Installing pellet stove in basement

[TechBill]

My wife and I purchased a home 2 years ago and we suspect it used to have a wood stove in the basement because there a bricked hearth and a vent which is capped. Our home have a forced air gas furnace but we decided to install a pellet stove in the basement to heat the rooms in the basement. I have attached a photo to this post of our existing hearth which we believed to use have a wood stove.

I brought a used pellet stove, Ecochoice CAB50 and I am looking for advices on to properly vent it from the basement.

From what i learned by reading the manual and with online informations that I am allowed to use existing chimney to vent my pellet stove from the basement with the proper "top vent" adapter with stovepipe adapter. I been trying to search to buy this "top vent" adapter for the pellet stove but it seem to be hard to find online to purchase. i think I found a manual of that adapter over at https://www.manualslib.com/manual/751333/Heatilator-Eco-Adv-Ps35.html?page=39 but I am not sure if it the right adapter for the stove we purchased.

While reading online, i notice many used the standard TEE adapter with cleanout plug on the bottom instead of purchasing the top vent adapter like this one at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001GLSKCM/?tag=hearthamazon-20 Can TEE adapter be used instead of top vent adapter? Will I need to find a way to mount a bracket from pipe to the back of the pellet stove?

And my other question would be how would I connect the 3 inch pipe to the chimney vent hole. I think it 8 inches and I am thinking that there are two way to do this. Use an 3 to 6 inch adapter on top and 6 inch pipe to the vent then a 6 to 8 inch adapter to connect it to the brick or use 3 inch pipe all the way and cut a 3 inch hole in that cap that is plugging the vent right now then somehow mount it to the cap so it doesn't fall out or something. Any advice on this will be greatly appreciated!

I noticed in the manual it explain about intake vent or "cold air" vent. Is this required and since I am in the basement, is there a clean way to install the cold air vent? I can't just drill straight out because the ground level is about 5 feet above the floor and it all chimney bricks behind it also there are brick walls on each side of the hearth so it won't be easy to drill through it or it would look ugly to pipe over or around it.

Thank you,
Bill

 

[zrock]

Before u go to far have the old chimney inspected. This will tell u what route you are going to go... not sure what to say about the fresh air

Sent from my SM-G950W using Tapatalk

 

[TechBill]

Before u go to far have the old chimney inspected. This will tell u what route you are going to go... not sure what to say about the fresh air

Sent from my SM-G950W using Tapatalk

We plan on having it inspected. The house was built in 1979.

 

[TechBill]

I have done some reading online about this. I learned since we have an exterior chimney and if it doesn't get hot properly then it will have drafting problem so it would be best to add a liner inside the chimney all the way to the top. But we do have a wood stove upstair connected to the same chimney however we haven't use it yet because we haven't gotten around to getting it inspected. I noticed there is no liner on the upstair wood stove and the vent is directly underneath the chimney flute. We don't know if the previous owner have used it with a wood stove or installed it for appearance to sell off the house. It was purchased by a flipper that was sold to us.

The wood stove upstair have I think a 6 inch vent and our pellet stove downstair have 3 inch vent now I am wondering if it even possible to run two liners inside the chimney, one 3 inch liner and one 6 inch liner.

Anyone have experience with this one? Feedback are welcomed.

 

[TechBill]

Also, anyone know what would be the maximum length for the pellet stove liner need to stay below before it have a drafting problem?

 

[johneh]

There is little problems with pellet stove drafting as they are power vented
The only prob lam may occur with a power outage . my stove is vented out a 6 in
chimney with no problems

 

[Ssyko]

One thing I thought of, up here in NY you can not have 2 appliances use the same chimney. I don't know if that pertains to your state.

 

[jzm2cc]

I used one of these to hook 3" pellet exhaust into a 6" masonary chimney:

(broken link removed)

You may want to just buy a pellet exhaust kit that includes pipe, clean out T, 90, stove to pipe adapter, etc

(broken link removed)

 

[jerrieric]

I used exactly what you have used with my 70000 BTU visraflame with 4in going into a 6x8flu that's dedicated to the stove only. No issues I also had a 3" set up with an englzndar with the same chimney and had no issue for 5 years.

 

[Watcher1]

I don't think you can use the wood stove upstairs with the pellet stove downstairs because of the power venting. indeed I would be more inclined to block off that wood stove chimney to keep any of the pellet stove CO gas from coming in there. JMO.

 

[Pete Zahria]

or use 3 inch pipe all the way and cut a 3 inch hole in that cap that is plugging the vent right now

That is how I did mine.. Save about 30 bucks...
Goes in to the masonry chimney that I had a wood stove in for years, then a coal stove.. now pellets.
Have had zero issues with any of them..

Dan

 

[JRemington]

You can’t vent two stoves into one chimney. How long is this chimney? And is this a clay flue chimney and if so what is the diameter? If it’s 12 by 8 or 10 there would be room for two liners. If not I’d leave the wood stove in case of power outage. You can easily vent the pellet stove out the basement wall if needed.

 

[rickwai]

You can’t vent two stoves into one chimney. How long is this chimney? And is this a clay flue chimney and if so what is the diameter? If it’s 12 by 8 or 10 there would be room for two liners. If not I’d leave the wood stove in case of power outage. You can easily vent the pellet stove out the basement wall if needed.

I second that. You cannot vent 2 forced draft appliances into 1 flue. Can you come up and out between floor joist?

 

[TechBill]

One thing I thought of, up here in NY you can not have 2 appliances use the same chimney. I don't know if that pertains to your state.

I don't think you can use the wood stove upstairs with the pellet stove downstairs because of the power venting. indeed I would be more inclined to block off that wood stove chimney to keep any of the pellet stove CO gas from coming in there. JMO.

You can’t vent two stoves into one chimney. How long is this chimney? And is this a clay flue chimney and if so what is the diameter? If it’s 12 by 8 or 10 there would be room for two liners. If not I’d leave the wood stove in case of power outage. You can easily vent the pellet stove out the basement wall if needed.

I second that. You cannot vent 2 forced draft appliances into 1 flue. Can you come up and out between floor joist?

I removed the plug from the hole in the masonry then looked inside the hole to see if it sharing the same flue with the wood stove upstair.

By looking into the hole, the flue didn't go straight up instead it was angled to the right then upward so it looks like there are two flue inside the chimney.

I went outside and look at the top and sure enough there is two different size chimney cap. The cap on the right is smaller than the cap in the middle. I believe there are two flue and one in the middle is a bigger flue which goes to the wood stove on main floor.

While I was still outside, I spotted a vent on the side of the chimney (same side where the basement flue is angled to) that I didn't remember seeing before but it look like a dryer vent with a wire cage inside which I am guessing to keep the bird out. I looked inside the vent and I can barely see a clay flue from the basement going straight up.

I estimate the basement clay flue to be 6" x 6" and the chimney is about 18 to 20 feet in height.

(The black stuff around the opening in the photo is some type of harden seal which was used to keep the cap on so it not a burn or anything like it. I plan to scrape it off and clean around the area)

 

[TechBill]

There is little problems with pellet stove drafting as they are power vented
The only prob lam may occur with a power outage . my stove is vented out a 6 in
chimney with no problems

I used one of these to hook 3" pellet exhaust into a 6" masonary chimney:

(broken link removed)

You may want to just buy a pellet exhaust kit that includes pipe, clean out T, 90, stove to pipe adapter, etc

(broken link removed)

I used exactly what you have used with my 70000 BTU visraflame with 4in going into a 6x8flu that's dedicated to the stove only. No issues I also had a 3" set up with an englzndar with the same chimney and had no issue for 5 years.

With power vent, I don't need to add a liner from the top chimney all the way down to the opening?

Will I just be able to use a 3" to 8" adapter and silicone it into the hole then connect the 3" pipe from the stove to the adapter?

 

[TechBill]

Adapter like this?

(broken link removed) .

Is there trim collar that have a 3" opening but about 9" inches in diameter to cover the whole adapter?

 

[JRemington]

I would suggest that you use 4 inch piping for the pellet stove.

 

[TechBill]

I would suggest that you use 4 inch piping for the pellet stove.

May I ask why you think I should go with 4 inch piping?

 

[JRemington]

May I ask why you think I should go with 4 inch piping?

When your vertical is over 15 feet it’s recommended. We do because it’s code in our area. You would need a three to four inch adapter T.

 

[TechBill]

When your vertical is over 15 feet it’s recommended. We do because it’s code in our area. You would need a three to four inch adapter T.

I think I will just stick with 3" for now since winter is almost over for us and check my local code this summer to make a permanent change

I probably will get T, elbow, adapter for nimble and 3" piping to connect stove to nimble then before next winter swap it out with full chimney liner.

 

[JRemington]

If you’re going to line it next year you may as well get the four inch pipe.

 

[TechBill]

If you’re going to line it next year you may as well get the four inch pipe.

True, but the thing is that I purchased it used and it came with several pieces of 3" inch pipings and with cold weather ending in about 20-30 days from now for us so I wanted to try it out now without having to go out in the cold so much or climb on the roof during cold season.

Basically, I just wanted to see if I could test it by purchasing an adapter for nimble and a T then slap it together to test it for the next 20-30 days before the warm season arrive otherwise I will just wait it out until I get liner in the chimney.

I am trying to determine if it safe to test it for about a month just simply connecting the pellet stove to a chimney nimble without a liner.

 

[Ssyko]

Sure test away. I test stoves i work on with 3” dryer vent pipe. But i dont run them unattended, or for more than a couple days. For a couple months i would definitely go with a double wall pellet pipe.

 

[TechBill]

Sure test away. I test stoves i work on with 3” dryer vent pipe. But i dont run them unattended, or for more than a couple days. For a couple months i would definitely go with a double wall pellet pipe.

The pipes I received are double wall pellet pipes. Maybe I didn't type it out right in earlier post.

I am trying to determine if it safe to connect pellet stove this way for now.

Pellet stove -> T double pipe -> 3inch double pipe -> elbow double pipe -> 3inch double pipe -> nimble adapter -> chimney (but no pipe or liner inside the chimney)

I already have the double pipes and the double elbow pipe so I only need to purchase the T double pipe and the nimble adapter (3" to 8").

Then before fall season this year, I plan to line the chimney with 3" chimney liner and add a new chimney cap but someone here just recommend 4" instead 3" due to that fact the chimney is more than 15 feet tall so I will check my local code to see if i need to change over to 4" unless it best to anyway and the cost is not much more over the 3" liner. I am still wondering if I should pay more to insulated the liner or not since pellet stove is a force air stove.

 

[Ssyko]

Yes it’s safe. But it is not optimum for the functioning of the stove. If your stove evl is more than 15’ it would require 4”. Hit the forums search for EVL and there is a lot of info to read about your installation, not to mention what the installation instructions are in the manual.