Is this install even possible?

[chrisirishmcg]

So here's my situation -- when we moved into our house, there was a Quadra Fire Castile pellet stove in corner of the living room. There was also a wood burning fireplace. Having both in the room looked weird so we ended up getting a insert for the fireplace and disconnecting the pellet stove.

Now we have the pellet stove and we have been working on finishing our basement. We would like to install
The pellet stove in the basement. The challenge we have is that the basement is below grade. The location where we want to put the pellet stove has a small window above it, which exits into a window well that is approximately 18 inches below grade.

The current plan is to come out the back of the pellet stove, turn 90 degrees (or two 45 degrees) to go vertically up the interior wall, then go out the window space (which would be removed completed and either dry walled or sheet metalled over -- we literally have never used the window), and then out into the windowell, and then t-connected back up however many feet above grade.

The questions I have are this:

1. First off, does this seem like a plausible method of attack?
2. Is it ok to go vertically on the interior of the basement and then out horizontally?
3. I want to go as high as I can out the window so I can access the T in the windowell for cleaning -- but as I go higher, I will get closer to the floor joists. How much clearance do I need between the vent and those floor joists?
4. I will have to fashion some kind of cover for the window well to keep moisture/snow out of there. Am planning to use sheet metal for this. Dumb?
5. The window well does not come out very far from the house. How far does the vent need to be away from the house itself? I’m wondering if I will need to remove the metal window well and dig out away from the house so the horizontal run can be further from the house.

What else am I not thinking about? I’m a handy person, but an absolute novice at this. It seems like I could save a ton of money doing this myself.

Here are some images that might help. One is a picture of the location in question (the popcorn machine will be moved haha). It is about 6 feet to the bottom of that window. The other is a bad drawing of what Im trying to say is the idea.

 

[gfreek]

First I would look at the owners and install manual for it. There are usually specs on installs, pipe size, length, clearances, etc
(broken link removed)

 

[tbear853]

Any house windows above the basement window? Once out the basement window with a 2 or 3 foot piece and into the tee, I'd go 5 or 6 feet straight up to get a good straight vertical draft route, but if there is a window or door up there ... I'd rethink it. You would want to shelter that window well after sealing it closed and installing a thimble to pass through. You could close off half that window with sheet metal (I'd use something thicker than thin tin if just one layer) with stove flue and intake air pipe through it, and put fixed glass in the other half if need light. You could frame it and use a designed for thimble. As far as clearance from the upper horizontal run to any joist above the pellet vent flue, looks to me like non issue. Looks like easily over a foot, but wouldn't hurt to put a tin baffle or heat shield affixed under the joist over the stove over to above the window. Keep your cold air inlet sheltered and screened and at least a foot ... or even two below the stove exhaust cap end, and a ways away from it, you don't want to suck flue gasses back into the stove.

Do look in the book, ... your pellet vent will get warm, but you'll find it'll take a good while to cook meat on it.

 

[SidecarFlip]

You absolutely need a clean out Tee right behind the exhaust outlet on the unit and be prepared for a mess when you pull the cap to clean it. Why I'd NEVER do a basement install with the venting ABOVE the unit, because of the cleanout and fly ash issue. In you picture, ALL the fly ash will go back into the combustion blower plenum and clog it quickly.

 

[zrock]

May want to check with your local building code.. If you touch that window then you may have to upgrade it to a full window for egress out of the basement in a emergency... or put another point of egress in the basement

 

[chrisirishmcg]

You absolutely need a clean out Tee right behind the exhaust outlet on the unit and be prepared for a mess when you pull the cap to clean it. Why I'd NEVER do a basement install with the venting ABOVE the unit, because of the cleanout and fly ash issue. In you picture, ALL the fly ash will go back into the combustion blower plenum and clog it quickly.

Good point. I will keep that in mind

 

[chrisirishmcg]

Any house windows above the basement window? Once out the basement window with a 2 or 3 foot piece and into the tee, I'd go 5 or 6 feet straight up to get a good straight vertical draft route, but if there is a window or door up there ... I'd rethink it. You would want to shelter that window well after sealing it closed and installing a thimble to pass through. You could close off half that window with sheet metal (I'd use something thicker than thin tin if just one layer) with stove flue and intake air pipe through it, and put fixed glass in the other half if need light. You could frame it and use a designed for thimble. As far as clearance from the upper horizontal run to any joist above the pellet vent flue, looks to me like non issue. Looks like easily over a foot, but wouldn't hurt to put a tin baffle or heat shield affixed under the joist over the stove over to above the window. Keep your cold air inlet sheltered and screened and at least a foot ... or even two below the stove exhaust cap end, and a ways away from it, you don't want to suck flue gasses back into the stove.

Do look in the book, ... your pellet vent will get warm, but you'll find it'll take a good while to cook meat on it.

Good stuff, all around. No there is no window above so going up as far as I want is no issue. I don't believe our unit needs a cold air inlet -- at least thats what the place it was purchased from told me. Seem legit?

 

[chrisirishmcg]

May want to check with your local building code.. If you touch that window then you may have to upgrade it to a full window for egress out of the basement in a emergency... or put another point of egress in the basement

The window in question is not an egress window. The basement has a hatch door leading outside.

 

[SidecarFlip]

Your drawing depicts way too many abrupt exhaust path turns. Every exhaust flow change in direction reduces the flow, causes more fly ash accumulation and less stove efficiency, which is why I stay away from a below grade install.

 

[chrisirishmcg]

Your drawing depicts way too many abrupt exhaust path turns. Every exhaust flow change in direction reduces the flow, causes more fly ash accumulation and less stove efficiency, which is why I stay away from a below grade install.

Yeah I understand it's not ideal. But from what I understand definitely seems possible. I had two companies out to look at it and they both said they could do it (but for over a grand each). I'm trying to see if I can do it myself and save some coin.

 

[SidecarFlip]

In your case, saving a buck can cost you a ton of grief. Think I'd have it professionally installed. That way you have some recourse. You do it and it fails, you eat it,

 

[chrisirishmcg]

In your case, saving a buck can cost you a ton of grief. Think I'd have it professionally installed. That way you have some recourse. You do it and it fails, you eat it,

There's a fairly decent chance I end up going that route, to be honest. Just want to weigh my options. Appreciate your insight.

 

[tbear853]

Good stuff, all around. No there is no window above so going up as far as I want is no issue. I don't believe our unit needs a cold air inlet -- at least thats what the place it was purchased from told me. Seem legit?

If the basement can breathe, should be OK. I'd run one in my basement like so, though I might run a cold air inlet pipe from the far end away from the stove to use the coldest air available and make it easier for stove warmed air to find it's way over there. Such a pipe could be 3" or bigger pvc or similar run across the ceiling even, or between joists. I would not bore or cut joists for it though.

I ran mine in my living room a couple-three years then added the outside air but I do live in a log home, it's not air tight, so using outside air through a dedicated inlet means less outside air pulled in through gaps between log ends and roof sheathing (just for example). You know how it is, you build a log home , you try to seal it up, but logs do shrink from build to twenty or thirty or fifty years later as they adjust to ambient humidity so there is settling to allow for. I think my home is tighter now than new as I allowed for shrinkage.

 

[bogieb]

This is my set up going out the basement window. Window was removed and replaced with thick plywood (using a thimble). The install of the exhast was done by a professional installer. The bottom turn is a 45* pipe, not 90*. Means the stove is out a bit further from the wall to account for clearance, but also gives me plenty of room to access the rear for maintenance. The exhaust goes straight out the window and terminates 12" from the block wall and is 18" above grade. Obviously that won't work for your window well, and you will need a vertical rise as you've shown.

No, that exhaust isn't too close to the sheet rock, just the angle and shadows make it seem that way.

 

[SidecarFlip]

Out of curiosity, where is the cleanout Tee?

 

[bogieb]

Out of curiosity, where is the cleanout Tee?

Doesn't have one. I don't have any issues getting a soot eater all the way thru since those are 45's instead of 90's.

 

[SidecarFlip]

Whatever. Have no idea what a soot eater is. I do know that gravity pulls any material (ash included) to the lowest point and that is the bottom elbow of that stove where it attached to the exhaust plenum stub. That would not be a workable scenario for me. especially running corn. I'd have vent pipe coagulation in short order.

 

[mtnbiker727]

This works pretty well for me. Cleanout T at the bottom then straight up 6 or so feet into the floor joist space. Then a 90 going out through the wall of the house above grade. Had to cut the floor joists and put in headers on each side in order to get the clearance we needed, because the pipe is perpendicular to the floor joists.

Do the math for the 3 inch vs. 4 inch according to your manual. With this setup we were within the "safe" range for the 3 inch pipe because we didn't have that much horizontal pipe or too many elbows.

I will add that when you get a lot of snow, you'll have to pay attention to your outlet if it's not far off the ground. We got 22 inches overnight before Christmas this year, and fortunately I left the stove running all night, because it melted a wide circle around the outlet.

 

[bogieb]

Whatever. Have no idea what a soot eater is. I do know that gravity pulls any material (ash included) to the lowest point and that is the bottom elbow of that stove where it attached to the exhaust plenum stub. That would not be a workable scenario for me. especially running corn. I'd have vent pipe coagulation in short order.

I took the whole exhaust assembly apart a couple of years ago when I moved the stove from one side of the window to the other. Figured I'd go ahead and give them a bath and get them super clean. Much to my surprise, there wasn't any need. I run middling pellets, that most would consider ashy, so the (broken link removed) and LBT are doing their jobs well.

 

[rickwai]

Out of curiosity, where is the cleanout Tee?

If it was 4" pipe you can get a standard rod and brush thru the 90 easily and you can get to the bottom ell or tee from inside the stove easily by removing the fan cover. (no tools required). 3" not so much.

 

[rickwai]

Yeah I understand it's not ideal. But from what I understand definitely seems possible. I had two companies out to look at it and they both said they could do it (but for over a grand each). I'm trying to see if I can do it myself and save some coin.

If that is labor and material that is not really out of line. Pellet pipe is expensive. Just the tee is close to $100