I'm debating putting a small wood stove in my trailer for a back up during winter. Mostly be used when I'm home and in case power outage. I had a propane insert fireplace but had to remove it to make a bedroom so now my only heat source is the electric furnace which I don't like or trust and hate paying the big bill. Anybody have a wood burner in a mobile home with pictures? Mostly curious as how to install the chimney from ceiling up and out
First check legality. I would think you also need to consider getting plenty of outside air in for combustion, trailers can be pretty tightly sealed.
My brother did it many years ago. He didn't do it right and just about burnt his trailer down. Were he really screwed up was that he didn't put enough shielding between the bottom of the stove and the carpeted floor. Melted the carpet under the "heat shield". It was a very thin piece of metal with not air gap. Also after running it for several years, you could see the discoloration on the wall - again not enough heat shield.
If you do it..........PLEASE do it right.
You need a fresh air intake for the combustion side of the stove, and check with insurance, we have to have a fellow with a ticket come and put in the chimney and to sertify it is all good on the clearances.
Not a good thing to do ! Also sounds like a lot of work for just a backup . Trailers don't have enough EXITS , any fire in a trailer can turn fatal very quickly. Please look into other options.
We had one inside growing up. Never had any problems. Don't know that I have any pictures though and we bought the land and house next door when I was 10, so don't recall a ton of details.
I currently heat my trailer with wood as a primary. It is an outdoor forced air unit made by Bryan (Not Bryant). I tied it in to the ductwork under the floor and cut a hole through a wall for a cold air return. Not pretty, but it works well and my insurance company said as long as it was 10' from the house it wouldn't raise my rates. The best thing is how much we save off electric. The second best is it keeps the mess out of the house! ;)
My parents still run the Bryan stove they bought in 1992. They have had the brick rebuilt once, and a new fan, but very reliable. Mine was used and I have 2 years on it now. I have a small generator that will run the blower and a couple lights in case of extended power outages.
I would avoid the Lil' House heaters (SP?). Basically a barrel with outer enclosure and blower. Cheaper, but seem to last maybe 2 years...
If you are doing an indoor unit, I recommend hiring the installation done. Insurance company may require it... Also if any kids around, they need to be extra careful.
I have a nice stove in the corner of the living room of my old single wide.
It has a brick surround and a brick platform underneath. I have a nice thermocouple fan on top of it to distribute the heat.
12 years ago the breaker for the furnace burnt out. I went to town and found a breaker, it was $100. I decided to pass.
Went home and told the wife it was impossible to get one because it was a "discontinued mobile home part". Shes believed me so far and that was 10 years ago!
Been much cheaper that way! 8)
There are stoves available that are mobile home approved.
A lot of wood stoves in trailers in these parts. A GOOD insulated chimney, excessive heat shielding on the walls and floor around and under the stove and a floor strong enough for the added weight. There are stoves approved for use in mobile homes or they have optional kits available. An indoor wood stove can burn any building down if not installed properly and used wisely.
We purchased a mobile home to live in on site while we constructed our new house, then picked up a wood stove on Craigslist to heat it. I was tickled with the deal I got on that!
The tag on the stove listed distances from stove to wall for installation.
After I priced the pad for the stove to sit on I made my own. 3/4" plywood then concrete fire board, topped off with duct work sheet metal from the heating and cooling shop. $75 vs. $350-600. Not as fancy as one from the wood stove store but utilitarian, solid and very safe.
The walls behind the Jotul stove have 1/2" concrete board on them offset 3/4" from the wall to let air circulate.
Double wall stove pipe from the stove to the ceiling exit the roof through a boxed chamber purchased from Farm and Family (similar to Tractor Supply) and a double wall insulated chimney piped inside the boxed chamber capped on the top.
Initially we put a new furnace in the mobile home but the blower in it was terribly loud and used the wood stove as primary heat source. A small desktop fan on the floor down the hallway near the bedroom was all that was needed to circulate warm air throughout the living space.
4 smoke detectors and 1 co2 gave me assurance.
Insurance? The auditor was impressed when he inspected it and we were covered.
I've seen more than one MH that had a window removed and replaced with a piece of tin usually the side panel from an old furnace or other appliance. A hole is/was cut in the middle of it to stick black stove through it. Add a 90 degree elbow, some more pipe and some wire to keep it from blowing down and it's good to go ;) ;D
I see lots of them when I'm up in Maine. Don't see why it wouldn't be any less safe than any other installation as long as you do it correctly.
been thinking I also have a big gas free standing stove that use to be in my mamaws house. Does anybody know the clearances would be for the stove pipe for it? When it was in my mamaws it had single wall pipe up to the ceiling box then I think double wall on up but there was a lot of clearance for the stove pipe there because there used to be a wood stove in its place. So how close can I put the stove pipe to the wall.
Have you ever considered a Heat Pump?
Very popular with folks north of you right now.
https://www.consumerreports.org/cro/heat-pumps/buying-guide
These are clearances for my Regency I installed in my mobile, it's certified for mobile homes and includes an alternate cold air intake entering the base of the stove, if your still interested I'll provide photo's of the installation.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/36770/BrochureMyRegency10.JPG?easyrotate_cache=1509419538)