Installing WS into old House

[Quielo]

I'm getting ready to close on a house in the Portland (OR) burbs. There is a spot that had a wood stove previously but was removed due to being pre-EPA.

Portland is not really cold with snow a couple of days a year and an average of just one inch per year. There is a significant number of cool damp days and the stove will be the primary form of heat. I plan to keep the central heat at 45 degrees and everything over will come from the stove.

The floor where it will be placed is the lowest level and the existing flue rises another two stories above so it looks like I have a lot of rise.

I am concerned about the low, off center, through wall fitting. Do I need a particular vent placement on the stove? Or can all top or back vents be routed to the side like this?

There is a QF Explorer III on sale at a local shop (40%) but I am worried that will be overkill for my needs and I should be looking for something smaller. The house is 2800 square feet but the climate is not that cold. Likely I will end up burning Doug Fir as that has the greatest availability.

Thanks for replies.

 

[begreen]

You can top vent, with a 45º offset to the existing thimble. First get the chimney system cleaned and inspected. Make sure the thimble passing through the was is proper. Does the thimble connect into a masonry or metal chimney? How tall is it and what is its ID?

The Explorer II will not be too large. You control the heat output by the amount of fuel and air the fire is provided.

 

[Quielo]

You can top vent, with a 45º offset to the existing thimble. First get the chimney system cleaned and inspected. Make sure the thimble passing through the was is proper. Does the thimble connect into a masonry or metal chimney? How tall is it and what is its ID?

The Explorer II will not be too large. You control the heat output by the amount of fuel and air the fire is provided.

Thanks for the reply. There is a metal flue with an OD of about 8-10 inches leading away. Not sure of the ID. I will not DIY. The stove is a III not a II. I am thinking a II will be better sized. The metal flue is more than 20' high. I have attached a photo of the metal flue. We are having the tree limbs pruned to avoid fire danger. I do not believe there is an "R" rating needed but I need to go back to the specs.

 

[begreen]

If the chimney is 8" OD and 6" ID it should be fine. How open is this room to the rest of the house? If very open then the III would work. The main issue will be heat circulation.

 

[Quielo]

there is an open stairway that leads to the upper levels. I'm expecting heat to go that way.

 

[Highbeam]

I fought a too-small noncat in our climate for much too long. With your intent to private full time heat you will want to keep that stove hot overnight so long burntimes are important and with the need to heat such a huge amount of area, the stove really can't be too big.

 

[Ashful]

Does that brick go straight thru to outside, or is it just a single course over a framed wall?

 

[Quielo]

Does that brick go straight thru to outside, or is it just a single course over a framed wall?

It's just surfacing. I'm trying to avoid stoves that demand an R value for that reason.

 

[maple1]

You can top vent, with a 45º offset to the existing thimble. First get the chimney system cleaned and inspected. Make sure the thimble passing through the was is proper. Does the thimble connect into a masonry or metal chimney? How tall is it and what is its ID?

The Explorer II will not be too large. You control the heat output by the amount of fuel and air the fire is provided.

Are we sure about top venting? That thimble doesn't look all that far off the floor - could be the pic though.

 

[begreen]

Are we sure about top venting? That thimble doesn't look all that far off the floor - could be the pic though.

Might be close. I count 14 bricks to the centerline of the thimble and am guessing about 52" or a 22" rise off the top of a 30" high flue collar.

 

[Quielo]

So my situation has changed some. I am in NorCal and currently have a Craftsbury in my 1250 square foot house. Hearthstone (broken link removed to https://www.hearthstonestoves.com/en/Appliance/Cast/Wood/Free-Standing-Stove/Craftsbury/Painted/Matte/Distributed/CRAFTSBURY/p/8391-0083)

I was planning to leave it but my realtor says to get rid of it as most people will not want it. It's a very pretty stove but I think too small for the larger house. On the plus side it is not very tall.