Where to start

[GreggB]

Hi all. Need some heating advice. We bought our house in April, 1860's farmhouse 1550sq. ft. rehabbed nicely about 25 years ago. The heating system involves a peerless oil furnace, and a FP industries wood furnace(hot water/baseboards) in the basement, and a small waterford woodstove on the first floor. Central masonry chimney with one flue, the previous owners plugged the flue on the chimney on one woodburning stove at all times. So the flue would have the oil furnace and the wood boiler in the winter and the woodstove and oil in the summer. We were following the same practice although I do not care for the woodboiler and our intent was to replace the wood stove with a bigger one(castine) and use that and the oil. Anyway our new insurance company(old one didn't mind the flue-didn't like the barn...), no surprise, is not too keen on the one flue and I am looking for advice and recommendations for installing a insulated metal chimney alongside the masonry chimney, space is tight and I'm not overly thrilled with the look of a metal chimney, but it is a sight better than an uninsured smoldering cellar hole. I have consided other alternatives such as direct vent furnaces but I haven't heard good things about them and that is a lot more expensive than a metal chimney.
Any recomendations for agood chimney person in the upper valley area of VT. Any alternative suggestions for having a woodstove and oil backup with one flue.
Thanks,
Gregg

 

[elkimmeg]

Your insurance company is right. What size opening is your existing flue? Does it have a clay liner in good condition?
Who told you a power vent for your oil burner cost more than a class A chimney? Power vent technology has come a long way the past few years as they gained acceptance.

 

[GreggB]

Not sure of the flue size, it is square about 9 by 11. As far as I can tell it is in good shape. I didn't realize that a conventional oil furnace can be direct vented, I was under the impression that I would need a new furnace. Any info for power venting my existing furnace would be appreciated. I am off to google.
Thanks,
Gregg

 

[Darryl Rose]

Gregg - The Upper Valley Stove company in Lebanon, NH can likely help you. If they can't directly, they can reccomend someone.