Newbie need help

[Jamess67]

Hello all as stated Im new here and have been searching the forum for ideas. Seems I need to just ask for help instead of trying to piece information together.

Here goes..

I recently acquired a 1980 model Kozy Komfort stove that looks hardly used. No warpage and all 1/4 steel plate construction. I haven't seen any like it on the web but have seen similar ones. I would appreciate any info anyone has on this stove.

Next, I just finished a addition to my home and would love wood heat, but need some guidance on the install.

The floor is a concrete slab with standard 2x4 stud walls.
The stove has a 8" outlet and exits to the rear.

First I want to keep it as close to the wall as possible with a 1 inch stand off surround. ( not in a corner) Should I run the stove pipe straight out the back and through the wall or should I run it vertically towards the ceiling and then out the wall?

I plan to just lay tile for the hearth directly on the concrete and continue it up the wall with a 3 " air gap at the bottom of the wall surround. ....is this ok???
On the surround Im not sure what to use to space the concrete backer from the wall, any ideas?
How thick of a backer board should I use??

The chimney will Tee off outside along the vinyl siding (double walled pipe) and up past the roof line approx. 7 ft. Good so far????

I think this will get me started. Thanks for any and all help !

James

 

[Sandor]

I think this will get me started.

Get you started? Your asking for someone to design and approve your entire install of a smoke dragon!

 

[restorer]

Welcome to the forum. Sorry, but I don't think you will get a lot of support in installing a non-EPA stove. Some states do not allow them to be installed and some insurance companies will not cover homes with them installed. You certainly would be ahead of the game in buying new, or at least recently manufactured. Some here have smoking dragons and work hard at making them efficient, but a new install in new construction is not the way to go, IMO.

 

[Gooserider]

Hello all as stated Im new here and have been searching the forum for ideas. Seems I need to just ask for help instead of trying to piece information together.

Here goes..

I recently acquired a 1980 model Kozy Komfort stove that looks hardly used. No warpage and all 1/4 steel plate construction. I haven't seen any like it on the web but have seen similar ones. I would appreciate any info anyone has on this stove.

You have my sympathies... I hope you didn't pay much, cause if you did, "U ben HOSED Sucka!" You will also need to save your money to pay for all the extra wood you'll waste, and the extra chimney cleanings you'll need. BTW, I hope your stove has a UL listing plate on it, and that you can find a manual for it, if not, you may have trouble getting your inspection passed (you are pulling a permit and getting inspected, right?)

Next, I just finished a addition to my home and would love wood heat, but need some guidance on the install.
The floor is a concrete slab with standard 2x4 stud walls.
The stove has a 8" outlet and exits to the rear.

Well, unless you have a manual that says it's approved for a 6" flue, that means you will need an 8" flue setup, which will cost you at least 50% more than the 6" flue that nearly all modern stoves can use...

First I want to keep it as close to the wall as possible with a 1 inch stand off surround. ( not in a corner) Should I run the stove pipe straight out the back and through the wall or should I run it vertically towards the ceiling and then out the wall?

If you want close to the wall, you have the wrong stove... That stove will require NFPA minimums at best, those are reduced by using a protective wall, but many modern stoves are listed to allow you to be closer yet. You are better off NOT going out the wall (do a search on "evil chimney") but if you do, it won't make a big difference on the clearances. You will have better "future proofing" if you go up then out so that you have more flexibility in choosing your future stove.

I plan to just lay tile for the hearth directly on the concrete and continue it up the wall with a 3 " air gap at the bottom of the wall surround. ....is this ok???

Sounds good on a modern stove, except you only need a 1" gap at the bottom and top. See your manual for info on the requirements for the smoker.

On the surround Im not sure what to use to space the concrete backer from the wall, any ideas?

Anything non-combustible will work. some folks use sections of pipe, others cut and stack strips of cement board. As long as you are getting 1" or more space, and the spacers are made of non-combustible material, whatever is easiest.

How thick of a backer board should I use??

1/2" of an APPROVED AND LISTED cement board - not all boards are rated for the application. Durock definitely is, and is what I'd reccomend, Hardibacker and Wonderboard are also acceptable. Don't use "Permabase" it is made with styrofoam beads in its formulation, and is not considered a "non-combustible"

The chimney will Tee off outside along the vinyl siding (double walled pipe) and up past the roof line approx. 7 ft. Good so far????

If you MUST use an outside chimney (see evil chimney) then use appropriate class A pipe, the required standoffs, and so on, Follow all rules for determining minimum height (at least 3' above where you come out of roof, and 2' above anything within a 10 radius.) Watch out for the siding, it is not as heat resistant as many other house materials, and may tend to melt - don't crowd your clearances.

In case it wasn't clear, I agree with the others that installing that old dinosaur is a really bad idea, but the info above is stuff you need to know to install a modern stove as well.

Gooserider - Ex smoke dragon burner!

 

[Jamess67]

Thanks everyone for your replies. I defiantly have to rethink this. BTW I only paid $50 for this. Maybe someone else will pay the same??

Ill keep lurking around for options and your vast knowledge;

Thanks again.

 

[Jamess67]

Just to clear my mind could someone elaborate on some of the previous comments.

Heres my thoughts.

The current " smoking dragon" (why is it called this??) was bought as a occasional fun thing for the family and for emergency backup heat in case of power loss or worse. I dont want to have to rely on blowers, augers etc. in order to have heat and an emergency cooking surface.

I realize it is a pre EPA stove does that make it bad? if so why?

I do have the manual for this stove and its clearances are the same as current stoves and are the same as measurements outlined by my insurance company. As far as permits and city code. it says to follow the manufactures instructions.

I would like to be clear on all this before I go out and spend $1500+ on a stove. I can get all the chimney parts for around $600. Grated thats expensive, however, its cheaper than a whole new set up.

Before I get flamed... Safety if my number one concern so please dont mistake being frugal for being foolish.

Again im on a fact finding mission before committing one way or the other. Thanks again!
BTW Gooserider your awesome thanks!

 

[Gooserider]

Just to clear my mind could someone elaborate on some of the previous comments.

Heres my thoughts.

The current " smoking dragon" (why is it called this??) was bought as a occasional fun thing for the family and for emergency backup heat in case of power loss or worse. I dont want to have to rely on blowers, augers etc. in order to have heat and an emergency cooking surface.

It is called a smoke dragon, because mostly they sit there and belch smoke all over, in addition they are very hungry and always demand to be fed more wood...

You don't need to depend on augers and blowers with a new stove any more than you did with an old one - While some new EPA approved wood stoves use blowers, so did many pre-EPA stoves. In many cases they are optional, and many new stoves don't use them at all - my Encore doesn't for instance, but the smoke dragon it pushed into the basement does... I don't know of ANY woodstoves, new or old, that use augers, those are only used in pellet stove technology, which ARE dependent on all sorts of electrical / electronics, and is not a direction that *I* like to send people (I acknowledge that they work for many folks, but I don't care for them...)

I realize it is a pre EPA stove does that make it bad? if so why?

Most of us on this site have a certain level of concern for the environment, and also a certain level of desire to protect ourselves. The pre-EPA stoves made huge amounts of smoke - to the point of becoming a health hazard in some areas, and seriously annoying the neighbors in others. They also burn far more wood than is needed, which is a waste of a valuable resource. We don't like to see polluting stoves installed because they are bad for the environment (although arguably less bad than a dino-burner because of being carbon neutral) and cause ALL wood burners to be given a bad reputation and get us hit with "no-burn days" and other government harrasment. Lastly, and this is not as big a deal, or at least not provably so, is that wood prices are supply and demand driven like everything else. If you are having to purchase extra wood to feed an inefficient stove, it increases the demand, and runs the price up...

I do have the manual for this stove and its clearances are the same as current stoves and are the same as measurements outlined by my insurance company. As far as permits and city code. it says to follow the manufactures instructions.

That is area dependent - some places the old stoves are not legal for new installs at all, others they can be if the stove is listed, which it sounds like in your case it is.

I would like to be clear on all this before I go out and spend $1500+ on a stove. I can get all the chimney parts for around $600. Grated thats expensive, however, its cheaper than a whole new set up.

Before I get flamed... Safety if my number one concern so please dont mistake being frugal for being foolish.

Again im on a fact finding mission before committing one way or the other. Thanks again!
BTW Gooserider your awesome thanks!

While you can easily spend $1500 or more, I would also suggest looking at Century or Englander stoves, both offer good quality "value priced" units for well under $1000 that I would have no hesitation about reccomending.

BTW, for $50, you can probably get a good bit of your expenditure back at the local scrap yard, or do a search here for the "Brother Bart Smoker" to see an alternative use - Sometimes smoke isn't all bad...

Gooserider

 

[Hogwildz]

Just to clear my mind could someone elaborate on some of the previous comments.

Heres my thoughts.

The current " smoking dragon" (why is it called this??) was bought as a occasional fun thing for the family and for emergency backup heat in case of power loss or worse. I dont want to have to rely on blowers, augers etc. in order to have heat and an emergency cooking surface.
Smoke Dragon referes to the fact that it will smoke alot, adding more pollutants in the air. And worse yet, you will go trough2x or more the amount of wood than a newer stove.

I realize it is a pre EPA stove does that make it bad? if so why?
See above, and as already mentioned may not be legal to install in your area. It will be a wood hog of a stove, not unlike the gas hog cars of the early 70's.

I do have the manual for this stove and its clearances are the same as current stoves and are the same as measurements outlined by my insurance company. As far as permits and city code. it says to follow the manufactures instructions.
Whats legal, and whats right can sometimes be two different things.

I would like to be clear on all this before I go out and spend $1500+ on a stove. I can get all the chimney parts for around $600. Grated thats expensive, however, its cheaper than a whole new set up.
Would you buy a stainless steel exhaust for an old AMC Gremlin? or a Vega or Maverick?

Before I get flamed... Safety if my number one concern so please dont mistake being frugal for being foolish.
Not all, but many of these older per EPA stoves put out alot of heat. but many were overfired to put out that amount of heat. You can get the same heat, longer burns & more controlled fires with a newer stove. Efficiency & more heat for your buck or wood processing labor.


Again im on a fact finding mission before committing one way or the other. Thanks again!
BTW Gooserider your awesome thanks!

Research is a good friend, better to go in taking a while and getting it right the first time, then wasting time, energy & cash jumping the gun.
Goose beat me to it, but I'll leave my response. And another good point is check out Englander Stoves, $800-$900 bucks as BB would say, is more bang for your buck.

 

[Jamess67]

Thanks guys that help ALOT
Trouble is there are very few places to buy a stove around here
There is a place that sells Vermont Castings stoves. Ill look there, otherwise I may have to go into the "Windy City" to find one.
Again I really appreciate your advise.

 

[Gooserider]

No problem, glad to help out.

As a minor note, Englander, Century, etc. are often sold through the Big Box stores - HD, Lowes, Ace, etc. Beware the Vogelzang stoves you may find in the same places, some of their cheap stoves are NOT UL listed / EPA approved, and can't be installed in a house. (They also have some EPA models, but we tend to have doubts about the company as a whole...)

Gooserider