New pellet stove, old chimney

[roberth]

Great site! I run a forum myself (about hunting) and I have enjoyed reading the posts here. Very informative...

Maybe too informative as I am finding out my mistakes

I just purchased a new pellet / corn stove (US Stove Co mod 1641) and while I thought I had done some good research, it looks like I missed one major area.

I live in a 115 year old home and was intending on just venting the stove up an existing chimney. This chimney is just an old brick and morter chimney with no liner and actually has a firebox in the dining room and in the bedroom sharing the same chimney. These fireboxes had been closed off (not the chimney, just the fireplace) and had old space heaters there. I was intending to put the new pellet stove in the dining room, leave the bedroom fireplace sealed up and run about 10 feet of 3 in pipe from the stove up the chimney from the dining room side.

Is this enough? is 3 in big enough? 10 ft of pipe would leave about 10 more foot of bare chimney until the smoke left the chimney.

all advice will be appreciated....

 

[LIpelletpig]

Most pellet stove manufacturers recommend a 4" vent pipe up the chimney and it should go the full length of the chimney. I have an insert and Harman says 4" for the insert.

 

[imacman]

.....I just purchased a new pellet / corn stove (US Stove Co mod 1641) and while I thought I had done some good research, it looks like I missed one major area.

I live in a 115 year old home and was intending on just venting the stove up an existing chimney. This chimney is just an old brick and morter chimney with no liner and actually has a firebox in the dining room and in the bedroom sharing the same chimney. These fireboxes had been closed off (not the chimney, just the fireplace) and had old space heaters there. I was intending to put the new pellet stove in the dining room, leave the bedroom fireplace sealed up and run about 10 feet of 3 in pipe from the stove up the chimney from the dining room side.

Is this enough? is 3 in big enough? 10 ft of pipe would leave about 10 more foot of bare chimney until the smoke left the chimney.

all advice will be appreciated....

Welcome to the forum roberth. Is it possible that you mean a Model 6041? There is no 1641 multi fuel model listed on the US Stove site.

If so, did you get the freestanding model or insert?

Insert have to use 4" as Medreach mentioned. Regardless of what size liner you use, it must go all the way to the top, and have a cap.

 

[roberth]

it was the 6041... sorry about that.. and it is a freestanding and not an insert. So.. why all the way up and why a cap? Not doubting, just trying to learn...

Which is better? 4" or 3"?

 

[imacman]

it was the 6041... sorry about that.. and it is a freestanding and not an insert

OK, so given that the chimney is about 20', if you use the freestanding in the fireplace opening, you'll need to extend the flue out the stove back (2-3' ?), then put a clean-out T hooked to the liner tubing. Based upon that "guestimate", I'd say your EVL is at least 17 (probably more), so you'll need to go to 4" pipe as Medreach mentioned.

One question: if you knew you were going to do the install into a firplace opening, why didn't you get an insert?

 

[roberth]

This particular fireplace is very very small. Its like 20" wide X 20" tall X 18" deep. I guess it was made for just a small fire to warm a small room. I have sinced removed several walls and made a room 40' X 20' thus the pellet stove.

 

[imacman]

OK, IC, just wondered.

 

[roberth]

After reading a lot of stuff here, I am hoping I did not make a bad decision. Down here in the south, these stoves are basically unheard of. I know of no one down here who has one and that was why it took us two years before we finally decided to buy one. My wife's best friend in Vermont has one and thats what got us to thinking about it. I live way out in the country and our gas and power rates are through the roof. We are hoping this will help. I knew there were good and bad comments made about pellet stoves but somehow in all that I missed the whole chimney thing. Now I have a new stove sitting in the dining room waiting on me to figgure out this chimney thing.......

And all in the middle of deer season

 

[imacman]

Now I have a new stove sitting in the dining room waiting on me to figgure out this chimney thing.......

Basically, follow the recommendations that are in your owners manual for the exhaust. From what I saw, pay attention to P. 10, and the install layout shown on P.16 at the top.

 

[timbo]

Roberth,

Welcome to the forum...I got no hunting in this year due to other time constraints...one was installing a stand alone pellet stove this fall. I have a fieldstone fireplace / 20' chimney and I lined it with a 4 inch stainless steel flex liner. It's expensive, but no where near as expensive as a house fire. You really need to take it all the way to the top (helps with draft) plus definitely cover it with a cap...My chimney liner kit came with one...the cap keeps flying critters out and also rain/snow, etc....the stove doesn't really like water running down into it...

good luck!

 

[imacman]

......I have a fieldstone fireplace / 20' chimney and I lined it with a 4 inch stainless steel flex liner. It's expensive, but no where near as expensive as a house fire. You really need to take it all the way to the top (helps with draft) plus definitely cover it with a cap...the cap keeps flying critters out and also rain/snow, etc....the stove doesn't really like water running down into it......

Yep, I agree w/ timbo 100%.....don't take a chance.

If you want to order the liner & cap, these are good people to deal with. Kinsman Stoves does mail order, call & ask for Eric....he is a good guy & forum member.

http://kinsmanstoves.com

Another good place to deal with is Dynamite Buys:

www.dynamitebuys.com/store/cart.php?m=product_list&c=45

EDIT: Don't forget to get a 3" ---> 4" appliance adapter and the cleanout T

 

[Bkins]

This is another place to get a liner. http://cgi.ebay.com/4-X-25-Stainles...emQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item53de8a15a4

 

[Xena]

The guys are giving you good advice. Follow your manual and go
all the way up with your vent. I've got a free standing stove
in front of the fireplace which we vented all the way up to the top.
We used a 3" appliance adapter from the stove into a 1ft 3" piece
of simpson duravent - into a cleanout T that has a 3" inlet, with a 4" outlet,
into 16 ft of 4" ss flex pipe, to the top connected to a rain cap.
The top cap came with a plate to block off the top of the flue, but
allows the flex pipe to come up through it. Some pictures below for you.

Oh and Macman, I knew I was installing mine in front of the fireplace
and went with the free standing because at the time it was $1200 less
than any insert I could find around here. Five years later, no regrets.

 

[roberth]

you guys have been great! Thanks for the pics as that has helped a lot!

 

[tjnamtiw]

I have two inserts and live in Georgia, so you and I might be the only pellet users in the South ) Not really but people DO look at me kind of funny until I tell them that their electric rates to run their heat pumps next winter after Cap and Trade will, in Obama-man's own words, skyrocket, they start thinking............... My inserts both run 17' of 3" flex liner and have the same cap as shown in the pictures.
I also make deer and duck calls but I'm almost sold out for the Christmas (am I allowed to say that?) season. www.pensandcalls.com

 

[roberth]

my friends think I am nuts but they all want to see it once its in

 

[roberth]

TJ... does the heater work well with our humid winters? I am still a little unsure of my decision to buy a pellet stove with all of the problems you hear about but i am hoping for a good result.

 

[tjnamtiw]

TJ... does the heater work well with our humid winters? I am still a little unsure of my decision to buy a pellet stove with all of the problems you hear about but i am hoping for a good result.

This is my first winter for them so I'm giving them a good run to make sure I understand them and can service them, if need be. Besides a couple of auger jams, they are purring along and give a nice steady heat like a coal fire. I have two heat pumps that I will end up using when the temps above 50 where they are more efficient but then use the pellet stoves for colder temps. That's plan A. )

There is very little cleanup required. The daily cleaning takes about 5 minutes max. Scrape the pot, use a .30 caliber bore brush on the holes, and pull the ash dump handle and we're done. Biggest thing is to wait until it cools down enough to get in there. With the low ash pellets I'm burning (Rockwood), I could go a couple of days, and have, without cleaning. The monthly cleaning takes about 10 minutes. No problem at all compared to the mess of feeding two wood burning inserts that I had before. Too old for that crap although I have 3 acres of oak out back.

AND my wife likes them, which is a REAL plus

 

[imacman]

.....Oh and Macman, I knew I was installing mine in front of the fireplace
and went with the free standing because at the time it was $1200 less than any insert I could find around here. Five years later, no regrets.

Yep Xena, for a savings of $1200, I would have done the same thing.

 

[imacman]

.....after Cap and Trade will, in Obama-man's own words, skyrocket, they start thinking............... Christmas (am I allowed to say that?) season.......

tjnamtiw, don't EVEN get me going on those subjects......this thread would end-up in the Ash can forum, for sure. >:-(

 

[tjnamtiw]

.....after Cap and Trade will, in Obama-man's own words, skyrocket, they start thinking............... Christmas (am I allowed to say that?) season.......

tjnamtiw, don't EVEN get me going on those subjects......this thread would end-up in the Ash can forum, for sure. >:-(

Yea, you're right, macman. Better to save it for our epitaph on our gravestone.

 

[imacman]

.....after Cap and Trade will, in Obama-man's own words, skyrocket, they start thinking............... Christmas (am I allowed to say that?) season.......

tjnamtiw, don't EVEN get me going on those subjects......this thread would end-up in the Ash can forum, for sure. >:-(

Yea, you're right, macman. Better to save it for our epitaph on our gravestone.

Unfortunately, the way "O" is going, he'll force me into the grave sooner than later.....

 

[defield]

Hunt Master,

I also have a pellet stove installed in front of the fireplace very much like Xena's install. ( See avitar pic)

In my case, I wanted a free standing stove for ease of service. I had had a wood stove in front of the fireplace at one time and actually liked the look ( and efficiency).

I totally agree with Macman and Xena. Line the chimney to the top and use a raincap. I had my raincap powder coated black as the house is an antique cape style and stainless did not add to the architecture.

Good luck and keep us posted.

Ranger