Is a clean-out necessary?

[CarrieP]

Hello, and thanks in advance to anyone who can help. First-time home buyer, first-time wood stove purchaser, and soon-to-be first-time regular wood stove user here!

The house is a 2000 sq ft two-story 1910 farmhouse in central Virginia. It doesn't get super cold here and though the house is not insulated at all, I plan to do that in the future - maybe straw bale. I also hope to install a heat pump and use the wood stove as backup. There is an interior masonry chimney that hasn't been used in at least 30 yrs so I'd like to use that. I'm told it was damaged in the 2011 earthquake and was repaired... There were stray bricks in the chimney, so that tracks.

I haven't been on the roof yet but I busted into the chimney through a sealed up thimble, and it looks like it's in decent shape. The flue is about 8"x7". The top of the thimble is 25" from the hearth and I'd like to avoid putting in another thimble higher up.

I'm excited about the catalytic models for the air quality and efficiency, and would rather undersize the stove due to the info above (though I've read it's better to make smaller fires in a larger stove than really work a smaller stove). At the store the salesman pushed the $3600 Jotul F 445 Holliday, which does seem like a good fit since it's appropriately sized and has a rear vent option. It also has a short leg option - the height with the short legs is 26.75, so if I replace the current hearth (2 stacks of bricks) with this stove board (https://www.efireplacestore.com/hyc-t2ul3242ww-1c.html) and one layer of cement board, I should have the necessary 1.6 R-value within the limited available space.

I can't find an inspector who is available before may, and we don't currently have heat in the house so I'm anxious to get this started, and the plan is to do as much as possible ourselves, including sweeping it and hopefully installing the liner and stove.

Questions:
1. Is there a different model I should consider? Stores around here don't have many options, but I'd love to find something cheaper (maybe wishful thinking...)

2.Is an insulated liner necessary for safety reasons? The manual doesn't require it, and there's not a lot of space in the flue to work with. Can I get away with an unlined liner like this? https://www.northlineexpress.com/6-...wall-liner-kit-with-tee-sn625k-tee-19742.html

3. The Holliday's manual says that: An airtight clean-out door should be located at the base of the chimney. There is no clean-out in this chimney, and the crawlspace of the house is about 12" tall, maybe 18" between joists. Attached is a photo I took of the base of the chimney, where there is a thimble at dirt level. Should that be sealed? I'd rather not have to empty the chimney from there. Can I instead put a cap on the liner tee (though if I did, I don't know how I'd empty it)? I'm confused about what my options are here.

Thanks so much, this community is awesome, really appreciate any insight.
Carrie

 

[Bristlecone]

1) I have a large stove and a small stove. I prefer the large stove because I can have a small, slow burning fire in it, but can put in more wood to get a hotter burn = more heat. You will be happy with whichever you chose.

2) 1 of my stoves has insulated pipe and the other does not. I guess insulated pipe is safer, but when I installed it, the selling point was that it kept heat in the flue and that reduces creosote build up

3) Neither one of mine has a cleanout and the chimney cleaners have no issue with it. If you don't have a straight shot from the wall to the stove ( elbows in a "Z" shape ), the cleanout is a good idea. If the flue comes directly from wall to stove, it's not necessary

 

[all night moe]

An insulated liner is better than non insulated. It'll help draft on milder days.

Use modern insulations over straw bail. Straw will break down and rot to dust.

With a non insulated house, I'd buy the largest easy breathing Stove I could find.