Log Cabin Pellet Stove Installation. Advice Needed.

[andretti05]

Hello All,

I newly joined the forum after I have been considering on installing a Pellet Stove in the log cabin home I recently purchased. I figured I would get a head start before the cold starts to roll in. So the unit I am looking to buy is the Ashley AP5600PE. It may not be the best stove out there, but it caught my wife's eye at tractor supply, and she loves the look of it, so I'm pretty much stuck buying it now despite all the better quality (not so good looking) models out there.

Anyways, here are my dilemmas:There are two possible mounting spots in the living room of the home. First, the old owners had a small pellet stove hooked up under a window in the middle of the room. This unit was very small, was directly under a large window (that doesn't open - it's just for light purposes), and vents directly onto a wrap around porch in the front of the home. The vent isn't even there any more, just the square mounting flange and an empty hole where the pipe used to be. The other problem here is that the unit was gone when I bought the house, and the original owner that had the unit, has since passed away, so I can't ask her what model it was or how it used to be vented. At the present moment there is just a hole stuffed with insulation there and a small tile mounting surface on the floor (much too small for the pellet stove model I'm looking to install).

The second mounting option for the stove is under the staircase that goes from the living room to a lofted second floor. The staircase is open-backed, and under it, is an exterior wall with no windows or anything, just straight logs. There is hardwood flooring, but plenty of room to install a tile surface for the stove.

Here is a list of pros and cons I came up with:

Original under the window mounting spot:

Pros

1: There is a hole already cut for the vent and OAK, no drilling through the house would be needed.

2: There are a lot of windows on this side of the room and not a lot of baseboard heaters, so a heat source here would probably heat the room best and its positioning would be more central to send heat throughout the house.

Cons

1: The stove would be right in the middle of the room here and would take up a lot of space, making it difficult to position furniture

2: The fan noise from the stove would be right next to where the couches are and could be irritating while watching TV

3: The vent would come out right under a window and would have to be very short (probably about 2 ft high), and also would be right in the middle of the porch that is visible from the street (not good for curb appeal)

Under the stairs mounting spot:

Pros

1: The stove would be tucked under the stairs and out of the way, reducing the irritation from the fan noise and giving the room more space

2: The vent would come out on the side of the house, could be the normal length as provided in the vent kit, and wouldn't be seen by anyone from the street.


Cons

1: I would have to drill a massive hole through the logs of the house (they are very thick and "D" shaped), and then another smaller hole for the OAK.

2: The heating location wouldn't be as central as the other location.

3: I'd need to find an eye-appealing way to seal up the vent hole from the old unit in the front of the house.



So my question to everyone is: what option to you think is better overall in terms of functionality, appearance, and safety, and what advice do you have for installation with that option? I am pretty much 50/50 at this point. Thank you for any help.

AP5600PE​

AP5600PE​

 

[kniffin50]

Welcome.If you have a fireplace and I can't imagine a log cabin without one, thats where i'd put it.Insert or freestanding and vent it up the chimney.

 

[bags]

Welcome Andretti,

You will get a wide spectrum of answers on your issues here. The vent needs to be safe a within specs for starters. Get online and look at the manual and venting requirements for the Ashley you are looking at. Also use the search bar and type in the stove you are looking at buying. Read a lot here.

Centrally locating a pellet stove is best for heating results which is why you are looking at one. Can you take and post pictures so we can see exactly your scenarios? The existing vent hole with dimensions? These may not line up with the new Ashley to begin with for example. What's behind it outside on the porch. Is it a wooden deck, concrete porch, or what? Since the window is a dead lite and non-operational window you should be all right there but I have some questions and others here will as well.


Take a few inside and outside photos and post if you can please. No one here wants to steer you in a wrong direction etc. There are certain venting requirements that need to be met for safety and other factors.

 

[andretti05]

I would love a fireplace, unfortunately....there is none. Pellet stove is the next best thing i guess.

 

[andretti05]

Ok I got a few photos, sorry it took a while I don't live in the cabin yet. In the inside photos you can see the staircase at the end of the room that would be one possible spot. In one of the photos on the left you can see a little tile area and a boarded up section under the window. This is the other possible spot (I boarded it up with some insulation to seal it up temporarily). On the outside photos you can see where the old vent was. The log looking siding around the vent is actually fake in that spot, there are no real logs there just log paneling (very easy to cut and move the vent). The last photo is a view from inside the boarded up section. There is just one part of the vent here and no insulation or interior wall, just the exterior wall. I guess a possible venting option by the window would be to run it out, sideways, around the window, and then up. This might look odd but it would avoid a giant vent going up in the middle of the window.

 

[andretti05]

Ok Here are two options of possible vents for the window side installation. I went on the manufactures website and it provides no explanations as to how long the vent has to be. Sorry for my primitive drawing skills.

 

[andretti05]

Also here is a picture of the back of the stove (looks like the exhaust sits up pretty high, making even less room for a vent.

 

[bogieb]

Exhaust outlet has to be at least 18 above grade, 12" clearance to a permanently closed window, 18" from a window that can open (if using an OAK, otherwise 48"), 12 - 36" from combustibles (depending upon the stove instructions) etc. That window install does not look at all viable to me. Even if it were, you will have someone walking along the deck and running into it.

Also, alcove installations have their own set of rules (side, back and top clearances) - which the stairway does not look to follow. But, it also depends on the stove because clearances vary.

 

[johneh]

Just a suggestion why not remove that fixed window fill in the area
with half round log veneer and finish the inside . Then run the pipe
straight up and out the roof . There looks to be lots of light and the
loss of one window not spoil the look of the building.

 

[Bioburner]

Why not go straight up with exhaust inside keeping the stove in front of the non opening window and use the existing hole for fresh air intake? Going to take some $$$ with extra pipe and thimbles. Would have no issues with exhaust sneaking back into home via windows or soffits, would help keep deck cleaner and would give natural draft in a power outage preventing smoke possibly backing into home. My 2 bits worth of advise.

 

[bogieb]

Just a suggestion why not remove that fixed window fill in the area
with half round log veneer and finish the inside . Then run the pipe
straight up and out the roof . There looks to be lots of light and the
loss of one window not spoil the look of the building.

I like your idea of removing the window - it actually seems to be out of place to me (of course, just my opinion). I thought maybe the sink was under it - but it appears to be under the larger double-windows.

Why not go straight up with exhaust inside keeping the stove in front of the non opening window and use the existing hole for fresh air intake? Going to take some $$$ with extra pipe and thimbles. Would have no issues with exhaust sneaking back into home via windows or soffits, would help keep deck cleaner and would give natural draft in a power outage preventing smoke possibly backing into home. My 2 bits worth of advise.

That isn't a bad idea either - but do think removing the window would improve the looks (disclaimer: I have never won awards for designing or good taste - and I am not volunteering to pay for removal and rehab of that wall - LOL)

 

[daffonce]

I afree remove the window and go straight up. Use existing hole for oak. Or remove the window go out the existing thimble then 4 ft vertical. Install tv where window is now. Get a nice tv spot right above pellet stove.

 

[Bioburner]

May help us to know your normal winds and if that side of house gets hit by them.

 

[andretti05]

Hey thanks everyone for input so far. So yes the removal of the window does seem to be another option. The only problem is that there would still be a big pipe sticking out onto the porch which would be annoying as Bogieb mentioned, or a giant pipe going up through the ceiling if I go straight up from the unit. I would also like to avoid doing any drilling through the roof if possible, it just got replaced.

So this brings me back to the stairwell option. Bogieb mentions alcove installation rules, which I think I found on the company's website. I attached the owners manual to the post for a US stove 5660 which seems to be same stove just with some slightly different electrical controls and decals. I couldn't find the owners manual for the Ashley model. Anyways, check out page 11 where it shows Alcove clearances. If I can manage these under the stairs I should be good right? The manual also provides a direct horizontal vent option (page 13 and page 18) which would work pretty well for the location under the stairs and looks nice and simple (no roof drilling and no window removal). If the stairs don't allow for enough clearance I guess I'm back to exploring the window area installation, and will probably end up having to remove the window and vent there.

Bioburner - As for winds, I'm sure that side of the house gets a ton of wind and weather. The conditions up there can get pretty extreme. Looking at the wear on the house's finish and the condition of the wood, that side of the house is by far the most worn. The wood on the other sides looks more untouched and is guarded by trees.

 

[andretti05]

OK, I found an Ashley owners manual, not the exact model but very similar. The Alcove dimensions and venting specs are all the same.

 

[andretti05]

After further research, I found a pic of the original install that the first owners of the house had. The room looks a bit different, but I assure you its the same room. The model of the old stove is an Austroflamm Rika Integra. Its a pellet insert. Looks like there's no vent at all, just a hole onto the porch. Is this even safe? It doesn't seem that way to me. Its also surrounded by all wood, even a few electrical boxes pretty close to the unit. Surprisingly (looking at an austroflamm manual) it can be installed in a combustible framework, and the little wood frame there probably conforms to the specs in the manual (2" clearance in the rear and 5" clearance on the top). Maybe I'm better off just buying the old unit and putting it in there? The manual only requires 7 inches of vent outside the house too. This blows my mind. (http://cannedheat.com/images/Austroflamm/forms/Integra II Insert Manual.pdf)

 

[bogieb]

It doesn't look like the Ashley gives lower clearances for an OAK, which means it hasn't been tested. That may mean that you will have a hard time passing inspection if you install under the window since you need 4' from any door or window that can be opened. You also need 24" above combustibles (your deck, plants etc) - see page 21. But, if the stair alcove is dimensionally able, it looks like that would be fine.

For the Integra - that 7" is to a listed end cap (not the exhaust - to the connection to the end cap. Dollars to donuts a listed end cap adds at least another 5". Also, pay attention to the fact that it says you need a 60" clearance to any way a combustion product could enter a building (doors, windows).

 

[Harman Lover 007]

I agree with these guys. Get rid of the window and go straight up with black 4" pellet pipe. I did it in my Chalet which is very similar to your setup. You won't want to vent onto the deck. It will look like crap and the dust and ash will be a constant cleanup nightmare.

 

[crizpynutz]

I agree with these guys. Get rid of the window and go straight up with black 4" pellet pipe. I did it in my Chalet which is very similar to your setup. You won't want to vent onto the deck. It will look like crap and the dust and ash will be a constant cleanup nightmare.

I was thinking that exact same thing re: venting ash, etc. on the deck. Gotta get that up over the roof I think. Unless you want to move the stove to a different location, closing up the window and going up seems like the best idea.

 

[CleanFire]

^ Agree w/ all above, vent setup may have "worked" w/ the previous pellet insert stove, but did not meet code.. Those black stain marks near the vent outlet are a concern.. ( If you decide to re-use the existing insert, make the venting better / to code. )

 

[Owen1508]

Why not go straight up with exhaust inside keeping the stove in front of the non opening window and use the existing hole for fresh air intake? Going to take some $$$ with extra pipe and thimbles. Would have no issues with exhaust sneaking back into home via windows or soffits, would help keep deck cleaner and would give natural draft in a power outage preventing smoke possibly backing into home. My 2 bits worth of advise.

I concur using the existing vent hole for an OAK and venting through the roof is ideal. On that unit an OAK is the way to go. The existing hole will not line up. Another possibility is using a Selkirk direct vent kit for that unit. I have a copy of the OM for the PE top mount 5660. I'll try to get it to you. Location and its effect on heating the house would be my first priority with looks being a close 2nd. That said through the roof with an oak in front of the window would be my choice IMHO.

 

[daffonce]

My vent is over my deck. I have it setup that where the pipe goes horizontal is above my head. No issues. Clean pipe in spring and no ash issue. In summer you can pop the outdoor vent off.

 

[andretti05]

Again, thanks everyone for comments, I am learning a lot here. So I'm gathering that the old installation may have functioned but it was in no way safe. There are black stains on the wood porch under the vent, I am lucky that I was even able to buy the house intact and not as a burnt down pile of logs! I wouldn't feel safe with the pellet stove installed the way it was before, nor would my wife. So I am still going to buy the Ashley 5600 model and once I get it i'll decide on the install location. If it fits nice under the stairs, i'll probably put it there. There are no windows, no doors, no problem with looks or blocking porches, plus there is really nothing I was planning on putting there anyways other than a book shelf or dust collecting nonsense shelf. The vent will also be a ton cheaper. If the alcove specs don't allow for an under the stairs install, i'll have to put it under the window and vent straight up through the roof as many of you have suggested. It pains me to cut into my new roof, but if it has to be done in the name of safety than so be it. I won't be installing for a few weeks, so when I start I will probably have a ton more questions. Either way i'll post pics as I go. Please send any more suggestions or information in the mean time.

 

[bogieb]

My vent is over my deck. I have it setup that where the pipe goes horizontal is above my head. No issues. Clean pipe in spring and no ash issue. In summer you can pop the outdoor vent off.

if he put his vent over his head, it looks as if it would be too close to the eave (required clearance wise), so he would need to go out and up, over that anyway.

 

[twodogs02]

Show your wife Harman's XXV. I live in a log home and did not want a through the wall vent for many reasons (water penetration, looks, ash build up on logs) so I went through the roof with Harman's top vent option. This allows you to wrap pellet pipe with black stove pipe to give it the look of a wood burner.

I would not install under that window, that window would come out and be replaced with full logs. Through the roof is more work, more pipe but allows for much more flexibility in stove location.

As far as stove location, I would choose the short wall to the left of the dining table, straight shot for air flow.

If you want to leave the window and install elsewhere, pull the two or three courses of logs that had the vent cut and insert new logs. Log replacement is not very hard to do if you own a chainsaw, sledge hammer and reciprocating saw but for me, that window would come out.

I would look at more stoves with the idea that I am not forcing the stove location where it's convenient because of what the previous owners did.

What ever you do, don't buy the stove and try to make it fit, you will regret that. Read the installation specifications before you buy, that way you know your options b4 getting it home.

It took us 2 months of looking to find the proper stove for the location we wanted. It added another $450 for the pipe but it's where we wanted it not where the previous owner conveniently placed their wood burner.