long chimney for pellet insert

[chase74k]

I have a Country Flame Crossfire pellet insert and plan to install it in a fireplace in my basement. This will result in a run of 45 feet from the floor up to the top of the chimney. The brick chimney is on an outside wall, and is exposed on the outside of the house above ground level. The run has a jig in it about 10 feet above the basement floor, because there are two flues in the same chimney. The second fireplace is on the ground level, and fires burn very well there. Fires do not draft very well in the basement fireplace where I want to install the pellet insert.

I understand that pellet stoves do not require a draft on the exhaust system, and instead have a fan to produce the appropriate pressure in the exhaust system. I am concerned that this 45' run up my chimney will produce more draft than the stove was designed for. I think that this could result in an improper burn rate in the stove. I have been considering drilling a hole in the chimney for the pellet exhaust, instead of running it to the top of the chimney.

Does anyone have advice on whether a 4" by 45' chimney liner is too long for pellet inserts?

Would it make a difference if I insulated the chimney liner? What about double insulating?

I have an additional question: Does anyone have a recommendation about whether an outside air intake vent would be worthwhile?

 

[chase74k]

The manufacturer says that the unit is limited to a 30' chimney length. An engineer there said that this is because the unit has a fan that forces the exhaust out the vent and it cannot push the air more than 30. In essence, he said that the stove will not operate correctly because there will not be enough draft.

I spoke with an engineer at a pellet vent manufacturing company, and he suggested that beyond 30' there will actually be too much draft. He said that as the length of the chimney increases it produces more draft. He said that a 45' chimney run with a 4" liner will potentially produce more draft than the stove can handle. He said that the excess draft could make it impossible to have complete combustion in the stove, and that this could result in little heat being generated in the stove, or perhaps even produce a chimney fire if the gasses ignite in the liner.

Does anyone have experience with a pellet stove liner in tall chimneys?

 

[imacman]

.....Does anyone have experience with a pellet stove liner in tall chimneys?

Chase, your now beating a dead horse, and seemingly looking for anyone to tell you it's OK to do what you want.

Unless someone just gave you this stove, and your trying to make it work, it seems you didn't do your homework if you bought this stove before checking out whether it would work in your situation.

Bottom line, unfortunately, is that both the stove manufacturer AND the vent manufacturer said not to do it. And you already know that the fireplace in the basement has poor draft, mainly due to the length of the run, I'm pretty sure.

Let it go, and maybe come up with another way to install this .......maybe a hole through the back of the chimney & run regular vent? Were you planning on just heating the basement with the insert, or more? Basement installs are marginal, at best.

Maybe install it in the first floor fireplace?