Pellet Stove insert

[jonjon]

I just received a pellet stove insert from a friend. I called the hearth store on 925 and they want 1500.00 to install it for me. i am a pretty good handyman type of person but just have a few questions to make sure i dont burn my house down. It came with about 3' of pipe. can i just stick this pipe up into my chimney and be done with it or is there something else i have to do. do i have to seal the pipe where it goes thru the damper? if so how do i do this. Any help woujld be most appreciated as i dont want to have to pay the 750.00 a month for oil. Look forward to hearing from you all.

[GWguy]

Originally Posted by jonjon

I just received a pellet stove insert from a friend. I called the hearth store on 925 and they want 1500.00 to install it for me. i am a pretty good handyman type of person but just have a few questions to make sure i dont burn my house down. It came with about 3' of pipe. can i just stick this pipe up into my chimney and be done with it or is there something else i have to do. do i have to seal the pipe where it goes thru the damper? if so how do i do this. Any help woujld be most appreciated as i dont want to have to pay the 750.00 a month for oil. Look forward to hearing from you all.

There is significant ash and dust created during burning. If you only have 3' of pipe into the chimney, ash will fall back into the fireplace and eventually clog everything. You need to run that 3" pipe all the way out the top of the flue.

I removed my damper and put a cap on the top of the flue. The insert itself seals the opening to the fireplace.

[cattitude]

Not sure about the installation but something you may want to check into. Some homeowners insurance companies will NOT cover damage (fire, etc.) from a pellet stove,fireplace insert, etc. unless you can prove it was installed by a certified company. Silly for the most part, but in he event of a fire, etc. you can really get screwed.

[Vince]

Originally Posted by GWguy

There is significant ash and dust created during burning. If you only have 3' of pipe into the chimney, ash will fall back into the fireplace and eventually clog everything. You need to run that 3" pipe all the way out the top of the flue.
I removed my damper and put a cap on the top of the flue. The insert itself seals the opening to the fireplace.

Not true. Mine was installed by a regular company and is not run to the top of the flu. I would need a pipe
50' long if that were the case. I have mine cleaned every year and have yet to accumulate ash at the end of the pipe or in the flu. The regular damper is removed and a plug with a hole for the pipe installed in the flu that the pipe attaches. I too only have about 3' of pipe from the stove to the flu. You should not be accumulating much ash at the end of the pipe because it is just a vent. Most of the ash should stay in your fire box.

[GWguy]

Originally Posted by Vince

Not true. Mine was installed by a regular company and is not run to the top of the flu. I would need a pipe
50' long if that were the case. I have mine cleaned every year and have yet to accumulate ash at the end of the pipe or in the flu. The regular damper is removed and a plug with a hole for the pipe installed in the flu that the pipe attaches. I too only have about 3' of pipe from the stove to the flu. You should not be accumulating much ash at the end of the pipe because it is just a vent. Most of the ash should stay in your fire box.

I had a short pipe on mine, and after the first season there was more ash in the flue than I wanted, so I ran a new pipe up and out. Maybe it was those lousy pellets I was using....

[kom526]

Vince, who do you use to clean your stove and chimney, or do you do it yourself?

[Vince]

Originally Posted by kom526

Vince, who do you use to clean your stove and chimney, or do you do it yourself?

The folks I bought it from. Hearth and Patio in Waldorf. They pull it out and apart, clean it all, pull the pipe and plug out, clean up in the flu area, etc. Cost was 2 or 3 hundred for them to do the whole mess and check it all out. Worth it.

[kom526]

Thanks, I guess I better get that little exercise scheduled.

[Vince]

Originally Posted by GWguy

I had a short pipe on mine, and after the first season there was more ash in the flue than I wanted, so I ran a new pipe up and out. Maybe it was those lousy pellets I was using....

I use Hammer or Lignettics (spelling might be off). Prefer Hammer. Usually go through about 2 1/2 ton for a whole winter and I run it 24 hours a day.

[GWguy]

Originally Posted by Vince

I use Hammer or Lignettics (spelling might be off). Prefer Hammer. Usually go through about 2 1/2 ton for a whole winter and I run it 24 hours a day.

Started off using Pennington, now using the Lignetics. Just laid in 2 tons for this season, might need one more.