Can I install a wood burning fireplace and or stove in an existing construction

I have a 1700 sq ft 1 story house build in 2008. Its currently 100% electric with no provisions for a fireplace. I live in a semi-rural area and if I loose electricity when its -20F, I will be out in the cold. Literally. So I am wondering if I can install a wood burning fireplace in my living room. My local store carries the HeatnGlo Northstar which looked decent, so that is one possible candidate. My biggest question is really about the chimney. What is needed for a chimney and can they be installed in the middle of a room. I will be doing some exterior siding work this summer, so I would have the option of installing a chimney/chase (I hope thats the right terminology) on the outside of the house if that is better. However, that would be on the front side of the house and might look odd. Not to mention the research I have done indicates I will get better drafting with an interior chimney. So my most basic question is, can a new chimney be put into an existing house?

I am also considering a wood stove for the basement. Would it be possible to run the stove pipe up through the main floor and out through the attic? I could frame in a corner of an existing bedroom closet to run the pipe up through. This pipe would be within a couple feet of the fireplace chimeny. Are there restrictions on that spacing.

Oh, one other concern. I have vaulted ceilings. I don't know it I will be able to gain access from inside the attic during the installation. Will I be able to install the chimneys from inside the main level and on the roof without entering the attic? Thanks guys.

mellow said:

Why not install an insert in the existing chimney?

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I don't have a chimney. I am 100% electric.

I meant to say if I installed a basement wood stove as well as a wood burning fireplace, the stovepipe would be within 1'-2' of the fireplace pipe. I'm just trying to figure out if I can even install a stove or fireplace or if its going to be a MAJOR renovation to my house. I could run the pipes up through a corner in a closet and frame it out, but I don't have any existing chimney or fireplace of any sort.

I guess I just liked the looked of a fireplace better. Even though its less efficient. Also it seems that a wood stove has to be out further from the wall. So I don't think I have the room for it.

From my research a wood stove needs to be around 7"-16" away from the wall plus the depth of the stove. So that put me at about 32" that a typical stove would come into the living room. That doesn't count the base that would need to be on the floor which is another foot or so. Most fireplaces I saw only needed a depth of 24". So that saved me a lot of space in my living room.

So I am either doing a wood stove in the basement with some registers in the floor for a gravity feed system or I will put a wood fireplace into the main level. Although I may prepare for both if I am running exhaust pipes through the middle of my house. I just need to find out if I can run the pipes through my vaulted ceiling or if I need to build something on the exterior of the house for the exhaust pipes.

That twin flame is cool. If it was bigger I would definetely be looking at it. Can someone give me a brief intro on btus, efficiency and actual heat? If that Wittus is putting out at 41,000 btus at 93% does that equal (41,000*.93) 38,130btus in the house? Can I measure that against the Northstar's 74,900 at 77.2% (74,900* .772) equaling 57,823btus? Obviously that would be peak for both units and it would include using the fan, so in a power outage I'm sure the stove would do better or just as good. But generally speaking does efficiency state the amount of usable heat produced, or is it just the amount of wood that is burned and the less ash to clean out?

blacktail said:

Don't most fireplaces rely heavily on a blower to get heat out? Something to consider if power outages are a factor.

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Yes, that is a concern. Its part of why I was thinking about a wood stove in the basement and the fireplace upstairs. Under normal usage I could use the fireplace to just enjoy the warmth on a cold night and to supplement my heating system. But in a power outage I would use the stove downstairs to supply the additional heat required. The big question of course is can I even get them installed.

I really don't want to install them with the stove pipe running up the outside. The only place I could do that is on the front side of my house and it would get in the way of the view from the side of a bay window and it would also look bad on the front of a house. So I prefer to put the exhaust pipes inside if that can be done with a vaulted ceiling and inaccessible attic.

begreen said:

In measuring note that fireplaces also need hearth protection at the floor level. If power outages are frequent, do you have a small generator?

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Do they need to have a raised hearth or can it be something like a stone tile floor?

Thanks guys. It sounds like I should be able to do what I want to do. I did call a local shop and it sounds like my vaulted ceilings will be more difficult, but he did think they could run a pipe up through it. But sometimes salesman don't always know what can be done and what can not. So I appreciate your help.

I never checked the price on that Witus. I suppose that could be deal stopper.

I don't currently have a generator, but I think I will need to get one to power my freezer and other items in the case of a power outage. So that could power my fireplace fan as well. Although it would be nice if it wasn't needed.

begreen said:

Last time I checked the Twin-Fire was north of $6K. For a basement stove I wouldn't bother unless you spend most of your time down there. An EPA fireplace can be setup with gravity feed hot air that will convect naturally without power. A convection blower will help circulate heat throughout the first floor. With a vaulted ceiling you'll definitely need ceiling fans to break up heat stratification at the ceiling peak.

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Yeah, thats a little pricey. Lots of options out there at that money. Good call on the ceiling fan. I should probably have one even with my current forced air system.

begreen said:

It has lots of wow factor for sure. We got a pretty good look at the Twin-Fire in operation in DC. It was clearly the most front radiant stove there. Still, not what I would want for a 24/7 heater. Its fuel capacity is too small and it is definitely an area heater.

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Thanks for the input. That doesn't sound like what I am looking for.

What is the tremont. I couldn't find it anywhere. Are they out of business?

mellow said:

Inside joke, and yes they are no longer in business.

However if you need a stove with tight clearances and cheaper price tage check out this thread on the Efel s33: Nestor Martin / Efel factory fire? Huge discount at Lehman's

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Thanks for the link. But right now I am not ready to purchase. I'm just trying to get things in order. Once I know what my options are and what my plan is, I can go forward. Before I do my fireplace though, I need to finish a garage addition and house re-siding project. After that phase is complete, I can look at the wood stove/fireplace options. Right now I am trying to determine if I need to build an exterior chase or if I can retrofit something inside the house for a more central location. So far its looking good for doing an interior chase.