Advice: which is better for flue design?

[paulmlemay]

I have a fireplace which is inefficient and useless. I have decided to put in a wood stove and burn compressed wood blocks, mostly as supplemental heat to my natural gas furnace. I live in Northern California but my house has little insulation, so my heat bill can easily be over $300 a month. I think compressed wood blocks are renewable, don't emit much smoke and will give a nice glow. I like a glass viewing door, so I think I've decided on a Morso 1210.

Question: should I have the installer pipe the flue straight up as in the sketch on the left, or insert a T for easier chimney sweeping as on the right? I'd appreciate the advice of you guys who have been doing this longer than me.
The stove can vent either out the top or rear, it has both.

 

[Highbeam]

I’m a fan of straight up chimneys. I don’t want extra bends in the flue to hamper draft and make cleaning harder. Also, the rear vented stove can take up more floor space since the flue comes down behind it. Many stoves including both of mine you just shove the cleaning rods up through the firebox door and into the vertical flue.

If the cheapest heat is your goal, and you’re not wanting firewood, and you have ng to the house then you really should consider a gas stove. At least compare the fuel costs to be sure that compressed logs are cheaper per delivered btu than a gas burner.

 

[begreen]

I haven't heard of a 1210. Did you mean the Morso 1410 Squirrel?

In addition to looking into alternatives it would be good to invest in insulation. That will pay off in reduced heating costs regardless of heating method and it will reduce cooling costs in summer. See if there is an energy assistance program that you can use.

Weatherization Assistance Program

 

[paulmlemay]

I haven't heard of a 1210. Did you mean the Morso 1410 Squirrel?

In addition to looking into alternatives it would be good to invest in insulation. That will pay off in reduced heating costs regardless of heating method and it will reduce cooling costs in summer. See if there is an energy assistance program that you can use.

Weatherization Assistance Program

Yes, I mean the Squirrel. Sorry, my error.

 

[paulmlemay]

The building is a mid century concrete block with flat roof. I did add a foam layer to the outside and a vinyl roof. Can't insulate the concrete walls as they are part of the decor, if you know what I mean.

 

[Woody Stover]

You might consider a jacketed stove, a more convective design that would heat air, as opposed to a radiant design where the radiant energy would be absorbed by the walls. The blower I got for my SIL's Alderlea T5 is really quiet on low, less than the fridge, and pumps out the hot air well. The stove is top-vented, but the baffle is easily removed (but a bit heavy) for brushing the chimney.

 

[kennyp2339]

Radiant vs convective, radiant will send heat in waves that absorb into near by objects, the objects get warm and then make you feel warm when touching them, convective heat heats the air which then the air surrounds objects warming them, (much faster heat)
The stove is rated at just under 1 cubic ft of firewood burning, that would yield about 2-3 hrs of burn time, and depending on the amount of heat load that is needed you might be frustrated with the results unless your just trying to supplement heat in one small room, like a small family room on the weekends or when home to tend the woodstove.

 

[begreen]

The 1410 is a tiny stove that takes small wood pieces. The Morso 2B might be more practical. @SpaceBus can tell you more about its operation if interested.