HELP!! My chimney's offset and I don't know how to vent my pellet stove into it!!

[Wayne]

I recently bought a pellet stove. I need to vent it through my existing fireplace chimney. Problem is, the chimney services my fireplace on the first floor as well as a bedroom on the second floor. The pellet stove sets in the center of the fireplace but the chimney is off centered approx. 12". I need to use a straight pipe into the fireplace, a 45 degree elbow up into the chimney, then I run into the offset part of the chimney. Can I use another 45 degree elbow to continue up the remainder of the chimney? Or could I possibly use a piece of flex pipe?

 

[Shane]

Use flex. It's the easiest way to go.

 

[begreen]

No question, flex is the way to go. Our fireplace was offset too. The flue went up off the side of the fireplace. The flex pipe made it a piece of cake to install. I ran it all the way to the top of the chimney. Stove worked great.

 

[Wayne]

Great! Thanks! Another question..Can I use a gas vent flex pipe...it only costs $20.00, It's double wall construction (galvanized and aluminum, or should I get the the stainless steel flex pipe, more than double the price?

 

[hearthtools]

You MUST use Stainless Steel.
Alumimum will Melt.

I get this all the time.
Why is your pipe so much money? I can get pipe at HD for $100

 

[begreen]

Rod is right, don't even consider it. Your life may depend on this. The pellet stove is a wood furnace. Don't mess around here, do the job right. Your life may depend on this. Would you put that cheap pipe on your car exhaust? I appreciate that money may be tight, but this is money well spent.

 

[Wayne]

Thanks! I appreciate the feedback. I'm not looking to cut corners, I was hoping to learn enough on the forums to be able to install correctly myself, because money is tight. The only cost I'd hoped to save was professional installation. My house is 257 years old (Pre Civil War), and as you might imagine, quite drafty. Propane was running us about $500.00/mo. Jan.-April. I want to use the correct materials, and thought I could get some advise here. So far, I'm grateful to say, it's been helpful! So, another question: I've got double wall pipe that attaches to the stove and straight back (the guy I bought it from had it vented through the wall). Should I use the same kind of pipe to run up the 30' feet of chimney? Or, (I hate to ask this, because the answer is probably obvious already) can I use single galvanized pipe the rest of the way? I really do appreciate you guys answering my questions, and I'm hoping to get a crash course education here. I live in a very rural part of PA, and there aren't alot of places to get help around here. There are a couple of installers approx. 25-50 miles from me, that will install the pipe for me, but I was kind of hoping to do it myself. I did install a wood burning stove in a hearth here, but that was an easier job. Rest assured, I used the black double wall piping, but I didn't need as much footage as I do with this project, and it was a straight line up. Again, I really do appreciate the feedback and assist!!

 

[hearthtools]

Thanks! I appreciate the feedback. I'm not looking to cut corners, I was hoping to learn enough on the forums to be able to install correctly myself, because money is tight. The only cost I'd hoped to save was professional installation. My house is 257 years old (Pre Civil War), and as you might imagine, quite drafty. Propane was running us about $500.00/mo. Jan.-April. I want to use the correct materials, and thought I could get some advise here. So far, I'm grateful to say, it's been helpful! So, another question: I've got double wall pipe that attaches to the stove and straight back (the guy I bought it from had it vented through the wall). Should I use the same kind of pipe to run up the 30' feet of chimney? Or, (I hate to ask this, because the answer is probably obvious already) can I use single galvanized pipe the rest of the way? I really do appreciate you guys answering my questions, and I'm hoping to get a crash course education here. I live in a very rural part of PA, and there aren't alot of places to get help around here. There are a couple of installers approx. 25-50 miles from me, that will install the pipe for me, but I was kind of hoping to do it myself. I did install a wood burning stove in a hearth here, but that was an easier job. Rest assured, I used the black double wall piping, but I didn't need as much footage as I do with this project, and it was a straight line up. Again, I really do appreciate the feedback and assist!!

Sorry
NO GALVI

Stainless Steel only

You can figure several ways
You can run Flex all the way.

You can run 5 feet of flex around the damper then run some Stainless Pellet pipe or Stainless Single wall if you can find it the rest of the way.

 

[hearthtools]

99% of our pellet insert installs we use

5 feet Stainless flex around the damper and connect to the stove with Stainless T or just to the TOP exit of the stove.

Stuff the damper with Insulation to keep any Air and FLY ASH that you can not get out of the chimney and smoke shelf for being pulled into the pellet stove and into the home.

Slip over a 12" slip over the flex to make a connection to Duravent L type Pellet vent and cap
at the top we have a Custom chase cap made up to make the top of the chimney water and air tight.

Put the flex and all your Hard pipe together and run it down the flue.

 

[begreen]

No problem Wayne. Glad you want to do this right. Please be very careful if you're going up on the roof. What kind of stove is this? 30 feet is pushing the limits for some pellet stoves. In the least, you will need to go to 4" pipe for the run up the chimney. Check the manual.

Rod's a pro, so I'll have to ask him, why not run one continuous run of ss flex, all the way to the top? That's what the stove company sold me for our 1200i. It worked quite well. Is the Duravent L less expensive than the ss flex?

 

[hearthtools]

No problem Wayne. Glad you want to do this right. Please be very careful if you're going up on the roof. What kind of stove is this? 30 feet is pushing the limits for some pellet stoves. In the least, you will need to go to 4" pipe for the run up the chimney. Check the manual.

Rod's a pro, so I'll have to ask him, why not run one continuous run of ss flex, all the way to the top? That's what the stove company sold me for our 1200i. It worked quite well. Is the Duravent L less expensive than the ss flex?

Depending on the type of flex it comes out less or about the same to hard pipe.
also the Hard pipe is Smooth and fly ash will not collect on it as much.

Duravent is an average of $15.00 per foot.
Flex is from $12 - $18 per foot

hard pipe looks nicer out the top also.

 

[hearthtools]

Forgot One BIG reason I like to use only 5" of flex
95% of pellet stoves have a 3" take off.
but if you run over 15 feet you MUST use 4" pipe.

Use 3" flex for an easy fit around the damper or between HeatOlator Tubes.
then use a 12" slip with a 3-4 increaser and use 4" pellet vent the rest of teh way up.

 

[begreen]

Good points. You did mean 5 ft of flex yes? It looks like some Harmans come with a 4" take off. At leat the Accentra insert does or has the option to. Do you also use a generous slather of RTV cement on all joints? The main benefit for us using flex was less joints = no leakage. However, I did terminate with a 2 ft. length of straight stainless pipe. You're right, it does look much better.

 

[Wayne]

Ok...I'm learning! Thanks! So----I stopped into Home Depot, they won't have any stove pipe in untill next week. I looked for Duravent L stove pipe on line, and was directed to ventpipe.com. They have 2 types of Simpson L(same as Duravent?). One style is a galvinized finish for approx. $15.00/ft., the other was black finish for approx. $35.00/ft.
They're both listed as pellet stove vent pipe....Is there a difference in safety factor between the two? Also went into Lowes, they have SuperVent which is $36.00/ft. But it only comes in 6" and 8" sizes. Looks like I need more help from you guys!!

 

[Wayne]

Sorry--Forgot to add, I'm going to use the flex pipe as you advised also.

 

[hearthtools]

The Black Duravavent is just painted. No differnce
We never buy/sell painted because the cost. and the color does not match any stove.
One can of paint is $8.00 so why pay that much more per section?

Can anyone tell me what color Paint they use? For 18 years I have not found a match.

 

[Shane]

It's duravent black. Forrest now makes Stove Bright that's a perfect match it's called stove pipe black.