Fireplace insert to a WFO?

[Johnny C]

This is a pic of a fireplace insert. Will it work for an outdoor WFO? It's built heavy and has firebrick on the floor. I want to build a stand for it and cook bread and pizzas in it but I'm afraid it's depth may be an issue.

The exhaust hole is in the rear wall.

Interior dimensions are 27" deep, 23.5" high, 32.5" wide. Door is 15"x13.5"

Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

[moderator]

Re: Fireplace insert to a WFO?

You can replace an existing fireplace with modular pizza oven kit, and there are couple of things you need to know to make the process work for you.

First, your fireplace is wide and narrow (it does not stick out very far from the wall), while a pizza oven is both wide and deep. For example, a stand for a Casa2G80 (32") oven requires a minimum depth of 46" -- allowing for the 42" oven, 3" of insulation and a 1" air gap to the back wall. Your fireplace will not be that deep. There are two ways of addressing this issue. You can either place your pizza oven inside your room and make it into a design feature (something that makes a real statement), or you can bump out the outside of your house to support the body of the pizza oven and line up the pizza oven vent directly under your existing chimney. Both methods work well, though the first approach requires less work and is more popular.

You can use your existing chimney, though you would need to have it inspected by your local building department and you will have to connect the pizza oven vent to the chimney. The Forno Bravo Casas2G and Premio2G oven families are tested to the UL737 and UL2162 oven standards for indoor installation, and they are delivered with the UL listing labels.

One last note, there are clearly defined setbacks from combustible materials that you would need to follow to ensure building safety, but they are easy to do if you follow the installation instructions.

We have had many customers do this in the past -- and hopefully you will be able to do it as well.

I am attaching specification sheets on the Casa2G and Premio2G ovens for you to review.

Please feel free to contact us with any other questions. We are here to help!

[Johnny C]

Re: Fireplace insert to a WFO?

Sorry, I forgot to totally mention that I want to turn this into a WFO for outdoor use. I want to build a stand for it and also line the interior walls w/ brick. Is the 27" depth deep enough if I build the fire to one side and utilize the opposite side for pizzas & bread. If I have to I can extend the bump out on the rear to make it deeper.

[Johnny C]

Re: Fireplace insert to a WFO?

Good idea I can close the exhaust in the rear and relocate it to the front. There is currently a piece of sheet metal welded over the exhaust in the rear but at angle (from cieling downward) so it directs the fire/heat forward then the gase circle back into the openings on each side of the sheet metal and out the flue.

I've also been learning about how efficient, high heat temp, low fuel (wood requirements, low or no smoke there is in rocket stove designs. This make me want to put a pipe into the floor in both rear corners. I can see if there are flames shooting out each rear corner and a pizza in the middle that this may be a fast cooking box after all.

I welcome all advice and thanks for those replys so far.

[Johnny C]

Re: Fireplace insert to a WFO?

Here are a few pics of the progress on my attempt of a WFO on a cart. I had a heavy duty cart built for it, the rear flue hole in the rear closed and another 4" flue hole cut on the top toward the front. I also had a 5" diam (3" long) round pipe cut and welded to the cieling at the flue hole to attempt to hold the heat at the ceiling prior to going up the flue.
At this point I need to install a flue pipe and the fire brick and test it out. I'm also looking at maybe lining the walls with split fire brick.

[david s]

Re: Fireplace insert to a WFO?

Some members who have steel domes add their thermal mass on the outside. That way you wouldn't be losing any space inside your oven. You should also insulate over the outside to retain heat.
If you don't want to spend a lot of money on this experiment you could sit the thing on 4" vermicrete, cover it in 2"concrete, sides and top, then when that's dried give it a 4" layer of vermicrete.

[Johnny C]

Re: Fireplace insert to a WFO?

I did use it to cook about 3 pizzas. I made a large fire w oak firewood in the center and when it was reduced to coals I pushed the coals to each side and cooked my pizzas in the center. The pizzas cooked too slow and I didn't get the top of the pizzas browned at all. What I'm thinking needs to happen is I need to keep a live fire going on one side of the oven so I can maintain a higher temp. I also am thinking I need to elevate my cooking surface and maintain hot coals beneath to also increase the temp under the pizzas. I purchased a Tuscan grill with legs and I'm going to attempt to place either a pizza stone or a steel plate on the grill and maintain coals/fire beneath as well as the fire to the side. With the oven set up this way I will better be able to maintain the higher temps I need to cook pizzas faster to get the WFO result. I've done some reading on pizzas cooked on a steel plate. The writers of those articles claim the steel was able to maintain a higher temp vs a pizza stone. I have a plate that is 3/8" thick and will soon be experimenting with it. I have prob $400 in this x-fireplace box and don't want to give up just yet.

[Johnny C]

Re: Fireplace insert to a WFO?

David S,
I appreciate the info on adding mass. My goal at this point is to keep this oven portable. The cart, oven itself & the brick layer on the oven floor make it very heavy. For this reason I have to figure A way to increase the internal temps w what I have to work with. If I ever decide to make it a permanent part of my backyard I will use your suggestions as they make a lot of sense.
Thank you
John C