48" away from windows?

I used to have a pellet stove and am considering putting one in our downstairs. We have a woodstove upstairs already. My only option downstairs is to caddycorner the pellet stove, however there are two double hung windows on either side. One window is ~40" away from where the stove pipe would exit and the other is ~24". Both windows can be opened. I never really understood the code whereby you have to have 48" from windows that can open , since I'd never be opening the windows in winter anyways.

Have any of you violated this code? I'm guessing if we hire someone to do it, they may have an issue with the windows, but we live in a pretty rural area, and I'm sure the rules can be bent. Obviously I can understand the possibility of smoke coming into the windows if they are open, but we'd never open them, so..... If there are other safety consideration to this law, what are they?

One other question; how important is it to have a run of vertical pipe on a pellet stove install, versus a straight shot out the building. FWIW, I am looking at the Harman Accentra. Thanks.

Makes sense. I guess I was hoping to vent the stove with less than a 48" space and not have to go to either the roofline or 1ft above the window. The latter is certainly feasible.

yeah, opening the windows in winter was my thought as well. Who does it, unless they aren't using an outdoor air kit maybe?

DAKSY said:

You still may be able to violate the 48" requirement if you add an outside air kit (OAK).
Most Harman units aloow you to do this.
The OAK can let you be within 18" of a window....

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What does the OAK have to do with being able to locate the stove pipe closer to a window?

Delta-T said:

the stove creates a negative pressure environment in the house (without OAK). Theoretically this allows the stove to suck air into the house from the outside. At less than 48" you have to possibility to suck exhaust in through leaks or.....open window. The OAK defeats the negative pressure environment by sucking combustion air from outside, reducing the likelyhood of sucking exhaust gases in (even if the window is open), hence the 18" minimum with OAK.

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Makes total sense, thanks. A guy is selling his Accentra with some pipe for $2K. It might be 3 years old, don't know yet, but is this a fair price?

jtp10181 said:

His pipe is also too close to the house, and it doesn't look like he cleans his stove very often (or ever).

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that's what I was thinking.