furnace and wood stove in same flue?
My Vermont Castings Defiant wood stove of 25 years bit the dust…the interior fire back warped, cracked, rusted through and now it’s VERY inefficient so I’m wondering options. our back up is electric heat so I’m thinking down the line to a radient system as back up system for the present and primary system for the future. We have only one chimney. It’s tile lined. (this is Western Mass… 4-6 cords/winter territory)
So I’m thinking, could I get by with a furnace in the cellar in the same flue that a wood stove would go into considering the fact that I’d not use both at the same time. Is this code? The alternative is scratch the “wood” stove and save the chimney for the new furnace in the cellar and direct vent a pellet stove out a wall. ‘Course I’ve got 7 cords of wood allready but it’s the long term I’m thinking… Thanks for your ideas.
Replies
You shouldn't mix different fuels' combustion gases in a single flue.
Plus, current standards prohibit vent connections on different floors into a common flue.
Edited 12/31/2005 4:51 pm ET by rjw
Bob posted good ionfo for ya.
I'll add just one thing ---- even though you say your not going to use them at the same time.
The code & inspections people will never buy it.
Codes are always set up for maximum usage.
I'll give a quick plumbing example----- a 3" line can only handle 3 toilets ---- can't put 10 on there saying that no more than 3 will be flushed at the same time.
Thanks plumbill and RJW, so my options are to get a pellet stove and direct vent it out the wall and save the chimney for the future furnace. Problem is the direct vent for a pellet stove does not look like a simple horizontal run out through the wall. It looks like I'd have draft problems with such a run... poor draft for the pellet stove... and that I'd need to put a pellet stove into a verticle chimney of some sort anyway. Probably best to replace the wood stove with another wood stove and to build a chimney for the future furnace in the future. Thanks for the reality/code check.
Go with condensing furnace when the time comes and run pvc exhaust.
can't do both together, but if you aree considering dual options, replace the wood burner and then get a Monitor oil (or gas if you like) direct vent
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