Wood boiler installation question

[MikeeH]

I am interested in putting a gasification boiler in my basement. I have a brick fireplace on the first floor which is not used. The ash cleanout in the back of the fireplace goes all the way to the floor in the basement. I would like to run a chimney pipe through the wall in the basement and up through the cleanout and connect to my existing chimney.
Has anyone done a similar installation? Any advice would be great! Thank you.

 

[WoodNotOil]

Many gasification boilers are particular about the amount of twists and turns you are allowed to take. My guess is that once you have gone through the wall, then through the cleanout, then into the fireplace flue, and then through the angles of that chimney, that you have probably made more than is recommended. Also, the flue opening in a fireplace is often rectangular with a flap. I am not sure how you would get an air tight seal on the connection? It might not be impossible to do, but IMO there would be a number of challenges. (Plus you would have a pipe visible in your fireplace...) Any chance of running a new insulated pipe inside or outside of the house for it? OR perhaps you have another space like part of a garage that could be converted to a boiler room... If you read some of the threads on here about others installs it may spark some ideas. You likely have a flue in the basement for a fossil boiler that could be used for the new gasification boiler and then all you would have to do is vent the fossil boiler through a direct vent or perhaps through that fireplace...

BTW - Welcome

 

[MikeeH]

I do have the oil burner in the flue right next to the fireplace cleanout. I could use that for the gasifier instead. But I have heard that direct venting an oil furnace can stain the siding on a house. Does anyone know if that is a problem?

Thanks for the welcome!

 

[WoodNotOil]

Staining can happen depending on a lot of factors, but not always. Typically once you get a gasser up and running you don't run the oil often enough for it to make a difference. The direct vent should be blowing the exhaust clear away from the house, but if the prevailing wind is at it a lot you might get some staining. Mine is vented and I have not had an issue. I don't really use it at all now that I have storage. I just run it every once and a while to keep it working...

Some on here have switched to on demand units as backup because they don't have to sit cold until needed. If you put in storage, you will likely not really use your backup much at all.

 

[mark123]

Check with your fire marshal and insurance company, but around here you can have both in the same flue as long as the oil enters above the wood. The idea is that if the wood plugs up with creosote than the oil will remain unrestricted.

 

[MikeeH]

Check with your fire marshal and insurance company, but around here you can have both in the same flue as long as the oil enters above the wood. The idea is that if the wood plugs up with creosote than the oil will remain unrestricted.

That would make it easy. NH code refers you to NFPA 211. Which states you can only put both in the same flue if the solid fuel unit is designed for it. But the Econoburn boiler I am looking at specifically tells you in big letters not to in the manual.
I think the direct vent method is a good option for the oil. Hopefully I won't use the oil very much and I can vent it out next to my chimney where there are no windows nearby.

 

[mark123]

I guess that makes sense where as most gasifiers use forced exhaust which could re-enter through the oil burner

 

[MikeeH]

What do you guys think about this arrangement? Where the wood burner connects into the chimney below the oil and they are on the same level.

http://www.inspectapedia.com/chimneys/Shared_Chimney_Flues_OK.htm

 

[webie]

My parents have done this since 1949 and has not been a problem but!! I would follow exactly what the manufacture says so if its a no no then dont do it ( Period)