Wood Stove Installation

Installing a wood stove can bring much-needed energy to your home. Folks attach a romance to wood stoves that they don’t feel for their gas or oil furnaces. The reasons include economics, aesthetics, efficiency, and environmental concerns. Today, wood stoves offer homeowners the promise of a heating system that’s independent of local utilities. Plus, they lure cozy evenings cheered by gently flickering flames.

Wood Stove Installation Info

If you have a wood stove insert in your life (or in your future), then you likely have a masonry fireplace in your home. You may also want to use your fireplace’s chimney to vent your wood stove insert. Such a choice seems both sensible and economical. However, any heating system performs best when designers create their parts to work together. The furnace operates most efficiently when the furnace technician carefully matches the flue size to the furnace’s capacity. It is equally important to ensure that someone attaches a wood stove to a chimney with the correct flue size. The flue size should closely match the size of the vent pipe connecting the stove to the chimney. The correct flue size ensures the safest and most efficient operation.

Today’s Wood Stoves & Inserts

Today's wood stoves boast remarkable efficiency, achieving an impressive fuel burn rate of up to 85%, a significant leap from the 10-25% that older models achieved. They also feature advanced designs that promote cleaner burning, complete with EPA certification and secondary combustion to reburn smoke, which results in enhanced heat output and minimal emissions. These enhancements not only minimize wood consumption but also lower pollution levels, reduce fuel costs, and decrease creosote buildup. These qualities make modern wood stoves a superior, environmentally friendly, and effective heating solution.

Installing an approved wood stove in your fireplace is essential for your safety. Verify that the label on the back of the wood stove indicates it is a 2020 EPA-certified model. To maximize safety and efficiency, conduct annual inspections and have a Certified Chimney Sweep perform routine sweeping. Taking these steps will ensure a safe and effective heating system.

Wood Stove History & Facts

Stoves & Inserts Connected to Fireplaces: A Different Equation

When you install a fireplace insert or wood stove insert, you must understand that the insert’s firebox will be smaller than the masonry firebox. This size difference can make the existing masonry flue appear disproportionately large, potentially leading to significant safety risks. If you don’t appropriately size the wood stove for the collar, it can result in dangerous creosote buildup in the smoke chamber and chimney flue. This excessive buildup can ultimately increase the risk of chimney or structural fires, making proper sizing essential for safety and efficiency.

Draft & Creosote Buildup

Warm fronts meet cold fronts, creating a chimney draft like a tornado. Venting into an oversized flue resembles pouring a cup of hot water into a sink full of cold water. The cooler temperature causes the smoke to linger and even drop below the dew point, depositing large quantities of creosote on the chimney walls.

Creosote, a brown or black combustible deposit, forms when smoke condenses. You need to monitor and remove creosote to help reduce the risk of a chimney fire. Smoke condenses inside the firebox, smoke chamber, and chimney flue system, potentially producing a ceramic-like, hard glaze of condensed creosote or 3rd-degree creosote buildup. This hazardous, difficult-to-clean substance can damage masonry materials through the corrosive action of the acids it contains.

Properly Lined Wood Stoves

By today’s standards, Certified Chimney Professionals do not find it acceptable to install a hearth stove or insert where the chimney liner does not extend to the top of the chimney, even if the manufacturer’s instructions don’t require it. Since 1984, codes and standards have dictated that stoves or inserts must have a connector pipe. Arguably, the best installation option is to install a UL-listed 1777 chimney liner. Contractors connect this chimney liner, which is a 1/2″ foil-face wrapped or pre-insulated stainless steel liner, from the top of the stove to the top of the chimney. This method provides the most efficiency and makes it easy to sweep and inspect.

When sized correctly for the wood stove or insert, this new chimney liner is less likely to cause problems. Additionally, it offers an easy and economical way to extend the life of your chimney, as the new liner protects the existing structure from heat deterioration and acid-based smoke condensation.

Different Types of Wood Stoves & Venting Systems

Two primary types of wood stoves connect to fireplace flues: freestanding stoves and fireplace inserts. Homeowners can vent these stoves into chimneys constructed from masonry or into factory-built metal systems, or Class A chimneys. Engineers specifically designed, tested, and certified these venting systems for use with wood-burning stoves and fireplaces. Furthermore, installers can also connect them to an existing fireplace chimney, provided that the height and positioning of the stove’s flue collar are appropriate for the installation. This ensures proper ventilation and safety when using wood-burning stoves.

Manufacturers Installation Requirements

Installation Instructions

All wood stove manufacturers include these statements in their installation instructions or similar language. “CONTACT LOCAL BUILDING OR FIRE OFFICIALS ABOUT RESTRICTIONS AND INSTALLATION INSPECTION REQUIREMENTS IN THE AREA. READ THIS ENTIRE MANUAL BEFORE INSTALLATION AND USE OF THIS WOOD INSERT. FAILURE TO FOLLOW THESE INSTRUCTIONS COULD RESULT IN PROPERTY DAMAGE, BODILY INJURY, OR EVEN DEATH.”

NFI & CSIA Certified Installers

“If this appliance is not installed properly, combustible materials near it may overheat and catch fire. It is highly recommended that this wood burning hearth product be installed and serviced by professionals who are certified by a «Qualified Agency» such as NFI (National Fireplace Institute) or CSIA (Chimney Safety Institute of America) in the United States and in Canada by WETT (Wood Energy Technology Transfer) or in Quebec by APC (Association des Professionnels du Chauffage).”

Masonry Fireplace Requirements

The masonry fireplace MUST meet the minimum requirements specified in the local building code or its equivalent for a safe wood stove installation. Contact the local building inspector for requirements in the area. A Level 2 Chimney Inspection of the fireplace should include the following:

Fireplace and Chimney Condition

A F.I.R.E. Certified Inspector should inspect the masonry fireplace and chimney prior to a wood stove installation. The F.I.R.E. Certified Inspector has to confirm or deny that the entire masonry fireplace system is free from cracks, loose mortar, creosote deposits, blockage, or other signs of deterioration. If evidence of deterioration is noted, the fireplace or chimney should be repaired and cleaned prior to installation. Masonry or steel, including the damper plate, may be removed from the smoke shelf and adjacent damper frame if necessary to accommodate the insert’s chimney liner, provided that their removal will not weaken the structure of the fireplace and chimney, and will not reduce protection for combustible materials to less than what is required by the building code. Removal of any parts that render the fireplace unfit for use with solid fuel requires the fireplace to be permanently labelled by the installer as being no longer suitable for solid fuel until the removed parts are replaced and the fireplace is restored to its original certified condition. Also, any air vents, grilles, or louvers that allow air circulation around the fireplace must not be removed or blocked.

Before New Wood Stove InstallationAfter New Wood Stove Installation

Schedule Chimney Inspection and Repair

At Adams Chimney Specialist, LLC, we understand the importance of maintaining a safe and efficient chimney. That’s why we also offer comprehensive chimney sweep, inspections, and masonry repair services to help keep your home safe and comfortable. Our team of experts dedicates itself to delivering high-quality chimney services tailored to your specific needs and budget. Whether you need a routine chimney sweep or a full inspection and repair, we have you covered.

We strongly recommend that you schedule an appointment with our team. Don’t wait until it’s too late – let us help you keep your chimney in top condition and enjoy the benefits of a well-maintained home.