Insert Block off Plate

For all the guys that have a fireplace insert that used there stove BEFORE installing a block off plate.....how much difference in temps did you actually take notice to.
This will be are 2nd year burnin n i had a plate made up n have enough rockwool to stuff up above plate. Definetly will be done this spring or summer.....
Like said....really curious to see what the difference is BEFORE N AFTER...
Thanx ...Bear

 

That’s a great question; and I’m interested in the answer too. This is my sixth year burning and I don’t have a block off plate yet either. Was going to do it before this winter but too many other life issues just kept popping up. I’ll just put it back on the list for this year.


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Wish I could help ya but I installed my block off at the same time as my stove. I did do quite a bit of reading on many forums and don’t think there was one poster who had any reasons for not installing one, which is quite a surprising thing for the internet. You know there’s always a few. So no, I have no hard data but it makes sense and it wasn’t much extra work seeing everything was apart anyways. Good luck. Post your data if you can.

 

I didn't install a blockoff plate either when I put in my quadrafire insert. I wanted to, but I didn't have the time.

If I do make one over this off season, then I won't have a good gauge as to what the block off itself does. We're having a bunch of work done to the house this late winter early spring that will help a lot with heating and cooling efficiency.

I would think a blockoff would really help being even more efficient.

 

Same thing here, I went back and forth on putting one in when I did my install last year and decided why not, wasn't much extra work and I didn't want to have to pull the stove back out if I wanted to add at a later time. Every piece of information I gathered from my research said it was a huge help.

I can't help but think that block off plate is helping keeping that heat from escaping up and out. When I have that stove cranking and that blower is on, the heat coming out of that blower is almost like a flame thrower. With all that said I have little experience burning wood and have nothing to compare this too. Sorry am not much help!

 

U helped enough....

 

I will be the one to say that I don't think that there's a need. First year we ran without a surround...and there was no draft. The chimney is closed at the top, so it is not an air leak path. As far as heat escaping up goes the insert pushes nearly all the heat out the front when the fan is on. Your mileage may vary.

 

That thought crossed my mind...i have one made up so im definetly installin it....ill make sure next burn season..ill report my opinion.

 

Certainly . I am a believer in insulation, but didn't seem to be anything to gain here. Next let's talk OAK.

 

What ur opinion on those.....pretty sure im gonna add a 3 ft section of class A pipe to my insulated lined chimney for better draft.....5-600 bucks....stainless parts are rediculous in cost...flue plate, 3 ft section pipe n good cap

 

I was just going to add a standard drolet kit one. I am not an expert on these by any means.

 

I didn't install a plate at first...going into this, I thought the stove was gonna roast us out of the house, so I built a smallish first fire...nothing, like as in almost no heat. So I built a bigger fire...that was a little better. Firebox clear full bowels of hades type fire...heated the house up, but still did not roast us out.
As soon as I could manage it, I made and installed a block off plate with roxul insulation on top of it...huge difference. I made the plate so it was tapered up from the back of the FP, to the front, so the heat can just gravity flow out if the power is out, or if for whatever reason the stove blower is not running...figured it couldn't hurt.
I then added some metal heat shields (with 1" air gap) on the side fireplace walls (freestander stove, not insert) to reflect the heat rather than allow the masonry to soak it up...that seemed to help even more.

Without the block off plate there, and even with a liner and top plate in place, most likely your chimney is not air tight, so you get some air leakage...and then you have the chimney itself...if it is a stone/brick chimney like mine, that is just a huge ole heat sink up above the smoke shelf area. If you have an external chimney like me, that is all heat just lost to old man winter...