New to the sport- terracotta questions

[Newhomeowner]

I have read both a ton of info about some using liners, and some not. Not the question, as we willing be using a stainless liner.
We have a terracotta lined fireplace in the basement that is enormous, and we want to add a freestanding wood stove. We had the chimney inspected, and is in good working order. Someone removed the flue, and must have had a stove down there before. Can't I just run several feet of a stainless liner from the new stove up the chimney? It's an interior chimney through the center of the house.
We have a second fireplace on the first floor, where the back is visible from inside the garage. We use this fireplace to burn wood because "its pretty" not in a stove. It has a thimble (called that?) And a secondary ash clean out directly on the back chimney in the garage. Can't I run a small wood stove to heat the garage through that without a liner (also terracotta lined and inspected? Why else would it be there if you couldn't? We would use a small old cast iron scandia (I've read it's garbage). We are having the chimneys cleaned first before this. They want $2300 for the install. I can get a new no frills stove for $600 plus venting if I do It myself.
We want to be safe, but money is money...

 

[begreen]

If the thimble connects to an independent liner then it can be used. It can not be shared with any other stove, appliance or fireplace. But check first on installing the stove in the garage. That is not allowed in many jurisdictions.

You'll want a full stainless liner to the top of the chimney for the basement install.

 

[bholler]

I have read both a ton of info about some using liners, and some not. Not the question, as we willing be using a stainless liner.
We have a terracotta lined fireplace in the basement that is enormous, and we want to add a freestanding wood stove. We had the chimney inspected, and is in good working order. Someone removed the flue, and must have had a stove down there before. Can't I just run several feet of a stainless liner from the new stove up the chimney? It's an interior chimney through the center of the house.
We have a second fireplace on the first floor, where the back is visible from inside the garage. We use this fireplace to burn wood because "its pretty" not in a stove. It has a thimble (called that?) And a secondary ash clean out directly on the back chimney in the garage. Can't I run a small wood stove to heat the garage through that without a liner (also terracotta lined and inspected? Why else would it be there if you couldn't? We would use a small old cast iron scandia (I've read it's garbage). We are having the chimneys cleaned first before this. They want $2300 for the install. I can get a new no frills stove for $600 plus venting if I do It myself.
We want to be safe, but money is money...

For your first question. Yes you could run a direct connect which is the short peice of liner run from the stove and sealed into the first clay liner. But only if certain criteria are met. First the chimney must be code compliant that meanscamong other things the clay liners need to be in good condition free of cracks and there can be no gaps in the mortar between the tiles. The only way to confirm those things is by scanning the flue with a camera. You also need clearance from the outside of the masonry structure to any combustible material for an external chimney you need 1" for an internal one 2". Then the clay flue can be no more than 3 times the volume of the outlet on the stove which it probably is. Even if you meet all of those criteria a direct connect is going to give you poor performance compared to a full liner.

Like bg said if that other crock connects to its own flue and the chimney is code compliant you could use it as is. But you probably are not allowed to use a wood burner in a garage anyway.

 

[bholler]

Oh and they didnt remove the flue they removed the damper. Probably just the damper plate. The flue is the passage inside the chimney in your case it is clay lined.

 

[Newhomeowner]

Thank you so much. It does have a second liner, and I will look into the legality of having one in the garage.
If I can run the one in the garage without an insert, why can't I run the basement one without one? The thimble makes the difference? If you can run one without a liner due to the thimble, maybe the one in the basement has one.

Best regards!

 

[begreen]

No, same rules apply whether it is a basement connect or garage. The longer the run the cooler the flue gases will get. That can cause creosote buildup and further impair draft. That and the issues bholler posted are why I would do a full stainless liner appropriately sized to the stove's flue requirement.

 

[bholler]

Thank you so much. It does have a second liner, and I will look into the legality of having one in the garage.
If I can run the one in the garage without an insert, why can't I run the basement one without one? The thimble makes the difference? If you can run one without a liner due to the thimble, maybe the one in the basement has one.

Best regards!

Like i said you could run a direct connect in the basement if all of those listed conditions are met. Which you also have to meet for the one in the garage. But the difference is making a positive connection to the flue with a crock is much easier than in a fireplace. And flues with a crock are generally smaller than ones servicing a fireplace. So there is more of a chance that you would be under that 3 to one ratio that is required

 

[Newhomeowner]

"Like bg said if that other crock connects to its own flue and the chimney is code compliant you could use it as is"
-so what is the difference between the potential set up in the garage and the one in the basement? A crock? I don't know what that is! Lol.
If I have a crock or whatever installed into the basement chimney, I can run it as is? I wouldn't plan to,but.It is harder to find rear exhaust vents on these stoves, which I assume I need to use through the chimney. If I add this crock feature (I thought it was called a thimble) I can by a top exhaust stove and run it through?

 

[bholler]

"Like bg said if that other crock connects to its own flue and the chimney is code compliant you could use it as is"
-so what is the difference between the potential set up in the garage and the one in the basement? A crock? I don't know what that is! Lol.
If I have a crock or whatever installed into the basement chimney, I can run it as is? I wouldn't plan to,but.It is harder to find rear exhaust vents on these stoves, which I assume I need to use through the chimney. If I add this crock feature (I thought it was called a thimble) I can by a top exhaust stove and run it through?

A crock does not change any of the requirements i listed earlier. The chimney still needs to meet code and the clay liner still needs to be properly sized

 

[begreen]

Crock and thimble are sometimes used interchangeably. Is the picture you supplied in the basement? How high is it to the center of the thimble? What does that thimble currently tie into? Clay tile? If so, what is the ID of the clay tile liner there?

 

[Newhomeowner]

pic is of the garage. Goes into clay. ID is 8 inches

 

[Newhomeowner]

The short answer, if anyone is new to this like me... yes, you can save money and do it yourself. Yes you can vent into a chimney and be done with no insert. You can do what ever you want.
Take out your check book, write a check for as much as you can afford, but $2500 is where you start.

Best,
KD

 

[bholler]

The short answer, if anyone is new to this like me... yes, you can save money and do it yourself. Yes you can vent into a chimney and be done with no insert. You can do what ever you want.
Take out your check book, write a check for as much as you can afford, but $2500 is where you start.

Best,
KD

Yes you can vent into a chimney with a clay liner if all of the conditions i listed are met
If they are not your install would be potentially dangerous and against code