So after many happy years of burning pellets, I have decided to switch to a wood stove. The pellets get more expensive every year, the fan is noisy, and if the power goes out then no more heat. I'm sure I don't need to be selling the benefits of wood heat to any of the usual lurkers to this forum though! So here is my situation, I have removed the pellet stove and installed class A chimney pipe. My home is a single story ranch about 1800 sq feet. Since my house already has a bit of a shallow pitch roof I went with 6' of chimney pipe (well above what I would need for 10/2 rule) because I was worried I might have draft problems. When all is said and done I will have about 12 feet from flue collar to the top of the chimney, straight up no elbows or anything. Now I have been reading and trying to decide what stove will suit my needs the best. I was really liking this englander madison https://www.lowes.com/pd/Summers-Heat-2000-sq-ft-Wood-Burning-Stove/999918844 Kind of a compromise between the bad boy 30 and the smaller 13. Ember only protection for the hearth pad makes my work alot easier too but it calls for a minimum of 15' chimney pipe. It wouldn't be hard to add another 3' to my chimney but I feel like its gonna look like a submarine periscope or something sticking up from my little house if I add that much more. Before I just run out and buy the stove and see how it does I am hoping there may be some of you out there that have shorter chimneys like mine (12' or so). What stove did you end up choosing and how did it perform? I understand there are other factors as well but I am hoping by living near sea level and having a straight shot chimney will work in my favor, thanks in advance for any advice you all might have!
Any stove recommendations for a shorter chimney length?
- Thread starter will1975
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I ran apx 12ft on the 30 until I sold the place ( i believe 15 was recomened for it also). A ranch home low pitch roof 1900+ ft , no problems encountered. Woods behind home apx 30 ft away with very tall trees and being 1/2 way down a hill didn't seem to cause any difficulties at all.
We just put in a PE Alderlea T5 at my SIL's, on maybe 15' of chimney or a little less. It breathes really well. I was able to start a fire when the stove was cold and it was 50* outside, no smoke roll-out with the door wide open. If your house holds heat well and you can hold off lighting the stove until it's a bit cooler outside, it will draw well I think.
The basic Spectrum will still cost a bit more than the Summer's Heat, but it's money well spent, if you look at the construction. Don't mess around, get a quality stove.
It doesn't sound like you want a cat stove, but my Keystone also breathes very easily..
The basic Spectrum will still cost a bit more than the Summer's Heat, but it's money well spent, if you look at the construction. Don't mess around, get a quality stove.
It doesn't sound like you want a cat stove, but my Keystone also breathes very easily..
EbS-P
Minister of Fire
All the manuals I’ve read through (about 10 in the last 6 months) say 15’ minimum. I wouldn’t limit my choice of stoves to those that draw well on a short stack. I would get what meets my heating needs and aesthetics and if it needs another 3’ add it. You can’t see the stack in the dark and that’s at least half the day
. When it’s dark out I still see my my stove. My Jøtul F400 top vent drafts great with a strait 15’ of liner. (It’s known to be finicky with draft). Cold starts are pretty easy even with only a 20* temperature difference. My father-in-law has the same stove with nearly 30’ but a rear vent and his spills a lot more smoke than mine even when it’s below zero. So that’s a data point that’s it’s just not chimney height.
. When it’s dark out I still see my my stove. My Jøtul F400 top vent drafts great with a strait 15’ of liner. (It’s known to be finicky with draft). Cold starts are pretty easy even with only a 20* temperature difference. My father-in-law has the same stove with nearly 30’ but a rear vent and his spills a lot more smoke than mine even when it’s below zero. So that’s a data point that’s it’s just not chimney height.
My flue and home is just like yours. Single story, 4:12 pitch roof, 8' of class A on top of 4' of double wall interior pipe for 12' total. I'm at about 700 feet ASL in a warmer climate. Be sure to use double wall interior pipe to make the best of the draft situation. Chimney height is usually NOT measured from the floor but from the top of the stove, which is where the chimney starts. The manual will say but if not, assume from stove top to chimney cap.
On this flue I have run two stoves. A Hearthstone heritage that had zero draft issues and now the BK princess that "recommends" 15' of height today but only recommended 12' when I installed it.
The Princess, like most princess installs it seems, will spill smoke out the door if you just willy nilly swing it open in the middle of a burn. With proper technique I almost never get even a puff from the door now but you must pay attention. While running with the door closed it works great!
If a stove requires 15' of chimney then just skip it. The extra chimney height would look dumb on my house due to height and also because after 4 feet (or is it 5?) above the roof deck you need to add these big braces to your roof to support the chimney like a tripod.
On this flue I have run two stoves. A Hearthstone heritage that had zero draft issues and now the BK princess that "recommends" 15' of height today but only recommended 12' when I installed it.
The Princess, like most princess installs it seems, will spill smoke out the door if you just willy nilly swing it open in the middle of a burn. With proper technique I almost never get even a puff from the door now but you must pay attention. While running with the door closed it works great!
If a stove requires 15' of chimney then just skip it. The extra chimney height would look dumb on my house due to height and also because after 4 feet (or is it 5?) above the roof deck you need to add these big braces to your roof to support the chimney like a tripod.
edyit
Minister of Fire
@will1975 I have the stove you are looking at with 15' of chimney but with 2 - 90 degree bends (a through the wall install) at a much higher elevation in the Adirondack Mountains than you are. I have no issues with draft or with smoke spillage. That being said I also burn in "batches" load the stove, dial it in, then load it 8 hours or so later, I'm not opening the door mid burn to toss a few more sticks on it. The stove itself I like. It will take 18" wood if you load it EW. You can load it NS with 18" as well but I find that puts them close to the glass so I cut it 16" now. The big glass stays clean and gives a great fire show. There is a decent sized ash pan that I don't use. (personal preference, bucket shovel) Feel free to ask any other questions.
Woody5506
Minister of Fire
I have a T5 on a 12 or 13' chimney in my split level which basically is probably the same as your ranch regarding height/roof pitch and it breathes fine but I get a bit of a back puff if I open the door too quick.
I think we all think that our shiny new class A is gonna be a huge neighborhood eyesore.
But it is like anything else "new", we soon get used to it and barely even blink an eye at it in a few months.
Food for thought: You can build a chase. A half chase.
You can even paint class A if you want it toned down. They make special PERISCOPE PAINT just for that kind of project.
ColdNorCal
Feeling the Heat
SBI stoves - Century Drolet, Osburn,- require only 12 ft measured from stove top, not floor.
Im runnin the Century with a 90 adjusted to about 75 degrees directly from the stove top collar. The ss liner makes a nice sweeping bend from the elbow up to the chimney cap. Total chimney height is 16 ft, measured from stove top, and it drafts great. Even in warm temps we never get smoke on the house. Without the elbow on the top of the stove I bet it would draft great at 11 ft.
The SBI stove that is comparable to the Summer Heat you mentioned is the stove I have - Century FW3000. Again, only 12 ft required measured from stove top.
Update: If 2020 compliant is important to you look at Drolet Escape 1800. Drolet do cost a few hundred more though.
Im runnin the Century with a 90 adjusted to about 75 degrees directly from the stove top collar. The ss liner makes a nice sweeping bend from the elbow up to the chimney cap. Total chimney height is 16 ft, measured from stove top, and it drafts great. Even in warm temps we never get smoke on the house. Without the elbow on the top of the stove I bet it would draft great at 11 ft.
The SBI stove that is comparable to the Summer Heat you mentioned is the stove I have - Century FW3000. Again, only 12 ft required measured from stove top.
Update: If 2020 compliant is important to you look at Drolet Escape 1800. Drolet do cost a few hundred more though.
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Thanks to everybody who has taken the time to post some feedback so far! Up until now, I was just trying to find the cheapest stove possible that will also perform well and the Englander models seemed like they would fit the bill nicely. I gotta say though, after checking out the pictures of the T5 it is definitely a much nicer looking stove than the ones I have been looking at and maybe I need to rethink this.... decisions, decisions, at least I have quite a few months before I really need to make up my mind for sure.
QUOTE:
"A rule of thumb for minimum height states that the total system height (from the floor the appliance is mounted on to the top of the chimney) should never be less than 4.6 m (15 ft.). Most normal installations exceed this height, but installations in cottages with shallow-pitch roofs may not. If draft problems are experienced with short systems, consider adding to the chimney height. If draft problems are experienced with systems higher than the recommended minimum system height, adding to the chimney may have little or no effect. Most draft problems have to do with inadequate gas temperature in the chimney."
Before I bought a stove, I poured over many install manuals and time and again they referred to chimney height as measured from the floor to the cap. Maybe your stove manual stated something different.
ColdNorCal
Feeling the Heat
Yes, lots of things people need to consider.
8 ft ceilings and 3/12 pitch roof. I could not decide about having an unsightly stack or put the stove how and where I wanted it. The stove gets looked at a lot and even stared at when burning. And the heat distribution is ideal in its location. The stack I do not notice since the install nor does any one else. This partially could be because of the nice views looking in the opposite, looking away from the house, direction. And the house is on 5 acres with lots of trees with a very limited curb appeal type of viewing.
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I have a Country Hearth 2000 from TSC in an apartment. Different Mfg. That works quite well although its small and needs to be reloaded frequently.
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