Venting Basement Wood Stove

13 years ago

Hi,

We have a two story home over a full basement. There's a fire place on the first floor and the chimney foundation runs all the way to the basement floor.

I'd like to add a wood stove to the basement, but have no easy/visibly pleasing way to exhaust the stove. I do have a chimney "cleanout" in the basement.

Is there a way to incorporate woodstove chimney through/using this cleanout? If not, what's my best option for using the existing chimney for the woodstove?

Thanks,

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Comments (3)

elroyyboy
Original Author
13 years ago
By the way. We don't like to use our insert in the living room for two reasons. 1.) Mess of using/carrying wood and disposing of ash on our newly refinished wood floors. 2.) Our home, 30 years old, has 18 inch "headers" dividing every room downstairs. And, the return (only one on the first floor, is in the kitchen, two "headers" away from the insert. Very difficult to distribute heat through the house, and impossible to get it into HVAC w/out adding another return.

THanks,
mainegrower
13 years ago
The fire codes in most states prohibit venting two appliances into a single flue. Beyond the code issue, if you were to connect a wood stove to the chimney below the fireplace, it's very likely most of the smoke and gasses from the wood stove would end up in your living room via the fireplace/insert opening.

Using a homes HVAC duct system to distribute heat from a wood stove is pretty much impossible.

Best option if you're really serious about heating with wood is a free standing stove on the first floor vented into the chimney, assuming it's properly lined and safe. Small battery powered fans intended for mounting in a doorway corner are available and will help circulate the heat. You can always put down winter time protection for the floors. The fact is, however, only a wood burning furnace is likely to come close to a creating something like central heat.
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sandman2010
13 years ago
Forget about using the clean out - it is just the under foundation area for the fireplace. You cannot vent anything up through that space as it is just a depository for the ashes - and nothing else.

Since a wood stove requires a class A chimney all the way up through the roof your options are limited to going outside the home with a through the wall Class A chimney system and up the outside of the house. Your other option is to forget about a wood stove and use a gas direct vent or a wood pellet stove. Those options can go right out the exterior wall and end right there.

Your best source for chimney is Northwest Distribution - 1 800 659 8937 No complaint with them - maybe try www.stovesdirect.com or www.zoobler.com as well

Here is a link that might be useful: Northwest distribution