When we bought our house, oh 'bout 10 years ago, it came with a Washington Stove Works (Olympic Model) non EPA certified wood burning insert. I am not sure how old it is, but from what i can tell, the company went out of business in the early '80's either just prior to or because of the new EPA requirements. Anyway, we have used it when no burn bans were in place and it was fine for years. Last year, smoke occasionally backed into the house, indicating to me a need to clean things up a bit. Of course, there is no liner in the chimney either, though the chimney does appear to be OK. Not sure why the smoke started coming in. On to my question. Is it possible to make one of these old behemoths up to code and put in a chimney liner to boot? Waste of time and money? Would the end result be as clean and green as some the new models? Should I just search out a replacement? I haven't burned in about a year because of the smoke and smell and i do miss it. Plus, as I have indicated, we have loads of free wood with no end in sight because hubby is an arborist. I can no longer stand looking at a big pile of free heat.
Retofit an old Non EPA certified insert
- Thread starter Free wood
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Has the chimney been inspected by a professional sweep? Maybe be glad it started smoking. Running an old stove on an unlined chimney is a crapshoot. If earthquakes and time have compromised the integrity of the chimney, it could be a timebomb. Even if you choose to keep the old stove, get the chimney properly lined.
The chimney must be cleaned before installing a liner. Adding the liner may help if the old stove burn better if it's still in good burning condition, but it won't the stove match a new stove for efficiency or cleanliness even with the best practices. If the stove is smoking because of internal warpage then it could be time to retire it. It's done it's job for at least a quarter of a century and could be it needs to be put out to pasture. Without some pictures that's the best one can guess.
The chimney must be cleaned before installing a liner. Adding the liner may help if the old stove burn better if it's still in good burning condition, but it won't the stove match a new stove for efficiency or cleanliness even with the best practices. If the stove is smoking because of internal warpage then it could be time to retire it. It's done it's job for at least a quarter of a century and could be it needs to be put out to pasture. Without some pictures that's the best one can guess.
Yes, I had the whole enchilada looked at when it started to smoke. The fella said he could fit a liner though it would not be 'legal', but that still would not make the stove legal to burn during a burn ban. He did say he thought the chimney looked pretty good, but said he would have to clean it prior to putting in the liner. I could go that route, but would still be burning in an old smoke belching (though up and out, not in) stove. I guess you are politely telling me there is no way to bring the Olympic up to code. I thought as much. Oh well. I am researching a replacement with liner and the whole thing may cost roughly $4000.00
Really?! That much? I have found some web sites that sell all the stuff, liners, stoves etc for less if we could do it ourselves. The stoves on these sites are not the same ones sold in the shops and after reading the specs, seem a little lacking. They are lighter, seemingly not as clean burning and a few aren't even listed on the EPA's list of certified stoves, though they claim to be. Gives me that 'run the other way' feeling. Any recommendations? Our current insert sits out from the wall providing radiant heat and that great little surface for boiling water or whatever. I like that. The space is a great room only about 600 sq. ft with bedrooms down the hall. The heat never did seem to make it down the hall unless we used the blower and even then, only moderately.
Thanks so much
Really?! That much? I have found some web sites that sell all the stuff, liners, stoves etc for less if we could do it ourselves. The stoves on these sites are not the same ones sold in the shops and after reading the specs, seem a little lacking. They are lighter, seemingly not as clean burning and a few aren't even listed on the EPA's list of certified stoves, though they claim to be. Gives me that 'run the other way' feeling. Any recommendations? Our current insert sits out from the wall providing radiant heat and that great little surface for boiling water or whatever. I like that. The space is a great room only about 600 sq. ft with bedrooms down the hall. The heat never did seem to make it down the hall unless we used the blower and even then, only moderately.Thanks so much
The return of your investment on these stoves is fairly quick, provided you dont crunch the numbers too hard and charge for your time and sweat acquiring the fuel! You have the tax incentive working for you for another year, if that helps in your decision. Strange it would start smoking into the house after so much trouble free burning. In my experience,,Pre Epa stoves exhaust area has been larger than most current stoves. Mine totals up to need an 8" exhaust, which no way would fit into my chimney, and have to be reduced to a 6",,which could likely let smoke into the room while refueling, if not done carefully.
Don`t ask me math questions! uuggh. Dont recall the formula, however a 5" round =23sq.in
6" =28sq.in
7"=38
8"=50
or there abouts
if the exhaust on your stove is 7x4 rectangular,,=28 sq.in
6" =28sq.in
7"=38
8"=50
or there abouts
if the exhaust on your stove is 7x4 rectangular,,=28 sq.in
I'm thinking that a 6" exhaust would flow smoke at a higher velocity than an 8" would, resulting in a stronger draft in the stove, as long as the capacity of the 6" is not exceeded with, say, 50+ lb loads. Am I twisting the physics?ml said:
Free wood said:Yes, I had the whole enchilada looked at when it started to smoke. The fella said he could fit a liner though it would not be 'legal', but that still would not make the stove legal to burn during a burn ban. He did say he thought the chimney looked pretty good, but said he would have to clean it prior to putting in the liner. I could go that route, but would still be burning in an old smoke belching (though up and out, not in) stove. I guess you are politely telling me there is no way to bring the Olympic up to code. I thought as much. Oh well. I am researching a replacement with liner and the whole thing may cost roughly $4000.00
Thanks so much
Re: burn bans. There are stages. Yes, you can burn the EPA stove during stage 1, but not during stage 2 unless it is the only adequate source of heat.
If you can post a picture and some fireplace dimensions, we can make some suggestions for a replacement. Having a picture of the inside of the Olympic would be a big help. If the baffle is warped, that could be the key issue with it. But this is hard to tell remotely. A decent 2 cu ft stove + liner installation should run about ~$3.5K, but could be higher depending on the circumstances, stove choice and chimney height. As you've probably noticed, peak season is not the best time to shop for bargains.
If you are comfortable with a DIY installation and don't cut corners, some $$ can be saved. There are good online sources for liners. If you are reasonable close to Bellingham, a good shop (with online prices posted) is at: www.chimneysweeponline.com .
Den said:
Physics, being so closly related to math,and as somewhat stated, not my cup of tea,,,I dunno,,I therefore rely on word phrases like "could likely". And considering that what-ever level of engineering from the era,based on math and physics,,were I believe centered on dumping exhaust into a large smoke chamber to collect and rise...I dunno...
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