Large Stoves - 6" Flue

[adrianrog]

Greetings everyone. My home is a little more than 2800 square feet on one level. Three years ago, I did my research and purchased a Buck 94NC insert and have been happy with it. It heats the home well and everything is good. Now, I'd like to install a stove in my basement, which has that same 2800+ square feet. Three walls are poured concrete walls, so I assume it'll take quite a bit of heat down there.

There is a standard masonary fireplace and chimney. The distance from the floor of the basement to the top of the chimney is 38'. (28' upstairs). While I could install an insert, I think I'd like a free standing stove, just to get good heat if the power is out. Not a deal breaker for an insert, but think I would prefer a stove.

Now, here is the rub. The chimney sweep that installed the 8" liner for my upstairs stove says he doesn't think he can get a 8" liner in the downstairs chimney. If you look up it, you can see it make a right bend and then back to go around the upstairs fireplace. He thinks a 6" liner would fit fine

Question 1: The Buck 94NC has an 8" connector. Can I safely connect it to a 6" liner given the height of my chimney. If you take out 5 feet for the stove which is way generous, I still have 33' of chimney above that. My upstairs stove drafts great with a 8" liner and 24ish feet of liner height.

If not, it greatly reduces my options for stoves. I know US Stove has a model 3000 and a Voglezang Ponderosa that are available, but I'm just a little worried about the budget models. Maybe they'd be fine, I'd love to hear from current owners. Anyway, what else is available with a huge firebox and a 6" chimney connector? We burn the upstairs stove constantly if it's cold, but would probably only burn this one once or twice per week on the weekends or if it was really really cold.

Also, I do have a pretty strong preference for non-catalytic. I live out in the country and don't want the regular expense of replacing the catalyst. If I have a little extra smoke, it's not going to bother anyone and wood is free or very near to it for me.

Thanks, everyone.

 

[Woody Stover]

I see that the 94NC claims 4.4 cu.ft, like the model 91. They must have measured the 91 with the cat and its flame shield out, because when I measured actual usable firebox volume, it was closer to 3.0 or a little under. If that is the actual volume of the 94NC as well, there are stoves with similar volume fireboxes that have 6" flues. And the liner will cost less that 8", of course.

 

[begreen]

You can not choke down the flue opening unless it states so in the stove documentation. That may not matter IF the basement walls and preferably the floor is insulated. If they are then a big 6" flue stove should be able to heat the basement well. There is one caveat. The basement can be a negative pressure zone in some houses. If so, draft can be an issue.

 

[Woody Stover]

Yeah, I sure liked the engineering and construction of the 91, so I might go for another 94 as well, if you like it and it is allowable to downsize the flue.

 

[begreen]

Buck's documentation is not great but it clearly states:
YOUR CHIMNEY OR FLUE MUST BE CORRECTLY SIZED.

 

[Zack R]

The Jotul F55 is a large non catalytic stove that uses a 6" chimney.

 

[begreen]

Yes, there are several ~3 cu ft stoves from Englander, Regency, Drolet, Quadrafire, Pacific Energy, Jotul, etc. that fit this criteria.

 

[adrianrog]

The Jotul F55 is a large non catalytic stove that uses a 6" chimney.

Thanks, I just took a look. It appears to be quite a bit smaller than my Buck or the Voglezang or US Stove. They don't list a firebox sized, but the BTU output is quite a bit less.

 

[adrianrog]

Yes, there are several ~3 cu ft stoves from Englander, Regency, Drolet, Quadrafire, Pacific Energy, Jotul, etc. that fit this criteria.

I was hoping to be in the 4+ CF size.

 

[begreen]

If the basement is insulated, in GA 3 cu ft should handle it comfortably. Some of the stoves mentioned are close to 3.5 cu ft.

 

[hankinohio]

I know this is an old thread but FWIW I bought a new model 94NC last year, it has a test date of 2010, and it has a 6" flue collar. 6 inch insulated liner drafts fine

 

[begreen]

Yes, 2019 thread. I thought the 94 NC was discontinued? Was it a private sale? It was not allowed to be sold by a dealer past May 2020. The manual lists it as having an 8" flue collar.

 

[hankinohio]

bought from a plumbing supply shop brand new last year. I guess it and a smaller model (dont remember the number) had gotten lost in their warehouse. Data plate says tested April 2010, but no idea on date of manufacture, It definitely has a 6" outlet, and is a beast of a heater.

 

[hankinohio]

By the way, it was installed with a liner, block off plate, and roxul insulation be me and all the info I got from you guys from months of reading on this site

 

[bholler]

bought from a plumbing supply shop brand new last year. I guess it and a smaller model (dont remember the number) had gotten lost in their warehouse. Data plate says tested April 2010, but no idea on date of manufacture, It definitely has a 6" outlet, and is a beast of a heater.

I hope you got it really cheap. Because any pre 2020 new stoves were supposed to be destroyed.

 

[begreen]

bought from a plumbing supply shop brand new last year. I guess it and a smaller model (dont remember the number) had gotten lost in their warehouse. Data plate says tested April 2010, but no idea on date of manufacture, It definitely has a 6" outlet, and is a beast of a heater.

That was an illegal sale. Hope you got a significant price break. It's 6" on the 74NC, but the 3.8 cu ft 94NC is listed as 8". Maybe this was a special order?

 

[hankinohio]

I think we got a pretty good deal, around $1200.00 including the surround trim. I had been looking for about a year for a PE Alderlea or a buck 81. If I did find dealer close I would get the runaround on when it would be available. Was looking one morning and ran across a buck dealer about 50 miles from us. I called to inquire, they told me they had the 2. Loaded into the truck and went to look. All they had were the 2, no other wood stoves at all. They told me they had found them in their warehouse THE DAY BEFORE! I think maybe the smaller one would have been better, this thing really heats the house up but doesn't use much wood. Plate doesn't list flue size but it is definitely 6", I installed a 6" by 30' insulated liner up the chimney.