30+ year old stove pipe .. replace/fix?

[GBoil]

I am replacing my existing pellet stove.
I need advice and help with understanding what to replace/buy/fix/repair with the existing single-wall 6" stove pipe.
I bought a 15 year old Lopi Answer wood burning stove in fabulous condition.

Please see attached photos showing my existing pellet stove (will be removed and replaced with the Lopi wood burning stove). The existing pipe inside the home is 6" single wall, feeding into a thimble. The ceiling thimble uses 8" pipe, and the 6" pipe is simply pushed a few inches up into the 8" pipe with an air gap between the 6" and 8" and another air gap between the 8" pipe and the thimble (more than 12" diameter). The whole contraption leaks air like having a window open ... but my carbon monoxide detector is quiet, so I guess the fumes are exiting the home. I will be burning mostly pine, and a little oak because that is what I have.

I'm also searching for a used Lopi Declaration Plus wood fireplace insert, and I will need a standard 6" chimney pipe for it. My chimney is in good condition, but about 40 years old, cleaned recently.

 

[begreen]

I suspect so. It's hard to tell, but the current chimney pipe looks air cooled. Also check to see if it is 2 ft higher than the roof at 10ft from the top of the pipe. It doesn't appear to be, but the camera angle can be deceiving. You may want to add a couple feet any way for better draft on the EPA stove. It's going to want about 12 ft minimum. If that is the case, the old flue will need replacing anyway.

 

[GBoil]

Yes, if I take off the circular disc with the quarter size holes in it (see the middle photo), then I can stand close to the pipe and see all the way to the hat (right photo) at the top of the pipe. Ashes were actually falling down onto my hearth when I moved in, before I took it apart and cleaned the insides of the pipes. The 1" gap between the 6" pipe, and the 8" pipe (hidden by the circular disc) allows ash to fall down around the outside of the 6" pipe onto my stove & hearth.

It looks like the top of the hat on the big 12" pipe is barely 2 feet higher than the crest of the roof, but it might be an inch or two short of 2 feet.

Any suggestions on what brand/type of pipe parts I should consider using to replace my existing setup?
I have no idea where/what to look for as a replacement for the ceiling "thimble" (middle photo).

 

[begreen]

There are several brands available. Locally at your HD or Lowes, you'll probably find Selkirk Metalbestos flue systems. Online or from a dealer you will also find DuraVent and ICC Excel. I've been using DuraVent and like it. They have a broad product line that covers just about any installation situation.

For online sales I like www.dynamitebuys.com. They are very helpful and have good pricing. But there are several other vendors. I'd also download the pipe mfg. installation instructions from their website.

Are you getting two stoves? The Lopi Declaration question is a separate issue, though the above vendor also sells liners.

 

[fossil]

Addressing the replacement of the existing pellet stove with a woodstove, my recommendation would be to take out the entire old installation and start from there. New support box at the ceiling (likely requiring some framing & finish work), new stovepipe from stove to support box...single wall or double wall, depending on clearance to combustibles requirements and your preference, and new Class A chimney from the support box to daylight. Doing this job thoroughly will give you the assurance that it all meets required specs for woodstoves (significantly higher temperatures than pellet stoves). If I was a professional installer considering your job, I wouldn't even bid on it any other way than total replacement.

As to the insert installation, as BeGreen said, it's really a separate discussion, but you might start thinking in terms of a stainless liner from the insert to daylight up the inside of your chimney...that's the way it's done right. Rick

 

[GBoil]

A complete replacement seems reasonable, especially considering that something bigger than a mouse can fit through the gap between the 6" and 8" pipes and make it all the way into the house from outside.

Isn't this a pretty standard job then .. about 12 feet of straight pipe up to a ceiling with no attic, then about 6 to 8 feet of pipe on top of the roof with a hat.

I'm going to guess I should start with an insulated ceiling thimble (vs. air cooled / wide open venting from inside the house to outside the house .. susceptible to downdrafts)?

 

[dougand3]

Your ceiling "thimble" will be a Ceiling Support Box. Black stove pipe connects to CSB and Class A chimney fits into CSB on top. You don't have areas of air only cooling. I used Selkirk Supervent from Lowes. They had a ceiling support kit with everything needed except Class A chimney and locking bands. Selkirk or Simpson duravent/duraplus will have manuals online.

 

[GBoil]

Wheee .. took me a day to figure out all the parts. I'm still confused about all the different brands, some made by the same company with no clear differences. Prices for different brands and even the same brands differ by up to 100% more, depending on which website I look at.

I'm leaning towards MetaBest Ultra-Temp variant by Selkirk, mostly because the price is about the same as their other two nearly identical brands (SuperVent/SuperPro), except the cathedral ceiling piece doesn't need a big black square box (does not fit my existing hole or fit in with the room). I didn't see any other brands that used a circular ceiling "thimble".

I need the cathedral ceiling support system (including the "thimble"), 4 feet of class A chimney above the roof, and6 feet of total height for the double wall stove pipe below the cathedral ceiling, which is less than 1 foot thick. I will need an angle adapter and a short piece of adjustable length for the stove pipe since I can't line the stove up perfectly under the double-wall stove pipe. The ceiling slope is small. I need the connecting bands, stove pipe adapter, roof flashing, storm collar, rain cap, and spark arrester.

So I'm expecting about $160 for the chimney system kit +$116 for 4 feet of chimney + $20 spark arrester + $50 flashing (maybe I can reuse that piece, if nothing else) + double wall stove pipe.

I see a lot of 8" products, but most wood stoves I see are 6". Are people using "increaser" adapters? Why?

 

[GBoil]

Since I can't run straight pipe from my stove up to the ceiling "thimble" / chimney, and I have to put an angle in there, should I do this?

     cathedral ceiling
        |
        |
        |
        |
 90 ____|
    /   |  <== cleanout tee
XXXX
XXXX
XXXX

My total height from top of stove to raincap will be less than 13 feet, but I'm going to attempt to burn pine .. so maybe I need the cleanout tee

 

[begreen]

I would use a pair of 45's with an offset and a telescoping vertical connector to skip the cleanout tee completely.

 

[GBoil]

I would use a pair of 45's with an offset and a telescoping vertical connector to skip the cleanout tee completely.

What is the recommended method for cleaning that type of setup?