My wife and I have a two flue chimney (one flue serves the basement fireplace, the other one serves the 1st floor) that was built in the 60's I believe. We want to install a woodstove in the basement and leave the 1st floor a natural, open fireplace (it has glass doors on it already, and we only want to use it for aesthetics, not so much for heat). I want to reline both flues due to age and the fact that neither smokebox portion is parged (sp?) with mortar at all (Large, tall, and open smokebox in both that lends itself to creosote buildup). The basement seems straighforward enough: reline with 6" SS double wall insulated liner through damper into woodstove. However, I cannot find an answer or solution that fits my safety concerns, as well as my wife's desire to leave the 1st floor natural (no insert). I do not have the finances and I am not even sure it is possible to parge with mortar to make it safer. Here are a few questions if anybody could help answer, I would really appreciate it:
1: Can I just extend a SS liner through to the edge of the damper and seal it off (effectively eliminating the smokebox--like a prefabricated or freestanding fireplace would be)--is this ever done or will it not draw properly? If this is done and is possible, what size liner would be ideal for a 13x13 clay tile on top? I would insulate this liner as well, and seal out the damper area after cutting it to fit new liner size. I could install a new damper in a short section of pipe that would come through original damper area a short distance. I was also thinking of installing an outside air vent to help with airflow. I have thought of other alternatives to the problem such as an insert (does not satisfy aesthetics for my wife), a prefab fireplace into existing opening (can't find one small enough to fit), or just leaving it for now and focusing on the basement only (concern is for safety when using 1st floor). Currently, when we burn on the 1st floor (we have never burned anything in the basement) we experience poor drafting when we start a fire when it is windy or really cold. We have had a sweep inspect/sweep the chimney, but I am unsure how thorough he was. Curious if anybody has dealt with this problem of a non-ideal smokebox before.
2: On the basement install, we have a small woodstove with outside air hook-up we bought last year on clearance (could not pass up the deal we got). It is small enough to actually sit it into the masonry firebox so it will not be out into the room (basically function like an insert without the surrounds--my wife does not care what I put in the basement). How do I need to fasten the liner to the woodstove? Can I just use a SS coupler to connect the liner to the top of the woodstove, or is it a necessity to have a short length of stovepipe for some reason. The reason I ask, is that, with the woodstove placed in the fireplace, there is very little room above it until your reach the damper. How will I be able to sweep the chimney? Will I have to somehow disconnect the liner and move the stove, or clean through the stove if I do it this way? I have seen the flue connectors that are T shaped that have a "clean out plug", but usually this is used to attach the stove to the side, and the bottom is the cleanout, not the other way around--would it matter how you used it? Again, help greatly appreciated.
Sincerely,
Gerald
1: Can I just extend a SS liner through to the edge of the damper and seal it off (effectively eliminating the smokebox--like a prefabricated or freestanding fireplace would be)--is this ever done or will it not draw properly? If this is done and is possible, what size liner would be ideal for a 13x13 clay tile on top? I would insulate this liner as well, and seal out the damper area after cutting it to fit new liner size. I could install a new damper in a short section of pipe that would come through original damper area a short distance. I was also thinking of installing an outside air vent to help with airflow. I have thought of other alternatives to the problem such as an insert (does not satisfy aesthetics for my wife), a prefab fireplace into existing opening (can't find one small enough to fit), or just leaving it for now and focusing on the basement only (concern is for safety when using 1st floor). Currently, when we burn on the 1st floor (we have never burned anything in the basement) we experience poor drafting when we start a fire when it is windy or really cold. We have had a sweep inspect/sweep the chimney, but I am unsure how thorough he was. Curious if anybody has dealt with this problem of a non-ideal smokebox before.
2: On the basement install, we have a small woodstove with outside air hook-up we bought last year on clearance (could not pass up the deal we got). It is small enough to actually sit it into the masonry firebox so it will not be out into the room (basically function like an insert without the surrounds--my wife does not care what I put in the basement). How do I need to fasten the liner to the woodstove? Can I just use a SS coupler to connect the liner to the top of the woodstove, or is it a necessity to have a short length of stovepipe for some reason. The reason I ask, is that, with the woodstove placed in the fireplace, there is very little room above it until your reach the damper. How will I be able to sweep the chimney? Will I have to somehow disconnect the liner and move the stove, or clean through the stove if I do it this way? I have seen the flue connectors that are T shaped that have a "clean out plug", but usually this is used to attach the stove to the side, and the bottom is the cleanout, not the other way around--would it matter how you used it? Again, help greatly appreciated.
Sincerely,
Gerald
