What do you think about this idea?

I was at my daughters house last night. She lives in a Cape. Front to back living room to the right of the door. Kitchen in back to the left. One bedroom to the left in front and three bedrooms upstairs. She has a fireplace but she doesn't use it because it pulls cold air from all the nooks and crannies. She loves my pellet stove and she asked me about getting one. I explained about the outside air and how it would eliminate the drafts she got using the fireplace. She wants it in the fireplace because, well, it's in the perfect spot and it is a focal point.

We talked price. She's a single mom with two kids so money is an issue. My thoughts were to get a freestanding stove (ease of maintenance for me and her). I know that venting can be an issue especially because I want an OAK. One idea was to vent up the chimney with a stainless pipe and have the OAK come out of the wall next to the fireplace.

But then, thinking outside of the box, I wondered if I could punch two holes through the back of the fireplace? My daughter was concerned about the possibility, if she ever sold the house, that the new owners would not want the pellet stove and would it be possible to patch the holes. Looking at the fireplace and the fire box, I could see that the fire bricks in the chamber are larger than normal so I think I could remove a brick or two, punch the holes through the brick, and save the bricks to be reinstalled if needed.

My question is has anyone ever done this before?

 

As for the holes in the fireplace, not sure that's how I'd go.

But to save her some $$ on the stove ("She's a single mom with two kids so money is an issue."), besides getting a used (and unknown) stove off CraigsList or someplace like that, I'll again mention the great deal to be had at AM/FM Energy for refurb Englander.

A low as $645 (free shipping to loading dock, includes 1 yr. warranty and free OAK on ALL their stoves).

55-TRP10 - PELLET BURNING STOVE - 1,500 sq. ft. factory-refurbished

Or for about $950:

55-TRP22 - PELLET BURNING STOVE - 2,200 sq. ft. Factory refurbished

Or for about $1150: (this is also available as an insert, but about $200 more))

55-TRPEP - PELLET BURNING STOVE - 2,000 sq. ft. (Factory-Refurbished)

 

Money is not a problem,she has you! Anyway, what is behind the firebrick? I have seen fireplaces constructed many different ways. But, I am still a believer in the shorter run of exhaust,horizontal and vertical,the less problems with the stove. Outside air is a must,or a waste of money. Almost any brickwork can be "repaired/refurbed",it is what is behind it that could be a problem. Also, many ways to have 1 hole,for the exhaust and intake. As far as stoves,will wait until more info from this project.

 

Because she is a half hour away from me, I think I am going with a stove that can run without a lot of fiddling. She loves my stove and I think a good used Harman will do what I need it to do. They are easy to clean and repair and I know them well enough to handle almost anything that would come along. She told me tonight that she has a $2000 budget. I'll keep my eyes open.

Thinking about her venting issue, I thought that I was going to run the OAK to the side of the fireplace, why couldn't I run the vent to the side too? I'll have to take a picture of the fireplace and see if I can picture how a black vent pipe would look.

Badbob, looking at the fireplace, it seems like there is one course of fire brick and two layers of red brick on the back of the fire box. That's just eyeballing it.

 

I'll throw this out there, and then I'll get ready for the onslaught! I have had a pellet stove now for well over 25 years, ( two different ones actually, in two different houses ), and I have never used or needed an OAK. Stoves ran fine, heated what I needed heated, and I never had any kind of air issues.

 

UnOAKed stoves will work and work better if OAKed! Every house is different to the next house and some can function fine without it but some has never seen what the difference it makes and I'll leave it there for someone to continue on the subject

 

If you have room to punch a hole between 2 studs and fit in the vent thimble I would definitely not Hack the fireplace.

I am a firm believer in the "Direct vent" keeping it where you can access it easily for cleaning.
So easy to stuff the leaf blower on the short vent and suck things out....put the 45 or other type of termination cover back on and GOOD TO GO

Much less expensive too.

Here is a piccy of my install on our large Whitfield... tight corner through the wall because of window trim (Fake shutters) and gutter downspouts were in the way farther toward the window....also the needed distance from the window that could open....

As long as you don't get too crazy with the horizontal pipe length you are good to go.

I wanted complete access around the stove to allow maintenance unhindered.

My horizontal run is at the max of the mfg spec....but there has never been an issue.

I do an LBT twice monthly when running 24/7

If there is a corner ????? maybe be able to do a raised hearth or some other type of idea to give the look of incorporating the stove with the fireplace ???? just a thought.

A lot can be done with very little $$$$$ being spent.

A lovely used stove might not be a bad choice if you don't mind a little bit of work.

Creativity is the key to $$$$ savings.

Just an FYI
A fireplace moves a tremendous amount of air volume up the chimney as opposed to the pellet stove.

We have two stoves running 24/7 when its cold....both have OAK connections available...but I DID NOT hook them up.

The small amount to draft air needed comes in through the small leaks in the house and the bathroom ceiling vents....

We noticed right off that when the stoves are running there are no smells of last nights dinner lingering..
The stoves pull in a bit of fresh air to keep things from getting stale....fresh air turnover is healthy too and far better than stagnant air..

Just some thoughts...

 

Greetings everyone, hope you are enjoying the -fine- frosty Fall weather.

How tall is the chimney, e.g.: length of venting? That will determine cost - and potentially add up quickly .. $$$.

 

We have our pellet stove insert in a fireplace. We vented up and out the chimney with a liner...which to me is a really beefy 4" dryer vent. I've kicked around an OAK. I've thought of running the OAK up the chimney and pulling air from the cap. Of course, it would have to be set up correctly to NOT pull in air from the 4" vent.

 

Thanks Snowy. Her house is fairly new. 1990 (ish) She has a full walkout basement that is set up as a very nice apartment that she rents to a friend. When using the fireplace she gets a pretty good draft coming from under the cellar door. She puts a draft stopper there. There is still enough negative pressure in the house to pull the smoke back down through the furnace flue. (which is next to the fireplace flue) The only way she has been able to stop that is to crack a window or run the furnace. Obviously defeating the benefit of the fireplace.

I asked her to send me a picture of the fireplace so I can see how far a vent pipe would have to go to reach the side of the chimney. Not that far if I remember. If the pipe was low it would be mostly hidden by the stove.

She does have a nice corner where a stove would-could- go but she has that nice fireplace right there. Worse come to worse, I'm sure I can convince her to puit the stove in the corner

 

I helped a friend install an Accentra insert a few years ago and we ran a stainless liner up. Big bucks from what I can remember. He ran the OAK down into the basement through the cleanout. I haven't been in touch with him in years so I don't know how well that worked out.

 

I've seen 3" x 20' SS liners on eBay for $190 w/ free shipping.....not terrible considering what regular pellet vent goes for.

 

Ironically, no cleanout in the old fireplace. Guess they did a lot of scooping and walking through the house back in the day. To their credit, the fireplace opening is on the lower level of a split level house.

 

Our place is a big triple wide MFG Home that is on a full daylight basement.

1000 sq ft apartment in the basement as well as my shop and more storage.

The basement is not connected to the upstairs as far as ingress/egress.

We have lotssa corners and NO hallways
Sadly several of the corners were too close to stuff that I simply could not deal with a vent hanging out the side of the house.

Thew little stove vents above the stairwell coming up to the deck (Our main way in)
The big stove vents out on the North side and the vent is about 5-1/2 feet off the ground.

I bet you folks can come up with a good plan...

 

Do you think a 3 inch vent X 20 feet would be ok?

 

I'm sure we will. Thanks for the pics. My daughter just texted me and she said she would take a picture when she gets home from work. (She's a nurse in a large hospital. No such thing as a normal work day lol)

 

Jesus H Rob!!! Welcome back!!! Was hoping you were ok.....

 

Ok, here are three pictures. I'm thinking a vent to the left or right wouldn't be a bad option and can be easily patched if she moved and took the stove.

 

TLDR (sorry, busy time of year)....not a fan of punching holes through a functioning fireplace to bring in outside air. You basically ruin any resale value.
The right way, of course, would be an insert with outside air, properly installed, using a ventilating cap....but thats pricey- $5-6k for new.

Freestanding would work, just not there. you are in that 2k price range if you find a used Harman on the interweb. But for new? not in that price range.