Need help with a wood stove, please
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OK. So, here is my problem. The side of my house is pictured above. I want to put a woodstove in my basement and run the chimney out the basement window. I want to remove the glass in the casement windows and replace it with metal. I want to put a 6 inch hole through one of the metal plates and run the chimney up the side of the house.
As you can see, both of the basement windows have an upstairs window directly above the casement windows below. So, I will have to come up from the woodstove, put a 30 degree bend in the chimney to get out of the window and once I get outside, I will have to put two more 30 degree bends in the chimney to get up around the window. I want to come up from the basement window on the right, and run it up alongside the left side of the window (on the right) and go 2 feet above the peak of the house. The large grey cable going up the middle of the house is the main electrical feed to the meter. (Hidden by the bush)
I will have to move the smaller black DIRECTV cable and box that goes up to the satellite dish. My questions are: The total height of the chimney will be about 22 feet from the top of the woodstove to the top of the chimney- so, will it hurt to have the three bends in the chimney to get it up to the top of the chimney? What type of chimney should I use for the woodstove if the stove has a 6 inch diameter chimney? I have about three cords of firewood in my yard, so I do not want a pellet stove. Do you think this system will work the way I am planning it? Thanks for any suggestions and help.
As you can see, both of the basement windows have an upstairs window directly above the casement windows below. So, I will have to come up from the woodstove, put a 30 degree bend in the chimney to get out of the window and once I get outside, I will have to put two more 30 degree bends in the chimney to get up around the window. I want to come up from the basement window on the right, and run it up alongside the left side of the window (on the right) and go 2 feet above the peak of the house. The large grey cable going up the middle of the house is the main electrical feed to the meter. (Hidden by the bush)
I will have to move the smaller black DIRECTV cable and box that goes up to the satellite dish. My questions are: The total height of the chimney will be about 22 feet from the top of the woodstove to the top of the chimney- so, will it hurt to have the three bends in the chimney to get it up to the top of the chimney? What type of chimney should I use for the woodstove if the stove has a 6 inch diameter chimney? I have about three cords of firewood in my yard, so I do not want a pellet stove. Do you think this system will work the way I am planning it? Thanks for any suggestions and help.
In general, a tall chimney is good for draft. I don't know about that as I've never run one outside before. I hope it doesn't require triple wall stainless for weather durability. That would be a most expensive install
Welcome to the forum Jim.
Tall chimney is great but this one does not sound so good. Question: how are you going to clean the chimney?
With that height the bends should be no problem for drafting. An insulated 6" SS chimney will work fine and you should not need a chase either. Our SS runs up the side of the house and we have no problems with it. As the flue goes out, it goes into a tee. For cleaning, we can just remove the bottom cap from the tee and run a brush up. But again, cleaning a chimney like you are suggesting can pose a bit of a problem.
In addition, is your basement insulated? Just cement or blocks, that will soak up most of the heat you will get from the stove. How is the warm air to get upstairs? Do you really want to be going up and down the stairs loading the stove and emptying ashes? How will you get the wood down into the basement?
Now about that wood you have on hand. 3 cord. Is this full cord or face cord? What kind of wood is it? Has it been split and stacked? If not, then it will probably not be ready to burn this fall or winter. Also do not expect to buy wood because although they will tell you it is ready to burn, there is about a 99% chance it will not be ready. So make certain you have good fuel before putting money into stove and chimney.
Good luck.
Tall chimney is great but this one does not sound so good. Question: how are you going to clean the chimney?
With that height the bends should be no problem for drafting. An insulated 6" SS chimney will work fine and you should not need a chase either. Our SS runs up the side of the house and we have no problems with it. As the flue goes out, it goes into a tee. For cleaning, we can just remove the bottom cap from the tee and run a brush up. But again, cleaning a chimney like you are suggesting can pose a bit of a problem.
In addition, is your basement insulated? Just cement or blocks, that will soak up most of the heat you will get from the stove. How is the warm air to get upstairs? Do you really want to be going up and down the stairs loading the stove and emptying ashes? How will you get the wood down into the basement?
Now about that wood you have on hand. 3 cord. Is this full cord or face cord? What kind of wood is it? Has it been split and stacked? If not, then it will probably not be ready to burn this fall or winter. Also do not expect to buy wood because although they will tell you it is ready to burn, there is about a 99% chance it will not be ready. So make certain you have good fuel before putting money into stove and chimney.
Good luck.
Not saying it's such a great idea, but look closely at the system you intend to buy. Some manufacturers do not permit outside installation of elbows.
Dennis also brings up some good points. Basement installs aren't usually ideal for heating the whole house. Insulation is important, as well as getting the heat upstairs. If you don't have a walkout, or at least an outside entrance with Bilco doors or something similar, it's a real PITA getting wood in. Plus, up and down the steps all the time. I did it for a few years with a wood furnace, and I can tell you, the stove in the living room is a beautiful thing.
Dennis also brings up some good points. Basement installs aren't usually ideal for heating the whole house. Insulation is important, as well as getting the heat upstairs. If you don't have a walkout, or at least an outside entrance with Bilco doors or something similar, it's a real PITA getting wood in. Plus, up and down the steps all the time. I did it for a few years with a wood furnace, and I can tell you, the stove in the living room is a beautiful thing.
BTW, what stove are you considering? Where are you? How big is your house? Are you wanting to heat the whole place, or just the basement? Weekends and evenings, or 24/7?
Feel free to provide more info. Plenty of folks here wanting to help. Middle of the summer, so we need some kind of fix.
Feel free to provide more info. Plenty of folks here wanting to help. Middle of the summer, so we need some kind of fix.
Ashful
Minister of Fire
Welcome to the forum!
In addition to the great questions already posted, I'd also be concerned with how you're maintaining clearances to that pipe, if coming out of one of those small basement windows. Might be too close to the floor above, etc.
I'm talking real general numbers here (no need to chime in if you've paid more or less), but:
3 face cords of wood = $200
3 full cords of wood = $600
New EPA rated stove = $2000 - $5000 installed
I'm obviously a wood stove fan, and can appreciate if you are as well, but I would not base my choice of wood stove versus any other means based solely on having 3 cords of wood stacked in the yard. You can go thru that (and more) in a year, and then what? The advantages of a wood stove are too many to mention here, but make sure you're getting what you want for the long haul, not because you have a few months worth of fuel on hand.
Listen to the smart folks here. They've already made me less an idiot than I was.
In addition to the great questions already posted, I'd also be concerned with how you're maintaining clearances to that pipe, if coming out of one of those small basement windows. Might be too close to the floor above, etc.
I'm talking real general numbers here (no need to chime in if you've paid more or less), but:
3 face cords of wood = $200
3 full cords of wood = $600
New EPA rated stove = $2000 - $5000 installed
I'm obviously a wood stove fan, and can appreciate if you are as well, but I would not base my choice of wood stove versus any other means based solely on having 3 cords of wood stacked in the yard. You can go thru that (and more) in a year, and then what? The advantages of a wood stove are too many to mention here, but make sure you're getting what you want for the long haul, not because you have a few months worth of fuel on hand.
Listen to the smart folks here. They've already made me less an idiot than I was.
Gonna have to be Double wall inside for the clearance. You dont have the 18" needed for single wall..
Why not just punch a hole through the block and go straight up???
I agree with the statements made on basement heating.. Your gonna need good insulation. A Big stove. And good air movement (without poking holes in your floor / thats a code violation in most places) .
What stove are you looking at? What brand of Class A? How big is your house (total sq ft/ including both up and downstairs)??
Why not just punch a hole through the block and go straight up???
I agree with the statements made on basement heating.. Your gonna need good insulation. A Big stove. And good air movement (without poking holes in your floor / thats a code violation in most places) .
What stove are you looking at? What brand of Class A? How big is your house (total sq ft/ including both up and downstairs)??
Hi Jim, welcome to the forums !!
Question ... why can't the stove go on the main floor?
Just asking
Question ... why can't the stove go on the main floor?
Just asking
Locust Post
Minister of Fire
Welcome Jim,
Lots of great guys on here and safety is always on our minds. Lots of things already mentioned to consider. Without knowing exactly what your set up is in the basement I do think it would be much better to go through the block than fooling with the window. Might want to compare what a block chimney with a stainless liner would cost compared to other options. Also do not know if you will be doing all yourself or not.
Lots of great guys on here and safety is always on our minds. Lots of things already mentioned to consider. Without knowing exactly what your set up is in the basement I do think it would be much better to go through the block than fooling with the window. Might want to compare what a block chimney with a stainless liner would cost compared to other options. Also do not know if you will be doing all yourself or not.
In answering questions: My basement is finished in 1950s tongue and groove knotty pine. It is my family room where I spend most of my time watching TV. I thought I could get the heat upstairs through the registers. I have been using a kerosene heater the past twenty years and I would put it at the bottom of the basement steps and the heat always went up the stairs and about half way back through the house. My house is not that big. I could also turn the furnace (only) fan on and circulate the heat through the house.
I would rather not cut a hole through the cement wall foundation wall. I would have to cut through the pine wall and if I ever decided to take the stove out, I would have to plug the 6 inch hole in the top of the wall. And there is not that much room between the aluminum siding and the ground. Plus there is no where to go out that would work all that well. So, I would rather go out of the window. I would probably still have to zig zag around the objects whether I cut a hole in the wall or not.
The wood I have is a mixture of wood- oak, maple and sycamore that is one to two years old. I also have a lot of large (2 inch) lilac and honeysuckle limbs to burn. Plus, this past March, I cut down a 60 year old Honeylocust tree in the yard. It is cut and stacked, but I have not split it yet. So, I probably have at least one+ cords of wood that I could burn right now. I could burn at least one of them before I get to the Honeylocust if it isn't ready to burn by December. I have so many trees in my yard, I give away about a cord of wood every year to people. They burn it. I just can't see not using it myself somehow.
I would hate to put the stove upstairs on the main floor and run the chimney through the house. I just put a new roof on the house a couple of years ago and I don't want to punch a hole in my new roof. Again, if I decide to go without the stove after a few years, then I'd have a chimney and a hole through my roof. And I really don't have an appropriate wall to put the chimney in front of.
I won't mind taking wood downstairs. I had a fireplace in another home years ago and it was in the basement. The heat went upstairs there with no problems.
I like the wood stoves that they have at Menard's. They run around $600- $1000.00 for the free standing ones. I wouldn't really want one that big. I just put in a new electric furnace a couple of years ago, so I just thought the wood stove would help heat the house and keep my basement/family room warm. I mainly just want one because I have so much free wood every year and I am tired of giving it away.
I would rather not cut a hole through the cement wall foundation wall. I would have to cut through the pine wall and if I ever decided to take the stove out, I would have to plug the 6 inch hole in the top of the wall. And there is not that much room between the aluminum siding and the ground. Plus there is no where to go out that would work all that well. So, I would rather go out of the window. I would probably still have to zig zag around the objects whether I cut a hole in the wall or not.
The wood I have is a mixture of wood- oak, maple and sycamore that is one to two years old. I also have a lot of large (2 inch) lilac and honeysuckle limbs to burn. Plus, this past March, I cut down a 60 year old Honeylocust tree in the yard. It is cut and stacked, but I have not split it yet. So, I probably have at least one+ cords of wood that I could burn right now. I could burn at least one of them before I get to the Honeylocust if it isn't ready to burn by December. I have so many trees in my yard, I give away about a cord of wood every year to people. They burn it. I just can't see not using it myself somehow.
I would hate to put the stove upstairs on the main floor and run the chimney through the house. I just put a new roof on the house a couple of years ago and I don't want to punch a hole in my new roof. Again, if I decide to go without the stove after a few years, then I'd have a chimney and a hole through my roof. And I really don't have an appropriate wall to put the chimney in front of.
I won't mind taking wood downstairs. I had a fireplace in another home years ago and it was in the basement. The heat went upstairs there with no problems.
I like the wood stoves that they have at Menard's. They run around $600- $1000.00 for the free standing ones. I wouldn't really want one that big. I just put in a new electric furnace a couple of years ago, so I just thought the wood stove would help heat the house and keep my basement/family room warm. I mainly just want one because I have so much free wood every year and I am tired of giving it away.
Also, I would be putting everything in myself. And I would probably be using the stainless chimney if that would be best. I am located between Cincinnati and Dayton Ohio in southwest Ohio. My house isn't that big. The upstairs is probably only 8-900 square feet or so- not counting the finished basement. Also, if I cut a hole in the wall, I still won't be able to go straight up. I would still have to go around the electric meter or a window. Below the window on the left, there is a bar and cabinets. And above the window toward the front- there is the satelite dish. I can't go out through the left window and the back of the house because that is the unfinished part of the basement. And there is no room back there for a wood stove. So, if I drilled through the wall, I would have to go out betwen the window on the right and the front of the house. That would look funny with the chimney going up so high right there and sticking up. So, that probably won't work. Going through the left pane in the window on the right is about my only option. Also, the foundation wall in the basement is solid concrete- not block. If I need to clean it, why couldn't I just take the chimney down and clean it every few years? It doesn't seem like it would be all that hard to do that? So, what do you think?.......LOL!!
I have no knowledge of outdoor chimneys like that, but I do know it is preferable to have an inside chimney for draft purposes as the pipe stays warmer and it is nice to have that pipe radiate through the house. I get a fair amount of heat in the upstairs storage room being radiated off of triple wall when it's really burning sustained hot fires. I'm not sure how much heat that gives the upstairs where the pipe passes through, but it is giving heat. If you are thinking about paying someone to do the work, get a quote on that chimney system as you've proposed. I think it might be a little surprising how much exterior pipe would cost on that run. I have double wall for the first 10 feet and then another 14 foot of Class A triple wall. It was $1500 for the pipe. So with a $1200 used stove, $700 install, and $1500 for pipe, it cost about $3400. Not too cheap and only something I did because I love burning wood. My bldg was constructed in 2005, so my roof was 5 years old. I have never had any leaks as a result of putting this in 2 years ago. From what I can tell, I did not shorten the useful life of that roof any. It sounds like a basement install is preferable as you spend your leisure time there and you will be fooling with it all day long. Even when you have a good burn going, there is a tendency to fidget with it or do other activities such as bringing more wood in, feeding it, repositioning the logs, etc. You'll want to be close by...and there is the natural beauty of a wood fire which you will appreciate all day long. Call Woodland Direct or Woodheat Stoves.com and get a consultation over the phone. The stoves can be relatively cheap. The pipe is not.
I have a gas stove at home in my basement and the short run of pipe terminates on the other side of the glass block. Ther might be 7 or eight feet of double wall and there's a stainless termination cap on the outside with no run up the side of the house. That was Duravent brand and it was $800. As I said, pipe is not cheap, so get some quotes early on. That will affect your plan for most people.
I have a gas stove at home in my basement and the short run of pipe terminates on the other side of the glass block. Ther might be 7 or eight feet of double wall and there's a stainless termination cap on the outside with no run up the side of the house. That was Duravent brand and it was $800. As I said, pipe is not cheap, so get some quotes early on. That will affect your plan for most people.
The 1st year or two of burning with a stove. The chimney should at least be visually inspected monthly, and/or swept....
As for the wood. Most species do well with a year of seasoning (drying). But the seasoning starts, when the wood is split and stacked. Wood not split does not dry through the ends and also wood thrown in a heap (pile) gets no air flow...
As for the stove? Do you know exactly what model you were looking at? Home Depot and Lowes carry the Englander brand and there stoves can be had for pretty. There also very good heaters. The NC-13 (just under 2 cu ft) and the NC-30 (3.5 cu ft firebox/ Beast!!) Are there 2 most popular models here.
The wood you have may not he ideal this year, but get as much as you can now and next year will be that much better. Honey Locust is some Primo firewood. I would get to splitting yours ASAP and if possible, holding out till next year to burn it and the Oak (Oak takes 2-3 yrs split to properly season).
As for the bends? I have an external Class A chimney, thats 18' (outside length) and drafts very well. That said, in my installation manual. It stated where and where not bends were acceptable and also gave offset lengths and what angles to use with them. (Also the allowable # of angles...) The more angles that are needed, the more your draft wil suffer.
Patching a hole isnt all that hard and of your really serious about the wood thing. . . .
Then its only gonna get worse. Pretty soon you will be staring at all the woodpiles in your area, obsessing over chainsaws, and possibly looking for a bigger stove for the next season 
..... That hole in the will never have to be filled, with anything other than the stove pipe.Welcome to the Forum. Bunch of good people here willing to help out. I installed my NC-30 last year... Lots of help. Lots.. If you have questions, they have answers (a few different opinions, but thats what makes this the best site on the interweb
)
Why don't you get a stove installer out to the house for an estimate and some ideas. He may have some insight into how far away you need to be from the electrical system. I suspect the sizing may be a little tricky too. See what he says about going out the window. I paid $600 to have my stove installed and that included them picking up the stove and delivering it. This whole out the window thing is kinda different. I cut a while in my house and I put a tall chimney up. Safety and functionality were my two considerations. If I ever move the stove will stay and I will get another one. Initially cosmetic appeal was considered, but wood stoves are generally not the prettiest piece of furniture.
Good idea about talking with a few stove shops and installers. There are some details that need clarification. Having professional eyes-on-site evaluation would be helpful and prudent. Some concerns I would have for example are:
* The exterior hole through the metal will need to be 12" for a 6" stove pipe due to the insulation on the class A tee and required 2" clearances. 6" is the pipe ID, 8" is the OD. How tall is the basement window? Is there adequate total clearance?
*The interior connecting pipe will need to be double wall and have at least 8" clearance from the ceiling.
*The clean out at the bottom of the tee will be virtually inaccessible due to the below grade location.
* The overall height will be on the low side, when combined with the 2 90 deg turns and basement location. It may make the stove balky to start and/or spill smoke when the door is opened. This will be worse if there is negative pressure there.
*Check with a local electrician about the clearances needed from the chimney to the incoming electrical power strike at the roof peak.
*If the stove location is in a place with a lot of nearby wood, you may want a stove with close clearances. Some cheaper stoves lack rear and side shielding as standard.
* How large is the stove room and does it have direct access to the basement stairway? If not, the room may overheat easily.
Is there any option to put the stove on the opposite side of the basement to get around the window issue and proximity to the electrical strike?
* The exterior hole through the metal will need to be 12" for a 6" stove pipe due to the insulation on the class A tee and required 2" clearances. 6" is the pipe ID, 8" is the OD. How tall is the basement window? Is there adequate total clearance?
*The interior connecting pipe will need to be double wall and have at least 8" clearance from the ceiling.
*The clean out at the bottom of the tee will be virtually inaccessible due to the below grade location.
* The overall height will be on the low side, when combined with the 2 90 deg turns and basement location. It may make the stove balky to start and/or spill smoke when the door is opened. This will be worse if there is negative pressure there.
*Check with a local electrician about the clearances needed from the chimney to the incoming electrical power strike at the roof peak.
*If the stove location is in a place with a lot of nearby wood, you may want a stove with close clearances. Some cheaper stoves lack rear and side shielding as standard.
* How large is the stove room and does it have direct access to the basement stairway? If not, the room may overheat easily.
Is there any option to put the stove on the opposite side of the basement to get around the window issue and proximity to the electrical strike?
Jim, you've gotten some great suggestions from others. I'll make one more. As you know, hearth.com has several forums. We will gladly welcome you the the Wood Shed. In that forum you will find much information concerning firewood and the guys will willingly help.
I guess it doesn't look like I'll be able to have one. Too many problems, I guess. I don't want it upstairs on the main floor. I'd have to drag wood through the house and drop it all over the carpeting and that would be a nasty mess. The floor in the basement is tile so it would not hurt to have it there- easy clean up. I have at least a cord of wood sitting there right now that has been there for two years. If I don't get it burnt, it will be rotting soon. I guess I'll just have to make a firepit out in the yard and burn it out there. Thanks again for your help. I really appreciate it.
You can still have one it just won't be the way you were thinking it would be before you started your quest. This happens with a lot of us when we started out. Can you post a floor plan of the main floor and the basement, I'm sure between the bunch of us we can figure something out. I had a Lopi Endeavor before my current stove and it has a small foot print, the rear clearance on it's only a touch over 4 inches. It allows for a nice install while eating up minimal floor space. Plenty of others with similar rear clearances.
As for the mess upstairs it's not nearly as bad as you think it will be. I knock the wood off before loading it into a tote to bring inside then place it in a large rubbermaid container near the stove. I could even create less of a mess if I wanted but it's really not bad the way it is.
Great stuff and if I can add one more detail, stove in basement is gonna need air for complete combustion. Most basements are pretty air tight, I feel you would need an OAK or a window cracked to accomplish.
If you look at the basement window on the left, it has an exhaust fan in it. So, there should not be any air problems.
No, The rear and the other end of the house is unfinished and closed off with the walls from the family room. The heat would never get through to the rest of the house.
I would dig another window well specifically for the t-connector. Put it in the middle, punch the hole through the masonry and pine, run the pipe out the wall and straight up. My old set up had a couple 30 degree elbows to avoid the roof overhang. Cleaning meant breaking down the pipe. Not reasonable for me. Put a window well in for the cleanout so there is clearance under the cleanout for a catch pan. As far as air goes, both for combution and circulation, don't worry about it. I have mine in the basement. The air circulates via heat movement. I leave the door to the basement ajar and there is a constant air flow up and down the stairway. You will have to heat the basement up before there is a real in the upstairs temps, but the basement will radiate heat upwards once it is up to temp. Helps carry temps when you can't be there to add wood.
You will benefit from the stove being in the basement from a draft standpoint. The extra length of pipe required will help get over the 20 foot of pipe you really need to obtain good draft. Having the pipe in line with the roof peak will look the best too. You only need to go 2 or 3 feet above the peak for code, so the pipe that extends above the roof line is minimized by having the pipe at the peak when it bypasses the roof line.
You will benefit from the stove being in the basement from a draft standpoint. The extra length of pipe required will help get over the 20 foot of pipe you really need to obtain good draft. Having the pipe in line with the roof peak will look the best too. You only need to go 2 or 3 feet above the peak for code, so the pipe that extends above the roof line is minimized by having the pipe at the peak when it bypasses the roof line.
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