Help!!!

[Deron]

Wife and I want to add the Buck 91 wood burning insert to my fireplace but have a problem.

The fireplace is in a family room finished basement of a single story ranch. The chimney is approximately 20 feet high. We have a double fireplace with one upstairs and they have separate flues.
We have a very low pressure and poor drafting in the basement. We tried an insert before (slammer install) and had fairly significant smoke and fume problems.

The downstairs flue is offset from the chimney by about 3 feet to the right. We had a guy that came out and says he can't install a liner like that and to consult a sweep or someone more knowledgeable
about that type of connection. I'm suspecting this is the culprit to our poor drafting.

Can a SS liner be installed like this? If so, how hard would it be to clean with an angle like that? Any concerns?

Thanks in advance for any advice we can get.

 

[MountainStoveGuy]

if you have negative air pressure problems in the basement, a liner is not going to help. You need to neutralize the negative pressure somehow, passively with a through the wall vent, or directly with a outside air kit for your fireplace insert. (if there is one available)

 

[Deron]

How much would cracking a window help with the pressure?

I'm assuming I have a pressure problem, house is highly insulated. Any way to determine pressure level?

 

[MountainStoveGuy]

opening a window would neutralize the basement, but it would air condition it at the same time. Much like a passive kit. I dont recommend either option. I would get a outside air capable insert and a reline. If the buck stove insert has that option, i would look into that. If neither of those options work, then i would abandon the project until the time is right. I think you will fight the stove installed with a liner, and there is no sense in cracking a window in the basement to get the stove to draw. They make some fancy caps made by exausto that mechanicly exaust the flue, but they are expensive and hard to install.

 

[Deron]

So a lazy draft would definitely be a low pressure problem then?

I was thinking because the chimney is offset so far from the flue (about 3 feet) that it was
the main problem in it not venting very well.

Strange thing is when I burned wood directly on the grate the draft didn't seem to be real bad,
but with the now removed Appalachian 36BW (which was just slid in slammer style I believe) we
had a fairly significant amount of smoke when reloading the box.

I have another company coming Friday to take a look at it.

 

[MountainStoveGuy]

you stated that you had low pressure. Thats what i was going with. The offset does not help, but lots of factors affect draft. Lets see what the pro has to say when he comes out. Basements are typically poor places for natural draft appliances. Modern construction depresurizes the lower levels as heat rises and escapes the home.

 

[Deron]

I was going with the low pressure theory as I've read where basement fireplaces in well insulated homes
have that problem.

Any way to test the pressure?