New house with wood stove questions
- Thread starter Flint Mitch
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Take off the stove pipe and have a look inside chimney, a mirror and good flashlight will help.
If it needs a cleaning if it's not to hard to get up on the roof, invest in some cleaning brushes and rods. The junk should fall down into a cleanout. take all that crud out.
When it is clean check out the condition. If it is fully lined and the tiles are in good shape you are probably safe to go. Also compare the size of the flue with your stovepipe/thimble. If there is space to put in an insulated liner it will make the stove more efficient and have much less creosote buildup. The other key to keeping the flue clean is dry hardwood and try not to choke it down too much or often. Run a real good hot fire each day if you run it daily and that will help too.
The picture I posted is from a neighbors chimney fire who only once in a while cleaned the flue, and to cheap out further, he didn't have the sweep take the debris out of the cleanout. It was a traditional fireplace with smokeshelf. The cleanout was HUGE! AND Full of creosote when the fire started. The door to the clean out was the "fire down below", there was not even any fire there until they broke out the crud and the draft started in earnest. What was coming out of the chimney was much like a jet engine and he would have lost the house if not for the firedept. Big blobs of flaming creosote on the roof, lawn,........ The firemen burnt up 3 shovels removing the burning material from the cleanout, it held over 1/2 a yard. I've a collection of pictures from that one if anyone wants to see a good chimney fire in action. I got a few hours of entertainment.
If it needs a cleaning if it's not to hard to get up on the roof, invest in some cleaning brushes and rods. The junk should fall down into a cleanout. take all that crud out.
When it is clean check out the condition. If it is fully lined and the tiles are in good shape you are probably safe to go. Also compare the size of the flue with your stovepipe/thimble. If there is space to put in an insulated liner it will make the stove more efficient and have much less creosote buildup. The other key to keeping the flue clean is dry hardwood and try not to choke it down too much or often. Run a real good hot fire each day if you run it daily and that will help too.
The picture I posted is from a neighbors chimney fire who only once in a while cleaned the flue, and to cheap out further, he didn't have the sweep take the debris out of the cleanout. It was a traditional fireplace with smokeshelf. The cleanout was HUGE! AND Full of creosote when the fire started. The door to the clean out was the "fire down below", there was not even any fire there until they broke out the crud and the draft started in earnest. What was coming out of the chimney was much like a jet engine and he would have lost the house if not for the firedept. Big blobs of flaming creosote on the roof, lawn,........ The firemen burnt up 3 shovels removing the burning material from the cleanout, it held over 1/2 a yard. I've a collection of pictures from that one if anyone wants to see a good chimney fire in action. I got a few hours of entertainment.
Flint Mitch
ArboristSite Guru
Inspection and cleaning coming on the 23rd
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Jet engine is right. First couple of years at my new house, wife had lived there already for years. Husband #1 gone & I'm #2. Her & her mother burned garbage in it. Paper plates, brownie boxes etc. That's the 1st thing I stopped. Knock it off, wood only period. Sitting in living room I hop up quick, thought plane was crashing. Figured it out quick enough, shut stove right down & went outside with flashlight & phone ready to call 911. I got it under control. Allot of stuff burnt off,. Happened again the next year. So I put stainless in cert, non insulated. Bought brushes, clean it every year in fall & no more problems. But I'll never forget that sound.
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Soundd like a freight train coming through the room. I use abnout 30 face cord a winter. But I have a very much different set up. I've had a bad back before and wood doesn't help it. Might save the money ok you would spend on a splitter and a saw and just buy your wood.
Tractor supply mark down their wood stoves like mid winter right around tax return time. I've negotiated prices with them in the past. Figure worst thing they can say is no. Good luck.
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Tractor supply mark down their wood stoves like mid winter right around tax return time. I've negotiated prices with them in the past. Figure worst thing they can say is no. Good luck.
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Welcome to the site and to wood heating. Its a great way to heat.
Good setup by the looks of it. Good that insurance is set, mine is $50 per year for the stove. I may put a solid base under a new stove for ease of cleaning instead of those rocks. Cool look though, rustic.
Looks like an older stove, but you could upgrade like said and when you do, look for a secondary burning type, meaning that there will be air tubes at top of burn chamber to inject air and re-burn gases. They are much more efficient and will save you money in wood. Bigger is always better with a wood stove, so if you think you need a medium, upgrade to a large.
Looks like that black stove pipe could be cleaned and inspected and repainted. It looks rusted.
If repainting, note that a smell will occur during first burn. I had to open doors/windows to let smell of paint residue out. It looks like an 8" diameter. Most stoves have a 6" out for chimney pipe. Some like the larger Blaze Kings have 8".
Also make sure you are two or three years ahead in seasoned firewood. That way your wood will be super seasoned and dry to reduce creosote buildup and risk of chimney fire.
I'd buy a good chimney brush with rods and learn to do the sweeping myself. It'll save you money and you'll know it was done right and good also could do it whenever need be.
Hope we didn't scare you too too much.
Below is my Drolet HT2000 upgrade from my old wood stove and the connector pipe alteration, cleaning and repainting.
Good setup by the looks of it. Good that insurance is set, mine is $50 per year for the stove. I may put a solid base under a new stove for ease of cleaning instead of those rocks. Cool look though, rustic.
Looks like an older stove, but you could upgrade like said and when you do, look for a secondary burning type, meaning that there will be air tubes at top of burn chamber to inject air and re-burn gases. They are much more efficient and will save you money in wood. Bigger is always better with a wood stove, so if you think you need a medium, upgrade to a large.
Looks like that black stove pipe could be cleaned and inspected and repainted. It looks rusted.
If repainting, note that a smell will occur during first burn. I had to open doors/windows to let smell of paint residue out. It looks like an 8" diameter. Most stoves have a 6" out for chimney pipe. Some like the larger Blaze Kings have 8".
Also make sure you are two or three years ahead in seasoned firewood. That way your wood will be super seasoned and dry to reduce creosote buildup and risk of chimney fire.
I'd buy a good chimney brush with rods and learn to do the sweeping myself. It'll save you money and you'll know it was done right and good also could do it whenever need be.
Hope we didn't scare you too too much.
Below is my Drolet HT2000 upgrade from my old wood stove and the connector pipe alteration, cleaning and repainting.
Flint Mitch
ArboristSite Guru
Chimney guy just left. He said it was probably never cleaned. I do however need a few repairs. The flashing on the roof is coming up, and he said the liner is loose at the roof. Apparently there should be something holding it from wobbling around
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Flint Mitch
ArboristSite Guru
jr27236
Addicted to ArboristSite
The sweep didnt mention that being too close to the roof? The chimney should be higher then that. Obviously the previous owner didnt have any issues that have caused major problems but you dont want to be the one to have them either, especially being new to wood burning.
The standard rule is 2 feet above anything within 10 feet.
The standard rule is 2 feet above anything within 10 feet.
Flint Mitch
ArboristSite Guru
He did not mention anything about it. I'll inquire when I have someone's out to fix it
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I should be at least 3ft. above the roof peak.
Flint Mitch
ArboristSite Guru
Any way to extend it without getting a whole new one?
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jr27236
Addicted to ArboristSite
Yes usually they have a tapered end and the nest pipe slips over but unable to be sure without actually seeing it. The guy who repairs it will let you know. Just be careful about being ripped off. Not to paint all chimney sweeps with the same brush, but they have a bad rep with taken people and not performing the work properly or at all. I heard where people paid for a liner and it was NEVER installed.
OnTheRoad
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I see a couple things that appear incorrect on that chimney.
First, the chimney exits too close to the peak of the roof, which is why the flashing is just laying on the top of the shingles. It should be down farther and tucked under the shingles that are towards the peak, and over the ones closer to the gutter. There is no way to fix what you have without relocating the chimney as far as I know. You will probably need to get a roofer out to move the chimney towards the gutter a foot or two. That will probably require two class A elbows which are rather spendy. I'd say if you find an honest roofer you should be able to get that work done for a few hundred dollars in labor. I paid mine $100 to patch the old vent and install the new one but he's a friend.
Next thing is it appears the black pipe is installed backward but it's hard to tell from the picture. The pipes should have the small end toward the stove so that anything falling down the chimney will stay inside and drop into the stove.
Good that you had a sweep inspect your liner, but you can save a bunch of money cleaning that yourself going forward. A sooteater kit is $50 online and works like a champ. It's so easy I clean my chimney a couple times a year and several friends also use it on their chimney.
Enjoy the warm house this winter!
First, the chimney exits too close to the peak of the roof, which is why the flashing is just laying on the top of the shingles. It should be down farther and tucked under the shingles that are towards the peak, and over the ones closer to the gutter. There is no way to fix what you have without relocating the chimney as far as I know. You will probably need to get a roofer out to move the chimney towards the gutter a foot or two. That will probably require two class A elbows which are rather spendy. I'd say if you find an honest roofer you should be able to get that work done for a few hundred dollars in labor. I paid mine $100 to patch the old vent and install the new one but he's a friend.
Next thing is it appears the black pipe is installed backward but it's hard to tell from the picture. The pipes should have the small end toward the stove so that anything falling down the chimney will stay inside and drop into the stove.
Good that you had a sweep inspect your liner, but you can save a bunch of money cleaning that yourself going forward. A sooteater kit is $50 online and works like a champ. It's so easy I clean my chimney a couple times a year and several friends also use it on their chimney.
Enjoy the warm house this winter!
OnTheRoad
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Oh wow, it looks like you're ready for a new roof. Did your inspector mention any of these things?
Flint Mitch
ArboristSite Guru
Yes he did. We were planning on putting a new one on this spring. It actually looks worse in the pic than it is. I'll probably end up doing it earlier so I can safely use this stove this winter
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