Oil furnace and wood stove on the same chimney?

[Jolly Rogers]

We just moved into a 65 year old house that has an oil furnace in the basement. Our hope is to put in an EPA wood stove on the main floor. Ideally it would be set up so we could burn wood when we wanted to but the oil furnace would kick in when the fire died down or when we were away etc. It is a brick chimney with a clay liner. Is this a possibility or would the two interfere with each other in terms of draft, flue diameter, etc.? There is already a hole in the wall into the chimney on the main floor where presumably there was a wood stove in the past. After reading some great info on this site, my thinking is that I could install an insulated steel liner down the chimney as well. Hoping this will work because I have dreamed of having a wood stove for 20 years! Thanks in advance for any advice.

 

[webbie]

To my knowledge, this is against all code and common practice.

Things are slightly different in Canada, but usually stricter if anything. You should have the situation inspected by a certified technician.

Other options include getting a power-vent for the oil burner, which might allow the chimney to be used for the stove.

 

[Gooserider]

We just moved into a 65 year old house that has an oil furnace in the basement. Our hope is to put in an EPA wood stove on the main floor. Ideally it would be set up so we could burn wood when we wanted to but the oil furnace would kick in when the fire died down or when we were away etc. It is a brick chimney with a clay liner. Is this a possibility or would the two interfere with each other in terms of draft, flue diameter, etc.? There is already a hole in the wall into the chimney on the main floor where presumably there was a wood stove in the past. After reading some great info on this site, my thinking is that I could install an insulated steel liner down the chimney as well. Hoping this will work because I have dreamed of having a wood stove for 20 years! Thanks in advance for any advice.

How many flues (smoke passages) are there in the chimney? Brick chimneys often have multiple flues within them. The standard rule is one appliance per flue, but if you have two flues in the chimney such that one goes to the basement for the furnace, and the other serves the hole you see on the main floor, then there is no reason not to put in the EPA stove, possibly with a liner.

OTOH, if you only have one flue that connects to the oil burner, and that hole in the wall connects to the same flue, then you have a significant potential safety hazard, and need to ensure that the hole is properly closed and sealed, normally with a solid masonry plug, to ensure that you don't get any leakage of fumes from the oil burner.

Other options might include power venting the oil burner as Craig mentioned, or installing a seperate "Class A" metal chimney.

Gooserider

 

[swestall]

First, you are going to get all the "stove police" on the site after you. Second, your house might burn down, so that won't matter and third, make sure you paid your homeowners. LOL.
Seriously, that's a no-no. Because it combines the output from the oil furnace and wood stove. I happen to know someone from the "old Days" who ignored that rule. His chimney built up a combined creosote/oil residue that the wood stove promptly caught on fire. He was lucky and it went out. But then luck is a matter of how you see it, as he did not feel to lucky when the mason handed him the bill for the new chimney. And, now scared to death, he installed a new SS stack for the wood stove. With that knowledge, you might as well go to the end, install the new stack and bypass all the trouble in the middle.

 

[Jolly Rogers]

How many flues (smoke passages) are there in the chimney? Brick chimneys often have multiple flues within them. The standard rule is one appliance per flue, but if you have two flues in the chimney such that one goes to the basement for the furnace, and the other serves the hole you see on the main floor, then there is no reason not to put in the EPA stove, possibly with a liner.

There is only one flue. I guess I need to reconsider my options.

OTOH, if you only have one flue that connects to the oil burner, and that hole in the wall connects to the same flue, then you have a significant potential safety hazard, and need to ensure that the hole is properly closed and sealed, normally with a solid masonry plug, to ensure that you don’t get any leakage of fumes from the oil burner.

Good point! I hadn't considered that. Currently there is only a tin plate style cover over the hole. I will seal it up right away. Thanks for the comments.

 

[JimWalshin845]

You probably have the option of a 'power vent' for the oil furnace also. That would free up the flue for your stove install.

 

[wg_bent]

My biggest concern would be CO poisoning from the oil burner. If I were you I'd get a detector right a way. Next is the point already made, that a single flue per device is the code.