue is removed because the wood stove insert has it's own flue incorporated into the unit/chimney liner.

Another image of the same area but lower to show you exactly what was removed of the visible fireplace bricks.

Those bricks are lighter in color because the Country Flame insert blocked any ash, creosote, etc. from getting to them.

Now that the inside is ready for the new wood stove insert, work commences on the chimney to get the second liner that will attach to the insert all sorted out.

The solid tubing is cut to length. The majority of the tubing is solid, so there is a short piece being cut that will be attached to a long piece before the flexible part is attached to that shorter piece.

The shorter length is screwed to the longer length.

The flexible tubing is attached to the solid tubing.

The flexible tubing is at the bottom so it can be easily attached to the insert itself.

Once it is all connected, the liner is inserted into the chimney.

The crew confirmed that the vent the Hubby purchased WOULD work as the top vent of the wood stove insert and the crewman attached the plate that surrounds the liner to the Hubby's vent.

Insulation is inserted around the new liner at the top just below the plate and the top vent.

With the liner in place and the insert sitting in the living room, the crew prepare for the installation.

In this image you can see that the insert is on it's back and the hole for the liner is plainly visible.

Before moving the insert into the fireplace cavity, the experienced crewman secures the solid, angled portions of the insert-to-liner connection to the flexible tubing that is waiting in the chimney.

With the the insert positioned in the opening of the fireplace and connected to the liner, the crew do fine tuning of the legs/corners to be sure the unit is level in all directions.

It doesn't have to be pretty.

You might notice that the fire bricks are sitting in the insert but have not been arranged in their final locations yet.

And here is the insulation in place before the surround is put on.

You can see the vacuum hose because even then they are cleaning as they go.

Do you remember how big the Country Flame was in that cavity? Click here to go back up to that image.

Finally, the new KUMA Alpine LE-1 wood stove insert is installed.

You might be able to see a shiny spot on the surround where the screws that hold it in place have been spray painted. Once it cures, that won't be visible. (They left a spray can of the paint for us, wasn't that nice.)

The bricks inside have been correctly positioned. Those bricks create a thermal mass that holds the heat for a long time after the fire is out.

The unit is smaller than the Country Flame but SO MUCH MORE EFFICIENT.

And as, promised, below are the BEFORE and AFTER photos.

I am very happy that the glass door shows more of the firebox than the old insert did. I also personally prefer the black instead of the gold edges around the doors and the surround.

The installers started at 11:00 a.m. and finished just before 2:00 p.m. They were very conscientious about our doors, floors, etc. There was no extra cleaning needed due to the installation.

They didn’t make us go on-line to get the instruction manual, but instead handed a print-out to me along with the KUMA warranty sheet. Click here for a pdf of the instruction manual.

The experienced crew member gave me a lesson about using the insert and since I had already read the instruction manual, it was nice to find that they matched up. Since you don’t use an elevated grate but instead put the wood directly on the fire-bricks, it was nice to get personal instruction specifically about how much of the ash to remove and how much to leave. His suggestion was to remove about 2/3rds of the ash and then spread the remaining ash over the bricks – remembering to leave a space by the door ash-free so as not to block up the vents that help keep the glass clear. He also suggested just using Windex and a paper towel to clean the inside of the glass (when it is cool).

They accepted our check for the balance due and (as usual) we sent them away with a 1-pound jar of honey each as a tip.

We are VERY pleased with the new insert and are excited to use it once the weather is cool enough.