Modern stove installation, but in a 5 feet basement (ceiling height)...?

[Lemayilleyr]

We're upgrading the wood stove with something newer and more efficient. We currently rent our place with buying option. It’s a 105 year old house, two storey and not well insulated(but will be in the future).


We know a new chimney was installed 5 years ago. Appears to be 7” with 2” insulation -There’s nearly 4(Edit: not 4 but 2) foot of it inside the house going through the wall. But the stove is very old and unmanageable.


In the basement, there’s 5 feet clearance between the concrete floor and the joist (wood log beams) and almost 6’ between those floors. There’s currently a small (maybe 1/2” thick) sheet above the stove. I guess that act as a heat shield.


We’re thinking about getting the Quadra-Fire Adventure II ((broken link removed to http://www.quadrafire.com/Products/Adventure-II-Wood-Stove.aspx?page=Specifications)). But whatever I look at, they all seem to require at least 48” clearance between the top of the stove and the ceiling. Which isn’t possible in my situation.


Should I be worried? Or is this normal and a none-issue?

Edit::album

 

[jatoxico]

You most definitely should honor all clearances. That 105 y/o wood won't need much to go up. Whether you could heat shield above IDK, I'm sure it's technically possible but I wonder what the manufacturer would say as well as your insurer.

To be clear are you saying that once a stove is installed you'll have something like 2' of clearance to the joist? Horsing wood down to the that basement all hunched over sounds unpleasant at best.

Couple things; unless the basement is insulated you may have a tough time getting any usable heat out of the stove since the walls will act as endless heat sinks. Getting warm air out of the basement to the living space can be problematic even when the walls are insulated. Considering the unusual install why not put the stove where you spend the most time? That's the best way to ensure you'll have heat where you want it.

 

[kennyp2339]

What about a nice tin / tin replica ceiling shield out on 1" spacers to allow air movement between the beams? 6'x6'

 

[Highbeam]

To be clear are you saying that once a stove is installed you'll have something like 2' of clearance to the joist? Horsing wood down to the that basement all hunched over sounds unpleasant at best.

I agree. Unsafe and unpleasant to put a stove down in this crawlspace. How about hammering out the floor and lowering it another 3 feet?

 

[begreen]

The stove needs 42" from stove top to ceiling. I'd plug the basement hole and tap a new one on the first floor. The new Quad is expensive and nice to look at. Put the stove where you can actually enjoy it, on the first floor. You will love the fire view and be able to enjoy the bone warming radiant heat while warming your buns in front of the stove.

 

[Lemayilleyr]

I've added some pictures to my original post. Not sure if you can get anything out of them... (album)

You most definitely should honor all clearances. That 105 y/o wood won't need much to go up. Whether you could heat shield above IDK, I'm sure it's technically possible but I wonder what the manufacturer would say as well as your insurer.

To be clear are you saying that once a stove is installed you'll have something like 2' of clearance to the joist? Horsing wood down to the that basement all hunched over sounds unpleasant at best.

Couple things; unless the basement is insulated you may have a tough time getting any usable heat out of the stove since the walls will act as endless heat sinks. Getting warm air out of the basement to the living space can be problematic even when the walls are insulated. Considering the unusual install why not put the stove where you spend the most time? That's the best way to ensure you'll have heat where you want it.

Althought the old stove is crap, we did manage to get some heat. Thing is that not only is the house not well insulated, but there's no air circulation. So only have of the house really got heat from the stove, the other half we had to use electric.

What about a nice tin / tin replica ceiling shield out on 1" spacers to allow air movement between the beams? 6'x6'

While it's not Tin/Tin replica, it apear that the heat shield I talked about in my original post is screwed into 1" spacers.

I agree. Unsafe and unpleasant to put a stove down in this crawlspace. How about hammering out the floor and lowering it another 3 feet?

Future plan is to either: lift the house up to have a full size basement - or - build an extension to the house which would have a full size basement. But we're talking 10+ years from now...

The stove needs 42" from stove top to ceiling. I'd plug the basement hole and tap a new one on the first floor. The new Quad is expensive and nice to look at. Put the stove where you can actually enjoy it, on the first floor. You will love the fire view and be able to enjoy the bone warming radiant heat while warming your buns in front of the stove.

Not really an option... the kitchen is above the chimney location. Worth to mention that we don't care much about the look/view. We just want to save on electricity as much as possible. So maybe the Adventure II is over doing it? I really like the idea of thermostat control and longer burn time so that I don't lose my fire over night. We had terrible cases of back draft last year when the fire ran out at night and it was very cold the next day.

 

[begreen]

I think you will be hard pressed to find a stove that works well and legally in this circumstance. I was going to suggest a cat stove but the poor draft & low ceiling are working against you. By putting the stove upstairs the heating benefits will be greatly enhanced, even if it requires a new chimney.

Regarding the draft issue. Does the chimney have a stainless steel liner sized to the stove in it?

 

[Lemayilleyr]

I think you will be hard pressed to find a stove that works well and legally in this circumstance. I was going to suggest a cat stove but the poor draft & low ceiling are working against you. By putting the stove upstairs the heating benefits will be greatly enhanced, even if it requires a new chimney.

Regarding the draft issue. Does the chimney have a stainless steel liner sized to the stove in it?

I've booked and appointment with a "certified professional" from an association that covers our region. They will inspect our setup and tell us if it can accommodate a new stove.

As for the chimney liner - first I'm not sure I understand what you mean, but based on good pictures I don't think there's one. I remember last year when we (tried) to look inside the chimney... and I can almost guarantee there's no "liner". At least not in the horizontal part.

 

[Mainely Saws]

Is the 42" height above the stove to ceiling pretty standard ? I have a very similar circumstance that I wanted to put an Englander 30-NC just to warm up the cellar a bit during very cold temps . There is an existing interior brick chimney that is unused . Total distance from concrete floor to the bottom of the joists is about 6 ft .

 

[begreen]

I've booked and appointment with a "certified professional" from an association that covers our region. They will inspect our setup and tell us if it can accommodate a new stove.

As for the chimney liner - first I'm not sure I understand what you mean, but based on good pictures I don't think there's one. I remember last year when we (tried) to look inside the chimney... and I can almost guarantee there's no "liner". At least not in the horizontal part.

Lack of chimney liner can be the draft and also a safety issue, especially if the chimney has no tile liner, but also if the chimney cross section is too large for the stove.

 

[begreen]

Is the 42" height above the stove to ceiling pretty standard ? I have a very similar circumstance that I wanted to put an Englander 30-NC just to warm up the cellar a bit during very cold temps . There is an existing interior brick chimney that is unused . Total distance from concrete floor to the bottom of the joists is about 6 ft .

7ft ceiling is often the minimum standard for wood stoves.

 

[Lemayilleyr]

What do you guys think of this? (broken link removed to http://www.drolet.ca/en/service-support/faq) > "Is it possible to reduce the minimum clearances to combustible materials?"



Based on that, I could reduce the clearance requirement by 50%. Which might make things fit for my case.

 

[Lemayilleyr]

Lack of chimney liner can be the draft and also a safety issue, especially if the chimney has no tile liner, but also if the chimney cross section is too large for the stove.

I'm not sure I understand. Are you saying this specifically for my case (after looking at the pictures, chimney and stove size) or generally speaking?

 

[BCC_Burner]

What a terrible, terrible place for a wood stove. If it were me I would rip it all out and relocate the stove so it was more centered in the home and on the first floor.

 

[jatoxico]

What a terrible, terrible place for a wood stove. If it were me I would rip it all out and relocate the stove so it was more centered in the home and on the first floor.

I really have to agree. It looks like there is an old coal chute nearby (?) which is probably why they did what they did in putting the stove there. But the penetration through the wall is leaking which isn't helping the house and while you might get some heat it will be nowhere near what you really could achieve by having the stove upstairs.

Consider taking a step back and starting over. Seal the penetration through the basement wall. If that chimney pipe is in good shape and the right size it will be reusable which will save some money. If not it needs to be replaced anyway. Pick a good spot in the house and put the stove where it will do the most good. You may be able to get a smaller sized unit than you would need for a basement install which will be cheaper, provide more heat where you need it and save wood, all while being safer and more comfortable.

 

[begreen]

This metal chimney is not permanent like a brick chimney. It could be relocated if there a place on the first floor where a stove could be located.

The problem with the current situation is that the cement board is not on 1" non-combustible spacers and it is a very radiant stove. The uninsulated walls are sucking a lot of heat into the earth so the stove has to be run harder. I wouldn't have this setup in my house, but you need to decide what works for you. First fly it by your insurance company and local inspecting authority.

 

[therdlesstravld]

You need to weigh out the pros and cons of installing a new stove there.

Cons-

-the chimney isn't lined you will really want a liner therefore $$$ spent
- head room is a serious issue. Do you really want to deal with that for the life of your stove?
- combustibles issue, self explanatory it isn't safe
- basement install which wasnt heating one wing of your home

Pros- are there any truly?

If I were in your shoes id take the money that I would spend on a liner for the chimney and put the stove exactly where I want it and run a class A chimney up and out. Figure a nice centrally located place where the pipe will exit near the peak of the roof and where you can more easily heat your whole home. Write that old chimney off man theres too many negatives to that current placement.