# Venting pellet stove insert into existing chimney



## Roxxx (Oct 13, 2011)

I just purchased a Whitfield Advantage 2 pellet stove insert.
Now I need to know how to vent it.
It is an insert, it sits in the firebox.
I have a chimney with a clay lined flue.
Is it okay to install a damper sealing plate, vent it out the back of the pellet stove using type-L vent pipe, through the 
plate then part way up the flue?
Or must I vent it all the way to the top of the chimney?
If I must do the later, why?
Thanks in advance for the anticipated advice.


----------



## brihvac (Oct 14, 2011)

I would just pull up a stainless 4" liner. I just did it. Liner was less than $300 and it took me an hour


----------



## tjnamtiw (Oct 14, 2011)

Your installation manual should show you the various ways of venting it.  Your method just beyond the smoke shelf with a cut off plate is probably one option although I agree with brihvac since both of mine have liners all the way up.  Mine are both 17' of 3" liner and draw very well.  Again your manual will tell you whether you need 3 or 4 inch.  It's all vertical so that will make the computing easy as long as you know how tall your chimney is.


----------



## goathead (Oct 14, 2011)

Having inserts for many years and seeing the amount of fly ash that makes it into the exhaust I would definitely run the liner to the top of the chimney.  If you terminate it early that fly ash will would probably go out the liner and wind up collecting in the flu.  Just make sure that you get a high quality liner.


----------



## Vinculum (Oct 14, 2011)

Mine is 3" stainless liner, all the way to the top, as installed by professionals.


----------



## briansol (Oct 14, 2011)

4" liner is code in most parts.

3" only if it's a short run.   most 1 story + pitch should run a 4".


----------



## tjnamtiw (Oct 14, 2011)

look at your manual under the section 'equivalent feet of pipe' and you'll see a table that lists how many 'equivalent feet' of pipe you have to add for each elbow, horizontal foot of pipe and vertical feet.  You will see that for vertical feet, you actually divide the number in half  So 17' of vertical run is actually 8.5' that the stove sees.  Then there is a chart with a sloped line with you location altitude on one scale and equivalent feet on the other.  If you are below the line, you can run 3 or 4" pipe.  Above it you need 4".  In my case, I'd have to be up 8000' and I couldn't breath anyway!


----------



## Roxxx (Oct 15, 2011)

Y'all are missing the point of the question.
The question was do I need to put pipe all the way from the pellet stove insert to the top of the chimney OR
CAN I JUST RUN PIPE FROM THE PELLET STOVE INSERT PART WAY UP THE FLUE THEN TERMINATE???


----------



## goathead (Oct 15, 2011)

goathead said:
			
		

> Having inserts for many years and seeing the amount of fly ash that makes it into the exhaust I would definitely run the liner to the top of the chimney.  If you terminate it early that fly ash will would probably go out the liner and wind up collecting in the flu.  Just make sure that you get a high quality liner.



I got the point of your question.  Look at post #5 here, he confirms what I'm telling you.  You can terminate short, and you're going to deal with ash in your chimney.  Not worth it IMO. https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/80485/


----------



## SmokeyTheBear (Oct 15, 2011)

Roxxx said:
			
		

> Y'all are missing the point of the question.
> The question was do I need to put pipe all the way from the pellet stove insert to the top of the chimney OR
> CAN I JUST RUN PIPE FROM THE PELLET STOVE INSERT PART WAY UP THE FLUE THEN TERMINATE???



It depends upon the stove and code at your location, check your installation manual and talk to the code enforcement folks.   

Can you, hell yes, the real questions are may you and is it the right thing to do.

If I were doing it there would be a liner to the termination cap.


----------



## jtakeman (Oct 15, 2011)

SmokeyTheBear said:
			
		

> If I were doing it there would be a liner to the termination cap.



X2 

I have had the honor of removing a partial liner. What a freaking mess! They would brush the pipe and flue. But no one took the time to try and remove the crud that would fall on the damper block off plate. Literally was a foot of ash on it. Being as careful as possible we still made one he!! of a mess. He quickly changed plans and ran a full liner.


----------



## Bkins (Oct 15, 2011)

Roxxx said:
			
		

> Y'all are missing the point of the question.
> The question was do I need to put pipe all the way from the pellet stove insert to the top of the chimney OR
> CAN I JUST RUN PIPE FROM THE PELLET STOVE INSERT PART WAY UP THE FLUE THEN TERMINATE???



Hey Roxx,

No need to scream at forum members if you want answers.  You have not stated all the parameters of whats going on.  Are you going to do it according to code, and insurance.  Is it going to be inspected?  What does your manual say?  What does the code official say?  What does your insurance say?

Your question is not as simple as do I or don't I without knowing more info.  If code is going to be met, and insurance is going to be met then yes, you need to run the liner all the way up with a termination cap.  If you are not going to have the install inspected then yes, you can just run the pipe up past the shelf and call it a day.  The stove isn't going to know the difference unless you have some blockage in the chimney and then you won't get proper draft without going all the way to the top.

The members that have answered you so far have given you good information although they did not make the decision for you.  It is your decision.


----------

