You've found the famous Dave's Garden website! Join this friendly global community that shares tips and ideas for home and gardens, along with seeds and plants!
Check out the DG homepage for a brief overview of what you'll find in this gardening mega-site.
Login
If you don't have an account yet, visit the registration page to sign up.
Need advice from the experts on Olympic wood burning insert
I have my Olympic wood burning fireplace insert pulled out in order to clean the fireplace flue. This stove was in the house when we bought it and we have used it for over twenty years. This is the first time I have had it out or cleaned the flue, as it weighs a couple hundred pounds and is a monster to handle. I set up a little photo gallery so you can see what I am talking about in this post. My photos are located at http://gallery.me.com/rbarline#100056 if you want to take a quick look.
I need some advice on a few questions regarding problems with down drafting, setting up external air intake for more efficient heating, and the need for a flue liner for safety.
Question 1: What causes smoke to downdraft in high winds? This usually happens when we are just starting the fire (so the flue is still cold and the fire is smokey). My wife thinks it indicates a defect in the seal between the Olympic and the fireplace, but upon inspection there is no space between the fiberglass insulation lining the fireplace (which is a heatilator by the way) and the insert, so I'm not buying it. My theory is that when the wind blows it draws air out of the house through the walls and causes a negative pressure inside the house. This theory is supported by the fact that the problem diminishes as the fire gets hotter (and the flue warms up creating more upward convection pressure to counter the negative pressure). So, am I right about this? If so, this brings me to my next question:
Question 2: What are the pros/cons of installing a system of outside air intake? My plan would be to use the existing ash clean out (which has a door on the floor of the fireplace and one outside at the base of the chimney). I can visualize a sheet metal duct that would be designed to bring air out to the front of the unit so that it would be available for intake to the stove, although there is no "intake" per se. My thinking is that not only would this displace warmed combustion air with cold, but would also allow an alternate source of outside air when the wind blows and creates negative pressure in the house (see question 1).
Question 3: In my situation, where the masonry chimney is on the exterior of the house (and assuming the ceramic flue liner is in good condition), is there a compelling need to add a metal flue liner? I understand that there is one wood wall in contact with the chimney, but it's a short chimney (see photos) so that risk is fairly minimal. Would adding a liner provide any other advantages beyond minimizing the risk of a fire in the attic? For example, would a liner help with questions 1 or 2?
If I were in your shoes with similar questions I would go to a first rate stove store and after some discussion hire one of their installers to check the system and reinstall the stove. Yes that would cost some bucks but your investment in your home certainly is worth professional service in this instance. Also be aware that home insurance may be valid only if your system is correctly installed and inspected by a professional. My Nationwide Insurance policy clearly states what I have reported. My township also has code requirements along these lines. Yours may too!
Your questions are good and well though out. I would hate to pass advise without being on site. You are thinking about your problems correctly.
As a follow-up to this post I thought I would add that I decided to sell the old insert and buy a new one. I decided on the Avalon Olympic after some comparisons. One thing that pushed me over the edge to do this was the availability of a federal 30% income tax credit (not a deduction but a credit) on qualifying inserts. Ended up paying around $3,000 but got $900 back. Also, I decided to add a chimney liner kit which I got from Rockford Supply.
I did the installation of both the liner and stove myself; the only thing I had to hire out was the "torching out" of my heatilator metal firebox. This was necessary in order to remove the smoke shelf so I could run the flue liner down the chimney and position it to make connection to the new insert (this was the most difficult part because there is not enough clearance to reach inside and arrange the pipe once the stove is pushed in). By the way, this stove also comes with a knock-out on the bottom to allow for using outside air, which I did by removing the ash cleanout door on the floor of the fireplace.
Well, it's now in and I've had my first few fires and wow what a difference from my old stove. With secondary combustion it is very efficient and produces very little CO2 emissions. Of course dry wood and a hot fire is key to this too. I haven't used it in a high wind yet so I don't know if it will help that problem, but will find out this winter. I'll post back the results. Oh yeah, it's a gorgeous stove.
