First wood stove, converting an old church into cabin with 60s firewood view stove. Many questions, please help :)

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OldChurchCabin

New Member
Dec 8, 2023
1
Liverpool PA
Hey guys, kind of at my wits end here. I've been slowly renovating an old church into a little cabin on a stream out in Liverpool PA. It's been a slow process and I've come to the point I was dreading. The stove Install. Mostly because I know nothing about stove piping and drafts.

The church in question.
[Hearth.com] First wood stove, converting an old church into cabin with 60s firewood view stove. Many questions, please help :)

Stove in question. Shown with just a piece of plexiglass I had to measure for glass.
[Hearth.com] First wood stove, converting an old church into cabin with 60s firewood view stove. Many questions, please help :)


I restored an old barrel style Fire View wood stove. Fits logs up to 34" in length. The exhaust port is 7".

I have read the sticky about installing a stove. Answered all my clearance questions.

Onto the questions.....

First question:
Should I be adapting up to 8" pipe or down to 6"? Is there a drafting difference?

Second question:
Do I have to use double or triple wall pipe? I understand for the wall thimble but I'm lost on the need for double wall pipe in the church, since it's attached to a huge metal wood stove that's lava hot. I would think single wall is optimal to keep radiating heat while inside the structure. To maximize heat exchange no?

Third question:
Do I need to run a minimum vertical height before turning horizontal out the wall to achieve an appropriate draft? I have 12' ceilings to work with.

Fourth question:
Do I need a dampener in line? Manual vs barometric? How far from the stove? Or is this a wait and see thing?

5th question:
Stove didn't have a glass insert for the face of it. Just a metal grate. Must I order a high temp glass pane for draft reasons? I tried to order a high temp glass pane .25" shorter in width and height than the opening but was told by glass store that glass can expand and contract way more than that and I had to contact the manufacturer for proper measurements.

6th question:
I'm guessing I should run some sort of recirculating fan on the back of the stove. Is that absolutely necessary?

I know about a fire retardant pad and wall behind the stove and pipe. Just the actual plumbing is confusing to me. I tried to call several stove and fireplace shops. No one is interested in the job and no one willing to give advice unfortunately. Better yet? Anyone want to do the job? Or help with it?

Really appreciate the assistance gents!
 
It is technically against code to reduce diameter smaller than outlet size of appliance.

If inspections are an issue, you will have to use the same size or 8. That makes it much more expensive than 6, and if you want to upgrade to a newer stove, most are 6.

Many stoves physically work fine reduced, depending on pipe configuration and chimney height. The diameter determines capacity to move BTU. You won’t get full heat output reduced, but most never need wide open maximum heat output anyway.

Double wall chimney pipe is far superior, and with more exposed outside with a higher building, you need double wall. It also has a smaller outside diameter, not being as conspicuous as larger diameter triple wall chimneys in your case. It has dense, heavy insulation between the inner and outer wall, so stays hotter inside.

Connector pipe is the black pipe from stove to chimney. Only Class A chimney can go through wall, partition, or roof. Straight up through roof I’d best, and cheapest using less chimney pipe outside. Any horizontal runs must be pitched a minimum of 1/4 inch per foot upward toward chimney.

The object with older stoves is keeping the exhaust gases and flue walls above 250*f to the top before exiting. Below this critical temperature, water vapor from combustion condenses on flue walls allowing smoke particles to stick. This forms various stages of creosote.

Since you need to remain above 250*f to the top, double wall connector pipe inside is required for longer indoor runs to prevent excessive cooling. Heat with the stove, not single wall pipe. Use a magnetic thermometer on single wall, probe type on double wall. You absolutely need to know chimney flue temperature.

Never use a barometric damper with wood. They are for coal or oil burners only. Wood has particles that form creosote. The barometric damper opens a flap to allow indoor air into chimney, cooling flue gases to slow draft. This forms creosote. When creosote in chimney ignites, flap on damper opens to slow the excessive draft. This feeds more oxygen to the chimney fire, the opposite of what you want. They are only effective with the fire below them, in the appliance, not burning in the chimney. Other fuels do not form creosote, so they are the most precise draft control for other fuel usage.

A flue damper is a chimney control that is a variable resistance that slows rising gases in chimney, reducing NET draft. It is used for an over-drafting chimney. It should be placed where convenient. It doesn’t matter where it is to make it work. Like a valve in a water line, it doesn’t matter where it is in the system.

Overuse of flue dampers id a major creosote formation producer. Only use it if the air intake on appliance does not control fire. Older leaky stoves required them to slow the air leaking in. This stove should control draft with air intake control. It is good for an emergency brake of sorts, if door won’t close, or glass breakage, this becomes the only fire control. It slows what goes out, slowing air coming in.

Fan is not necessary, this is a radiant stove that heats with radiant energy. Electromagnetic waves traveling at the speed of light strike objects, the floor, walls, you, and mass around it. This in turn warms the air. It does not use air molecules to change to heat. The warm air that rises off it is convected heat to the air. All stoves have a certain amount of each, this one mainly radiant.

Ceramic is used, not glass. A supplier such as Woodman’s Parts Plus has sizes for what you need. Normally flat gasket is wrapped around edges, A retainer holds it in place against door. The manufacturer of product used will give expansion details for the product.

 
Last edited:
Hey guys, kind of at my wits end here. I've been slowly renovating an old church into a little cabin on a stream out in Liverpool PA. It's been a slow process and I've come to the point I was dreading. The stove Install. Mostly because I know nothing about stove piping and drafts.

The church in question.


Stove in question. Shown with just a piece of plexiglass I had to measure for glass.



I restored an old barrel style Fire View wood stove. Fits logs up to 34" in length. The exhaust port is 7".

I have read the sticky about installing a stove. Answered all my clearance questions.

Onto the questions.....

First question:
Should I be adapting up to 8" pipe or down to 6"? Is there a drafting difference?

Second question:
Do I have to use double or triple wall pipe? I understand for the wall thimble but I'm lost on the need for double wall pipe in the church, since it's attached to a huge metal wood stove that's lava hot. I would think single wall is optimal to keep radiating heat while inside the structure. To maximize heat exchange no?

Third question:
Do I need to run a minimum vertical height before turning horizontal out the wall to achieve an appropriate draft? I have 12' ceilings to work with.

Fourth question:
Do I need a dampener in line? Manual vs barometric? How far from the stove? Or is this a wait and see thing?

5th question:
Stove didn't have a glass insert for the face of it. Just a metal grate. Must I order a high temp glass pane for draft reasons? I tried to order a high temp glass pane .25" shorter in width and height than the opening but was told by glass store that glass can expand and contract way more than that and I had to contact the manufacturer for proper measurements.

6th question:
I'm guessing I should run some sort of recirculating fan on the back of the stove. Is that absolutely necessary?

I know about a fire retardant pad and wall behind the stove and pipe. Just the actual plumbing is confusing to me. I tried to call several stove and fireplace shops. No one is interested in the job and no one willing to give advice unfortunately. Better yet? Anyone want to do the job? Or help with it?

Really appreciate the assistance gents!
Your about 2 or 3 months late for having the work done by a pro. For the glass united plate glass in sunbury carries the Pyroceramic glass you need. We could help you in late Feb or march.