How to Install Pleasant Hearth Wood Stoves

Select a location to set the stove. Review manufacturer guidelines and local building codes for specific clearance requirements from combustibles. The stove should rest on a flat, noncombustible surface, such as concrete or brick, or be placed on a floor protector mat. For most stoves, protective flooring must extend 16 inches from the front of the stove and 6 inches in all other directions. Many Pleasant Hearth wood stoves require 12 inches of clearance from a combustible back wall and 11 inches from a combustible side wall. Keep in mind that a central location on the lower level of the home is the most efficient spot for heat distribution.

Examine your chimney flue to make sure it is operable and clean. Your chimney should be approved for use with a wood-burning stove. If it is not, you must install an Underwriter's Laboratory flue liner made for use with such devices.

Determine the route you will use to connect the stove piping to the flue. You have many options, one of which is to run the piping through a wall to connect directly to a masonry chimney, using a fire clay thimble for safe passage. Another method is to extend the piping through the ceiling to connect with a prefabricated roof top chimney.

Connect stove piping to the flue collar by placing it inside the collar with the crimped end facing toward the stove. Secure with metal screws. Your stove pipe sections must be the correct size and well-secured for safe operation.

Maintain proper wall clearances as you pass the stove pipe through walls. For a passage through a noncombustible wall to connect to a masonry chimney, clear 12 inches around the chimney pipe connector where it passes through the wall. Install brick masonry by applying mortar and bricks, leaving a space for the pipe and a fire clay thimble. Install the thimble, using refractory cement and following manufacturer instructions, to line the area from the brick wall to the chimney liner. Direct the pipe through the thimble until it reaches the edge of the chimney liner.

Acquire necessary materials for running the pipe through a ceiling, if necessary. You will need a ceiling support box, chimney adapter and chimney kit. You also may need an attic insulation shield. Install the chimney kit according to the product's manufacturer. Cut a hole through the ceiling above the stove based on the size of the ceiling support box. Follow manufacturer instructions, which may require that you build a frame, for mounting the support box.

Extend the chimney pipe down through the support box to about 4 inches down, and connect to the stove pipe with a chimney adapter. Secure all pipe sections with metal screws or as directed. Install an attic insulation shield if running the pipe through an attic.