2 wood burning stoves into 1 flue?

[lma58]

Is it acceptable to put 2 wood burning stoves into one flue, one stove being in the basement, one being a story above it? I know different fuels is a no no, but if they are both wood stoves? And does the flue size come into play? I currently have a VC Defiant Encore in the basement and was thinking it would be nice to have a small stove, something like a VC Aspen or a Jotul 602 in the living room above... and use the existing chimney...my chimney is lined, it was a 6 X 10 clay and now has a SS liner, not exactly sure of the size without climbing up there.... any input would be appreciated. Thanks

 

[jqgs214]

I believe thats a no no but the experts will be here soon! Paging ELK!!

 

[Mike Wilson]

Elk's head exploding in 5... 4... 3... 2... 1... BANG!

-- Mike

 

[Corie]

The short answer is, absolutely not. Code forbids it and you most likely won't be happy with the results.

 

[webbie]

Code has changed in these matter, and yes - flue size and capacity did and does come into play.

I think currently it is one flue, one solid-fuel appliance - this differs for gas and even oil furnaces, which can have multiple units into one chimney. It also differs when a unit is tested in this fashion. For instance, if VC tested the encore and intrepid into the same chimney, and gave the chimney size, it would probably be OK!

It may be safe, it may work well, etc. etc - but the codes also take a lot of other things into consideration, such as what people ACTUALLY do in the field, etc....and that is what often creates the problem.

 

[elkimmeg]

Web is right about the code change two appliances were allowed to be placed into on flue according to 1978 codes .In 1982 revisions that was changed to one flue to one appliance with some exceptions to smaller hot water heaters of the same fuel could be vented into that same flue, providing there was enough capacities and that the smaller appliance out let was up stream of the larger appliance flue So Web is correct it was ok to do it 25 years ago.

Another part of the code restricts combing venter appliance to entering in the same level of both entries meaning you can't enter in the basement then the floor above This is due to the entry made from two pressure zones in your home the upper level stove in a higher pressure zone will always want to sink to the lower pressure zone in you case the basement and downdraft that stove..

code says no BUT
may be beneficial because chimney may be kept warm which decreases creosote deposits even from mixed oil & wood stoves.

here is a statement by a person that does not understand the dynamics's of pressure zones.. Or are you telling the listening audience it is ok the shirk code with little disregard
for safety? Btw I guess I know why I have job security

 

[begreen]

Elk, putting two stoves on one chimney as described seems like an invite for overdrafting to me. In the right circumstances, one of the stoves could be uncontrollable if the draft was too strong because of the other stove burning. Is that correct or an unlikely scenario?

 

[elkimmeg]

That also could happen two different competing forces at work here if the bottom stove creates a strong draft it could litterly pull the draft of the upper stove sending it in to an over fire state

then there is the pressure differential if the pressure differencce is strong enough it can over come draft and force the bottom stove to back draft all kinds of bad things can happen given
atmospherics conditions which change