stove setup

[8GreatKids]

I have some questions about wood stove installation. We just moved into a two-story house that has wood-framed, insulated, masonry covered exterior chases at both ends of the house. Both bump out from the footprint of the house. Gas (propane) fireplaces have been inserted into the chases on each floor. We also have a regular forced-air propane heating system. The gas fireplaces are not very efficient, I think they were meant for ambience more than anything. We self-installed a wood stove in our last home, and loved the heat, so we would like to switch out the gas appliances in our current home for wood.

The chases are 8' wide by 4' deep, so plenty large to do something with. I'm just not sure how to install the wood. I am starting with one end of the house, with a stove in the basement where it will be easy and more attractive to rip out what is currently there. I know how to handle that one. Do I need triple wall pipe all the way up? We have good clearance all the way, and a straight run.

Our home is 4800 square feet, about 1800 each on the basement and main floor and a little less upstairs.

The main floor install is what I need help with. The current gas appliance has a brick hearth and brick face with a gorgeous mantle, all of which I'd like to keep. The opening is 38" wide by 24" tall so large enough for an insert, but I don't want to heat the chase, obviously. If I set the insert forward in the opening, onto the hearth, and insulate the insert behind, will that be enough to force the heat into the room instead of heating the chase? What do I use to insulate? Do I need to block off the rest of the chimney above? The main floor is very open, with an open staircase between the front foyer and the room the wood insert is going in, so I think that area can handle a very large insert.

We've decided against placing an actual wood stove out on the hearth for aesthetics. Because of french doors and the room layout, the furniture has to be placed around the fireplace, and a wood stove on the hearth would project too far into the room.

Thanks for any advice!

 

[DAKSY]

I'll give you my opinion & others will chime in as well.

1. Do I need triple wall pipe all the way up?

You do not need triple-walled pipe, but you DO need Class A Chimney from the FIRST PENETRATION
of a wall or ceiling, all the way to the chimney cap. Most Class A is now Double-walled construction.

2. If I set the insert forward in the opening, onto the hearth, and insulate the insert behind, will that be enough to force the heat into the room instead of heating the chase?

You CANNOT use an insert in this instance. An insert is designed to be INSERTED into an existing fireplace, more often than not, a MASONRY-constructed fireplace. The rest of the questions that follow are moot.

3. We've decided against placing an actual wood stove out on the hearth for aesthetics.

Your BEST bet is to tear out the gas fireplace & install an EPA-rated wood burning fireplace in it's stead. Something along the line of a Heat & Glo Northstar or a Quadrafire 7100FP. You MIGHT be able to save the mantle, hearth & surround, as either of those units would have to be installed from the outside, but you won't know until an estimator from a hearth shop takes the actual measurements & evaluates the findings. The required venting will run from the top of the unit all the way to the cap.

Probably not what you wanted to hear, but it is what it is...