Hi Everyone,
I am installing an Equinox wood stove in my 3500 sq ft home and am wondering if I should go with the recommended 8" chimney or reduce to 6". I know this may sound like a stupid question (manual says don't do this), but here are my reasons for asking:
1) Configuration: The stove is located centrally to the two-story house (which is fairly heat-efficient) and will be rear-vented for about 2 feet with double wall pipe (the reduction from 8" to 6" would take place immediately on the back of the stove, using a double wall reducer) through an interior wall into a clean-out tee and then straight up 25 feet through the interior of the house using Simpson triple-wall stainless steel chimney - enclosed the whole way up. Intake air will be fed via the intake kit from the well-vented crawl space. This seems to be a fairly ideal chimney configuration and should produce a strong, consistent draft.
2) The dealer is telling me that they are selling fewer of these than he expected due to the fact that it is just too big - people are baking themselves out of their home, and the unit cannot be throttled back without sooting up the chimney. He was going to buy one himself but has downsized for this reason.
3) I am looking for burn time with this stove rather than peak output. I am doing everything I can to get good circulation in the house, but am concerned that higher burn rates will be uncomfortably hot locally.
4) As I understand it, throttling back too far is often a cause of sooting due to slow velocity and cooling in the chimney. A smaller diameter would seem to counteract this.
5) It seems that 8" diameter is specified for this stove to allow reliable operation over a BROAD RANGE of venting arrangements, most of which would be less ideal than my situation. Thus, my installation and use pattern may be on the end of the range that least requires the 8" vent size.
So here are my questions:
* There are cases where a chimney can be too big in diameter. Could this be the case for 6" and my installation?
* What are the real dangers of running with a 6" chimney in this case? Is there a fire hazard, or just the possibility of puffing or smoke spill as I add wood?
* The last six feet of the chimney will pass through a 24"x36" 2x4 framed and sided (but currently not insulated) enclosure. Should I wrap the triple-wall chimney pipe with insulation to reduce condensation? What insulation should I use for this?
* Does anyone have experience with the Equinox that might relate to my concerns?
* How does a damper fit in with this - should I include one?
I can accommodate either the 6" or the 8" size mechanically, and just want to get the best overall performance at lower burn rates, without sacrificing safety of course.
Thanks for your time!
mowmow
I am installing an Equinox wood stove in my 3500 sq ft home and am wondering if I should go with the recommended 8" chimney or reduce to 6". I know this may sound like a stupid question (manual says don't do this), but here are my reasons for asking:
1) Configuration: The stove is located centrally to the two-story house (which is fairly heat-efficient) and will be rear-vented for about 2 feet with double wall pipe (the reduction from 8" to 6" would take place immediately on the back of the stove, using a double wall reducer) through an interior wall into a clean-out tee and then straight up 25 feet through the interior of the house using Simpson triple-wall stainless steel chimney - enclosed the whole way up. Intake air will be fed via the intake kit from the well-vented crawl space. This seems to be a fairly ideal chimney configuration and should produce a strong, consistent draft.
2) The dealer is telling me that they are selling fewer of these than he expected due to the fact that it is just too big - people are baking themselves out of their home, and the unit cannot be throttled back without sooting up the chimney. He was going to buy one himself but has downsized for this reason.
3) I am looking for burn time with this stove rather than peak output. I am doing everything I can to get good circulation in the house, but am concerned that higher burn rates will be uncomfortably hot locally.
4) As I understand it, throttling back too far is often a cause of sooting due to slow velocity and cooling in the chimney. A smaller diameter would seem to counteract this.
5) It seems that 8" diameter is specified for this stove to allow reliable operation over a BROAD RANGE of venting arrangements, most of which would be less ideal than my situation. Thus, my installation and use pattern may be on the end of the range that least requires the 8" vent size.
So here are my questions:
* There are cases where a chimney can be too big in diameter. Could this be the case for 6" and my installation?
* What are the real dangers of running with a 6" chimney in this case? Is there a fire hazard, or just the possibility of puffing or smoke spill as I add wood?
* The last six feet of the chimney will pass through a 24"x36" 2x4 framed and sided (but currently not insulated) enclosure. Should I wrap the triple-wall chimney pipe with insulation to reduce condensation? What insulation should I use for this?
* Does anyone have experience with the Equinox that might relate to my concerns?
* How does a damper fit in with this - should I include one?
I can accommodate either the 6" or the 8" size mechanically, and just want to get the best overall performance at lower burn rates, without sacrificing safety of course.
Thanks for your time!
mowmow