should the chimney be insulated?

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fmer55

New Member
Nov 14, 2009
97
bay shore, ny
I have a vc montpelier insert and i am not jumping for joy about its output. i have a 25 ft chimney which is on the exterior, they sealed the top tightly and i have a great draft, i can get the 600 sq ft to about 80, but down a tihgt hallway with a doorjam i struggle to hit 70. the thermostat is about 8ft down the hallway. 2 questions......will insulation in the chimney help and would you recommend a fan at the beginning of the hall? i believe i know the answer to both but am curious for input. and if the question comes up, no there is no blockplate, which after being here for about 4 months i dont know why an install would be done without a blockplate, and or insulation. i do realize that there is an ongoing battle to obtain as much heat as possible and i am quite enjoying the battle!
 
fm said:
I have a vc montpelier insert and i am not jumping for joy about its output. i have a 25 ft chimney which is on the exterior, they sealed the top tightly and i have a great draft, i can get the 600 sq ft to about 80, but down a tihgt hallway with a doorjam i struggle to hit 70. the thermostat is about 8ft down the hallway. 2 questions......will insulation in the chimney help and would you recommend a fan at the beginning of the hall? i believe i know the answer to both but am curious for input. and if the question comes up, no there is no blockplate, which after being here for about 4 months i dont know why an install would be done without a blockplate, and or insulation. i do realize that there is an ongoing battle to obtain as much heat as possible and i am quite enjoying the battle!
Sounds to me the problem may be as simple as the house is not really an open floor plan and the heat just ain't moving to other areas of the home. Put a box fan set to blow the coooler air towards the stove. Do you ahve a ceiling fan in the stove room? Mine helps disburse the heat much better, but I have a very open floor plan.
Put the block off plate in, otherwise your losing heat to the masonry around it and its being release to the great outdoors.
If you have good draft, insulating the liner is not a must. The insulation would help the draft, not make the interior of the home warmer.
 
it is about what i figured, looks like i am just going to need another stove in the back part of an L shaped ranch......will try the box fan. i did try running the ac fan which is in the hall right nmear the thermostat thinking i would pull the heat but i found after about 45 minutes i would lose a degree or 2, guess i was pulling cold air from elsewhere instead of the warm
 
fm said:
it is about what i figured, looks like i am just going to need another stove in the back part of an L shaped ranch......will try the box fan. i did try running the ac fan which is in the hall right nmear the thermostat thinking i would pull the heat but i found after about 45 minutes i would lose a degree or 2, guess i was pulling cold air from elsewhere instead of the warm

L shaped ranch is one of the toughest type of homes to heat from one stove. And I am guessing the stove is on one end?
You may be able to try and run some ductwork with a GOOD inline duct fan either taking the cooler air from the other end of the home and blowing it into the stove room, or reverse that. I would try and get the cooler air to the stove, which in turn will draw the warmer air to the further end where the air is being taken.
 
As hog sez...block-off plate fer sure. That minimizes the heat lost up the chimney. Even though you didn't mention it specifically, everything about your description makes me believe that you have a full stainless liner up the chimney, and that your question is about adding insulation around that liner. Not a bad idea, as it will keep the flue gases warmer on their way to daylight = less creosote condensation. Insulating the liner/chimney probably won't won't do much for heating your living space. the block-off plate will. After that, it's all about moving the heat from the room the space heater's in to other parts of the home. It's a challenge we all face to one degree or another. I'm a big believer in moving cool air into the stove space and letting the warmer air find its way to replace the displaced cool air. you said nothing about how your home is constructed...and that makes a difference in what options might be available. Are you slab on grade, or do you have a crawlspace or basement? Rick
 
good stuff, thanks, especially the part about the insulation, was under the impression that it would hold heat in the house. will try a box fan in the hall way towards the stove and see if i have any luck. home is on the water, always a nice breeze, draft is great, on a 2-3 ft crawlspace that could definately use some insulation. i love the challenge, love burning wood!!!! this is my first stove btw
 
FM, insulate those walls, and seal up the seals & cracks. I think you will see a huge improvement. This winter has been brutal for us.

After the past 2 months here, I am officially on "caulk patrol". Never again.
 
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