Questions about DIY pellet stove install

[vferdman]

Hi. I am getting a Harman stove from a friend who will no longer use it. I would like to install it myself (unless I find a good installer who returns my calls. I am in South Hadley, MA. See my other thread about this). I have the installation brochure from Harman and intend to follow it. The vent is going to be through the basement wall (concrete) and outside an 8 foot or longer pipe to a place that is 4 feet away from any window/door . The questions I have are the following.

1. Is it better for the vent pipe to exit the building via concrete or the normal wall? I have a choice, but I assumed concrete is non-flammable, so it's better. I can also make it exit through a wall above the concrete, so there is a choice there.

2. If I decide to go through concrete, how do I drill the whole out and what do I seal the pipe with? These are technical questions. I assume I will need to rent a drill that can drill through a concrete wall. I have normal household tools, but nothing to drill the concrete.

Thanks in advance for the help!

 

[dac122]

Will going through the blocks reduce the number of elbows, or make little difference? Tortuously drilling through concrete blocks rather than rim joists (aka band joist or header joist) may not be worth your time. Check with your codes office, you may still have to use a wall thimble if going through those blocks. If no wall thimble is needed on those blocks there is fire rated expansion foam.

 

[woodsman23]

Go through the wall and use a wall thimble it will make your life much easier for sure.

 

[imacman]

....I would like to install it myself (unless I find a good installer who returns my calls. I am in South Hadley, MA. See my other thread about this).......

Hey Vlad,

in case you want to have it done for you, this is a good link to a site where you can insert your zipcode, and it will give you names of installers in your area. Call-up a few, and get estimates. Hope this helps.

www.stovesdirect.com/installers.php

 

[summit]

hire someone with a hammer drill and the wherewithall to use it if you want to go thru the basement foundation.. also, if you hook a return air intake to the harman, you can install withtin 18" of a window, possibly making life a little easier in your install spots.

 

[MainePellethead]

I agree woodsman....

Go through the wall and use a wall thimble it will make your life much easier for sure.

 

[vferdman]

Thanks, all for the answers. My foundation is poured concrete, not blocks. I agree, going through the wall is easier than concrete, but then there is a thimble to worry about and also the siding of the house, which i guess is not that big a deal. It seems that concrete is simpler provided that hole is made with not much ado. The installer I talked to seemed to think that's the way to go since he has the equipment and experience with going through concrete. If I do it myself I may choose to go through the wall.

 

[Panhandler]

Thanks, all for the answers. My foundation is poured concrete, not blocks. I agree, going through the wall is easier than concrete, but then there is a thimble to worry about and also the siding of the house, which i guess is not that big a deal. It seems that concrete is simpler provided that hole is made with not much ado. The installer I talked to seemed to think that's the way to go since he has the equipment and experience with going through concrete. If I do it myself I may choose to go through the wall.

I'm sure you can rent a hammer drill at a local rental store and they are very easy to use. If you chose to go that route.

 

[charles u farley]

I'm sure you can rent a hammer drill at a local rental store and they are very easy to use. If you chose to go that route.

Ask for a core drill at the rental store. A hammer drill is not suitable to make the required hole in a poured wall. I don't know that I'd call this size tool easy to use for the inexperienced. Some need to be bolted to the wall to support the weight.

 

[summit]

I'm sure you can rent a hammer drill at a local rental store and they are very easy to use. If you chose to go that route.

Ask for a core drill at the rental store. A hammer drill is not suitable to make the required hole in a poured wall. I don't know that I'd call this size tool easy to use for the inexperienced. Some need to be bolted to the wall to support the weight.

no way! its not 2 bad to make a hole w/ a hammerdrill.. just punch a circle w/ holes every 2-3" around, then turn the middle into swiss cheese w/ the drill bit. then use the chilel to pop it all out. pass the pipe thru, and fill in w/ masonry cement mix. it takes about 45 minutes, and alot of sweat, but is not technically hard.. a sawzall may be employed to cut out any wire/rebar.

 

[defield]

Summit is corect. He obviously has made holes for stove exhausts through poured concrete walls with a hemmer drill, as have I. A core drill would make a much neater hole, but you would perhaps want to hire a person who does that type of work.

One factor not mentioned was that concrete hardens as it ages. Drilling through a newer foundation would go faster than drilling through an old one. Older foundations can just take a little longer to drill through.

Old Ranger

 

[flowercat]

I didn't see this mentioned much. The vent manufacturer has specific standards that need to be followed. Many stove manufactures recommend a specific vent brand etc. You would also be benefit from determining if your area has codes that need following. Also, I would notify your insurance company for your home owners policy that you have added a pellet stove. My company needed support for a professional install before they would insure it. I would have it installed professionally. I tried to have a local contractor install mine and it was done wrong and I then hired a professional to complete the install. I would also make sure you have a digital CO monitor installed near the stove.

 

[Steveo]

I would put the stove upstairs and not in the basement so that you dont loose all the heat from heating the concrete.

 

[vferdman]

I would put the stove upstairs and not in the basement so that you dont loose all the heat from heating the concrete.

I already have a wood burning fireplace insert upstairs (see my signature). Down in the basement is where I need the heat now. It is a finished basement and I have electric heat there. Not cheap! I am thinking pellet stove will be cheaper.

 

[MCPO]

As long as the basement is finished (insulated) pellets should be considerably cheaper than electric , that is as long as .
you are getting the stove for a reasonable price .
I never makes much sense (to me anyway) to spend for a costly stove just to heat basement rooms. When I see folks spending thousands for a supplemental basement heater I always think about how far that dough would go for a new high tech energy efficient central system or new window/insulation, not to mention the additional value to the house.

And the above recommendations to drill a series of smaller holes with a hammer drill thru the concrete is rather simple and makes sense.
Unless you have a friend with an expensive heavy duty core drill and proper sized bit it will probably be a much more costly and difficult job.

 

[vferdman]

As long as the basement is finished (insulated) pellets should be considerably cheaper than electric , that is as long as .
you are getting the stove for a reasonable price .
I never makes much sense (to me anyway) to spend for a costly stove just to heat basement rooms. When I see folks spending thousands for a supplemental basement heater I always think about how far that dough would go for a new high tech energy efficient central system or new window/insulation, not to mention the additional value to the house.

We have a split entry raised ranch house, so the basement is really a living level. It was finished by the previous owner and outfitted with Stebel Eltron electric heating system. Why not a new central system? I don't know, but it's a moot point now. The basement/lower level is a place where we like to spend time as the TV/entertainment center is there. In the winter we use a lot of electricity to just keep the place at 55-65 degrees. The electric heaters can really heat the place up, but at a cost. I figure that the pellet stove which I am getting at a very good price (a barter for some work, really) will do very nicely there. I see no reason to install a new central system as the fossil fuels are only going to get more expensive and the pellet/wood/coal burning central units are not yet where I want them to be price-wise. We have a forced hot water heat for the upper level, but I hardly use that at all. Last year I burned about 180 gallons of heating oil and 3.5 tons of BioBricks (burned in my Jotul insert). That was the entire heating season and we were comfortable save for the lower level. The lower level becomes a rarely visited area in the winter. And it still costs good $100/moth to keep it at 55-65. Pellets now go for $269/ton. I have no idea how much I will be burning, but I am thinking that for the same cost as last year I will get a lot more heat down there. I hear what you are saying about the cost of oil, but, as we have seen last year that fuel will have some cost volatility and is basically history. Need to adapt to something else. Electricity is a good source of energy as it can be made by using various resources, but as we have it today, it does not make economic sense to heat with it. If one day I put solar panels on my house I will start using the Stebel Eltrons system again as it was designed specifically for that kind of use. It stores heat during daylight by heating some stone medium and then can release the heat using a blower during non-light times.

And the above recommendations to drill a series of smaller holes with a hammer drill thru the concrete is rather simple and makes sense. Unless you have a friend with an expensive heavy duty core drill and proper sized bit it will probably be a much more costly and difficult job.

Now that I think of it, it is probably easier to drill the studed wall above the concrete and use a thimble.

 

[Steveo]

As long as the basement is finished (insulated) pellets should be considerably cheaper than electric , that is as long as .
you are getting the stove for a reasonable price .
I never makes much sense (to me anyway) to spend for a costly stove just to heat basement rooms. When I see folks spending thousands for a supplemental basement heater I always think about how far that dough would go for a new high tech energy efficient central system or new window/insulation, not to mention the additional value to the house.

We have a split entry raised ranch house, so the basement is really a living level. It was finished by the previous owner and outfitted with Stebel Eltron electric heating system. Why not a new central system? I don't know, but it's a moot point now. The basement/lower level is a place where we like to spend time as the TV/entertainment center is there. In the winter we use a lot of electricity to just keep the place at 55-65 degrees. The electric heaters can really heat the place up, but at a cost. I figure that the pellet stove which I am getting at a very good price (a barter for some work, really) will do very nicely there. I see no reason to install a new central system as the fossil fuels are only going to get more expensive and the pellet/wood/coal burning central units are not yet where I want them to be price-wise. We have a forced hot water heat for the upper level, but I hardly use that at all. Last year I burned about 180 gallons of heating oil and 3.5 tons of BioBricks (burned in my Jotul insert). That was the entire heating season and we were comfortable save for the lower level. The lower level becomes a rarely visited area in the winter. And it still costs good $100/moth to keep it at 55-65. Pellets now go for $269/ton. I have no idea how much I will be burning, but I am thinking that for the same cost as last year I will get a lot more heat down there. I hear what you are saying about the cost of oil, but, as we have seen last year that fuel will have some cost volatility and is basically history. Need to adapt to something else. Electricity is a good source of energy as it can be made by using various resources, but as we have it today, it does not make economic sense to heat with it. If one day I put solar panels on my house I will start using the Stebel Eltrons system again as it was designed specifically for that kind of use. It stores heat during daylight by heating some stone medium and then can release the heat using a blower during non-light times.

And the above recommendations to drill a series of smaller holes with a hammer drill thru the concrete is rather simple and makes sense. Unless you have a friend with an expensive heavy duty core drill and proper sized bit it will probably be a much more costly and difficult job.

Now that I think of it, it is probably easier to drill the studed wall above the concrete and use a thimble.

I have my pellet stove upstairs and decided to install a wood stove in the basement this year. I am running the pipe through the framed wall instead of drilling through the concrete. If for some reason I decide to get rid of the stove I can reframe the wood and replace a couple pieces of siding instead of trying to seal up a hole in the concrete. I see you burn bio bricks, how do you like them and are they expensive?

 

[vferdman]

[I see you burn bio bricks, how do you like them and are they expensive?

BioBricks are very nice to burn, but a bit different than cord wood. They burn hotter and a bit faster, but in general they provide about the same heat as cord wood (1T BioBricks =(approximately) 1 Cord of seasoned hardwood). They cost $270/ton this year. A ton comes on a 4X4 pallet, so half as much space as cord wood, they are clean and low ash.

 

[flowercat]

I didn't realize there was another stove install.