Should I install my wood stove chimney through the attic?
Velopassionmf
| Posted in Energy Efficiency and Durability on
I am instaling a wood stove for occasional fires and I want to install the chimney inside the house. It is really cold out here and the outside chimney I have right now conducts the cold into the wood stove and the stove becomes really cold when not in use.
I want to install the chimney through the first and second floor of the house but I want the pipe to make a bend from the ceiling of the second floor to exit on the side of the house instead of going through the attic.
Is this a good idea. I hear horror stories about chimneys going though the attic.
Thanks
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Replies
M.F.,
Q. "Should I install my wood stove chimney through the attic?"
A. Yes.
Q. "I am installing a wood stove for occasional fires and I want to install the chimney inside the house."
A. Good idea. Indoor chimneys always perform better than outdoor chimneys.
Q. "I want to install the chimney through the first and second floor of the house."
A. So far, so good.
Q. "But I want the pipe to make a bend from the ceiling of the second floor to exit on the side of the house instead of going through the attic. Is this a good idea?"
A. No, it's a bad idea. To reduce the buildup of creosote, and to make chimney cleaning easy, you want a vertical flue without any elbows. It's a very bad idea for a chimney to penetrate a wall -- it's always better if it penetrates a roof.
Q. "I hear horror stories about chimneys going though the attic."
A. Chimneys can contribute to ice dams, it's true. But this problem can be minimized if the chimney penetrates the roof near the ridge.