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Idea for wood stove in uninsulated, unfinished basement

Discussion in 'Non-EPA Woodstoves and Fireplaces' started by KeswickRidge, Feb 18, 2020.

  1. KeswickRidge

    KeswickRidge

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    Hi all,

    Im not sure if this is the right section to post this in so let me know if I should post it elsewhere.

    I recently bought a 1400 sqft home with an uninsulated, unfinished basement. Currently there is a wood furnace/oil furnace (with ducts blowing to each room) in the basement hooked up to the chimney. We would like to get rid of these furnaces because the configuration of the furnace exhaust is not to code and is highly susceptible to creosote buildup (exhaust pipe goes 90 degrees from the furnace, then almost horizontal for 5 ft and then has a ~ 60-70 degree elbow to the chimney)

    We were thinking of putting a regular wood stove in place and then cutting vents in the floor for the hot air to rise into the house. After reading up on this, it would be useless since most of the heat would be absorbed by the cement walls unless we insulated the whole basement (can’t do this because it’s an older foundation that leaks in some areas and also we can’t afford to insulate the whole basement.)

    My idea is this: install a regular fireplace in the basement and hook it up to the existing chimney. Then build a 10ftx10ft (or whatever minimum size that would still have safe distances from the fireplace) insulated room around the chimney/new fireplace and install a vent in the ceiling (upstairs floor) for the hot air to rise into. I would of course need a grate/vent somewhere on the walls near the floor in that fireplace room for passive air to enter.

    Does this make sense? Any thoughts or inputs?

    Extra info: This is not our primary source of heat. We have ductless heat pumps that heat the house and we would like a wood stove for extra cold days and because I just like to cut and burn wood. This does not need to heat the whole house, just the living area above where the furnaces are now.
     

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    Last edited: Feb 18, 2020
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  2. Hatchetdancer

    Hatchetdancer

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    Once ya get the block warm in the basement it should heat fine.
     
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  3. Babaganoosh

    Babaganoosh

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    Just put a wood stove in the main living area
     
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  4. FreedomFamilyFarms

    FreedomFamilyFarms

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    A few questions:

    1. How will you get wood into the basement?

    2. Do you have a place on the main level for a stove?

    3. Have you priced pipe for any of these options?
     
  5. Canadian border VT

    Canadian border VT

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    1 Insulate basement
    2 do not cut holes could be against fire code
    3 keep asking ?s
     
  6. yooperdave

    yooperdave

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  7. Meche_03

    Meche_03

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    I have a wood furnace in an unfinished basement.

    I have similar chimney set up. To picture my setup remove both heat sources you have. Place new furnace about 4 foot from chimney. My furnace has a rear exhaust that has a 22.5 bend, 3 foot straight sloping up, then 22.5 bend into chimney. Furnace has shielding around it to heat air around firebox and it's own HVAC blower. Top of furnace has 14? inch air duct into main HVAC ducting to heat the house.
     
  8. BHoller

    BHoller

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    Yes if your stove puts out enough BTUs to heat the house and the earth surrounding those block walls. You waste about 1/3 of your BTUs through uninsulated basement walls.
     
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  9. yooperdave

    yooperdave

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    1/3? Sorry BHoller but you're not even close! Nowhere near that!

    If that was indeed true, my basement would be a wet leaky mess every winter. I don't know where you read of heard or came up with that one, but you ain't getting this guy to believe it!

    upload_2020-5-8_14-58-50.jpeg
     
  10. BHoller

    BHoller

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    What does wet or leaky have to do with it? I am talking about heat transfer not water infiltration.
     
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  11. BHoller

    BHoller

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    Have you burnt a stove in an un insulated basement one year then insulated and burnt the same stove in that basement? I have.
     
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  12. yooperdave

    yooperdave

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    Its easy.

    I have a leaky basement. If there was 30% of heat loss through basement walls, the snow outside would melt as the ground surrounding the house would never have a chance to freeze, right? And then, the only place for this melted snow to go would be inside my basement!

    Period!
     
  13. yooperdave

    yooperdave

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    Yes.

    Did you have your rim joists insulated?

    As you should very well know, most heat will rise as opposed to transfer horizontally. Although, there will be radiant heat transfer horizontally....
     
  14. BHoller

    BHoller

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    Well clearly you know more than the Penn State agricultural co op. And the csia.
     
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  15. BHoller

    BHoller

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    Of course I insulated the rim joists. What is your point? That is part of insulating a basement.

    Also what type of heat is given off by wood stoves? Isn't a large portion of it radiant heat which doesn't rise at all?
     
  16. yooperdave

    yooperdave

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    Here we go again, I guess!

    Slow night on the hearth? Why is it that you don't have posts/responses like this on the hearth?
     
  17. BHoller

    BHoller

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    I would have responded in exactly the same way there. And have many times. There have been several studies done on this by those two organizations. They back up what I said.

    You might want to do a bit of research before calling someone out.
     
  18. yooperdave

    yooperdave

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    Coming from someone who is a moderator, that is difficult to believe. I have read some of your responses on hearth and I've got to say that you present yourself in a much different manner while there.

    At your age, you should be better off to show some respect, listen, learn and apply instead of confronting, challenging and disputing. There is only so much that can be put to use form books; experience still stands the test of time.

    What you learn or quote out of code books this year may very well change in 2-5-10 years! Just look at how practices and accepted codes of a few decades ago have been changed/abandoned!

    But, this is only coming from someone who has worked for more decades than you have even been alive. :whistle:
     
  19. BHoller

    BHoller

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    So I have to show respect when someone jumps on me for being wrong even though there have been studies to back up what I am saying? Why just because you are older? Being older doesnt mean you are right.

    I simply made a statement of fact that is agreed upon across the industry. You were the one who was "confronting, challenging and disputing"

    This has nothing to do with codes. This is thermodynamics. That doesn't change.
     
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  20. yooperdave

    yooperdave

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    :picard:

    Something bad happen today?