Stove over air return?

[SCHomestead]

Hello! We are going to be purchasing a super 27 and have 2 locations for it. One is on an outer wall beside french doors and the other is cornered between the kitchen/dining on 2 inner walls ( more efficient, but much higher traffic area). Here's the kicker: the interior wall option would put the stove on top of our air return
( which comes up through the floor). Can we raise the pad for the stove to allow room for the air return?

 

[DougA]

I would locate the stove for the best of:

1. Best location for chimney on your roof for draft. Bad chimney location will cause bad draft and you will never be happy
2. Largest room but keep in mind that if you have small children you need to keep an eye on them. Stoves are dangerous
3. Easiest location to bring wood in from outside. Hauling wood through a house constantly is not fun.

Building a raised pad, as long as it is within code specs, is probably a great idea, even without the need to have return air flow underneath. When I relocate my stove next year, it will have a raised hearth. It makes loading wood a lot easier on the back, keeps the dog's ball from getting under the stove constantly and brings the fire view to a more comfortable level.

 

[begreen]

The stove must be at least 10 ft away from the return according to code. Besides you don't want ash getting sucked into the hvac.

 

[fossil]

When you say, "air return", exactly what do you mean? When the central system fan is running, does air flow out of, or into this register? It matters. Rick

 

[SCHomestead]

The air return is upstairs and sucks air in. We thought we could put vents on the sides of the raised platform. But maybe not.....

 

[begreen]

Nope, def against code.

 

[SCHomestead]

Thanks everyone! We greatly appreciate all the info! Against the outer wall it is ( the chimney will at least be perfectly straight)!