Buying house with metal fireplace. Want to convert to woodstove. What to look for during inspection?

[earthbelowus]

Hi all, I'm new here, and it looks like a really helpful supportive community, so maybe you can give me some pointers.

We are about to buy a house built in 1994, with a prefab zero clearance metal fireplace, and we want to install a wood stove. The current chimney is I think metal pipe inside a wood structure covered with cedar siding. In other words, not a brick chimney.

I'm totally new to all this, but I've been looking around, and it seems that we need to see if the chimney is good enough for a wood stove, but I'm not sure what to look for.

A few days from now we'll be going through the house with a home inspector, and while he's there, I thought it would be a good idea to make sure and ask him about the chimney, but it would be great if I knew what to ask him to look for. Any tips? Just trying to get a sense of whether we'll have to rip out the whole chimney and replace with new pipe, or if a few modifications could do it.

 

[Lake Girl]

Welcome to the forum. There are many threads showing folks converting a zero-clearance to an insert. Biggest thing is to follow code. bholler, a registered chimney sweep, posted code requirements in #3 of this thread https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/help-getting-ready-to-install-an-insert.153722/#post-2066349 Your situation is different than that thread ... Patience until folks with more wisdom than I show up!

 

[begreen]

The odds are very strong that the reusing the chimney to connect the stove to won't work. Fireplace chimneys are usually not rated for 2100F high temp and they are usually too large for the stove. I suspect that the primary option will be to put a rear-vented stove in front on the hearth, which may need to be extended and then run a liner up the chimney. The other option is to remove the fireplace and convert the space to an alcove. Alcove stove installations have their own requirements for clearance so that may limit choice of stove and alcove design, but this has been done by several folks here. When in the house next take some pics of the fireplace and hearth and measure the height of the fireplace opening. That will be the gating factor for stove choice as it must be higher than the top of the flue exit on the stove.

 

[begreen]

The odds are very strong that the reusing the chimney to connect the stove to won't work. Fireplace chimneys are usually not rated for 2100F high temp and they are usually too large for the stove. I suspect that the primary option will be to put a rear-vented stove in front on the hearth, which may need to be extended and then run a liner up the chimney. The other option is to remove the fireplace and convert the space to an alcove. Alcove stove installations have their own requirements for clearance so that may limit choice of stove and alcove design, but this has been done by several folks here. When in the house next take some pics of the fireplace and hearth and measure the height of the fireplace opening. That will be the gating factor for stove choice as it must be higher than the top of the flue exit on the stove.

 

[Poindexter]

The good news is the pipe is _probably_ an absolutely straight shot from the firebox to the chimney cap, so easy to maintain and as efficient as possible.

The bad news is you will _probably_ have to replace it.

Lots and lots and lots of rules about all kinda stuff like this back east. If your inspector can confirm the pipe is straight and give you the names of two companies to ask about upgrading the chimney you are well on your way to skipping many of the n00b mistake threads here that pop up every year.

Once you have a quality chimney installed by a local business your insurance agent trusts, then ask your insurance agent what would be a good stove for supplemental heat in really cold weather and go split some cord wood.

 

[begreen]

Look on the frame of the door for a tag that says the mfg. and model number of the ZC fireplace. That will be helpful information.

 

[bholler]

I will agree with what most said. The chimney is probably not good for a wood stove and is almost certainly too big anyway. I will say that most home inspectors wont be much help with the chimney you will need a sweep to check it out. As far as a stove that has been covered in most zeroclearance fireplaces inserts are not allowed. But there are a few that do allow it so you need to find out what model it is. The other options are a rear vent stove and liner or a complete tear out.

 

[therdlesstravld]

Is that a facetious post or are you being serious poindexter? Why would an insurance agent know anything about what stove the op should consider?

 

[Lake Girl]

Is that a facetious post or are you being serious poindexter? Why would an insurance agent know anything about what stove the op should consider?

That would only make sense if your agent was a wood burner too which is likely the case in Alaska I would suggest that it may be a good idea to talk to your agent once you have narrowed your choices to ensure there is no problem with the potential install and what their requirements would be for insurance purposes ie permit, inspection, professional install, photos, etc.

 

[Simonkenton]

A guy moved up here and bought a house nearby, it was just like yours, metal fireplace with the chimney a steel pipe enclosed in a wooden framed structure. This was in 2005.
This guy had no wood stove experience. He bought a wood stove and installed it into that fireplace and he used the old chimney. He installed it himself.
Up here in NC there is no requirement from the state, or insurance companies, that a wood stove install be inspected.
The second time he lit it, he loaded it up with wood and went off to work, and his house burned down.
I saw the fire inspector's report, it said "Faulty wood stove installation."