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May I have advice on wood stoves?

 
Posts: 27
Location: TN, USA
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I'm in a house where my only option is to put a chimney through a window (that I'd take out, obviously and put in something firesafe) if indeed I do choose a wood stove.

I know this is not ideal. Even dangerous. I know the basics in protection. I would even install a cage around it on top of the other things necessary for safety like clearances etc. Use those creosote bombs regularly etc. The type I plan to use in theory is an extra small similar to a cubic mini cub. Bc of the way my kitchen is set up and me only willing to sacrifice a lower window the pipe would have to go sideways and then up so the stove would be directly next to the window frame.

Is it a no no? I'm really not sure I'd want to go half ass on the whole thing considering it's said to be a bad idea to make the smoke turn the corners in the pipe to exhaust n can cause blockages too making it inefficient. I know nothing of stoves though. How much would this potentially decrease the efficiency of the stove compared to a properly done pipe that exits through the roof?

I won't die if I don't have one. It'd be nice to, though.
 
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You might consider a pellet stove which would have a fan powered exhaust pipe so the draft would not be an issue and they are very efficient.
 
master rocket scientist
Posts: 6745
Location: latitude 47 N.W. montana zone 6A
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Hi Aster;
Going horizontal out a window and then up is less than perfect but it does work.
One issue you may have, is moisture condensing and dripping at pipe connections.
Always use insulated stove pipes outdoors.

You mention using a small box stove and indeed you will have creosote buildup issues with one.
I recommend learning about and then building a Rocket Mass heater instead.
A small 4" or 5" batchbox with a brick bell should do the job nicely.

Here is a link to a rather long thread on a home-built tiny batcbox, they use an existing chimney but you'll get the idea.
https://permies.com/t/43809/Masonry-stove-diy-build-feasible

 
Posts: 108
Location: Kentucky
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i have one bend in my pipe,2 ft from the stove,the only issue i have with it is i have to clean it every year before i start using my stove,it doesnt clog but ash builds up some,same in my greenhouse with a barrel stove with one elbow.

Use good wood,dont get rotted or very wet wood,green wood is usually ok if cut in the fall but make sure to only burn hardwood,ash, hickory, white oak,beech is very good too it has very little ash.All wood should be seasoned in a dry shed for  one year before burning to reduce creosote build up.

Do some research on btu output and wood you have available,it does make a difference.

I have the Survivor Grizzly Camp Stove,its a small camp type stove,i use electric heat while im away so i only needed something to heat at night while im awake and didnt want a huge wood stove in my house that i cant move by myself.

Wood stoves are safe to use if you use common sense,watch your clearances and never leave it while it is hot,always damp it down for awhile before leaving.Most importantly make sure to have working smoke detectors!

All the above information is just what works for me,I have been around wood stoves my entire life,you may have a different situation and experience with your stove so just be careful and make sure to have extinguishers handy.

You should burn the stove outside for awhile if it is brand new,the paint on it will smoke during the first hot burn.
 
William Kellogg
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Although I can appreciate a good rocket mass heater, that's quite a project and could be advanced difficulty, requires more space and maintenance than a pellet stove, which is specifically designed for this application with a horizontal vent. It would also be a building code approved installation and would not void your home owner insurance coverage, if that makes any difference.

Also the combustion on a pellet stove is complete enough to require very little cleaning, which was your other concern.

 
pollinator
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Location: Canadian Prairies - Zone 3b
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Aster, I'm not quite clear on your intentions for the wood stove.

Is it for emergency use, during an electrical outage or other natural disaster? Then I would absolutely have the gear on hand to install it through a window, with all the safety gear to protect people and the structure.

Or, is it for a permanent installation? In my experience, there is no substitute for an engineered chimney system that goes through the wall or the roof. The up-front cost is eye-watering, but the benefits over time are absolutely worth it, paying back the cost many times over. My 2c.
 
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Not to be a twit, but if you do nothing else, please put a clean out tee at the juncture between the run through the window area and the vertical run toward the roof.  Metalbestos is your pal here in spite of the price, and do not try to "cheap" your way through it.  Creosote WILL form in the elbow, no matter how wonderful your fire wood may be.  I have burnt wood for heat and cooking for 38 years now, and do not find spending an hour or two cleaning the stove pipe a terrible thing.

I know people out here who have ignored this, and a chimney fire is NOT something you ever want to have.  
 
thomas rubino
master rocket scientist
Posts: 6745
Location: latitude 47 N.W. montana zone 6A
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A chimney fire sounds like a freight train outside your window.
Single wall stove pipe will be bright orange almost see thru.
Even metalbestos will orange up a bit.
This is scary shit people, always seems to happen at dark thirty...
You will not be prepared.
If you are lucky you will just get scared if you are not lucky your home will burn.
Build an RMH they burn up the creosote before it reaches your stovepipe!
images-(3).jpg
[Thumbnail for images-(3).jpg]
 
E.L. Dunn
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I can not stress this enough-keep an ABC fire extinguisher near the stove.  Not one of those little tiny ones, but a good-sized one.  I rented a place years ago out here, and it had a shaky chimney setup which torched off one morning in the wee hours.  I opened the stove door and shot the extinguisher into the opening, and the whole thing was out in a few seconds. The mess was a pain, but the alternative was not good. Better to be cold for a few hours than dead.  
 
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ive seen it done plenty of times. there are flanges that safely space the chimney pipe though openings. the main thin g is to have something like 18" clearance between stove and wall and also on hot pipe clearance. there are also all kinds of stand offs and stove pipe brackets to support stove pipe a safe distance from a wall.
as long as it is set up properly with end of pipe up high enough to let the exhaust flow fully going around 90 degree angles I dont think is a problem at all.
my stove pipe has 2 90 degree angle in it and has worked well for years
 
pollinator
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If the wood stove is just to cook food. I would recommend getting propane tanks, and using that or a pellet stove or an electric hotplate.

If you are using it to heat your house get a RMH, then let it exit thru your window.
 
pollinator
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Location: Zone 10a, Australia
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I would not do it. There must be another solution.
 
Posts: 9
Location: Wisconsin
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Can you post a picture of the area you would like to install including the window for pipe to exit?   Thanks
 
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