New Stove options and Chimney questions

[Ncon]

Hi All,
Been reading on the forums for a while and this is my first post. Found a lot of useful information and figured this was the best place to ask.
We bought a 3000sq ft house last November that is a real fixer upper, energy audit couldn't get a reading on the blower door test to give an idea of how bad it was.
It's a large space and has multiple heating options going on. Forced air oil furnace, separate pellet furnace tied into same ducting, just installed Enviro Mini pellet stove in the kitchen and a Large VC Defiant in the living room.
We are looking at replacing the wood stove and are thinking about best options.
Main reason is to get a more efficient stove, the VC is big and produces a lot of heat but needs to be tended very regularly and uses a lot of wood. Don't really get a full overnight burn either. Maybe some warm coals if I absolutely pack it.

Any suggestions? Hoping to not spend over $2k if possible.

Also the chimney that services the wood stove also services the pellet furnace. It is a newer brick clay lined (8*8?) chimney that runs straight up the middle of the house. Draft is really good.

However it also services the pellet furnace. We aren't having any issues with backdraft or anything like that but obviously a new build would not have this scenario.

Would we be ok installing a new wood stove replacing the old one or would we have any issues with the chimney servicing two systems? Have seen chat about installing an insulated liner when you install a new stove but don't see how we could have two liners down the one chimney, or am I wrong?

Sorry for the long post but any help or advice would be appreciated.

 

[begreen]

Is the Defiant top vented? If so, the best value will be an Englander 32-NC, Drolet Austral III or Myriad III or Drolet HT3000.

As for the install, let us know in detail what the Defiant is currently hooked up to. If this is a masonry chimney, is it lined and what liner size?

 

[bholler]

Hi All,
Been reading on the forums for a while and this is my first post. Found a lot of useful information and figured this was the best place to ask.
We bought a 3000sq ft house last November that is a real fixer upper, energy audit couldn't get a reading on the blower door test to give an idea of how bad it was.
It's a large space and has multiple heating options going on. Forced air oil furnace, separate pellet furnace tied into same ducting, just installed Enviro Mini pellet stove in the kitchen and a Large VC Defiant in the living room.
We are looking at replacing the wood stove and are thinking about best options.
Main reason is to get a more efficient stove, the VC is big and produces a lot of heat but needs to be tended very regularly and uses a lot of wood. Don't really get a full overnight burn either. Maybe some warm coals if I absolutely pack it.

Any suggestions? Hoping to not spend over $2k if possible.

Also the chimney that services the wood stove also services the pellet furnace. It is a newer brick clay lined (8*8?) chimney that runs straight up the middle of the house. Draft is really good.

However it also services the pellet furnace. We aren't having any issues with backdraft or anything like that but obviously a new build would not have this scenario.

Would we be ok installing a new wood stove replacing the old one or would we have any issues with the chimney servicing two systems? Have seen chat about installing an insulated liner when you install a new stove but don't see how we could have two liners down the one chimney, or am I wrong?

Sorry for the long post but any help or advice would be appreciated.

Each appliance needs its own flue. And no you won't fit 2 flues in that size chimney

 

[begreen]

Does the pellet furnace have the option to be vented out a new vent?

 

[Ncon]

Here is a pick of current setup.
It is a masonry chimney with 8*8 clay liner.
The Harman PF100 does have the option to be direct vented with some work. It is in the basement in the middle of the house so would need to figure out how to do it.

 

[begreen]

The PF100 has decent output. One thing to check is to see if it was properly connected to the ducted system. Do you know if backdraft dampers were installed in the supply and/or return plenums?

 

[Ncon]

To be honest I'm not sure.
The pellet furnace was installed in 2009 by a professional installer, so I was surprised it was attached into same flue.

How would I check this/ what to look for?

 

[Ncon]

Looking at options for woodstoves above and noticed the smaller Englander 15-W03 has a higher btu output then the bigger 32-NC.
Is that potentially a mistake or would that be correct?
I did notice in the manual the numbers are different.
Also thinking about the clearances as mentioned in the manual. The clearances refer to unprotected surfaces only, what are the differences with clearances to protected wood surfaces?
Does the brick around my current wood stove count as a protected surface?

 

[stoveliker]

Clearances are to the first combustibles. I.e. if you have studs behind the brick, the xx inch of clearance needs to be from stove to stud (or, paper-covered drywall...!).

 

[Ncon]

So the brick doesn't count as a form of heat shield?
I thought I read somewhere that it would reduce clearances by 1/3

 

[stoveliker]

No. Heat shields have to have a convecting airflow behind a shielding material. E.g. a metal plate mounted an inch before the rest of the wall with gaps at the top and bottom.

I don't know the exact numbers (1" or other). But the bottom line is that a brick wall in front of a combustible is like it would not exist. Only the distance to the nearest combustibles matters for clearance.

 

[bholler]

Actually a solid 4" masonry wall does offer reduction. I believe it is 1/3

 

[stoveliker]

isn't that for unlisted (i.e. 36" clearances) only?
A shield + airgap is 2/3 is what I remember.

 

[bholler]

isn't that for unlisted (i.e. 36" clearances) only?
A shield + airgap is 2/3 is what I remember.

Yes unless it is specified by the manufacturer

 

[begreen]

So the brick doesn't count as a form of heat shield?
I thought I read somewhere that it would reduce clearances by 1/3

That is correct for un-listed stoves if the wall is full brick. The actual reduction in that case is 33% or 24". However, the maximum reduction per these rules is 12" unless the stove mfg has tested their product and specified lower tested clearances. In the case of the Defiant, VC specifies that the clearance reduction from 36" must be with a ventilated wall shield. The brick reduction is not listed.