Posted: 1/10/2011 5:20:03 AM EDT
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We're looking at installing a wood burning stove. Probably going to go with a simple box stove. Our main chimney has recently been rebuilt, and is in good shape. However, we had a sweep clean it and inspect it, and he recommended against it, and suggested installing an external class A chimney.
The more we look into it, the more we are concerned that the sweep may be looking to make a few extra bucks by trying to get us to have a new chimney put in. I'm interested in getting another opinion, but don't want want it to be biased. If indeed the chimney will not work, we are interested in building one, either class A or Masonry. I know masonry isn't going to be cheap, and we've never done it before. If anyone has installed a chimney before, and has any recommendations or suggestions, i'm all ears. We're mainly looking to offset the propane heat cost by using some wood. We have woods around the house, so the wood is free. But a $10k chimney really isn't going to make it worthwhile or save us any money. |
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Don't know how much help this will be, but we have a Napolean wood stove that heats our self built log cabin and vent it into an interior built masonry chimney with clay flue and it works well. In 13 years we have never had to clean the chimney. Every year though we remove any deposits that fall to the bottom of the chimney thru the provided inspection/clean out door. It works well and kind of self cleans. This cabin only has electric heat that we almost never use and we heat with wood exclusively.
Another house I lived in and we also built, we installed an add on woodstove to our existing forced air furnace with a stainless triple wall chimney also in the interior. This too was a good chimney system. I had a cap over the top of the chimney and upon removal would take a small diameter tow chain and swirl it around the entire length of the chimney to clean it and then remove any deposits in the clean out dispenser installed in the basement. This system worked well also and was/is a fair amount cheaper than a masonry chimney. My buddy who is a mason by trade built our current masonry chimney so I went that way instead of the stainless triple wall. I think either system works well. I would try and avoid the chimney on the outside of the house as my buddy has seen problems with the draw on a cold outside chimney. Not saying it won't work but he has seen problems arise. Good luck with your endeavor. 
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Quoted:
I would try and avoid the chimney on the outside of the house as my buddy has seen problems with the draw on a cold outside chimney. That is what I have heard as well, which is partially why I'm wanting a second look at my main chimney. It would be pretty pricey to add another internal chimney. This one looks in good shape all things considered. I've heard the externals can have draft problems. |
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I'm looking for a "new" stove.
I've got a Rohn in my LR now (it heats my whole house). I'm looking for something similar but with more efficency and hot water loops built in or 'capable''. I've got a 100 y.o. + farm house with a central internal brick chimney (from roof to LR and 'dies' halfway down the wall to the floorl) The brickwork is tight and 24 years ago I installed the heaviest SS liner I could get and it's still tight. The chimney acts as a heat sink and heats the second floor pretty much on it's own, I've got fans around the house in transoms... I also have a masonry block clay lined chimney on the outside of my house that runs into the basement. The old owners had a woodstove + furnace hooked up, I disconnected the furnace. The previous owner had a chimney fire in that chimney(most likely becuase he had the furnace hookup into it with the stove), so it is new. I burned wood in the basement and upstairs for a couple of years before moving all the fire upstairs (easier to watch). The basement stove was jury rigged into the old furnace's blower, the ducts were filthy, leaky and uninsulated... If I were to run into some money I would upgrade with a poured in masonry liner on my internal chimney. Whatever you do, take into consideration cleaning the chimney. I used to have a 'scaffold' on my roof in winter to get up and down easily, but as i got older I started cleaning from the inside, luckily my setup allowed me to get a rod inside to do it. C361 Stan ETA: Outside chimneys tend to condense creosote more than internal chimney, depending on what kind of fire you run. If there is an easy cleanout, that's not a big problem. If you are burning 24/7 it's not that big of an issue. If you are gone alot and the fire runs low and hot in cycles, letting the chimney cool, then it can get crazy if your wood isn't "perfect". ETA again: I jumped right into burning wood withsome weekender, hunting lodge and camping experience. I was wary of the chimney in the attic space so I wired some remote temp sensors for peace of mind. |
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NAM, can you put a liner in your existing chimney? I watched the guy do ours and it looked pretty easy. I have seen the kits on the net and they aren't too much $$. I do'nt see why not. The chimney itself looks good, but they claim it was too close to wood. It's in the middle of the house and roof, of course it's going to be somewhat near wood. The main problem is it is also used for venting the boiler and water heater. But that's a secondary issue. I can reroute or go direct vent with that. would be cheaper than building a brand new chimney. |
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Not to do a promo here...but I just used Badger Chimney to tuck point both my chimneys and do a reflashing around for the new roof. They did an excellent job, working in the snow all day and even saved me a few hundred dollars.
Not sure if they are ARFcommers - but they are good people. Dean |