Finding the right stove and methods to make it safe for a small area

[zak]

So I am looking for a small wood stove that can fit in a space 30 inches wide, and 24 inches deep. On one side of this space will be kitchen cabinets, on the other side will be an open hallway, so obviously, a good portion of those 30 inches will need to be lined with brick or other non-combustible material. Its 24 inches deep, because I cant have it protrude past the cabinets. I can and probably will knock out a small section of drywall behind it and replace it with brick (behind it is a 5 foot deep closet with nothing combustible in it, but I dont want the stove itself to protrude into it, but I could line it with non combustible materials)

My other conditions are that there is a surface I can cook on, and that it can easily produce at least 10,000 BTU an hour, and under 30 BTU an hour (Im in a 1200 SQ foot passive solar house with R16 floors, R 40 ICF walls, and R 75 ceiling, and I dont want something too powerful, which is fine because nothing too powerful will likely fit anyway).

Im not insuring my house, so I dont need to make this compliant, but obviously I want to make this ridiculously safe (assuming there are ways that arent compliant but are still perfectly safe, that I dont know?)

For example, one stove I was really interested in was the Jotul 602. Its 12 inches wide, which would leave me with 9 inches per side for air space, lots of brick, and if necessary, some noncombustible insulation material. The manual states that you need something like 14 inches per side before hitting non-combustible material, but I saw a pic on this forum of a guy who put it in his fireplace which had like 2 inches of clearance per side, and no one said that was a problem. I just dont know what is the safety difference between a 'noncombustible wall' and a 'fireplace wall' as far as safety goes. I dont know a ton about wood stoves, but I do know that even with brick walls, the heat can transfer to the other side and start a fire. But there must be ways to stop this from happening? Like a double brick wall with a centimeter air space in between for example? Or a metal heat shield and then a brick wall behind it? Or brick with noncombustible insulation on the other side?

Other stove options Ive looked at are the josef davidson viking 30 (insanely pricey), the dwarf and hobbit stoves (the latter impossible to find outside of the UK and both are unlikely to produce enough heat), and the moreso 1410-1440

Im open to stove options and ways to engineer this space to make it safe. Hope theres good options!

 

[yooper08]

The manual states that you need something like 14 inches per side before hitting non-combustible material, but I saw a pic on this forum of a guy who put it in his fireplace which had like 2 inches of clearance per side, and no one said that was a problem. I just dont know what is the safety difference between a 'noncombustible wall' and a 'fireplace wall' as far as safety goes.

Masonry walls for a fireplace don't have combustible material in them. But let's say in that same install that the masonry wall was only 1 brick thick and had studs on the opposite side. That would be out of compliance. The risk there is thermal bridging and the outcome is wood that goes through pyrolysis and eventually self-combusts.

 

[yooper08]

As for stoves, you may want to look into stoves made for marine/RV type installs.

 

[Squirrel]

I have a Morso 1410 that is installed 7" in front of a combustible wall which puts the front of the ash lip 24" from the wall. If you installed one toward the open side of your space with a properly constructed heat shield on the cabinet side I'm sure you would be safe. You will need ember protection on the floor 16" in front and 8" either side of the stove. 10,000 btu is about as cool as the stove will run efficiently.

 

[zak]

Masonry walls for a fireplace don't have combustible material in them. But let's say in that same install that the masonry wall was only 1 brick thick and had studs on the opposite side. That would be out of compliance. The risk there is thermal bridging and the outcome is wood that goes through pyrolysis and eventually self-combusts.

But what about fireplaces that are built into stickframe walls? Obviously, they have several brick layers between the fire and the wall before hitting studs, but how do builders prevent the heat transfer from heating up the studs if its 4 bricks thick?

With the Jotul for example, I could make 9 inches of brick before it hits cabinets, would that be significantly better to stop the heat transfer, or would it be just as bad, but just take longer for the heat transfer? Is there insulation material I could put in between a layer of bricks to stop this?

 

[zak]

I have a Morso 1410 that is installed 7" in front of a combustible wall which puts the front of the ash lip 24" from the wall. If you installed one toward the open side of your space with a properly constructed heat shield on the cabinet side I'm sure you would be safe. You will need ember protection on the floor 16" in front and 8" either side of the stove. 10,000 btu is about as cool as the stove will run efficiently.

Yea I agree. Moreso is doable. The problem with it is to get a big enough cooking surface, the pipe would have to go out the back, and then it would be close to the wall and Id have issues shielding all the way up. But, still a possibility if I go that route.

 

[Squirrel]

How much do you want to cook? Two eight inch pots fit comfortably on top with a top vent and I bet you can cook ten pounds of potatoes inside!

 

[Rickb]

But what about fireplaces that are built into stickframe walls? Obviously, they have several brick layers between the fire and the wall before hitting studs, but how do builders prevent the heat transfer from heating up the studs if its 4 bricks thick?

With the Jotul for example, I could make 9 inches of brick before it hits cabinets, would that be significantly better to stop the heat transfer, or would it be just as bad, but just take longer for the heat transfer? Is there insulation material I could put in between a layer of bricks to stop this?

They use zero clearance fireplaces. They are designed and approved to be used in framed spaces.

 

[bholler]

But what about fireplaces that are built into stickframe walls? Obviously, they have several brick layers between the fire and the wall before hitting studs, but how do builders prevent the heat transfer from heating up the studs if its 4 bricks thick?

With the Jotul for example, I could make 9 inches of brick before it hits cabinets, would that be significantly better to stop the heat transfer, or would it be just as bad, but just take longer for the heat transfer? Is there insulation material I could put in between a layer of bricks to stop this?

Yes if you were to build a full masonry fireplace it would be safe. I just don't know of anything for sale here ith clearances that tight. And even if you aren't insuring the building code still applies. I am not sure where people keep coming up with that.