What am I dealing with?

[DreamingTwig]

Hello all...

I'm buying a house with this wood burning stove in it. The inspector tells me it's an Old Mill brand, but doesn't know the model, there's no tag on it.The home seller doesn't have any information so. I'm stuck. The inspector says that with out a model humber to check the clearances to the wall, it's then it's supposed to have 36" of clearance and no one seems to know if the masonry wallboard thing is good enough too. Inspector says it would be simpler to replace the stove with something that requires less clearance than worry about the current set up.

1.) What Old Mill stove is this?

2.) Does this look like a problem waiting to happen?

Thanks again!

 

[bholler]

View attachment 242318

Hello all...

I'm buying a house with this wood burning stove in it. The inspector tells me it's an Old Mill brand, but doesn't know the model, there's no tag on it.The home seller doesn't have any information so. I'm stuck. The inspector says that with out a model humber to check the clearances to the wall, it's then it's supposed to have 36" of clearance and no one seems to know if the masonry wallboard thing is good enough too. Inspector says it would be simpler to replace the stove with something that requires less clearance than worry about the current set up.

1.) What Old Mill stove is this?

2.) Does this look like a problem waiting to happen?

Thanks again!

The model number doesn't really matter if it doesn't have the ul tag it is an unlisted stove and needs 36". That can be reduced to 12" with a proper ventilated wall shield. I can't tell if what is there is proper.

I can tell you if you are going to use the stove for wood you need to remove the barometric damper in the pipe. The stove looks like it is a wood coal combo unit and with the baro damper it is possible it was used with coal.

 

[Riddlefiddle]

Yes. Remove the baro damper. I believe that barometric dampers are used for oil furnaces.

 

[bholler]

Yes. Remove the baro damper. I believe that barometric dampers are used for oil furnaces.

Or coal stoves or some wood furnaces.

 

[coaly]

Looks like a coal / wood stove to me. (some are made for wood or coal, but the design is different from a true coal only or wood only stove) Is there a grate between the lower and upper door to burn on? IF so, does it move, such as have a shaker handle? The lower intake is for air up though coal bed and the uppers would be just cracked for secondary air to ignite coal gas expelled from the coal on top of the fire. The uppers would be used for wood only, and close the bottom fully. That would explain the barometric damper. Much more efficient burning coal. Do not use the barometric damper burning wood.

Floor protection looks good, make sure there is 1 inch air space behind the shield and that it is raised off the stove base so it gets air flow from the bottom up behind it. This should be cement board supported with a few bricks at bottom to support weight and have ceramic standoffs behind it. The shield is called "approved heat shield" which is used to reduce clearances. Not sure why you would say no one seems to know if it is good enough. There are specific fabrication requirements making it an approved heat shield. Non-combustible material, 1 inch minimum air space behind it, air intake at bottom and non heat conducting spacers not in the center line of stove when installed against a wall. Yours is a corner installation, so that does not pertain to this installation. The specs are given in NFPA 211 under reduced clearance for unlisted appliances. Proper shielding reduces wall clearance at corners to 12 inches. Current codes require any new installation to have a UL Listed appliance. This is existing, but local codes may have stricter rules requiring removal when sold of an unlisted appliance. If not, it shouldn't be difficult to make it legal.
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/wood-stove-wall-clearances-primer.147785/

The question is what fuel you want to burn. Do you want to burn coal with less work and heat your house with 2 tons a year, or do you have enough property to supply your own wood? If you have to buy the wood, a newer stove that uses much less wood is best. Nothing wrong using it as a coal stove when the heat shield is correct.