u/MaybeErnie

Looking at used stoves, I found a listing for a Lopi Freedom that appears identical to the Freedom inserts except this one is sitting on brass legs. I can't find any info in the old manuals about accessory legs to convert a regular insert into a freestanding stove. Was this a thing or more likely something an owner that was handy with welding did at some point?

Here's a pic lifted from the listing (I hope that's OK):

https://preview.redd.it/5cs1su62xeah1.jpg?width=960&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1e0f96e3d63c3bc65a4d3edcd8757cc127693138

As I shop around for stoves, I've noticed that as stove size and weight increase, the leg option becomes more uncommon. That is, the small-medium size stoves are available in either leg or pedestal-style, but the larger stoves are mostly pedestal-only. I'm guessing this is because those big beasts can weigh 500 lbs or more and having all that weight on 4 feet is too much for both the stove and the floor. This generalization appears to be less true for older stoves, which almost always had legs, even for the biggest stoves like the Fisher Grandpa and others.

In our case, I am concerned about potential damage to the tile I'm about to install, especially if I wind up with an older used stove like a Lopi Liberty that is huge but still rests on legs.

Is this a real issue that I should be concerned about or can I just go with whichever aesthetic I find most appealing? I sometimes overthink these things.

This is a long shot, but I'm wondering if anyone has a lead on replacing, or repairing, the blower on a very old Lopi insert (circa 1982). The cages spin nicely but there is no action when turned on so presumably the motor is dead. A search indicates that some folks with these old stoves have paid to have the original single motor fan replaced with dual fans, but that appears to be a difficult and expensive task to have done. I see lots of after-market fans for sale, but none that appear to be a match with this one.

Here's what the fan looks like when removed. It's about 19" long and is riveted to the slide-in blower housing (seen in pic) that sits just below the ash tray.

https://preview.redd.it/yrvb3sybev7h1.jpg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0fbb3588d0c1049e9d86943fb372a7278cf770a0

I think I probably already know the answer to this, but I’ve been watching listings for used stoves for quite awhile and haven’t found anything local that suits our needs. I have found several that are about 400-500 miles away (gulp) which would be a 6-8 hour drive. If I were confident that one was in good shape and I trusted the seller, are there any reasonable shipping options that I might want to look into? I imagine that given the size and weight of a stove, most everything will be cost prohibitive and I’m approaching the cost of a new stove. Still, I thought I’d ask here in case I’m overlooking something.

I had another post about a 1994 Lopi Liberty stove that I was thinking of buying. It is in great shape with the three secondary burners intact, good bricks, etc. The seller and I are still negotiating, but I was wondering if anyone would care to comment about the overall quality and efficiency of an old stove like the Liberty versus a newer noncatalytic stove. It seems like a lot of folks are really fond of those big rugged old Stoves.

The old Lopis, Fischer, and some others seem to have a great reputation. So are they really vastly inferior to a more modern noncatalytic stove?

I know that this is a pretty open ended question, but thanks for your input!

I found an older Lopi Liberty (1994 model 520-NT) for sale that I'm considering buying, but I want to be sure that I can meet the specified clearances in a corner install.

Both the stove plate and the owner's manual state that the "Connector to Corner wall" clearance (measure F in the image below) should be 21" for singlewall pipe, or 18-1/2" for reduced clearance. The reduced clearance footnote lists "Duravent DVL with DuraPlus chimney" as an option.

I don't understand this. Does this mean that the clearance all the way from the flue collar up to the ceiling box must be 18-1/2" even when using DuraVent DVL? That doesn't seem right given that the specs for DuraVent DVL state that only 6" pipe-to-wall clearance is required. Or is the 18-1/2" only needed right at the stove top? Or...?

Any clarification is much appreciated! Here's a shot from the manual:

https://preview.redd.it/fyge29drio4h1.jpg?width=994&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5e785cf73747dc4c74a792ae279a8018e6dd6f21