I just bought a King wood stove from a northern tool
Note:Please read the Forestry Forum's postion on this company. There was already a flue in the basement. Tonight when I uncovered the flue I saw that it was an 8" clay pipe inlet. The wood stove comes with a hook up for a 6" pipe. Can I step this up to an 8" pipe? Also any recommendations on a zero clearance thimble to go through the wall.
Most good hardware stores that sell wood burning appliances should have both of those items. yes you can go 6 to 8 nicely.
Read Jeff's short opinion on this stove. Other wood stoves new or used, are far better, more efficient, and safer brands ( Blaze King, Jotul, Pacific Energy, Woodstock, even Vermont Castings, Hearthstone, others ).
Also check your old flue carefully. Older flues may not be safe due to cracks, crumbling mortar, etc. Most install a SS liner in older chimneys; easily a DIY job.
Don't go cheap on wood heating.
Quote from: Billikenfan on November 12, 2018, 09:46:30 PM
I just bought a King wood stove from a northern tool Note:Please read the Forestry Forum's postion on this company<a href="Knock off product position (https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php?action=position">) Note:Please read the Forestry Forum's postion on this company</a>. There was already a flue in the basement. Tonight when I uncovered the flue I saw that it was an 8" clay pipe inlet. The wood stove comes with a hook up for a 6" pipe. Can I step this up to an 8" pipe? Also any recommendations on a zero clearance thimble to go through the wall.
Check with your insurance company before any more money is spent to see what they require on a wood stove install.
In our area we need a fire dept inspection and the certificate they issue in duplicate needs to be sent to the insurance company (the second copy) before homeowner's or just fire insurance will cover a loss.
Not sure about your model stove, mileage varies. I fought the new stove specs for a long time, but 2 years ago ours was no longer fixable and rotted clean through. We bit the bullet, HARD, and bought a new stove that is compliant with the new EPA standards (not like we had a choice). I wasn't too thrilled about what that was going to mean for heating the house. To make it worse (for me, trying to adjust to these new rules, regulations, and stoves after 30+ years of wood heat) I found that the new building code REQUIRES a SS liner, regardless of the condition of the chimney (Mine is just fine and well maintained thank you very much). The liner kit would have been about $800., but they had a special with the new stove ($3,500) and 'threw it in for free'. I was dubious. I don't part with that kind of money easily (OK, the cost made me choke and kept me up at night for a while).
Well I can tell you that I was all wrong. The new stove throws so much more heat than any other I have had and I get a lot more BTU's out of our wood making the house more comfortable. In addition, the liner collects a lot less creosote due to better draft and the cleaner burning stove. I used to spend an hour cleaning the chimney and would get almost a full baby bathtub full of creosote. Now I clean it in 15 minutes and get about a 2 pound coffee can full of creosote. The ONLY thing I do not like about the new setup is that there is no way to 'shut down' the stove entirely to choke it off in the event of a chimney fire. As an experienced wood burner I have had a close call or two and caught it in time saving a call to the fire department (which would be VERY EMBARRASSING). As a firefighter (recently retired) I know that being able to shut off the air is 95% of the battle with a solid chimney properly built. You can't 'shut down' an EPA stove, it always has air so that it can burn clean with minimal smoke. But I will add that this has not yet been an issue.
Anyway, my 2 cents is to do it correctly. If you can't afford the right way, they don't do it at all. It is your home or shop you are risking. I have had many different setups over the years (about 5 if I recall using about 8 different stoves) and I like my current one the best. Most heat, least work, and even less worry.
Be careful and thoughtful here. As a person who has stood in front of a burning home resulting from a chimney fire more than a few times and trying to console the owner or tried to explain why we are ripping walls open to save their home, I can tell you that you need to think it through completely.
Good Luck :)
Right about the EPA stoves: more efficient and cleaner but different from older stoves. Often a PITA to run.
Though not recommended, you can install a damper in your stovepipe for more air control just in case.
With the SS Metalbestos insulated chimneys we have, Spring cleanings pull out barely a coffee can worth of creosote. Shoulder season burns do sometimes clog up the chimney caps with slower burnings since it's where the pipe cools most.
What stove did you get ?
We have Jotel 550 Rockland and like Old Greenhorn I wanted to dislike the EPA mandated features. But in use it has been a pleasant experience once we got by the fact you cant shut it down to a smolder like the older stoves. We are in our 3rd year with it and I think everything we have ever cleaned out of the chimney would fit in one coffee can. Our old farmhouse is kinda unique with a large kitchen added on and containing a huge fireplace, like a half a house added one. The Jotel is in the kitchen and we also have an OWB running to heat other zones in the house. The combination works very well in our situation and the gas furnace never runs.
Pulphook, we got a Summit insert made by pacific energy. Seen here: https://www.pacificenergy.net/products/wood/inserts/summit-insert/ and as I said, are pretty pleased with it. I am stuck with a fireplace both upstairs and down, so an insert is my only choice.
Tom
Morning Tom:
Possible extension of your hearth(s) for a wood stove outside of the fireplace ? Much more efficient heating.
Did that 3 stoves past in another state. It was not a big job.
PH