We have an old house built in 1900. It does have central heat and air, but is very expensive to heat in the winter. I want to get a wood stove to help heat and reduce the heating bill. Is it safe to buy a used wood stove on Craigslist? I really want some kind of cast iron, with blower and windows to see the fire. Is that even possible? How do I know that the wood stove is not a safety hazard? I don't want it to vent out the ceiling, I want it to vent out the wall. It this possible and what am I looking for? Is it possible to install it ourself?
Used Wood Stoves
- Thread starter srks72
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Greetings. It is possible, but it really helps to know what you are doing and the local governing codes. The safety really comes from doing the installation right and honoring all specs and clearance requirements.The more restrictive the requirements for the stove the harder it's going to be to find one used. It will depend on the local market. Where are you and how big an area is being heated?
Note that going out the wall is more expensive and less efficient than going straight up for the venting.
Note that going out the wall is more expensive and less efficient than going straight up for the venting.
BrowningBAR
Minister of Fire
Yes. I have bought five of them.
It is. Nearly all modern stoves have a glass front. Most stoves offer a blower option.
Check for warping or cracks in the internal firebox, external castings, and doors. Look for a white discoloration of the cast iron. This is usually from prolong over-firing. Bring a flash light and look for spacing in the casting seems. Make sure the door(s) sit flush and are not warped.
Ashful
Minister of Fire
If you're not experienced with woodstoves, you'd do well finding a friend who is, and asking them to look over your find before laying down any cash. It's not exactly rocket surgery, but your in a position similar to one shopping for used cars, without having ever driven or sat in one.
The venting out the wall option is going to get expensive. I expect a code compliant installation is going to cost more than a good used stove. You ultmately have to have the stack discharge a set distance above the top of the roof or a certain distance higher than anything within a certain distance. The chimney piping will be insulated stainless steel rated for wood burning. You need to realize that there is an initial investment in time and money to get set up to burn wood, depending on your source of wood its the least cost of the long term but also the steepest learning curve.
Yup. Another part of the learning curve is the wood. If you get the typical cord wood sold at this time of the year it is likely to be poorly seasoned. That can be quite frustrating to burn and can lead to excess creosote accumulation. We will see a boatload of posts on this topic in a month or two as folks start burning for the first time.
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