Anyone installed a wood stove?
 

Just curious as we're currently looking to buy a home without one. The majority of houses here, new and old alike, are heated by oil. We'd would like to have a secondary source of heat, since I don't see oil staying as low as it is for long. I've found a couple install how-to's online, but this is probably something I'd leave to the professionals.

Just curious if anyone has added one to an existing home. Do it yourself? Pay someone...if so, how much?

Thanks!

Re: Anyone installed a wood stove?
 

installing a "wood stove" is extremely simple

installing a "wood furnace" could be a lot more tricky

what type of wood burning appliance are you specificly talking about?

Re: Anyone installed a wood stove?
 

Keep the chimney inside the house if you can for two reasons. A heated chimney has a much better draft and you get more heat transfer. Keeping things to code will determine most of what you will have to do, nowdays.

Re: Anyone installed a wood stove?
 

I added a wood stove to the basement of my place two years ago. Stoves aren't as efficient installed in basements but I didn't have room in the house itself. It's also a lot simpler to do as you don't need to worry as much about minimum distance to combustible surfaces, etc. The stove was free as it needed repair to fix a large crack.

I've found that I can heat my house from the basement in most weather above 15 degrees simply with a fan at the bottom of the basement staircase blowing up. I have the woodstove area tarped off, to contain the heat so it flows upstairs.

I installed the chimney myself, used the metalbestos Ultratemp HT. My cost was around $1100 for 27 feet of straight pipe, t, brackets and cap. My advice is to install the best quality chimney you can and save money on the woodstove if necessary. A good quality chimney can save your house in the event of a chimney fire, and will be less likely to build up creosote.

Re: Anyone installed a wood stove?
 

Re: Anyone installed a wood stove?
 

Cool thanks for the heads up guys. I'm just having a hell of a time trying to figure out where would be best to put it in the house set-up we've got. It's two story and the place I see it 'fitting best' is in the downstairs near the middle of the house as the heat would rise and heat the second floor. But I don't think that would work for routing the chimney. I'm going to check out the floor plans and talk with the inspector about it on Saturday.

Re: Anyone installed a wood stove?
 

Do you have a website dealing with "metalalbestos Ultratemp HT"???

I've had a wood stove hanging round my basement for over a dozen years... never hooked up.

I was looking into hooking it up about 10 years ago, but freaked at the price of double-walled stainless pipe for the chimney, and held off. I suspect nowadays the prices have gone up even higher... :bear_cry:

However, with what I'm sure is going to happen with heating oil, and what with my already having over 3 cords of seasoned wood from my property (with access to more... with my labor), I'm thinking it's time to hook that stove up! :yes:

Re: Anyone installed a wood stove?
 

I have installed several over the last few years. I like the kits that use insulated pipe. The pipe is not cheap. Lowes sells a nice kit for this along with Tractor Supply

http://www.tractorsupply.com/webapp/...g=true&cFlag=1

I could not find a link to the Lowes kit. I have used both and they go up about the same. I have found them to be very safe.

Just confirm what pipe you need 6 or 8 inch.

Re: Anyone installed a wood stove?
 

That pipe i just got at lowes an it was 36.00 dam they are high at tractor suppy http://www.tractorsupply.com/webapp/...http:ClickInfo

Re: Anyone installed a wood stove?
 

I think Lowes only sales double wall and Tractor Suppy sales only triple wall. That is why the cost is less at Lowes. The double works well and does not get very hot but the triple just gets slightly warm to the touch.

Re: Anyone installed a wood stove?
 

Study here:

http://hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/

Usually offer pretty good advice.

Re: Anyone installed a wood stove?
 

UncaScrooge try this: www.selkirkinc.com

This pipe is double wall but has mineral wool insulation, it is not the same as regular double wall. Can be placed 2" from combustibles. Tested to 2100 degrees, tough stuff. Also over $80.00 for 36" length when I bought it. Much cheaper than a new house though...

Re: Anyone installed a wood stove? THANKS G.GORDON!!!
 

:s1:$80 for 3 feet??? EEEK! :36_1_25: And I thought pipe was expensive 10 years back... :cry1: Well, no surprise there.

Like you, I'm likely going to need 25-30 feet (mostly to get high enough above the roof line to meet code)... plus a cleanout elbow and all the other add-ons.

I'll check out the selkirk site. I like the "2-inch" factor since the horizontal run of my pipe out the basement wall will be barely 8 inches below my floor joists.

And... you are SO right... still cheaper than a new house!!!! :s1:

Thanks for the quick reply! Have a great night!

P.S. OH... a thought just popped into my head... once I get the pipe outside my house and start my vertical run... I could go with a less expensive pipe, couldn't I? Lemme know how you handled that, and your thoughts. Thanks again!

Re: Anyone installed a wood stove?
 

you can go to single wall outside....but you have to maintain the correct distance from your combustable siding etc.

i saw a house the other day with a stove pipe comeing out a basement window and up the side of the house..im guessin a 3-4" stand off...and his vinyl siding was sagging and scorched all the way up next to it..

Re: Anyone installed a wood stove?
 

Originally Posted by UncaScrooge I suppose you could go to a cheaper pipe if you have clearance, but an important benefit to insulated pipe is that it runs hot on the inside and keeps creosote from forming in the first place, which prevents chimney fires and saves a lot of labor as it may not need frequent clean outs. My chimney only had a light residue inside after it's first full season.

If you want to know I have a short riser 2' over my stove, an elbow, then it goes directly into the double wall running horizontally through my foundation (2 foot thick stone wall). Outside it connects to a T sitting directly on cement and then it's straight up the outside of the house 24'. Running the pipe outside for that height makes it important to retain the heat in the flue gas or my creosote problem could be real bad.

Re: Anyone installed a wood stove?
 

:dontknow:Ah... the old "sagging-scorched vinyl siding phenom... LOL!

I've got old THICK aluminum siding on my house, and was figuring running the pipe about 8-12 inches away from the outside wall... and even then feel "nervous about it.

So, single-wall is OK outside? I guess it wouldn't matter whether it's single-wall or double-wall as regards creosote build-up in the vertical run? (I guess since it's outside and COLD and WINDY... there's going to be buildup either way???)

:dontknow: :dontknow:

Re: Anyone installed a wood stove?
 

YEA! I just mentioned that in my response to Tazz's post: was wondering if using the double-wall stuff outside would help minimize creosote buildup!!!

Glad you posted that!

What I'm figuring (had figured out 10 years back) was to have a TEE at the joint of my outside run, when I switch from horizontal to vertical... that way, I would have an easier time cleaning out the vertical run... just let all the stuff fall down on the ground.... does that make sense?

Have a good night... gonna crash now... will check back tomorrow. :4_8_4v:

Re: Anyone installed a wood stove? Again, Thanks! G.Gordon
 

Reread your last post again, after my initial response:.

My riser from the stove will be about 4' high (from where the pipe exits the stove)... so I'm close to what you did... except instead of a 2-ft stone wall, I'll be going through a cinderblock wall (or may even use what is still now a casement window which I'll take out and seal up with concrete after running the horizontal pipe).

Thinking on it, I can see where using the insulated pipe even outside can be a major factor in minimizing creosote buildup... especially since the vertical run is going to be exposed to the cold temps and winds.

OK... guess I'm gonna have to sell at least one of my kids to have enough money to do it right! :bear_rolleyes:

Niters! I'm outta here for now!

Re: Anyone installed a wood stove?
 

the Tee is exactly what you want so creosote, moisture,soot etc will fall back into the bottom of the tee so you can clean it out and not build up and come back down to the stove..

I did a exterior pipe off of a wood stove on one of my shops and i just took a piece of 6" continueous piece of steel well casing pipe welded a bottom cap on it sat it on the ground tourched me a clean out hole and hinged door on the side of the bottom to clean out....then just stood the pipe up to be above the roof with a rain cap and it was self supporting except for just some hanger straps to keep it from falling or blowing over...then i just brought the double wall from the shop into this outside flue at probably 7-8' off the ground so i had a heck of a Tee to work with. only problem i had with the heavy well casing pipe flue was rusting on the outside ...i finally painted it with some silver high temp paint and it has worked for years

double wall outside would probably do away with the seeping joint ugly look of a single wall pipe setup

Re: Anyone installed a wood stove?
 

UncaScrooge,

If your T will sit above ground level you can use a "wall support kit" designed for use with a T. This keeps the cap on the bottom of the T exposed for cleanouts as you suggested.

My situation requires the T to sit directly on the ground so I have to disconnect pipes and vacuum after brushing.

Good luck!

Re: Anyone installed a wood stove?
 

Here is a kit with a wall support and Tee. It has a clean out on the Tee. This is triple wall stuff.

http://www.tractorsupply.com/webapp/...g=true&cFlag=1

Re: Anyone installed a wood stove?
 

Thanks for all the good info, guys!!!

You've got me pointed in the right direction! :yippee:

Re: Anyone installed a wood stove?
 

Quite a few of them.

Here's a trick from them olden days.......

Just in case you can't afford triple walled stainless.

Inside walls and floor:

Lay down ordinary brick on the floor, contained by

A wood frame, for the stove to sit on. The brick platform

Should be about a foot wider and longer than the

Footprint of the stove.

Then, using either 1/4" concrete board or corrugated

Steel roofing, create wall protection by cutting 2"

standoffs of common 1/2" copper water pipe with

3 1/2" sheetrock screws.

This sets up your heat shield 2" off of a possibly combustible surface.

You can use an old fashioned thimble through your wall,

Although I always packed in rock wool around the thimble,

Between the studs and up and down.

Exterior:

Same deal, concrete board or corrugated roofing

Held off your wall surface with 2" X 1/2" copper

Pipe standoffs.

Works slick.

Maybe not so pretty,

But "that's the way we did it

When money was nothing, and

The chicks for free."


scyth

Re: Anyone installed a wood stove?
 

^ Nice....good info. Thanks guys!

Re: Anyone installed a wood stove?
 

I just installed my first, from my research a strait pipe with no turns will give you less creosute, I recomend the triple wall from Dura vent, was pleased with the build quality (expesive). Running stove pipe through a wall and up on the outside will be a creosite nightmare, my dad did this for yeears, just be prepared to walk outside, unscrew it and tap it every weak or two, to let the creasote fall out. And be prepared to replace system every few years as the pipe deteriorates quickly under those conditions (he used plain single wall black pipe all the way. It is a cheap way in the biginnig, but a hasle and has ongoing costs.

I placed mine in the center of the house and went straight up. YOu start with single wall till it hits the sealing (it's called stove pipe) AT the ceiling up, they call it "the chimney" and it must be close clearance double or triple pipe. And DO IT RIGHT OR YOU ARE TOAST.

The Dura comes with a "slip pipe" that allows easy installation and quick inspection and cleaning.

Re: Anyone installed a wood stove?
 

Back in '03 I installed a wood stove at my previous residence. I had access to free wood and was getting dinged on heating bills. I bought the pieces through the summer and saved a few bucks there. I built a nice raised platform and covered it in tile... looked sexy imo. Put mine in the basement and sure didn't regret that: -30C outside and +35C downstairs and +21C upstairs without a fan. Even opened a window on occasion and didn't quibble as the wood was free. Dropped a $250 gas bill to $60 on a cold month. We set the thermostat just under the regular temp and used the fire whenever we could. Because my stove was in a corner and although I was at the proper distance from the walls they still got warm enough that I tiled the walls in that corner as well. Good peace of mind there. I'd add to the recommended distance in hindsight, my stove threw the heat once it got going- even choked down. Was a "2000 sq foot unit" fwiw. In very cold weather I had to preheat the flue to prevent smoke coming in when starting. I shoved a wad of newspaper in the fluehole at the top of my stove and lit it. Repeat if necessary and when you hear a whoosh light your fire. Loved that stove.

Then I moved. Aaargh.