Direct Vent Stove to B-Vent Chimney

[Paul Wangerin]

HI: We live in a 120 year old soon-to-be-landmarked house. It has a large chimney with three separate stainless steel flue liners, one for the different gas appliances on different floors. Basement (boiler / hot water heater); 1st floor (kitchen heater); 3rd floor (planned gas heating stove). Each flue has a copper cap, and those copper caps likely will have to remain because of landmarking issues. We wish to install a Lopi Cypress direct vent stove on the 3rd floor and attach it to the 3rd floor stainless steel 6" chimney liner. Because of the copper caps, we don't think we can use either a co-axial or co-linear cap at the top of that flue, nor send a coxial tube up through the 6" chimney liner. So, question: Is there some way convert a direct vent stove to a b-vent right above the stove itself. (This would draw air into the stove from the room itself, which is not optimal. But, that may be the only way to go.) Kingsman makes a "direct vent to b-vent adapter." Would that work, and would it work on a Lopi direct vent stove. Alternatively, we MIGHT be able to fit a small 2- 3" air intake tube into the chimney next to the existing liners. If we could do that, could we terminate that intake tube somewhere other than through the co-linear cap (which we can't use for reasons stated. Could we have that air intake tube terminate in a separate small copper cap, or even through a side wall of the chimney or an adjacent wall. This would be air intake only, for the intake part of a co-axial system. If you have ideas, please email me at [email protected] Thanks Paul W

 

[DAKSY]

Don’t try that. Your Direct Vent unit is tested, certified & approved to work with DV systems. It has not been tested to be used with only a B-Vent exhaust. Your best bet it run a 4” flexible liner inside the existing B-Vent & using combustion air drawn into the unit via the airspace between the 4” & 6” diameters. I would use a

4" x 6 5/8" DirectVent Pro Chimney Conversion Kit - 46DVA-KCB​

with a 4” flexible aluminum liner to achieve this . You may have to get creative with your chimney cap on the DV pipe, but this is safer than trying to draw combustion air from inside your home.

 

[Paul Wangerin]

Thanks. I definitely know that what you are suggesting is better. I just don't know, however, whether we can get that to work.

 

[chrisarrington]

If you are trying to deviate from what the manufacturer specs in the manual,, it is best to contact the manufacturer. Call Travis Industries. They have great customer service. Better to be safe than sorry.