# Lenght of pellet stove chimney???



## pedsdpt (Nov 25, 2007)

Hello,
I installed a pellet stove by myself, more a reason of finances than inclination. I bought the appropriate chimney kit for my pellet stove, hooked it up and ran it directly through the wall (according to instructions) and put the cap on it. Now I am being told I need to run the pipe up to and past the roof. T or F. If so I want to do it right away!!

Thanks, Teresa


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## Xena (Nov 25, 2007)

Welcome to the forum Teresa!

I know that the manuals do show instructions on how
to properly direct vent out a wall but personally I 
would go out and terminate up over the roof line if I had to go out a wall.  
You'll get a better natural draft that way should you ever lose power.


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## MrWinkey (Nov 26, 2007)

You'll want to check your stove manual otherwise you might not please your local inspector when he comes to check your install.

Many stoves do not require any vert pipe.  Mine did not but I installed it into an existing masonry.

It could however get nasty junk on the side of your house and if there is a power failure you could get some smoke in your house.


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## Metal (Nov 26, 2007)

"Now I am being told I need to run the pipe up to and past the roof."

Who is telling you this?  Stove shop, manual, local inspector?  If the manual says you can't then you can't, if the inspector says no then you may have problems, if it is someone here, then it is probably just their opinion, if it is your local stove shop they may have prior experience that tells them it is necessary.


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## begreen (Nov 26, 2007)

What does the stove manual show? It's generally recommended to run the pipe vertically outside for at least 5 feet. This is so that in the event of a power failure there is some natural draft.


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## Philip (Nov 29, 2007)

The stove manual for the stove I bought said the vent could be terminated 12" from the wall, but recommends that there be at least 5' of vertical pipe.  I was going to just run it thru the wall and terminate it there.  If I had problems I'd run some pipe up the wall.  I changed my mind when I saw the pictures at www.hearthtools.com/install/pellet.html.  I'm going to run the vent pipe up above the roof line.  I don't want to have to clean the soot off the cedar siding.


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## johnnywarm (Nov 29, 2007)

Philip said:
			
		

> The stove manual for the stove I bought said the vent could be terminated 12" from the wall, but recommends that there be at least 5' of vertical pipe.  I was going to just run it thru the wall and terminate it there.  If I had problems I'd run some pipe up the wall.  I changed my mind when I saw the pictures at www.hearthtools.com/install/pellet.html.  I'm going to run the vent pipe up above the roof line.  I don't want to have to clean the soot off the cedar siding.




My pipe is like this but it sticks out farther. ive never had black anything on my wall. its a Big-E pellet stove.

John


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## Metal (Nov 29, 2007)

Johnnywarm-I can see soot in about a 4 foot area on both sides of your vent and above it (from your picture), or were you trying to be sarcastic when you said you never had black anything on the wall?


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## Xena (Nov 29, 2007)

Metal said:
			
		

> Johnnywarm-I can see soot in about a
> 4 foot area on both sides of your vent and above it (from your picture), or were you
> trying to be sarcastic when you said you never had black anything on the wall?



That's not a pic of his stove - he said his is installed like that one
in the picture.


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## hearthtools (Nov 29, 2007)

I will NEVER install A DV pellet venting not just from the soot but WHEN the power goes out smoke WILL spill into your home if you do not have a vertical rise to draw the smoke out of the stove.

You can get much more accurate air adjustment out of your stove if you have a vertical rise


Also Pellet exhaust Smells bad
If you have an window near by it could come into the home.


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## johnnywarm (Nov 29, 2007)

Metal said:
			
		

> Johnnywarm-I can see soot in about a 4 foot area on both sides of your vent and above it (from your picture), or were you trying to be sarcastic when you said you never had black anything on the wall?




Thats not my pic.


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## johnnywarm (Nov 29, 2007)

hearthtools said:
			
		

> I will NEVER install A DV pellet venting not just from the soot but WHEN the power goes out smoke WILL spill into your home if you do not have a vertical rise to draw the smoke out of the stove.
> 
> You can get much more accurate air adjustment out of your stove if you have a vertical rise
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The power did go out once and we did get some smoke in the house. it was originally installed under a deck. the deck is on the second floor.


How high should the vertical pipe be???


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## hearthtools (Nov 29, 2007)

I like a min of 5 feet but the more the better


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## johnnywarm (Nov 29, 2007)

hearthtools said:
			
		

> I like a min of 5 feet but the more the better




So put a clean out then go up? Are clean out is inside because we have a 12" tall concrete wall to go over. the house has a walkout cellar.


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## Metal (Nov 29, 2007)

johnnywarm said:
			
		

> Metal said:
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Sorry, my mistake.


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## johnnywarm (Nov 29, 2007)

Thats not my pic.[/quote]

Sorry, my mistake.[/quote]


Thats fine. i was in a hurry when i posted it.

John


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## stoveguy2esw (Nov 30, 2007)

johnnywarm said:
			
		

> hearthtools said:
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5 ft is what most call for , ours is 3 ft mandatory minimum, and by the way , venting under a deck is taboo.


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## Philip (Nov 30, 2007)

That's interesting that you direct vented and haven't had a problem with black on your walls.  I guess it might have something to do with the way the wind moves around your house.  Having never had a pellet stove, I didn't know the exhaust smelled bad, either.  My stove will be fairly close to the door to the garage which is on the garage door end of garage.  I had thought of going up 5' or 6' INSIDE the house and then go out the wall and terminate the pipe 12" out from the house.  My wife objected to the pipe being in the house so it will go outside and up.


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## Czech (Nov 30, 2007)

Ah, the smell of buring corn and pellet in the morning, I love it. Smell bad? Nada to me, just like a county fair and a wood fire at the same time. Pellets are wood after all, if you think a wood fire smells bad I guess you wouldn't like the smell of pellet exhaust.


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## johnnywarm (Nov 30, 2007)

Philip said:
			
		

> That's interesting that you direct vented and haven't had a problem with black on your walls. I guess it might have something to do with the way the wind moves around your house. Having never had a pellet stove, I didn't know the exhaust smelled bad, either. My stove will be fairly close to the door to the garage which is on the garage door end of garage. I had thought of going up 5' or 6' INSIDE the house and then go out the wall and terminate the pipe 12" out from the house. My wife objected to the pipe being in the house so it will go outside and up.




I have a Breckwell Big E pellet stove with the pipe that comes out about two feet and have never had black smoke at all. i get some white smoke at the very beginning and then its clear. i also run my stove on #4 so it burns hot.My stove with the hardwood pellets smells alot better then the smoke stack wood burner next door.

I will post a pic of the pipe and where i moved it to tomorrow.

John

Oh i'm going to run a pipe up to the roof.I value all of your advice.


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## Xena (Nov 30, 2007)

hearthtools said:
			
		

> Also Pellet exhaust Smells bad.....................



Strongly disagree with this statement.    Since 11/2005
I've run approx. 6 tons of pellets through my stove -
about a half dozen different brands at that - and
never smelled anything bad.  Always smells like a wood
stove burning only not as strong a smell and no smoke
bellowing out of the stack. 
At least that's the deal with mine and I have two
friends who run pellets - one has a harman p38,
the other a cheap charlie something or other.
Neither of them smell bad either.


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## tinkabranc (Nov 30, 2007)

zeta said:
			
		

> hearthtools said:
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I have to agree with Zeta on this one.  No bad smell or smoke.
Sometimes we get a faint wiff of wood burning smell when it is windy
outside but no where near as strong as the fireplace next door.


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## Shane (Nov 30, 2007)

Wood pellets don't smell bad to me.  Just like burning wood.  I do not like the smell of burning corn though.  To me that stinks.


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## johnnywarm (Nov 30, 2007)

I was in my hot tub thats very close to my pipe on the other side of the fence and didnt smell it at all.

Im going to take a pic of my pipe running full speed with no smoke and put it on here later.

John


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## hearthtools (Nov 30, 2007)

zeta said:
			
		

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Im not talking about any smell in the house but out the end of the venting.
I dont know how many of you have had your nose at the end of a pellet vent when it is running
but I think it stinks. and I have been around 1000's of running stoves.
But some people like the smell of my farts also. LOL


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## johnnywarm (Nov 30, 2007)

Im not talking about any smell in the house but out the end of the venting.
I dont know how many of you have had your nose at the end of a pellet vent when it is running
but I think it stinks. and I have been around 1000's of running stoves.
But some people like the smell of my farts also. LOL[/quote]


If you burn good Pellets its sweet smelling.


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## Xena (Nov 30, 2007)

hearthtools yep I knew exactly what you were talking about
and like I said I never smell anything coming
from the stack except a wood burning smell.  
Maybe something wrong with your sniffer eh?
Guess it's a matter of opinion but you're def
in the minority and so is the poor soul
who likes the smell of your farts.


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## pegdot (Dec 1, 2007)

ROFL! Come on, Rod! You just made me spit coffee on my screen with that fart comment! Too funny! :bug: 

Peggy


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## eernest4 (Dec 1, 2007)

dear pedsdpt,

                   I terminated my pellet stove thru the wall , but my pipe comes out about 18 inch or maybe 2 ft before terminating in a vent hood as you see in the picture. My wall never turned black, but if i did, i couldn't see it anyways because the wall is dark brown.

                 I do notice ,when the wind blows just right, or maybe I should say just wrong,
that I get ash on my car, which is a good 80 feet away from the vent & on the opposite side of the house. 

               Happened several times last year but not once this year, go figure.

               If your pellet stove was lite when the power failed,without the up pipe, you might get smoke back into the house. If your stove was off,you certainly could not start it without power.

              I figure there are maybe 6 chances out of 100 that I get stuck with my pellet stove going when there is a power failure, not enough to make me change my setup.

              I bet it cost you an extra 150.oo to go up that 5 ft. I would never bother, but on the other hand, there is merit to what they say & if the power did fail while the stove was lite,you might get some natural draft, or maybe not enough, depending on the length of the up pipe.

So,let personal preferance rule.


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## johnnywarm (Dec 1, 2007)

I figure there are maybe 6 chances out of 100 that I get stuck with my pellet stove going when there is a power failure, not enough to make me change my setup.

              I bet it cost you an extra 150.oo to go up that 5 ft. I would never bother, but on the other hand, there is merit to what they say & if the power did fail while the stove was lite,you might get some natural draft, or maybe not enough, depending on the length of the up pipe.

So,let personal preferance rule.[/quote]


It happened to me last year and smoke went into the cellar. thats where the stove is.


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## jtp10181 (Dec 2, 2007)

hearthtools, you made a comment about venting under a deck before. What is wrong with that?


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## johnnywarm (Dec 2, 2007)

jtp10181 said:
			
		

> hearthtools, you made a comment about venting under a deck before. What is wrong with that?




My stove was installed by the dealer under my deck. we have a ranch with a walkout cellar. so the deck is for the second floor. like a raised ranch.


We never had the sliding door open when the stove was on.


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## smg64ct (Dec 2, 2007)

My stove is vented right outside the wall. I don't have a chimmney. This stove has been here for about 6 years (I just bought the house a year ago) I would like to have the pipe run up above the roof. If I should lose power how does the smoke get in? The door is sealed pretty tight. Also, how do I find someone who can do this? I'm in Connecticut. 

Thanks for your help.


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## fr8tdog (Dec 2, 2007)

Along this line, I want to put a furnace in my basement that has an existing double walled metal chimney running to it.  It is a 6" diameter pipe and runs about 30' up to the roof.  Specs for the furnace say 4" pipe is recommended. Is this to long or pipe to big?


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## hearthtools (Dec 2, 2007)

jtp10181 said:
			
		

> hearthtools, you made a comment about venting under a deck before. What is wrong with that?


I Never said anything about venting under a deck
you should never vent any pellet stove UNDER and incloser


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## jtp10181 (Dec 4, 2007)

hearthtools said:
			
		

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Whops...  it was stoveguy2esw

Was just curious what is bad about it? We have an install this week of a Mt Vernon AE in a basement. It will get 3-5 of rise inside then go though the wall and terminate under a deck. All clearances will be maintained and the deck is freely open underneath. I scoured the install manual while I was there and could not find anything suggesting this was a bad idea. The guy would rather get some crud on his siding than cut a hole in the deck and run the vent up through it. It would end up being one really tall chimney due to his roof pitch.


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## hearthtools (Dec 4, 2007)

Hey if you have 5 feet or more from the vent try it
but I Bet in a month or so you will see some black Cob webs on the under side of the deck.


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## johnnywarm (Dec 4, 2007)

hearthtools said:
			
		

> Hey if you have 5 feet or more from the vent try it
> but I Bet in a month or so you will see some black Cob webs on the under side of the deck.




I just started my Big E pellet stove,i only get white smoke at the very beging and no black smoke ever. Is there something wrong??

John


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## hearthtools (Dec 4, 2007)

johnnywarm said:
			
		

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Just because you CANT see it does not mean it is not there.
It will build up in time.

and Yes the start up and shut down mode is where the most PARTICULATES come out of the stove.


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## johnnywarm (Dec 4, 2007)

hearthtools said:
			
		

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My wall has nothing on it at all. It must be the cleanest going.the smoke stops when i see flame.


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## Turbozcs2003 (Apr 18, 2008)

hearthtools said:
			
		

> I will NEVER install A DV pellet venting not just from the soot but WHEN the power goes out smoke WILL spill into your home if you do not have a vertical rise to draw the smoke out of the stove.
> 
> You can get much more accurate air adjustment out of your stove if you have a vertical rise
> 
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I know this an old thread but can one have  the vertical rise inside their home, ie 90 off back of stoce with clean out T, up 5 ft, then a 90 and go out 18-24" past the siding with a turbo cap??  Also add fresh air kit directly off back of stove, so it would be 5 ft lower??

I am considering a pellet stove but do not want 20 ft of exterior chimney.


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## packerfan (Apr 18, 2008)

TurboZ said:
			
		

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Odds are that depending on the stove, you won't need 20 feet of pipe.  My englander only has a minimum required 3 ft. rise.    It seems to work quite well.


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