New Pellet Stove Owner --- Not sure about dealers recommended install

[TheDigital]

I just picked up my Quadra Fire Castile pellet stove. I was going to have the dealer install it but they are booked up (Busy Chimney Sweep season in the Northeast). I am very much a DIY, so I decided to install it myself. Based on what the dealer said, it seems very straight forward, but after reading many of the topics here. I am beginning to have my doubts.

I just had my chimney and flue swept and inspected. There are three flues within the brick chimney (Fireplace, Old Woodstove, Unused)

Previously, there was a Jotul wood stove.

The stove sits on a large brick hearth and the wall is brick floor to ceiling. I am going to connect to the existing 7"thimble which leads into an 8 x 8 flue.

The dealer said there is no need to install a liner. The pipe he recommended was all single wall stove pipe (made by Grey Metal). He said to use Rutland RTV on all the connections.

I have been reading as much as possible on here and trying to educate myself. I also have read the manual.

I do have several questions:

- Is unnecessary to run a liner? Should I be concerned about the gasses cooling to much?
- Is single wall pipe ok? I don't have any clearances issues to worry about?
- If I RTV all the joints including at the stove. Doesn't this make maintenance of the pipe impossible?

I would like to trust the dealers advice, but I do not know any more.


Thanks in advance

 

[smwilliamson]

- Is unnecessary to run a liner? Should I be concerned about the gasses cooling to much?
- Is single wall pipe ok? I don't have any clearances issues to worry about?
- If I RTV all the joints including at the stove. Doesn't this make maintenance of the pipe impossible?

You should run a liner and or single wall pipe inside the flue to restrict the gasses from exiting the stove too quickly. You need this residency time to heat the exchanger propery and make the unit efficient. Quads can be vented up to 23ft using 3" liner if this helps on overall costs, but I would use a 20' run for good measure. The liner police are not going to yank the stove out of your house in NH like they do down here in MA. People vent pellet stoves into chimneys all the time without liners. Some work great, other not so well. Really depends on many factors such as chimney location, flue texture, size, draft, prevailing wind and other such.

Single wall is fine in a flue. Your clearances are to combustibles. If you are on a hearth and going into a hole to the flue, you need double wall PL vent or L vent to the connection.

If you use good quality pipe like PelletVent Pro or ICC your double wall pipes will have a manufactured gasket. I like to use an FTC connection at the hearth wall (Flex through connection) to join flex liner and double wall pipe.

You can do it man....it's easier than you think. The fact you are asking questions...and real ones...is a good sign. Good luck.

 

[TheDigital]

Thanks for the quick reply.

I thought I had a good understanding, but I am learning a lot from this site and forum. It looks like I am going to have to invest significant more $$$ than I expected. I was sold on the fact "Just replace the wood with the pellet and everything will be fine".

When you say "Quads can be vented up to 23ft using 3†liner if this helps on overall costs, but I would use a 20’ run for good measure. " Is that the max amount of liner that can be used?

I understand about clearance to combustibles. I have attached a picture of my hearth. I believe that is not an issue. The base of the hearth is 48w x 60d.


I just want to make sure I am understanding everything.


For the correct install I should run a 3" liner down the length of the clay flue. Then all the connections in the house should be the double wall pellet vent?

Thanks

Ryan

 

[Don2222]

Hello

Congrats on the Castile, I hear it is a very nice stove!

Scott is correct on the Chimney.

I found that in my case with an Inside 25' high cinder block 8x8 chimney with clay liner it works fine. However I talk to someone today who tried it on his 25' outside wall chimney last year and had poor drafting. This year he installed 5 foot pellet pipe and it works much better!

It seems that outside wall chimneys have too much cooler air to heat up as Scott said. A liner does help alot in that case!
The ideal situation is a 5 foot 3" diameter vertical rise in the house and then exit to the outside for the best drafting.

 

[TheDigital]

Don,

That is what I was hoping to do.

I have an inside chimney.

What were the symptoms of "bad draft"? Lazy flame?

Thanks

 

[Don2222]

Don,

That is what I was hoping to do.

I have an inside chimney.

What were the symptoms of "bad draft"? Lazy flame?

Thanks

Yes, Lazy Flame which causes lower heat output of the stove.

If you have enough air you get a nice V shaped strong fire.

See pic below of not enough air - lazy flame

 

[Don2222]

dp

 

[krooser]

Just to clear this up... a regular pellet vent install does not require any draft as would be needed in a wood stove or gas appliance since the pellet stove is a positive pressure vent. But you need a draft when going so far up a chimney.... I hope this is accurate.

 

[Harman Lover 007]

I would never dispute anything Scottt says or the advice he gives. Having said that, my install is is nearly exactly the same as yours. I removed a VC wood stove from my existing 8X8 clay lined chimney and hooked up my stove via a 3"x 6"x 8" pipe adapter setup to the thimble going through the brick wall hearth. No additional pipe was used. Two different Harman stoves over 14 years and no problem. JMHO

 

[TheDigital]

Harman Lover,

Concerning your connection between the stove and thimble..... is it single wall or PL?

Thanks

Ryan

 

[Papelletguy]

I would reline with a 4" ss liner. I have the same setup in my house. I did a diy Install too... I went with a T out of the stove, then a straight pipe then a 90 into the front half of a thimble, then used a 3" to 4" liner adapter to connect to the liner. Every connection is sealed with mil pac. My buddy is a sweep and said it was the best possible way to vent our stove.

Just my .02 cents

 

[Harman Lover 007]

Harman Lover,

Concerning your connection between the stove and thimble..... is it single wall or PL?

Thanks

Ryan

Single wall stove pipe, except for the cleanout tee, sealed with high temp RTV silicone at the joints.

 

[kilbury]

Take a look here, http://www.quadrafire.com/~/media/Files/Quadrafire/Installation Manuals/man_Castile.ashx. It's approved but doesn't necessarily mean it's going to work. Probably by the time you buy the adapters you need you will be in for the same amount as decent pellet vent minus the liner.