Wood Fireplace Insert Installation in Seattle

An open masonry fireplace looks good and heats poorly. Much of the warm air in the room goes up the chimney with the smoke. An insert is a stove built to fit inside the existing firebox, with a glass door, controlled air and a liner that runs all the way to the top of the chimney. The fire becomes something that heats the room instead of pulling heat out of it.

It also changes how the fireplace fits the Puget Sound burn ban rules. An open wood fireplace cannot be used during any Puget Sound Clean Air Agency burn ban, Stage 1 or Stage 2. An EPA-certified insert can be used in a Stage 1 ban as long as it makes no visible smoke. It still has to sit out a Stage 2 ban, when no wood stoves or inserts can be used.

Signs you need this

• A fireplace that warms the hearth but not the room
• Cold drafts from the fireplace when it is not in use
• An old insert with no EPA label or with solid metal doors
• A fireplace that could not be used during Stage 1 bans
• Wanting wood heat without building a new chimney

How we do it

1. Check the fireplace firstAt the free inspection we look at the firebox, smoke chamber, flue and crown. An insert needs a sound fireplace around it.
2. Measure and chooseWe measure the firebox opening and depth and show insert models that fit, with their heat output and burn times.
3. Reline the chimneyA stainless liner sized to the insert runs from the insert's collar to the top of the chimney, finished with a top plate and cap.
4. Set it and testThe insert slides in, the surround is fitted, and we fire it with you and explain how to run it without visible smoke.

Why does an insert need a full-length liner?

An open fireplace flue is much bigger than an insert needs. Without a liner sized to the insert, smoke from a closed stove cools in the oversized flue, drafts poorly and leaves heavy deposits. A stainless liner running the full height of the chimney fixes the size, keeps the smoke warm, and makes the system easy to sweep. Every wood insert we install comes with one.

What about the old insert already in the fireplace?

Many older inserts in the area were installed before certification and vent straight into the big fireplace flue. If yours has no EPA label on the back or sides, or has solid metal doors, it is probably uncertified. It cannot be used in any burn ban and cannot legally be sold or given away. The Puget Sound Clean Air Agency pays $500 to recycle an eligible old insert, and the owner arranges the removal and recycling.

Is a permit needed for an insert?

In many places, yes. Bellevue states that a permit is required for installing a fireplace insert. Seattle issues mechanical permits for new heating and venting equipment, and unincorporated King County requires one when a fireplace is installed or replaced. We tell you which office covers your address at the inspection.