Pellet stove to wood stove?

October 2, 2021 7:33 PM

We have a home with a pellet stove. I'd like to switch it out for a wood stove. The pellet stove has a round outlet for smoke and toxic gas. Is this the same as a chimney or do I need to build a chimney?
posted by arnicae to Home & Garden (8 answers total)

Usually a wood stove will need a different venting situation than a pellet stove. When I had a wood stove, you needed to have a certain amount of clearance past the roof line of the house. Pellet stoves, by contrast, can just vent out of a side wall. These people are trying to sell you something but their diagram explains it how I understand it.
posted by jessamyn at 7:53 PM on October 2, 2021

Unless your pellet stove replaced a previously installed wood stove, you'll need new venting for a wood stove. Assuming you don't have an existing brick chimney, that would generally be a length of single wall steel pipe connected to doubled-walled stainless pipe, ending the required height above the roof. It is possible to run double-walled pipe on the outside of your house, if the wood stove would be on an exterior gable wall, thus avoiding having to go through the attic or a second floor if you have one (but this is a little bit less efficient).

Expect to spend a few thousand on the venting. You may also require an outside air supply, depending on your local code.
posted by ssg at 8:14 PM on October 2, 2021

There may also be different local building code around clearance for walls and what sort of surface it can sit on. You probably want a licensed, bonded, insured contractor (preferably several) with subject matter knowledge to come assess and give you a quote. It’s not different everywhere, but it’ll give you an idea what you are in for.
posted by Bottlecap at 8:32 PM on October 2, 2021

And no matter what the contractor says, get the final word from your local (government) inspector - it's not uncommon to need a permit for stove installation, even if it's replacing another stove or a fireplace...

In my old town, for example, the chimney requirements were more stringent than what would be required in the next town over. So a proper installation may diffèr depending on municipality.
posted by Tandem Affinity at 9:14 PM on October 2, 2021 [4 favorites]

Yes, definitely check with your local building/permit department. Some municipalities restrict installation of wood stoves for air quality reasons, on top of ordinances regarding clearance, etc. Venting/chimney regulations in your area may be different for gas/pellet/wood stoves, and almost certainly have changed since the time the original pellet stove was installed.

Our house has a 30-year-old gas stove that replaced a wood stove. Came with the house. It is our primary heat. Had it serviced recently, and the tech was like... "I don't even know where to start. This would never pass code today." It works fine, no CO problems or anything, but regulations change greatly over time.
posted by xedrik at 7:58 AM on October 3, 2021

Oh and lastly check with your insurance agent. It may change your insurance profile to have a wood stove (as opposed to pellet) in the house and they may have their own stipulations that are more restrictive than local codes.
posted by jessamyn at 10:07 AM on October 3, 2021 [1 favorite]

I love my (EPA certified, efficient) wood stove. Call a chimney sweep/ chimney expert, ask them to come have a look. It's good to have an expert installer.
Meanwhile, shop for stoves; there is a rebate available (20% or more) for efficient wood stoves, so that's nice.
posted by theora55 at 12:45 PM on October 3, 2021 [1 favorite]

We just got an energy efficient woodstove that qualifies for the tax rebate. Burns really, really comically clean. The ash is so fine it blows my mind. The chimney height and how it exits the room, as mentioned above, were some of the things we talked about when placing our stove. The global supply chain is wonky these days, according to the place I purchased from. We bought in June and had it installed mid-September.
posted by zerobyproxy at 12:26 PM on October 4, 2021