first timer

[mmackin]

Hi Everyone,

I'm moving into a 1940's house (read..poor insulation) near Akron, OH and I'd like to put in a free standing wood stove. I'm a plumber with 3 mouths to feed so I don't have the cash for a IR or somethinge new. I'm hoping to pick one up on Craigslist and make it work...is that crazy or what?

Here are the details:
1500 sq ft. house
1.5 stories
bath, 2 bedrooms kithchen and living room on first floor.
kitchen and living room has open design
current fireplace located in front corner of house in living room.
I'll be doing the demo/rebuild of the chimney (which I have to learn about first) (I've worked with thin gauge flue pipe and some double wall before (as a plumber) but I've never put in a back stop or anthing.
oh...windows are old too.
oh...and...the house currently a has forced air furnace.

What else...I'm going to wait until next april to start so I'll have all summer to get it right.

What size should I shoot for?
How do I learn about rebuilding the chinmey?

thanks for all your help!

mike

 

[InTheRockies]

Before you buy a used stove, check with your county to make sure you can legally install a non-EPA compliant stove. Given the marksups on Craigslist, don't discount being able to buy a new EPA compliant wood stove for almost the same money you may be asked to pay for an old, inefficient smoke dragon; especially since you're not going to install until next summer. The big box stores (Home Depot and Lowes) seem to have marvelous prices on Englander stoves in late winter (seems to have been in February in past years), but you'll want to keep track and hit the sale early because the units sell out quickly. The Englander 30-NC would probably suit your space well. Specs on the 30-NC Be prepared for sticker shock at the price of piping. It will be higher than you expect. Good luck.

 

[fossil]

Thank goodness you're not among the folks starting from scratch in October expecting to be burning this winter. You grasp the complexity and you've given yourself a reasonable time frame in which to get 'er done. Good for you! What's the nature of the chimney "rebuilding" you're envisioning? Welcome to the forums! Rick

 

[mmackin]

well...thanks but we'll see..I may still be "getting er done" NEXT october.

On the first reply: I will check those prices...and I know I do want to stay away from an old piece of junk.
On the chinmey "rebuild": I'm assuming I'll have to pull out the existing fireplace box, raise the ceiling of the chimney a bit, put in a stop plate, and then re-brick the front to patch up were I raised the ceiling of it. then I was going to set the stove slightly outside the new opening and use two 45's to get to my vertical run through the stop and up the chimney.

I'm I on the right track?

 

[fossil]

Review this thread & see if the discussion is germane to what you have in mind:

https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/23471/

 

[mmackin]

Thanks for all the information...that thread is what I"m trying to do and I don't mind a little brick work so we'll see how it goes!