venting a wood stove with other things - Contractor Talk - Professional Construction and Remodeling Forum

walshwoodworkin · 11-03-2008, 09:02 PM

Hi,
I was wondering if you can vent a small wood stove into the same flue as the water heater. The stove has a 4" pipe and the water heater has a 3" pipe and the flue is a 9x9. There is the house heater attached to this also but it is only used rarely. The rest of the house is heated by pellet stoves.
any info would be helpful
thanks steve

Home Serve · 11-03-2008, 09:08 PM

Certainly not for a variety of reasons. Any wood burning appliance shall have it's own separate flue.

bert0168 · 11-03-2008, 09:13 PM

What kind of stove has a 4" flue?

I thought 6" was the min.

cleveman · 11-03-2008, 10:21 PM

I've seen it done before. The real question is, if the chimney has enough draw, can you use it as a central vac?

Michael Olding · 11-05-2008, 06:11 AM

It certainly is against code to have two different fuels vented into the same flue... why not convert the water to electric?

Then the flue is free for the wood stove.

DavidC · 11-05-2008, 06:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Home Serve

Certainly not for a variety of reasons. Any wood burning appliance shall have it's own separate flue.

I agree with this but want to ask why? I may have known once but the reasoning escapes me now.

We have heated with wood most of my life and I can't imagine a 4" pipe on a wood stove. (6" min., I'll use 8")

And even if the other heater is only used rarely, it must be considered in the calculations as there is a possibility that at some point all 3 appliances will be trying to vent at the same time.

Good Luck
Dave

Home Serve · 11-05-2008, 07:23 AM

Quote:

I agree with this but want to ask why? I may have known once but the reasoning escapes me now.

The main factor is that a woodburner needs an air tight flue to vent into without being diluted with air from another appliance hooked up to the same flue.
If in case of chimney fire it can pull other air in (thru HW heater or whatever) making it much worse.
The woodburner does not draw correctly without all air pulling thru it for proper combustion.

DavidC · 11-05-2008, 09:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Home Serve

The main factor is that a woodburner needs an air tight flue to vent into without being diluted with air from another appliance hooked up to the same flue.
If in case of chimney fire it can pull other air in (thru HW heater or whatever) making it much worse.
The woodburner does not draw correctly without all air pulling thru it for proper combustion.

Thanks. All I remembered is don't, which has served me well so far.

Good Luck
Dave