6" to 8" - Same question, different story

[adt316]

Hi friends,

New member here though I’ve been thoroughly perusing and enjoying this forum for over a year now. Seems like a great community and I’ve finally decided to join up. I'm from central Kansas so we do have cold winters but mild compared to many of you! I'm going to install a wood stove soon but hit a potential snag. I’ve read every thread on here about the topic in question, but it seems so situationally specific I thought I’d share my thoughts/plan and see what you all think. First, a few details that I hope are pertinent.

We bought a new-to-us very old home a little over a year ago and one of the selling points was an existing corner hearth with all the “plumbing” for a wood stove. After several months of deliberation and analysis paralysis we have decided (and ordered) to get a Drolet 1800 to provide supplemental heat our two story 2100 sqft home. 1400 down, 700 up with 10ft ceilings up and down. I wouldn’t mind making the transition to mostly heat our home only after I gain confidence in learning how to use this stove.

Here's my issue: I was getting ready to price check 6” double wall pipe when I encounter 6,7, and 8” piping online. Since our home already had the chimney pipe installed I honestly hadn't shopped for any. I wrongfully assumed that 6” was the standard for wood stoves and piping and didn’t look close enough to notice that we currently have 8” chimney pipe. Turns out from the ceiling support penetration to the roof it is 8S-30 Metalbestos pipe. Total run from the stove top would be just shy of 30’. All straight minus two 45’s in the last 8ish feet of the run. What I would like to do is install Selkirk 6” double wall black pipe with a flue damper out of the Drolet and adapt to 8” at the ceiling. My hope is that having 7ft of double wall and nearly 23ft of the ultra temp stainless chimney pipe will keep the flue gases hot enough to not have creosote problems as well as offset any draft issues caused by the larger flue.

We have loads of Osage Hedge around here so that’s going to be my primary wood I’ll be burning. Am I barking up the right tree or should I regroup? Really not liking the price tag associated with installing 6” all the way on this one… Not impossible, but I’d sure grumble. What do you all think?

Let me know if you need more details or photos. Thanks in advance!

 

[begreen]

The Drolet is an easy-breathing stove. If anything I suspect a key damper may be needed to keep the draft under control.

 

[adt316]

Good evening all,

I've been itching to get my stove installed but other commitments have kept me from it. I'm at what seems to be an impasse. I have 8" metalbestos chimney pipe and it appears to me that there is not a chimney pipe adapter connected to the first section of pipe above the finish support. I'm going to put a 6 to 8 inch increaser at the support but don't see how it can be connected correctly without the adapter. Am I missing something? Is there another way to adapt from double wall stove pipe without a chimney pipe adapter?

I picked one up as you'll see in the photos, but I'm really hoping that I won't have to tear the chimney down from the roof just to drop that piece in 😣.

If that's the case, how could the previous owner of this home have used their stove without the adapter?

 

[begreen]

It looks like the ceiling support is their 8T-FSPR model. I haven't worked with this pipe, but the catalog shows this adapter:



Selkirk sells a universal chimney adapter. Here are the dimensions.

 

[adt316]

Thanks for the reply. The ID of the support is only 8.25" so looks like the universal adapter is out since it's 8.5" for the 8" unit. If the catalog is only showing those two options then I guess my only option is complete disassembly and reassembly?

 

[begreen]

It looks like there is an inner liner, inside the support and an outer collar. I would think that an adapter would slip between the inner and outer parts. Have you tried calling Selkirk support?

 

[brenndatomu]

Worse case scenario, you could drop a 6" liner down through the 8"...then adapt your 6" stove pipe to that...

 

[Eman85]

I'd call Sekirk, very helpful tech department. They own-manufacture under a few company names.

 

[adt316]

It looks like there is an inner liner, inside the support and an outer collar. I would think that an adapter would slip between the inner and outer parts. Have you tried calling Selkirk support?

I haven't. I'll see if I can ring them up on Monday.

Worse case scenario, you could drop a 6" liner down through the 8"...then adapt your 6" stove pipe to that...

I've thought about that too... But I don't quite understand how to terminate the connections within the existing system. I'm a Physical Plant Director for a college so I'm in the maintenance/repair world daily...but I don't have a good grasp on chimney systems yet. Probably why this has been so frustrating because it seemed like it would be so simple but has proved to be mostly confusing.

I'd call Sekirk, very helpful tech department. They own-manufacture under a few company names.

I've heard that before on this forum. I'll take yours and begreen's advice and chat with them next week.

 

[adt316]

Called Selkirk over lunch today. Chatted with a tech named Sean; super helpful and had the answer for me instantly after describing the issue. He recommended using the their "stove pipe appliance adapter" (broken link removed) He said that is their retrofit solution for systems that were not installed with a chimney pipe adapter initially. Thanks all for the advice in this forum!