Fireplace and chimney help

[koesdibyo]

I wasnt sure where to post this: as Im looking for suggestions between wood and gas, and of course also need help on which option is even available given my situation.

We moved into our house a few months back, and its got a wood stove (main/top), and pellet stove (basement) as its heat sources.

Its a 5 level side split, and the "middle" (main/lower) level has no heat source. It has a wood fireplace that used to exist, but isn't functional as the chimney stack was removed.

The firebox is a steel insert (I think a heatilator). Its drafty out of the vents (plugged them with some foam for the time being) and also the main firebox, so Ive put the Regency U30 insert I have on hand in place to block some of the cold coming down it.

I still have no idea why they opted to take the stack down off the roof vs just cap it, but it is what it is. They even left the clay liner opened in the attic.

Not to ramble on, but I am trying to get some sort of heat source back to that middle floor, whether it be wood, or propane (insert).

As mentioned, I have an old Regency U30 LP insert kicking around, but its a b-vent. Would it be usable in this situation, and run a new piped chimney stack out the top?

Would I have to create a new brick stack out the top to run it for wood (stove insert, or using it as a regular fireplace).
We're new to the wood world, coming from natural gas furnaces. Maybe its because we're missing a heat source in the middle portion of the house, but the wood stove/pellet arent as efficient as I thought theyd be - and we've been burning through wood/pellets pretty quickly and cost effectiveness doesn't seem great.

Any other recommendations?

Pictures are of the firebox, the U30 in place (not hooked obviously), the chimney exterior, including the roofline where it was taken down, and inside the attic where the top of the chimney now exists to below the roofline.

 

[Isaac Carlson]

I think it would be pretty easy and cost effective to fix/replace the chimney and use whatever heat source you want.

 

[bholler]

It will be much cheaper and easier to run a prefab chimney from there up. Obviously the type of chimney would be determined by the fuel