stove pipe liner for pellet stove

[Peyton]

Need your expert opinion on whether we need a liner for the exisiting 8-inch diameter, double walled, stainless steel, NEVER used, 8-year old, exterior, stove pipe. Details below. (brand = Air-Jet 2100, All-Fuel Chimney)

The facts.....

We bought an Enviro Empress pellet stove and it is being installed as I type this.

Exisisting stove pipe is "Air-Jet 2100 All Fuel Chimney," installed on exterior of the house. Pipe is about 2 and a half stories high....exits basemnt wall (walk-out basement) then extends up past 2 more stories, and above the roof.

Last August, when we first talked to the Enviro dealer, he CASUALLY mentioned that we MIGHT need a stove pipe liner, but he would need to check with the manufacturer. We asked for an estimate on a liner but never got one. Office worker repeatedly put us off when we called to ask the price. So, we went to other pellet stove dealers (not Enviro) to look at their stoves. Liked the Empress the best and decided in January to order it. All the other pellet stove dealers told us we did NOT need a stove pipe liner. (Those dealers looked at the manual for the exisiting stove pipe, and saw photos of our house to show location of pipe.)

Today during installation, one of the installers handed us a statement for us to sign which says that they are not responsible if the stove doesn't draw properly. Ok, we understand that the dealer is trying to coverhis butt. That's not my point. My question is this....

Do we NEED a 3 or 4 inch liner inside of our alreaady existing stove pipe? Or is the dealer just trying to make more money?

Thanks for your advice!

 

[Tree]

my stove pipe is only 4" in diamiter and that is what's recomended . hzOw big is the pipe coming out of the stove?

 

[dac122]

Prior to installing my Jamestown J1000 I tried to predict the most successful exhausting strategy so I would only have to do the install once. My options were to use my old 7" wood stove stack, line that stack, vent outside, or vent outside running the pipe up to clear roof line. Granted I wasn't hooking to a 2½ story stack, but after talking to a local dealer, talking to Jamestown and much research I discovered there is really no predicting how well a given setup will vent, due to the uniqueness of each situation.

Since you are starting off with the easiest, simplest and cheapest option, I would see if it works. If not, you've lost nothing and will just have to try something else.

 

[slls]

Other than a condensation problem, give it a try. If you get water dripping into your house then you will know it not working right.
Happened to me once with a wood stove, the chimney got plugged, creosote and water smell bad.

 

[Peyton]

How might water drip into the house? The stove pipe exits the wall in the basement directly to the outside, and then up the side of the house....all on the outside. In other words, chimney is on the outside of the house, except for a couple of feet inside before it gets to the chimney. Clear as mud?

 

[slls]

If you are saying that the water can't follow the vent into your house you are ok, because a 8 inch pipe will condense inside the pipe.

 

[pegdot]

Warm air rises. The exhaust from a pellet stove is much, much cooler than that from a wood stove which is why it needs a smaller double walled, insulated vent pipe. The cooler exhaust air will "linger" inside your larger diameter pipe cooling even more, cause condensation to form, and eventually rust the pipe out from the inside. If you have a power failure with the set up you are discribing you will almost certainly have a smoke filled house since the stove will have no natural draft.

You might get lucky and have this set up work well for years or you might not. I'd recommend the liner because it simply isn't worth the risk.