Thoughts on my chimney and stove location

[mikepinto65]

This is kind of a pointless thread as I cannot do anything to the location of my stove or chimney due to the layout of my house....I've read all I can as to how bad installing a stove in the basement is along with all the negatives of an outside chimney but i'd just like to hear any opinions on whether or not my basement setup is as bad as it could be. I've provide pictures and keep in mind that my basement is a walkout basement. Only a small section of it actually goes beneath the ground. The part that does is shown with the interior picture (obviously it is the portion of just concrete and no insulation). My plans on making this not so perfect setup work the best is to remove the insulation from the ceiling to allow more heat to pass threw the floor boards (currently I keep the upstairs door open and also have a floor register above the livingroom), and eventually (hopefully this coming year) finish the basement. Just curious to hear your thoughts and or suggestions.

 

[Pagey]

How much Class A is that?

 

[mikepinto65]

Bout 27.5'

 

[oconnor]

One comment I'll throw out there is the elbows on the external chimney - most manufacturers don't allow them as they can create a spot for creosote to build up. In time, you might consider getting a pass thru and flashing kit and going thru the eaves. Til then, keep an eye on that section of the flue when cleaning.

As for air curculation, consider a ducted floor register on the far side of the house to draw cold air from the far end of the house to the basement floor. Allowing for an escape route for the cold air will help the heat travel to the far corners of the upstairs. I did this in my last bungalow and it worked wonders . I used a fan to suck the cold air down to the basement.

Last - get some sheetrock on the vapour barrier around the flue pipe and take down the insulation above the stove soon. Would want something to fall loose. But you knew that already...

 

[madison]

Hopefully there is at least 2" to the (?vinyl) siding?

 

[Wet1]

Mike,
Is it just the picture, or does the horizontal run tilt downward?

With a setup like that, I'd think you're going to want to use some active air management to benefit from the heat.

 

[mikepinto65]

Hopefully there is at least 2" to the (?vinyl) siding?

Yes it is to the manufacturers specs.
I guess what I was looking for was whether anyone here thought i'd have less of a "work out" on my stove since my basement is a walk out. Im just confused as to why many write ups say you have to really run the stove hot in a basement set up which isnt particularly good for most stoves. I plan on loading my Oslo up, letting it do its thing at 500-600, letting it reduce to a coal be, than fill er up as needed. I've also seen a lot saying it is bad to operate a stove in an overheated room....I dont really get how that can be bad for the stove if you maintain proper stove top temps.

 

[mikepinto65]

Mike,
Is it just the picture, or does the horizontal run tilt downward?

With a setup like that, I'd think you're going to want to use some active air management to benefit from the heat.

Actually its tilting upwards!

 

[Wet1]

Mike,
Is it just the picture, or does the horizontal run tilt downward?

With a setup like that, I'd think you're going to want to use some active air management to benefit from the heat.

Actually its tilting upwards!

Good, it must just be the picture.

 

[Slow1]

Two thoughts that strike me -

1) Insulate that concrete even though there isn't much of it, it is going to suck heat out of there and feed it into the ground outside pretty quickly. I'm sure there must be some non-combustible insulation that you can put behind the stove as well so that you aren't heating the dirt as much. That really is one of the main heat drains of basement installs - being a walkout you are fortunate not to have as much of this, but what you do have will be hurting you to some degree.

2) Get drywall up on all that insulation as soon as practical. This will do two things for you - first it will reduce air leakage (thinking of the walls here and I'm sure that will help) and secondly it will keep the uneven surface of that batt insulation from slowing the convection currents generated by your stove as much, thus allowing a faster flow of heat up and across the now smoother ceiling and toward your open basement door. The faster the heated air moves the less time it will have to cool.

 

[mikepinto65]

Thanks Slow, good thoughts. I didnt think much about the insulation slowing convection currents but definitely makes sense.