Installing a fireplace insert in Palm Springs North, host first
Any open chimney top is covered when we finish each working day, and the debris goes away with us.
- Owned and run locally
- Available for same-day service
- Fully licensed and insured
- Family owned and run
Old insert trouble and open fireplace frustrations
- A masonry fireplace sitting unused
- Cracked glass on an old insert
- No floor protection in front of the unit
- A loose or missing liner cap
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Engineering notes on installing a wood insert
When an existing insert has no full liner
If your current insert connects only a short pipe into the bottom of the masonry flue, it does not meet the continuous-liner requirement in current insert manuals. Smoke then travels through the old flue, which was sized for an open fireplace rather than a closed heater.
We explain what we find and what bringing it up to the manual would involve. Sometimes the existing insert can be relined, and sometimes replacing the unit makes more sense. You decide once you have the facts in writing, and nothing changes before you approve.
Firebox and hearth repairs before an insert
Cracked firebrick, open mortar joints or a damaged hearth have to be dealt with before an insert goes in. Those repairs belong to our firebox repair and hearth repair services and are priced as their own items. The insert estimate refers to them rather than hiding them.
We explain why each repair is needed for the insert, using the manual's requirement for a sound host. Some repairs are quick, while others take longer and need time before the insert is fitted. The schedule reflects that order.
Starting a fire in a new insert
Insert manuals describe a start-up routine. The air control goes fully open, and crumpled paper and small kindling go in with a few larger pieces arranged so air can move. The door then stays slightly open for a short time before it is closed. The aim is a hot bed of coals before the main load.
We walk through the routine for your model at handover. A cold insert should be warmed gradually, and manuals warn against a roaring fire in a cold unit. A good start keeps smoke out of the room and the glass clearer.
Why a smoldering fire causes trouble
Running an insert too low for long periods produces a smoldering fire. Manuals warn that a slow, cool fire leaves more deposits in the liner and dirties the glass, and one prefers a small hot fire to a large smoldering one. The air control has a practical lower limit for good burning.
We explain how to judge a good burn by the flames and the glass, and how to use the air control without choking the fire. If you want a long, gentle burn, we discuss what the manual says about loading for it. Deposits in the liner are then easier to keep in check.
What the free inspection covers before an insert
- Top plate and liner cap
- Faceplate panels and insulation strips
- Noncombustible hearth extension check
- Air control and blower walkthrough
Wood insert installation, in questions and answers
Should I buy the insert before you look at the fireplace?
It is safer to wait. The opening size, the hearth, the clearances and the liner all depend on the model, and measurements often rule some out. We check the models you like against your fireplace first.
Will my existing hearth be large enough for an insert?
It depends on the model and how high it sits. Manuals set the size and thermal rating of the floor protection in front of the unit. We measure your hearth and explain whether it can stay, needs extending or needs added protection.
How is the discount for booking quickly applied?
If the insert and liner are approved while fewer than 72 hours have passed since your free inspection, 10% comes off what you agreed. Nothing about the discount asks you to decide before we have looked at the fireplace, since the clock begins at your own inspection.
More Ways to Care for Your Fireplace
- Smoke Chamber RepairRepair identified smoke-chamber surfaces with the access and material requirements clearly defined.
- Gas Fireplace Repair and ServiceGet a model-specific gas fireplace service plan for the fault you are seeing or the maintenance your unit needs.
- Chimney Crown RepairRepair the damaged chimney top with an approach matched to the crown and supporting masonry.
- Fireplace Hearth RepairRepair the hearth surface after considering the supporting assembly and fireplace requirements.
- Chimney Chase Cover ReplacementReplace the chase top with a properly planned cover and clearly defined pipe connections.
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Chimney & Fireplace Brands We Work With
DuraVent 
Olympia Chimney and Venting 
Copperfield Chimney Supply 
Rutland 
Heatilator 
Heat & Glo