Chimney ??

[the-bone]

Hi all. Thanks for all of your great posts on this forum. I have a 10"x8" terra cotta chimney that is in the middle of the house. From thimble to top it runs approximately 21 to 25 feet. I currently have a keystoker coal stove running and want to replace it with a wood stove. Do you think the present chimney will suffice or should I just pony up the $$$ and relign it with 6" SS? Is it worth trying it as is or should I not even mess around with it?
Thanks
John

 

[Grisu]

Welcome to the forum!

I think you will need a full liner to the top. Your current chimney has an area of 80 sq-inches; a 6"-liner has only 28. With that big of a difference a woodstove will draft poorly which will result in more fuel consumption, potential for smoke spillage into the room, creosote accumulation in the flue, etc. A liner will also be way easier to clean. An insulated liner is highly recommended as is a block-off plate: https://www.hearth.com/talk/wiki/make-a-damper-sealing-block-off-plate/

The big difference to your current stove will be that you have to buy the wood way in advance. The wood needs to have a moisture content below 20% in order to burn properly. That usually requires splitting and then stacking the wood in a sunny and windy location for one to three years depending on the wood species and drying conditions. Be aware that wood sold as "seasoned" rarely fulfills those requirements. If you don't have any sitting in your yard yet, I would recommend getting that started and then to look for a stove during the spring/summer.

If you want to give us some more info about your home (area to be heated, insulation level, layout), your budget, preferred design of the stove, we may be able to help you with the stove selection.

 

[the-bone]

Welcome to the forum!

I think you will need a full liner to the top. Your current chimney has an area of 80 sq-inches; a 6"-liner has only 28. With that big of a difference a woodstove will draft poorly which will result in more fuel consumption, potential for smoke spillage into the room, creosote accumulation in the flue, etc. A liner will also be way easier to clean. An insulated liner is highly recommended as is a block-off plate: https://www.hearth.com/talk/wiki/make-a-damper-sealing-block-off-plate/

The big difference to your current stove will be that you have to buy the wood way in advance. The wood needs to have a moisture content below 20% in order to burn properly. That usually requires splitting and then stacking the wood in a sunny and windy location for one to three years depending on the wood species and drying conditions. Be aware that wood sold as "seasoned" rarely fulfills those requirements. If you don't have any sitting in your yard yet, I would recommend getting that started and then to look for a stove during the spring/summer.

If you want to give us some more info about your home (area to be heated, insulation level, layout), your budget, preferred design of the stove, we may be able to help you with the stove selection.

Thanks for the reply..the house size is around 2300 sq ft ...no need for block off plate. Just a chimney not a fireplace...i am leaning towards a woodstock or hearthstone but my wife likes the looks of god forbid the vermont castings(i like the aesthetics of their stoves also but just havent heard much good about their stoves). Aside from that i like the quadrafire lineup as well...all input is most welcome...thanks

 

[mellow]

Are you able to get wood cheaper than coal in your neck of the woods? Just curious why you are switching.

 

[the-bone]

The stove really throws heat but it has 3 motors on it that make it noisey and its dirty

 

[mellow]

Blower is a blower, makes noise to move heat no matter if it is wood or coal. Wood isn't exactly clean either, still have ashes to deal with and dirty wood has its challenges as well.

If I had access to cheap coal like up your way I would be using it instead of wood. I just like to make sure people don't think burning wood will somehow magically solve all their problems.

You probably are looking at a new coal stove price vs a wood stove price and see quite a bit of difference.

If you switch to wood will you be able to get your wood cheap/free and have room to season it on your property for 2-3 years?

 

[the-bone]

I hope yo do a mix of purchasing some and cutting some. Havent really looked at new coal stoves. I like the quiet of wood and how yhe fire looks. Plus our next stove will not have a blowr on it.

 

[Grisu]

You are looking at the right kind of stoves. How high up is the thimble ? Do you need a rear-vented stove? Hearthstone Manchester would be a good option for the size of your home as is the Woodstock Progress Hybrid or Ideal Steel. The latter two have a catalyst which means you can turn down the air more and get a low, steady heat output over a long time when it is not that cold outside. In the midst of winter you can still dial them up that they throw some serious heat. The Quadrafire Isle Royale would be another option. Has been around for a pretty long time; you should have no problems finding reviews about the stove. I would also take a look at the Jotul F600 and F55, especially when your wife likes the look of the VC stoves.

How much coal and what type do you usually burn in a cold month like January?

 

[the-bone]

Thimble is 4 or 5 feet off the ground..usually chew through 2 tons of rice coal.. My wife gets migrains and is very sensitive to noise...the keystoker does a great job but is noisey and du d ty..much more so than the pellet stove we used to have..pellets r great but got tired of trying to find them at a decent price...

 

[the-bone]

Thimble is 4 or 5 feet off the ground..usually chew through 2 tons of rice coal.. My wife gets migrains and is very sensitive to noise...the keystoker does a great job but is noisey and du d ty..much more so than the pellet stove we used to have..pellets r great but got tired of trying to find them at a decent price...

Also the stove needs top venting my hea d th is only 40.5" deep

 

[Grisu]

Thimble is 4 or 5 feet off the ground..usually chew through 2 tons of rice coal.. My wife gets migrains and is very sensitive to noise...the keystoker does a great job but is noisey and du d ty..much more so than the pellet stove we used to have..pellets r great but got tired of trying to find them at a decent price...

I assume that is for the whole winter? That's 50 mBTU at 100% efficiency; realistically you may only get about 40 mBTU in your home. That's really not much, maybe 3 cords. You could get away with a smaller stove. Enviro Boston 1700 for example or Quadrafire Explorer 2. Even a PE Alderlea T5 may be enough. The BlazeKing Ashford 30 would also be worth a look as you can regulate its heat output more easily due to its catalytic operation.

Also the stove needs top venting my hea d th is only 40.5" deep

Is the back wall is solid masonry? If yes, you could push the stove pretty much all the way back. Still, with 16" of hearth requirement in front for most stoves that would leave you with only 24" depth for the stove. That will get tight.

 

[the-bone]

I assume that is for the whole winter? That's 50 mBTU at 100% efficiency; realistically you may only get about 40 mBTU in your home. That's really not much, maybe 3 cords. You could get away with a smaller stove. Enviro Boston 1700 for example or Quadrafire Explorer 2. Even a PE Alderlea T5 may be enough. The BlazeKing Ashford 30 would also be worth a look as you can regulate its heat output more easily due to its catalytic operation.


Is the back wall is solid masonry? If yes, you could push the stove pretty much all the way back. Still, with 16" of hearth requirement in front for most stoves that would leave you with only 24" depth for the stove. That will get tight.

Back wall solid brick and mortar