Two Appliances One Chimney

  • Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.

    We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.

    We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil.
Status
Not open for further replies.

johnpma

Feeling the Heat
Jan 29, 2014
365
W. Mass
Short story is I don't want to use my oil furnace. I have changed my tankless DHW over to an electric energy smart tank. Our US Stove 2000 does the majority of our 2100sq ft home to 60-62 and struggles in the deep cold.

I love the stove so much I'm thinking of adding a second in the home. My large kitchen has a the brick chimney and a flue blockoff cap that is in the chimney for the oil boiler. If the oil boiler is turned off would it be considered acceptable to then use the chimney for a wood stove. I would line this chimney as well. An ole'timer stopped and said the previous owners heated for years with a wood stove in the kitchen.

I've heard some states have now passed laws saying you can once again run dual fuel appliances into one chimney.
 
You would not run a dual-fuel appliance into one chimney but two different appliances into one. I highly doubt that would be up to code in Mass. You would probably need to completely take the oil burner off the flue to pass inspection.

Your US stove is medium-sized and too small for your home. If you don't have problems with getting the heat distributed have you thought about replacing it with a larger stove? The Englander NC-30 costs around $900 and offers 1 cu ft additional firebox size.
 
The US Stove was given to us so we installed it as an insert kinda stove into a real small fireplace opening. I have not looked into a bigger stove yet as another option but do know that air movement can be difficult the with the layout of the home. I installed it as supplemental heat and realize how much we save burning wood. The oil burner never kicks on. It heats the small living room, dining room, and I cut a return to the upstairs and the heat rises circulating the cold air down stairs. The output of this stove is pretty amazing to be honest even if undersized for my application. My thought is two of these burning will do what we need.

I will look at the englander as well.
 
Yeah in MA its a no-go. Like Grisu said, only one appliance per flue. There is an exception with some appliances though, like having a natural gas water heater and natural gas boiler in the same flue.

Also in MA you will need an appropriate liner for your new installation.

So to get it to work you would need to install a liner and physically remove the oil boiler.
 
remove the boiler or disconnect the vent piping? I'm in the hill town's I know all of this has to be inspected but when I had the install inspected it was to check my clearances only.....kind of a joke if you ask me. He didn't care about the liner, the block-off plate of any of that. He was out in 2 min.....

Talked to our fire chief and he said "nope all goes thru the building inspector"

I read all this safety stuff here, how paranoid everyone is about everything, and the inspector seams to care less grrrrrrrrrr
 
Yeah in MA its a no-go.

I don't think it is just MA, I think that is NFPA (which is national fire code). I know in NC, one appliance per flue, period.

Cheapest route would be to upgrade to a much larger stove (insert or free standing).

You could do what I did for all the electrical work in my house. Go talk to the inspector, tell him what you want to do, ask him exactly how you should do it.......usually if you follow their directions, it is a very simple pass.:)
 
It is against code and the wood stove will not work as good as it should due to the air introduced through the furnace and in the barometric damper. I agree that upgrading he other stove will probably be the cheapest option.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.