Chimney Liner questions

[Oakleerulez]

I currently burn 2 woodstoves. I live in a very drafty, old brick farmhouse in a very cold climate. While I am working on insulating, replacing windows, etc, my woodstoves are also on my "to do" list.

I have a defiant and a vigilant Vermont Castings. Both are vented directly out of the back (8" chimney pipe) into the wall, and 90 degree bend up a masonry chimney with an 8x12 clay liner. Both chimneys are relatively new.

I have done a fair about of reading and I would love to replace at least one stove with a Woodstock stove. They say that the stove requires a 6" chimney.

Looking to the future, what would be my best course to upgrade my stoves?
Would I need an insulated liner?
Or is this something I should bite the bullet on and have a professional tackle?

 

[yooper08]

Go the insulated liner route - it's the safest and also more than likely required.

It's something you and some buddies can tackle if you wanted to. My advice is just run your plan by the gods here and ask questions before you do so. That way you verify it's right and don't have to redo anything that you may have overlooked.

 

[bholler]

I currently burn 2 woodstoves. I live in a very drafty, old brick farmhouse in a very cold climate. While I am working on insulating, replacing windows, etc, my woodstoves are also on my "to do" list.

I have a defiant and a vigilant Vermont Castings. Both are vented directly out of the back (8" chimney pipe) into the wall, and 90 degree bend up a masonry chimney with an 8x12 clay liner. Both chimneys are relatively new.

I have done a fair about of reading and I would love to replace at least one stove with a Woodstock stove. They say that the stove requires a 6" chimney.

Looking to the future, what would be my best course to upgrade my stoves?
Would I need an insulated liner?
Or is this something I should bite the bullet on and have a professional tackle?

Yes you will want an insulated liner. For your 8x12 liners that will mean going with an ovalized liner so you have room for the liner and insulation. You will have to check with woodstock if their stoves can run with the reduced volume of an ovalized 6" or if you will have to go up to 7" to maintain volume once ovalized.

 

[Oakleerulez]

Go the insulated liner route - it's the safest and also more than likely required.

It's something you and some buddies can tackle if you wanted to. My advice is just run your plan by the gods here and ask questions before you do so. That way you verify it's right and don't have to redo anything that you may have overlooked.

Thanks. I like to get as much information as possible before tackling such a project. And I always like to hear about real world experiences.
If I go with an insulated liner, how do I get it down the chimney? insulated liner should have an outter diameter pushing over 7" which leaves almost no room to get it down the chimney.

 

[Oakleerulez]

Yes you will want an insulated liner. For your 8x12 liners that will mean going with an ovalized liner so you have room for the liner and insulation. You will have to check with woodstock if their stoves can run with the reduced volume of an ovalized 6" or if you will have to go up to 7" to maintain volume once ovalized.

Thanks!

 

[yooper08]

Step 1 though will be to get the chimney cleaned really well. If I understand your current setup correctly, it's venting into the chimney with no liner all the way up? If so, that's something you'll probably want to call someone in to clean and just give it a look over.

 

[bholler]

Step 1 though will be to get the chimney cleaned really well. If I understand your current setup correctly, it's venting into the chimney with no liner all the way up? If so, that's something you'll probably want to call someone in to clean and just give it a look over.

No it is lined with clay. But you are correct it will need cleaned well before a stainless liner is installed

 

[Oakleerulez]

Step 1 though will be to get the chimney cleaned really well. If I understand your current setup correctly, it's venting into the chimney with no liner all the way up? If so, that's something you'll probably want to call someone in to clean and just give it a look over.

it has a clay liner. I clean it 3-4 times a season but would have it professionally cleaned before installing liner. it was inspected last year and is in great shape. (only a few years old)

 

[yooper08]

Yup, sorry...in my head liner = metal since clay and wood stoves hardly go hand in hand.

 

[bholler]

Yup, sorry...in my head liner = metal since clay and wood stoves hardly go hand in hand.

In many areas more woodstoves are run through clay than stainless. Yes stainless performs better but clay can be perfectly fine if built correctly. Unfortunately most are not built correctly.

 

[bholler]

it has a clay liner. I clean it 3-4 times a season but would have it professionally cleaned before installing liner. it was inspected last year and is in great shape. (only a few years old)

You will clean once a year at most with a better stove and an insulated liner.

 

[Nick Mystic]

I have a Woodstock Classic in the lower level of my home that vents into a clay liner the same size as what you describe. The stove has a 90 elbow out of the back, then three feet of single wall pipe, and finally another 90 elbow through a clay thimble into the clay liner. The chimney is about 28 feet tall and the stove drafts very well. It burns so clean there is never anything to brush out of the chimney at the end of the burning season. The flue is one of three that run inside a huge 8' x 4' brick chimney that is located in the center of the house.

 

[bholler]

I have a Woodstock Classic in the lower level of my home that vents into a clay liner the same size as what you describe. The stove has a 90 elbow out of the back, then three feet of single wall pipe, and finally another 90 elbow through a clay thimble into the clay liner. The chimney is about 28 feet tall and the stove drafts very well. It burns so clean there is never anything to brush out of the chimney at the end of the burning season. The flue is one of three that run inside a huge 8' x 4' brick chimney that is located in the center of the house.

Your works ok because of the height you have but there is no doubt in my mind it would run much better with a properly sized liner.