Lots of square feet to heat... new question

[shelster0805]

Hello! My last thread was accidentally deleted. We have almost 3,800 sq. ft, a 2 story farmhouse, built in 1993, with the antique mantle around a brick fireplace that was converted to a gas insert. When I first posted we were originally thinking we would put in a wood stove insert... We are 'newbies' and received a lot of great advise and tips on here!! Thanks all!

With the size of the fireplace opening and how close the wood mantel is to the brick, we can not really get anything in there. What we can fit, will not do much for heat. We decided to explore the option of a free standing wood stove. The fireplace opening is very low, so that limits what type of rear venting ones we can look at. So, now the question was... Can we tap into the chimney? There is a 3 ft section of wall between the top of the mantel and the ceiling. That way, there would also be more stove pipe in the house.

So, we were able to meet with a Buck stove dealer and a Pacific Energy dealer (this one also is a chimney sweep) over the weekend. The Buck guy said he would in no way recommend tapping into the chimney, that it could weaken the chimney. He wanted to pipe it straight up and through the 2nd floor and out the roof. But yet, he showed us a picture of one his company had done. The Pacific Energy guy said yes, it can be done. Mixed signals here I called a brick mason that I found in our area and asked him today. He says yes, it can be done, if done correctly. I have sent pictures and he will call back and come out and take a look.

Has anyone here tapped into an existing chimney? We will close off the firebox opening. How was it done and how is it holding up now?

As far as which stove to go with... we are still deciding. We will see how much the brick mason will charge, maybe get a 2nd bid. Someone suggested the Equinox 8000 but that is pricey! Looks like a real good one! The Kuma Sequoia and a couple Quadrafires are on our list also. We basically are looking at what will heat the most square feet. When we first started this adventure, we just wanted to cut down on our propane bill... if we are going to invest in this we might as well do it right.

 

[Rearscreen]

Is the top of the opening less than 25 3/4 inches?

 

[bholler]

Has anyone here tapped into an existing chimney? We will close off the firebox opening. How was it done and how is it holding up now?

Yes I have done it quite a few times. It can be pretty easy or it can be a nightmare it all depends on how it was built originally. I personally would not run a class a chimney up in front of an existing masonry chimney that is just silly but it would work.

 

[shelster0805]

Is the top of the opening less than 25 3/4 inches?

I know the chimney is 12 x 12 and the top of the fireplace opening is 25" wide

 

[Rearscreen]

From the top of the opening to the "floor" brick/stone below it. I see it looks stepped up at the opening. I don't know, maybe I'm missing something but it looks like a nice Progress Hybrid could fit right in there....

 

[bholler]

The Buck guy said he would in no way recommend tapping into the chimney, that it could weaken the chimney.

if done correctly there is no reason it should compromise the structure of the chimney at all

 

[begreen]

What is the lintel height?

 

[Rearscreen]

Yes! The lintel! That's the right word! But it looks from the picture there is one height for the opening and one for the floor, basically meant for the insert install.

 

[Woody Stover]

looks like a nice Progress Hybrid could fit right in there....

Maybe, but not with the ash pan. How about ripping the wood off, then you can pick from any number of inserts...but I guess you've already considered this and it's a non-starter.

 

[bholler]

Maybe, but not with the ash pan. How about ripping the wood off, then you can pick from any number of inserts...but I guess you've already considered this and it's a non-starter.

No you should not do that

 

[Woody Stover]

No you should not do that

I didn't look that close in the other thread...was it a historical house, or did it just look that good?

 

[bholler]

I didn't look that close in the other thread...was it a historical house, or did it just look that good?

Look at the picture above. It looks pretty good it is not anything all that exotic but there is no reason to take away a nice feature like that I would just put a stove in front and tap into the chimney above if you cant get one to feed into the firebox

 

[Woody Stover]

Look at the picture above.

Yeah, that looks like some pretty nice Oak. I like the clean look of venting into the fireplace, but in this case I would probably keep the wood. No way to heat-shield it for an insert?

 

[bholler]

No way to heat-shield it for an insert?

I don't know if an insert will fit or not but by the looks of it I doubt it. And honestly I have yet to se a mantle surround like that that was heatsheilded and didn't look ridiculous. I think a stove in front of it would look much better than an insert with a bunch of shields around it. But that is just my opinion.

 

[shelster0805]

From the top of the opening to the "floor" brick/stone below it. I see it looks stepped up at the opening. I don't know, maybe I'm missing something but it looks like a nice Progress Hybrid could fit right in there....

Yes, under the gas insert are 2 black cement or cinder blocks, we have not taken the gas insert out yet but these blocks seem loose. The actual opening from the real floor is 24" tall and 28" wide.

 

[Rearscreen]

The actual opening from the real floor is 24"

That answers that...no go for Progress.

 

[Woody Stover]

I think a stove in front of it would look much better than an insert with a bunch of shields around it. But that is just my opinion.

Kinda between a rock and a hard place; I don't think that surround would look too good either, with a big pipe in front, cutting up the visual lines. What about a flush-mount, would that require less clearance?

 

[shelster0805]

No, we can not ripe the wood off I would cry!! Our house was built in 1993 by a lawyer and his wife, she loved antiques. A neighbor went with the wife when she bought the mantle piece. They said this house was modeled after a Queen Anne farmhouse... I just think it looks like an old farmhouse. We have high ceilings on main floor, I though 12ft but I was wrong, they are 10 ft ceilings. Regular ceilings on 2nd floor. It would be ideal to have a 2nd wood stove upstairs to heat the bedrooms but not an option this year.

Yes, bholler, if we put in an insert, we would have to have heat shields everywhere. There is just no clearance. We initially thought we would do an insert but after researching and measuring, a free standing seems to be the way to go. We are hoping to put a free standing in front of mantel, probably on a mantel pad, and pipe it out (over the mantel). We have 2 propane furnaces, one for main and one for 2nd floor. They are both Rheems, rated green, but from 1993... we are going through the propane FAST! I know a wood stove will pay for itself in no time!

 

[Woody Stover]

You could maybe go with a painted connector pipe, that might not be as bad as black...

 

[maple1]

There's no other place a stove would go? I wouldn't think a stove in front of that fireplace would look all that good either especially with a stove pipe going up then into the wall. Pretty well kills the look of what's there - which looks pretty good.

Have you thoroughly thought out alternative spots - and a possible second chimney location? It would be more dollars and more work no doubt, but the overall 'live with it & look at it for the rest of the time we are here' factor might be worth it. That & appeal to prospective buyers whenever that time comes - although you might be able to remove the stove later & cap the new chimney inlet & hang a picture over it or something...

 

[shelster0805]

There's no other place a stove would go? I wouldn't think a stove in front of that fireplace would look all that good either especially with a stove pipe going up then into the wall. Pretty well kills the look of what's there - which looks pretty good.

Have you thoroughly thought out alternative spots - and a possible second chimney location? It would be more dollars and more work no doubt, but the overall 'live with it & look at it for the rest of the time we are here' factor might be worth it. That & appeal to prospective buyers whenever that time comes - although you might be able to remove the stove later & cap the new chimney inlet & hang a picture over it or something...

Our house is not set up great for an alternate location. We could put one in, on either ends of house, (one room is the kitchen and other is our school room) but we do not think we would be able to circulate heat. The chimney is located in the living room, of course, which is smack dap in center of house. Didn't think about this before but could place a free standing to the left of the mantle and possibly still pipe in through chimney???

 

[Niko]

I know the chimney is 12 x 12 and the top of the fireplace opening is 25" wide

Are you gonna heat 24/7 with wood? Or is this just a added warmth? Budget? Depending on those answers will kinda say what is the best and if the money your spending will be worth it.


I say that cause you can blow out that opening and redo everything and put a big wood stove in it. This is not cheap but if you gonna heat 24/7 with wood on a house that is 3800 square feet then a small stove aint gonna do it. Especially if you wanna see some type of return in your investment. I also read about keeping the look of wood etc, like i said before ask yourself what do you want from the investment. Is it to keep the house warm and save on fuel costs? Or is it just to add some warmth on cold days.

Like some others have stated maybe putting a nice big wood stove somehwere else might serve the house better. Keep a open mind and you should think of something

3800 sqaure should give you plenty of choices.

 

[maple1]

How is the place currently heated?

What about an add-on wood furnace?

 

[begreen]

That answers that...no go for Progress.

Maybe an Ideal Steel though with a flipped flue collar? Give Woodstock a call with your measurements and ask for Lorin if she's available.

 

[kennyp2339]

So, what about ripping the old gas insert out, lining the chimney with a liner to a clean out T (color black) then rear vent stove out front to meet the clearances from the existing mantle / wood work?