The Navigator Stove Forum


The Navigator Stove Forum
Start a New Topic 
Author
Comment
home install

Hi all. I am planning on installing a little cod in my home, and since I have never used a wood stove, was wondering about a few things.

First off, I have a friend who has a newly installed "regular" wood stove, and yes, his wife is constantly being "cooked" out of the front room. . too many b.t.u's. . . The space I am going to heat is an open concept room, roughly 20 x 25 ', with R 20 walls. I have a heat pump to heat it with, but would like to use some of the energy stored in the wood lot behind the house ! First question, I am going to guess that the little cod will not cook me out of a room that size eh ? I am aiming for a reduction in the electric bill, not a replacement system. . . just lite up the stove, and turn on the ceiling fan ?

Which brings me to my next question, I have heard that running an insulated chimney outside the building, creates problems of its own, so I would like to run a straight pipe from the stove, thru the ceiling, then thru the 1/2 story room above (1 -1/2 story house) and up thru the roof. Total run length of roughly 20 feet. . . would this work o.k. ? If I use uninsulated pipe close to the stove, I should get more radiant heat . . . correct ?

I just found your website, and LOVE IT ! Other than a site about the Jotul, all the other stoves are like my buddies, and are garanteed to "cook" you out, since they are all WAY to big !

Thanks for any info you can pass along.

Re: home install

Hi all.... I have done more research into the whole wood burning stove thing, and have found that the "professionals" do not recommend installing anything smaller than a 150 mm chimney due to the limited draft of a smaller pipe.

I figure that they have not tried to install anything smaller than 100,000 btu wood stove, and yes, that would need a large pipe to run with, but the little cod ? ? ?

Any thoughts on this one ? I was planning on using a 4 inch insulated pipe straight through from the stove to the top, now I hear I should go bigger to improve draft. . . .

Re: home install

Dave,

No, you will not cook yourself using a COD in 20 x 25.
The ceiling fan is a good idea to mix the heat evenly in a "large" space as that. Yes again on single wall pipe from stove to insulated pipe transition through walls...which also generates extra heat. Running insulated pipe outside the structure is not a problem. Part of insulated pipe's job is to keep the flue gasses hot so they exit the pipe without condensing creosote. If you used single wall outside you'd slow the upward convective flow & have a creosote producing "factory" in full swing. Yuck!
20' of insulated pipe will make the COD function beautifully. NO, please do not go bigger than 4". No need to? Draft will be VERY adequate. If one increases flow through pipe too much you just end up burning all your fuel very rapidly. The damper in the pipe is meant to slow the flow when you are idling along. Max flow on start up or getting new batch of wood to catch. On oil stoves one even sometimes introduces a draft control to "dump" air into the pipe system so there will not be too much flow through the burner. More is not always better.

Andrew Moore / NSW

Re: home install

Thanks for the reply.

I had a look for chimney pipe at the local hardware store today, and sure enough, they sell all kinds of 4 inch pipe, for use on pellet stoves. . . so . .. . if you can use this stuff on pellet stoves, whats the problem on a small wood stove ? ? ?

4 inch pipe is also WAY cheaper to buy then the larger diameter.

I also came across the names of some supposedly "small" wood stoves, such as the squirrel, the puffin, and the hawk, all seem to be about twice the size of the little cod !

I will keep ya updated as I go, and thanks for the input.

Re: home install

D,

Pellet stove pipe is not rated for use with regular wood stoves no matter how small.

A/ NSW

Re: home install

Well, I guess I won't be getting a littel cod wood stove after all. . . . I checked in with my home insurance, and the first thing they asked me was "Is it certified for use in Canada?" I had a look, and there is nothing about these stoves that says they are csa or ulc or Whatever - certified. . . .

Any thoughts or comments on this, as I would really like to put one of these guys in my living room !

Good idea while it lasted. . . .

Re: home install

Dave,

Its our understanding that if you have a WETT certified technician install one of our non CSA certified stoves that this will satisfy your insurance company. Give them a ring to discuss:

http://www.wettinc.ca/what.html

Andrew Moore / NSW

Re: home install

Before I bother anybody about installing this type of woodstove, I thought I would try to find all the pieces that I will need . . up here in canada, I would need double wall stove pipe to meet code, and so far I have not been able to find any ! Do you sell 4" double wall pipe ? and if not, what can I do ?

Re: home install

well, Have not given up on the idea of putting a small stove in my house, just cannot find a supplier of 4" WOOD STOVE pipe . . . lots of pellet stove pipe out there, but no double walled wood stove pipe suppliers. . .. you mentioned that the damper slows things down so it does not burn thru the wood too fast . .. . how about putting in the only double walled pipe I can find. . a 6". . and putting in a damper to slow things down ? Or would that create other problems ?

Dampering down

I grew up with wood stoves, but I can't seem to damper down my Sardine. I've cemented all the connections, but the air gets sucked in through the door, which doesn't close tightly and through the opening for the ash to be swept out. Am I missing something? Should there be that heavy cord material around the opening to keep it airtight? Am I doing something wrong?

Re: Dampering down

D,

All depends on what you mean by "damper down"? Assuming you have the pipe damper installed & is functioning, the furthest one can reduce flow through the stove is to have the damper @ horizontal & the disc adjuster on door closed. The door is intentionally NOT gasketed due to its method of opening. Also, and most importantly, sealing the stove at the door joint would starve the fire and move the burn dynamics toward a slow dirty burn. This would undermine the EPA Emissions-Efficiency ratings that this stove has achieved. A slow smouldering fire is a dirty fire and what EPA is trying to eradicate via the National emissions testing program.
"Dampering down" means you want the longest burn possible and folks have achieved that over hardwood/softwood by using slow to combust IDAHO ENERGY LOGS, BioBricks and the like.

A/NSW

Re: Dampering down

I was wondering if that might be the answer. I do adjust the damper and close the disc damper, but was surprised at the rate the wood burned. NOW I get it. Thanks!

Re: Dampering down

Well, before I completely give up on installing one of these stoves in my home. . . since I cannot find 4" double walled pipe to meet canadian safety code (this comes right from my w.e.t. certified installer). . . lets go about this another way. . . anybody in Canada have one of these bad boys installed in their home or building ? Or does anybody know of ANYONE who has installed one in Canada ?

Re: Dampering down

D,

Several folks have stoves installed in Canada. But getting them to reply here may not happen. So, why didn't your WETT installer tell you to use 5/6" pipe which is CSA'd. If you read our manual for the stoves,
you will find that 5/6" insulated pipe is also OK to use.You just would not want to go any larger. 4" CDN made pipe is just not CSA'd but of the same exact manufacture as the larger systems. So with that in hand
I'd press your installer and see what they would say given these new options. What was their response to installing the stove to begin with separate from the insulated pipe size issue?

Re: Dampering down

After you told me to contact the w.e.t.t. guys, I went to my neighbour who is certified as an installer. . . he mentioned three things. . one was being c.s.a. certified. . the second was it has to have double walled pipe. . . which I could not find. . . forgot about the third one, since the pipe issue kinda killed the idea. . .

Just for clarification, I can use 5 or 6 inch pipe on these stoves ? I am guessing thats what you mean when you refer too 5/6".. . . will have to look at the manual again. . .

Re: Dampering down

Yes, 5 or 6" insulated pipe. Certainly the 6" system is CSA'd. The whole reason to go to a WETT technician is that they can install NON CSA Certified stove to a specification that makes them pass local install regulations. Perhaps not all WETT installers are aware of this detail but certainly seems to be true out here with BC WETT installers.

A/NSW

4" chimney pipe for anyone who is looking

If anyone is looking for 4" diameter insulated chimney for their little Nativator (or Shipmate, or Hobbit stove), we ordered some and had it damaged by FedEx. Its still usable but has some big dents. This stuff is really tough to find and costs an arm and a leg. If you search for Selkirk 4" chimney on EBay you'll find it, and save yourself some $$ if you don't mind the dings

Re: 4" chimney pipe for anyone who is looking

Thank you so much for the heads up!
I have been looking for this stuff for the last 2 years!
Their central distribution center is a 2 hour drive from my house.
Incidentally, you don't still have any of that 4" stuff kicking around do you?