I have been wanting an indoor wood stove for a long time. I already heat my house and hot water with an OWB for the past 10 years. Wished I would have put a wood stove in the house instead. Our old farmhouse is 1800 square feet and it's chopped up into small rooms. If we put the stove in the main living room, will we get cooked out in there while the rest of the house is too cold? Second problem is where to put the stove in the existing living room. Hip roof, so best place on roof is coming out the middle of the top with the chimney, but then we are doing serious demo inside the house. Easier to put the stove in the corner of the room, but then there will be at least 8 feet of pipe sticking up on the side of the roof. With a new EPA stove, would I use less wood than the OWB? Any thoughts?
Should I even be considering a wood stove?
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Dix
Minister of Fire
Evening, farmer, welcome to the forums 
Alot depends on the layout. You can help air flow to an extant with a few small floor fans.
A house layout, if available would be invaluable.
Alot depends on the layout. You can help air flow to an extant with a few small floor fans.
A house layout, if available would be invaluable.
There are modern wood boiler options these days too. Check out "The Boiler Room" on the forum since you obviously have the piping.
I was thinking about putting the stove in just as an add on for when it is really cold since I want to be able to watch the fire and have the extra direct heat. But I don't know if it is worth the extra money and hassle. I've been reading all of your blogs for the past 10 months. Seems like a lot of you guys have some great ideas. Just wanted your thoughts, good and bad. As for a floor plan, the main living room is 13'x 20' with a doorway to the kitchen and one to a small master bedroom. Kitchen has closed stairway to upstairs and doorway to back part of house with entry, office, and mudroom/laundry.
You mention that there is a lot of demolition going on. Have you thought about opening up the floorplan by either enlarging door openings or eliminating walls? That could really help heat circulation. To avoid feeling cooked in one room, get a less radiant stove and use a fan to blow cooler air from another location of the house into the stove area. If you can post a sketch of the floorplan we can give guidance more tailored to your floorplan.
The ideal installation will have the stove centrally located in the most open part of the floorplan. It should burn a heckuva lot less wood than the OWB and with no smoke. I would plan for the future, rather than installing based on temporary remodeling conditions, even if it meant waiting another year to install.
The ideal installation will have the stove centrally located in the most open part of the floorplan. It should burn a heckuva lot less wood than the OWB and with no smoke. I would plan for the future, rather than installing based on temporary remodeling conditions, even if it meant waiting another year to install.
Actually the remodeling part on the old farm house is done and it cannot really be opened up any more due to weight bearing wall placement...the demo would be to put the chimney up through the middle of the house using and existing heat run. It is possible....will work on a floor plan and post it tomorrow.
Dix
Minister of Fire
It can be done, just requires a big header and proper support. We have this between our dining and living room.
wood boiler works fine.I just under sized it when i bought it so i was going to traded for a bigger model. when i got the price for the new one , i thought for that much money i could install a woodstove and enjoy that in my house and take the pressure off the owb when the temps drop below 20 degrees.
If I put a header in I will have 7 ft. door way instead of 3ft. How much would that help air movement?
It will definitely help some and it will share light between the rooms better too. How much it will help depends on the floor layout and the adjacent room size and it's connection to other rooms. If you can post a floorplan sketch we can get into greater detail.
BrowningBAR
Minister of Fire
farmer said:
It will help some. How many sq ft is the house. Is it a four square or a cigar box layout?
Backwoods Savage
Minister of Fire
Welcome to the forum Farmer.
How much wood? I can state that every one of the folks I know who put in an OWB has used a lot more wood than they did with a stove or a furnace in the house so yes, a wood stove will probably save you some work in cutting the wood. However, you need to know that the wood needs to be dry. Almost every one of the folks we know who have the OWB burns green or nearly green wood. You won't get away with that if you put a stove inside the house.
Moving the air: you've probably read on this forum that placing a small desk top fan on the floor in a doorway and blowing the cool air into the stove room works wonders for moving the warmth in the house.
I also would not be too concerned with a tall chimney outside so long as you can brace it.
Good luck.
How much wood? I can state that every one of the folks I know who put in an OWB has used a lot more wood than they did with a stove or a furnace in the house so yes, a wood stove will probably save you some work in cutting the wood. However, you need to know that the wood needs to be dry. Almost every one of the folks we know who have the OWB burns green or nearly green wood. You won't get away with that if you put a stove inside the house.
Moving the air: you've probably read on this forum that placing a small desk top fan on the floor in a doorway and blowing the cool air into the stove room works wonders for moving the warmth in the house.
I also would not be too concerned with a tall chimney outside so long as you can brace it.
Good luck.
firefighterjake
Minister of Fire
leeave96
Minister of Fire
farmer said:
Here's what I think - take a look-see at a Woodstock soapstone woodstove. Soapstone to manage the heat dips and spikes for soft even heat and a catalyist converter to allow lower temperature, but clean burns that won't cook you out of the room during shoulder seasons.
For the chimney - go through the wall to the outside exterior of you house. If you use a double wall pipe set-up like Metalbest Ultra Temp, you can position your tee/thimble high enough from the ground so you can brush the chimney from the bottom up - and not have to get on a ladder.
Good luck,
Bill
Here are some pictures of option #1, the corner of the room and option #2 next to the old chimney chase. The outside of the house with the hip roof. Also included the hallway to the kitchen and the back part of the house and the rest of the living room going into the master bedroom.
Attachments
One more question. Always heard that it is best to run the chimney on the inside of the house, but what about going up the outside? If we put the stove in the corner of the living room we could go right out the wall and up the outside between the two sets of windows. It would save a lot of inside demo, especially in the bedrooms upstairs. Worried about how unsightly the chimney will make the exterior of the house. Any thoughts?
Wallyworld
Member
Indoor chimneys are best because they stay warm and reduce creosote buildup, outside chimneys don't draw as well and as you say, ugly comes to mind. If its your only option they do work.
Backwoods Savage
Minister of Fire
farmer said:
Yes, inside is best. However, that does not mean you can't go outside. We have a SS chimney on the outside and did not build a chase. In fact, our chimney is supposed to be too short to work, but the stove doesn't know that and keeps on burning wood and keeping us warm. In addition to that, our chimney stays nice and clean but that is due mostly to burning good dry wood and having a good cat stove.
You can always build a chase if you go outside the house but perhaps it is best to wait and see if one is needed. But then, some like a chase just for looks.
leeave96
Minister of Fire
+1 what Dennis said.
Outside double wall stainless steel chimney is a very different animal than an outside masonary chimney - which really is a heat sink and would cause drafting and creosote troubles.
I think your house is well suited for an outside install with a bottom-up cleanout. With regards to a chase, I had one build around my chimney for decorative looks only - not really to keep the pipe warmer. It is a wooden chase with vinyl to match the house - looks great. Chimney now and chase later can be a way to tolerate the cost of your stove install AND you will likely find the chimney will cost more than the stove, mine did - ouch!
Good luck,
Bill
Outside double wall stainless steel chimney is a very different animal than an outside masonary chimney - which really is a heat sink and would cause drafting and creosote troubles.
I think your house is well suited for an outside install with a bottom-up cleanout. With regards to a chase, I had one build around my chimney for decorative looks only - not really to keep the pipe warmer. It is a wooden chase with vinyl to match the house - looks great. Chimney now and chase later can be a way to tolerate the cost of your stove install AND you will likely find the chimney will cost more than the stove, mine did - ouch!
Good luck,
Bill
If i go outside of the house on the chimney install do you have draft problems when you just starting the stove or other times also?Isee that a couple of you have cat stoves . Do you have to replace them very often?
leeave96
Minister of Fire
farmer said:
I haven't burned my exterior SS chimney yet - but I think Dennis has a SS chimney without a chase so he could comment on the draft too. Looking at your house, I think you'd have a right tall chimney and draft would not be a problem.
Cat stoves are great. I managed to screw-up my cat the first year or it was a lemon, but Woodstock replaced it free of charge. I think they carry a 2 year replacement warranty and then pro-rated up to 6 years from Woodstock. It is not uncommon to see a cat last 6 years. The new SS cat's that Woodstock uses are resistant to thermoshock and I believe better over the long haul vs the ceramic ones. My old cat was ceramic, the new one is SS - so far so good.
For a wealth of cat info and just woodstove info in general, go to woodstove.com (Woodstock's website) and browse their library and stove owners manuals. Great reading regardless of whose stove you buy.
Good luck,
Bill
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