Good evening,
I'll start by saying I don't know many technical terms, so you'll have to excuse me.
I was doing some research and ran across this forum. I read a post about a gentlemen asking if he could hook up his new pellet stove to his chimney, which also vented his oil burning furnace and it got me thinking. I understand that this is unsafe for several reasons. Questions to follow.
On my houses main level, the chimney runs right through the living room, with a circular vent opening about 5 feet up, which is covered up with a plate. I removed the plate and looked inside. It appeared to be old ash in there and I could feel a draft coming in with the plate off. There is also a stove pad or "hearth" i think its called on the floor, however; there is no type of stove installed, obviously. This leads me to believe at some point, there must have been a pellet or wood stove here, perhaps removed by the previous home owners. Now I have been thinking about getting a pellet stove for quite awhile now, and thought it would be quite simple, but then i became discouraged after I read the post I mentioned in my first paragraph, until...
I went outside and looked at my roof, specifically the chimney. It appeared that there was two openings at the top, which lead me to believe that is because there are two different vents. I then proceeded to my basement, where i discovered that the furnace is vented into the chimney, on the right side. (Should be noted that on the main level, the circular opening i described is more towards the middle.) That being said I now believe that there are in fact two flues, one for the oil burning furnace and one for a wood/ pellet stove.
All this being said my questions are:
Am I right in assuming I have two different vents or flues, one for the furnace (in basement) and one for the stove (main level)?
Should the chimney be cleaned first?
Do I need the chimney to be lined with something prior to installation, and is it something I can do myself?
Do I need permits?
Is there anything else I should know, or should look for? I am open to all advice.
Thank you in advance,
reveles
I'll start by saying I don't know many technical terms, so you'll have to excuse me.
I was doing some research and ran across this forum. I read a post about a gentlemen asking if he could hook up his new pellet stove to his chimney, which also vented his oil burning furnace and it got me thinking. I understand that this is unsafe for several reasons. Questions to follow.
On my houses main level, the chimney runs right through the living room, with a circular vent opening about 5 feet up, which is covered up with a plate. I removed the plate and looked inside. It appeared to be old ash in there and I could feel a draft coming in with the plate off. There is also a stove pad or "hearth" i think its called on the floor, however; there is no type of stove installed, obviously. This leads me to believe at some point, there must have been a pellet or wood stove here, perhaps removed by the previous home owners. Now I have been thinking about getting a pellet stove for quite awhile now, and thought it would be quite simple, but then i became discouraged after I read the post I mentioned in my first paragraph, until...
I went outside and looked at my roof, specifically the chimney. It appeared that there was two openings at the top, which lead me to believe that is because there are two different vents. I then proceeded to my basement, where i discovered that the furnace is vented into the chimney, on the right side. (Should be noted that on the main level, the circular opening i described is more towards the middle.) That being said I now believe that there are in fact two flues, one for the oil burning furnace and one for a wood/ pellet stove.
All this being said my questions are:
Am I right in assuming I have two different vents or flues, one for the furnace (in basement) and one for the stove (main level)?
Should the chimney be cleaned first?
Do I need the chimney to be lined with something prior to installation, and is it something I can do myself?
Do I need permits?
Is there anything else I should know, or should look for? I am open to all advice.
Thank you in advance,
reveles
