I have a pellet stove insert that was stuck into an existing gas fireplace. The pellet stove is routed about a foot into the existing chimney with a metal plate to block off the rest of the chimney around it. Existing was 8 inch and pellet stove is 3 inch. Now all of this was done before I bought so I'm assuming this is code. I would really like to swap to a wood burning insert. The 8 inch pipe(cant tell if it's single, double wall etc.) runs straight up in a chase, through the an overhand, through the attic and out the roof. Its in a 2 foot by 5 ft chase so I think the clearances would be ok. Could I run a 6 inch pipe through the 8 inch and in essence make a double wall pipe? Or Should i swap it all out for Class A? Thanks for any help and advice.
Questions about Chimney
- Thread starter lhex234
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Swedishchef
Minister of Fire
Welcome to the forums!
As per BeGreen's advice, class A all the way! I am sure Class A would meet code but attempting to create a "home made" double wall pipe wouldnt be.
Andrew
As per BeGreen's advice, class A all the way! I am sure Class A would meet code but attempting to create a "home made" double wall pipe wouldnt be.
Andrew
Grisu
Minister of Fire
It sounds like you have a gas zero clearance fireplace. I would not just assume that the pellet insert is up to code and I would be even more cautious about putting a wood fireplace insert in there. We have regular discussions here whether a fireplace insert can be installed in a zero clearance fireplace. Almost all ZC fireplace manufacturers exclude the installation of an insert in their units. However, some insert manufacturers approve their units for that kind of application. It is certainly a grey area. It would be good to know at least the makes/models of the ZC fireplace and the insert you want to install to make sure that modification can be done safely and may not burn your house down some day.
Certainly much better would be to rip everything out and install either a freestanding stove with the appropriate chimney pipe or a modern, EPA-approved ZC fireplace (e. g. Pacific Energy FP30) in its place. If you want to reuse the existing chimney you could also install a freestanding, rear-vented stove in font of the fireplace and run a liner up the flue. You will probably need to extend the hearth and the height of the firebox opening will determine which stoves may fit in regards to the height of their flue outlets.
Certainly much better would be to rip everything out and install either a freestanding stove with the appropriate chimney pipe or a modern, EPA-approved ZC fireplace (e. g. Pacific Energy FP30) in its place. If you want to reuse the existing chimney you could also install a freestanding, rear-vented stove in font of the fireplace and run a liner up the flue. You will probably need to extend the hearth and the height of the firebox opening will determine which stoves may fit in regards to the height of their flue outlets.
Sorry its been a while since ive been on. Thank you guys for your answers. It is actually 8 inch ID and 10 outer. insulated in between . It follows this all the way through the attic and into the chase. but i cant look into the chase because the AC duct work wont let me get that far into the attic. Would that type of setup have been used on something that was intended for gas only? seems like overkill. It does have a spark arrestor on top as well. Thank you guys again for your knowledge.
Woody harrelson
Feeling the Heat
Could I run an insulated All fuel liner in this and be safe. Im just trying to find the most economical way to do this.
Grisu
Minister of Fire
Maybe. You should really have a certified sweep look at it to determine what you actually have and whether it is still safe to use. You can look here: http://www.csia.org/search and http://nficertified.org/pages_consumers/consumers-1.cfm
It sounds like it was originally a wood burning prefab fireplace. It is debatable whether it is safe to place a fireplace insert in there. Plus, who knows what modifications the previous owner(s) did to it. Can you post some pics?
It sounds like it was originally a wood burning prefab fireplace. It is debatable whether it is safe to place a fireplace insert in there. Plus, who knows what modifications the previous owner(s) did to it. Can you post some pics?
Thank you again for the advice. I'm going to try and get someone out this weekend. Ill try to post some pics when I get home from work on Friday morning. Both layers are Not aluminum as they both are magnetic. So I'm leaning toward class A. The other gas vents on the roof are single wall aluminum pipes through the roof so if this was a gas only piece Id think that it would be done the same way. I know wood burning burns a lot hotter but I've been burning the pellet stove through it for years with no problems.
It does also have a spark arrestor, storm collar, and roof flashing. Unlike the other gas only vents. Its very confusing.
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