Want to swap out pellet stove for woodstove

[Shastafarian]

After 4 years of living with the noise of our trusty Whitfield Advantage IIt, I want to get a woodstove. I have some questions about what I need to do. My wife and I have decided on the Hearthstone Homestead hearth mount; we like the soapstone.

At some point, there was a woodstove in this house, and there is 6" stovepipe that the pellet stove is connected to. The "chimney" is not masonry, just framed and sided wood, with the stovepipe running up the middle.

As I see it, the plan is to pull out the pellet stove, modify the sheet metal surround to fit the new stove, remove all of the insulation that's back there (fiberglass) and get whatever piping I need to attach the new stove.

How would I go about insulating the back of the surround after the new stove is installed? Obviously something non-flammable, as it will get a lot hotter back there than before.

Thanks for any input you might have. I'm attaching some pictures so you can get an idea of what the setup currently looks like.

 

[bholler]

You cannot put an insert in that space you would need to get a zeroclearance stove or fireplace to go there and that pipe looks like pellet vent not a chimney for a wood stove at all sorry to burst your bubble but you need to rethink things. I also dont think that that pellet unit is really meant to go in a space like that either do you know the model number of it?

 

[Shastafarian]

Thanks, the pellet stove is a Whitfield Advantage IIT. I'm going to have a contractor come over to figure out what needs to be done.

 

[begreen]

Yes, that looks like a total reconfigure. Another caveat is that the Homestead has one of the highest hearth insulation requirements out there. It could be that the current hearth would not be adequate. Pellet stoves don't need much hearth protection typically.

 

[bholler]

Thanks, the pellet stove is a Whitfield Advantage IIT. I'm going to have a contractor come over to figure out what needs to be done.

sorry i missed that in your original post somehow. That unit is an insert and as an insert it is meant to go into a working fire place not a framed opening you really should discontinue using it now it is dangerous.

 

[webby3650]

sorry i missed that in your original post somehow. That unit is an insert and as an insert it is meant to go into a working fire place not a framed opening you really should discontinue using it now it is dangerous.

I would normally agree. But come on, this is a pellet stove we are talking about here!

 

[webby3650]

You will need to run a new Class A chimney system inside that chase. It'll be expensive, just to warn you.
You also need to add draftstops/firestops inside that chase. There should be 2 in a chase that tall.

 

[bholler]

I would normally agree. But come on, this is a pellet stove we are talking about here!

And you dont think that pellet stoves need to follow the install instructions? They still get plenty hot enough to start fires

 

[webby3650]

And you dont think that pellet stoves need to follow the install instructions? They still get plenty hot enough to start fires

It was a joke! But realistically, they don't get very hot at all.

 

[bholler]

they don't get very hot at all.

I have burnt my self on more than one they can get pretty hot when they get blocked up with fly ash

 

[Charles1981]

Definitely going to need a pro out there to tell you what you can and can not do.

There sure is enough space in that chase area. You would be lucky if you can install class a pipe there. But it will be expensive. And needs approval from someone other than the internets.

 

[gyrfalcon]

Yes, that looks like a total reconfigure. Another caveat is that the Homestead has one of the highest hearth insulation requirements out there. It could be that the current hearth would not be adequate. Pellet stoves don't need much hearth protection typically.

Indeed! I went through this last year, thinking I only needed a Homestead, and then Rideau on this forum found out the one size larger Heritage no longer needed anything more than ember protection.

If the OP wants to go Hearthstone, he should ditch the Homestead idea and spend a couple hundred bucks more for the Heritage.