Wood burner in pole barn

[nlstockstill]

I have recently purchased an older "Thermalator Inc" The Boss" wood stove. I have pretty well decided to go through the roof. The stove came with some "lightly used" single wall black pipe (6") the previous owner had been using. From what I understand once I go through the roof I need to have "Class A" (or insulated pipe?)?

My first question is, can I safely use the used, single wall pipe to go from the top of the stove to the roof? Looking for the, cheapest, safest option (not necessarily in that order). And, if I can use the single wall pipe down low, do the make an adapter (or need) to go from single wall to insulated pipe?

Next, my building has no finished ceiling. Just open trusses. I'm looking for some pre-fabricated support I can mount on the bottom of the trusses. I then figured I would use a high temperature silicone pipe boot similar to one manufactured by Dektite.

I'm debating on sandblasting, and painting the stove before install but haven't decided. Also reeealy wanting to add some secondary burn tubes but we shall see. I've seen the results my BIS has inside my house and it's pretty incredible. Not to mention some of your guys mods.

Thanks in advance. Any, and all advice and input are appreciated

 

[begreen]

Frame between trusses to box in a cathedral ceiling support box. This thread shows the framing.
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/installed-englander-30nc.115825/

 

[nlstockstill]

OK so I'm not perfectly clear on this. I can run my single wall pipe up to the ceiling support box, then from the support box up run insulated pipe? Just trying to figure out the parts I need to get.

 

[begreen]

Correct, the support box supports the chimney pipe. That's where the transition occurs. Single wall will work though double-wall stove pipe would be preferable to keep the flue gases hotter and keep creosote buildup lower.

 

[nlstockstill]

OK thanks for the info. Hopefully I can find some double wall at decent price. Was just hoping to keep my cost down.

 

[begreen]

Your plan with single-wall will work, especially if you burn only fully seasoned wood and don't let the fire smolder.

 

[Simonkenton]

Here is the deal with single wall pipe. It will work. It will generate more heat into the barn. It is cheap.
On the other hand, double wall pipe will generate less creosote and not have to be cleaned as often.
In your case you probably will have a hard time to heat the space of a barn and you need all the heat you can get. Also, cleaning a pipe is messy but who cares in a barn?
Start off with the single wall, might have to clean it twice a year instead of once.

You can always change it over to double wall.

 

[nlstockstill]

Thanks, that's another good thought. I clean my triple wall in my house before I start burning every season. Rarely get much out of it. But it is supposed to be pretty efficient. Forget the number now, without looking them up. The stove in my shop will certainly not be burning full time so I may start with the single wall since I already have some of it.
I'm really not going to be saving that much though now that I think of it. I am going to have purchase an adjustable length pipe to get up to the ceiling support. From what I have figured I am going to have roughly 77" from the top of my stove surface, to the bottom of my trusses, which I am assuming is where my pipe will meet my ceiling support.

 

[begreen]

OK, that's not bad. I was thinking the pipe would be more like 10-12' for a pole barn.

 

[nlstockstill]

This portion of the pole barn is only 10' tall and I am planning on this stove being on a cinder block hearth for easier access.

 

[Highbeam]

I used single wall for my NC30 woodstove in my pole barn with 14' ceilings. I would rather have double wall but the single wall works well enough. It is cheap, available, and I wanted to learn how it worked, how much heat I could strip from it, and if it really only lasts a few years.

Heating an outbuilding with wood is not the kind of burning situation where you will have much creosote. The way it works is that you will go out to a cold building and want it to be as warm as possible in as short an amount of time as possible so you will always be running your stove hard, hot, and cleanly.

I only wish that there were wood furnaces legal for WA use. Every wood furnace I've seen is made for higher outputs than any stove and with better blowers. They're all too dirty. Even the fancy new ones are too dirty for WA.

 

[Simonkenton]

By the way, if that stove does not produce enough heat, get a double 55 gallon drum wood stove. You buy a kit and build it yourself.
Cheap. Huge firebox. This bad boy is rated at 250,000 BTU. Start it with dry wood and it will burn anything you put in it, green wood, whatever it doesn't care.
I had one for 3 years in Georgia, these double drum stoves work great.
With my Jotul stove it takes about a half hour to get heat out of it when you fire it up. The steel drums produce heat immediately.

 

[bholler]

really you are actually recommending someone use a barrel stove?

 

[Simonkenton]

Hell, yes. It is perfect for a barn. Why do you think it would not work well?

 

[bholler]

They work well till the barrel burns through and it burns the barn down. Or someone packs that thing full and forgets about it and it melts down. They are dangerous.

 

[Simonkenton]

No, the barrel won't burn through if you do it right.
The best barrel kits are made by Sotz. Long since out of business, but still can be found on ebay if you dig around a little bit.
These are airtight stoves and cannot burn the barrel through if you follow directions and do not burn with the door open.

As I said, I had one in a house for 3 years and had no problems. In fact, after 3 years of heavy use the barrels were as good as new.
"Pack it full and it will melt down?"
You have a heck of a fire if it is hot enough to melt steel. I packed mine full every time I used it and never had a problem.

 

[bholler]

You have a heck of a fire if it is hot enough to melt steel. I packed mine full every time I used it and never had a problem.

A wood fire is absolutely hot enough to melt steel and the steel of a barrel is very thin it does not take much. I have seen many of them that where really distorted from being over heated. And yes if you pay attention to it it will not get out of control. But we all know that we get distracted at times and the stove can get to hot. I for one would rather have that fire in something that was designed to contain a fire not oil or what ever. You also missed that I said packs it full and forget about it totally different.

So yes they can work and yes they can be used without causing a fire but a good old plate steel stove (like he has already) will work as good cost about the same if you take your time to find one and be much safer.

And yes a barrel will burn through eventually so will a stove the difference is that a stove is made from allot thicker material and it will take a whole lot longer.

 

[Simonkenton]

With a Sotz stove you can pack it full and forget about it. It has precise air control, pack it full and set it on half way air and you are good to go.
I see Vogelzang making these kits today, they look like they are pretty well made but I have no experience with them.

The Sotz kits come with precise directions. You put 3 inches of sand on the bottom to begin with, this keeps the fire away from the metal.
Every year in April, you take the stove apart. Takes about 4 minutes.
Take it outside, and dump out the sand. Let it get good and dry and spray oil on the inside, this will prevent rust.
Then in the fall you re assemble and fire it up again.

I only used my stove for 3 years and had no deterioration of the steel. I know guys who used a Sotz for 25 years, in a house, with the original barrels, and they still were good.

These stoves are ideal for a barn because of the tremendous heat output, the quick emission of heat from the stove, and with the huge firebox you can indeed, as I did many times, load it up full and "set it and forget it."

I also made a Sotz kit from a 30 gallon well pressure tank. Sotz made a round door for small drums like this. This was probably about 70,000 BTU.
This also was a great stove, I used it for 2 years. I probably would now be using that stove in my new log cabin, but, the fiancee hates the looks of the Sotz stove!
Women, go figure.
So I had to shell out $2500 for a Jotul.

Now and then when I am bored and nostalgic I will get online and try to dig up a Sotz kit. You can still find them if you try on craigslist nationwide, usually they go for about $80. You can get the drums for free.
Sand them down and spray paint with black high temp muffler paint, you have a 250,000 BTU stove for a hundred bucks!

I still have the best maul ever made, the Sotz Monster Maul. Have used it for 35 years and still have found no other maul to compare.

 

[bholler]

With a Sotz stove you can pack it full and forget about it. It has precise air control, pack it full and set it on half way air and you are good to go.
I see Vogelzang making these kits today, they look like they are pretty well made but I have no experience with them.

I dont care how well the kit is made you are still relying on a light gauge metal drum to contain a fire in your structure. And you can easily find a good old plate steel stove for under $200 if you keep your eyes out. They are much safer and your insurance agent wont have a stroke when they see it.

 

[nlstockstill]

Yes I'm not sure how we got to barrel stoves. I'd much rather pay the $125 for the great quality used solid steel stove made for the sole purpose of burning wood in, than save $25. But that's just my opinion

 

[Highbeam]

Not to mention the completely illegal nature of using a barrel stove in some states like mine. I believe the current fine for buying, selling, or giving away a non-EPA stove such as this is up to 10,000$ here. That's not even burning it! You'll never get a permit to install a barrel stove in any building which makes the installation illegal as well. Illegal installation means you are on your own if the house burns down and liable if someone gets hurt. Even if you no longer own the house.

For the OP, get a permit. That will eliminate the chances of silliness. As is the intent of the permit.

 

[Sprinter]

My question is, how is the pole barn used and what is stored it it? I only bring it up because the last pole barn I built was for horses, chickens, and associated hay, hay dust and other ultra-combustible material. I wouldn't have dreamed about having any kind of heating device in there.

If it's more like a clean shop environment, then, never mind...

Almost forgot. One of the most distressing fire calls I responded to was a metal-sided pole barn that killed three horses (a horrible sight). The framing, stalls, partitions, etc were enough to extend the fire to the whole barn. Metal barns are NOT fire proof. (Just an aside). As I recall, it was being heated by a propane heater in that case. The large propane tank presented another issue for us.

 

[nlstockstill]

Definitely not my case. No hay, no livestock.

 

[Sprinter]

Definitely not my case. No hay, no livestock.

Whew! I didn't really think so, but felt I had to cover that eventuality. You never know...

 

[3fordasho]

Not woodstove related but I would not cut holes in the steel roof if at all possible. I have a large pole barn that has an office area with plumbing vent and a class b vent for propane furnace. Both those items pass through the roof. It seems like every year I am recaulking the flashing around those vents. Steel expands and contracts a lot especially if not a light color - tough to keep things sealed up. If I ever redo the roof I am going though the side wall with those vents. Oh and whoever thought exposed fasteners for a steel roof was a good idea, well they should crawl on my roof every year and replace/reseal loose fasteners