What are your thoughts on this basement woodburner?

[Harmaniac]

We might be buying this house in two months and along with it comes this wood stove.......so take a look and tell me what you all think of it.......safety?.....model/make of stove?.....BTU's....etc.

Thanks,
Harmaniac

 

[elmoleaf]

Can't tell much from the picture, other than it looks pretty old and doesn't look like a wood stove. Top flue pipe looks like galvanized pipe, which isn't used on wood stoves. Also, the side panel has diagonal crimping, which is typically used to stiffen light gauge metal like is used in heating/ventilation ducts. Maybe the picture is just deceptive? Is that other pipe in back actually the flue pipe, or does that go to a boiler hidden back there?

A side note: Judging by the rust on the stove's feet, it looks like the basement has moisture issues. For your own peace of mind, ask the seller how much and how often the basement gets standing water.

 

[Harmaniac]

Elmoleaf-thanks. The black back pipe is the flue going to the chimney. The top flue I believe is a galvanized steel pipe. Is that bad in the world of woodburning? Every house in a 30 mile radius of this one had water in their basements August of 2007....SE Minnesota got 14-18 inches of rain in a 24 hour period. I'm assuming the rust may have come from that episode. Here is another picture.

 

[LeonMSPT]

Looks like a wood fired hot air heater... blower fan in the bottom pushes air around the firebox and the duct carries it upstairs... unique. Might not be a brand name attached to it somewhere? Scratch built?

Ask them how it works, how long it's been there... try it easy and see how it works?

Elmoleaf-thanks. The black back pipe is the flue going to the chimney. The top flue I believe is a galvanized steel pipe. Is that bad in the world of woodburning? Every house in a 30 mile radius of this one had water in their basements August of 2007....SE Minnesota got 14-18 inches of rain in a 24 hour period. I'm assuming the rust may have come from that episode. Here is another picture.

 

[begreen]

I think you are right. Seems to me that someone posted info and maybe posted a picture about this stove awhile back. I had never seen one, but in the local area they were common.

 

[dougand3]

I'd wanna make sure the fire box was sealed - no gases leaking into the surrounding jacket where the blower moves hot air. I'd have a CO detector right where the galv pipe exits upstairs.

 

[wendell]

That's what it is. Just spend a weekend up north and they were using one to heat their garage. Different model though with the blower on the back.

 

[Harmaniac]

Thanks for everyone's input. Here is another picture of the inside fire box. Looks very strange compared to my dad's woodburner growing up in Wisconsin.

So the bottom line.......would it be safe to even fire this thing up?

 

[lexybird]

thats like one of those flimsy tent heaters that campers up north use .I doubt you will ever get safe satisfying heat out of that for the home ,i would check over /clean the chimney and flue first then I'd upgrade to a modern epa rated stove or wood furnace and sell that one on craiglist for 50 bucks.I know it may be a while till you purchase this house but This is the primo time of year to get good stove bargains as the season is drawing to a close

 

[CrappieKeith]

1st off any solid fuel heater ie...stove or furnace should have been tested by an accredited testing facility to be safe.
You will normally see a metal tag acclaiming the testing attached to the furnace cabinet.
Second ..your insurance company should be asking for this.
Third...having a blower mounted as it is will remove combustion air from the room it is in.
The whole idea of ducting is a supply & return to cycle the air in the home with filtration.

My advice is to get a furnace that is UL listed or tested by some other accredited testing facility.
Search out efficient furnaces with a lot of thermal mass(bricks) a lot of heat exchangeability ,a secondary burn,a thermostatically operated damper.

This investment will pay for it self many times over plus be safe.

 

[LeonMSPT]

From the looks of it, I'd say someone's felt safe enough with it to use it. Look closely at the thing and see if you can find a listing tag, any tag, numbers... ask the realtor.

The cold air displaced by the warm air blown through the ductwork will come down the stairs to the basement and replace the air. I wouldn't worry too much about smothering the fire with the blower. There's likely some grates cut into the floor at the periphery of the house to facilitate that, however simply leaving the basement door open would suffice.

Ask around... unless it's something the owner built himself, someone else should have one and know more about it.

Thanks for everyone's input. Here is another picture of the inside fire box. Looks very strange compared to my dad's woodburner growing up in Wisconsin.

So the bottom line.......would it be safe to even fire this thing up?

 

[LeonMSPT]

The firebox looks like it's steel, and it's apparent that some here thought the blower box around the firebox is the firebox. Might be a home made timebomb, waiting to go off and burn down your house. It could also be a reasonable heat producer, but if you want great heat and long burn times, a newer model of something else would likely be necessary...

 

[Harmaniac]

Thanks for everyone's two cents worth on this. We are going to the house to look things over this Friday night, so I'll be looking this stove over a bit more. If I learn anything more, I'll post new information. Anything else I should be checking this Friday night with the stove?