GBA Logo horizontal Facebook LinkedIn Email Pinterest Twitter Instagram YouTube Icon Navigation Search Icon Main Search Icon Video Play Icon Plus Icon Minus Icon Picture icon Hamburger Icon Close Icon Sorted

Community and Q&A

Wood Stove Near Intake

Ehines18 | Posted in General Questions on

Our house is very old and only has once access to the chimney. In order to install the woodstove, it would have to be placed next to the furnace intake register. Is that safe to do, or would we need to move the woodstove and run a new chimney?

GBA Prime

Join the leading community of building science experts

Become a GBA Prime member and get instant access to the latest developments in green building, research, and reports from the field.

Replies

  1. Expert Member
    Michael Maines | | #1

    By "furnace intake register" do you mean a return air grille? If so, the dangers would be the possibility of smoke or hot embers getting drawn into the system, but those would depend on the actual location of the grille. Is it on the floor or the wall, is it in front of or next to the proposed wood stove location, and how far away?

    For general wood stove safety: will this be the only appliance using the chimney, and is the chimney lined?

    1. Ehines18 | | #2

      Yes return air grille. It's on the floor, it would be only a couple feet from the stove, next to it.
      It would be the only one using the chimney. It isnt but we talked to a chimney sweep about making sure it is

  2. Expert Member
    Michael Maines | | #3

    In that case you might check that the ductwork is in good condition; if a stray ember found its way in it shouldn't cause major problems unless the furnace is directly below the grill. Embers usually land in front of the stove but situations vary.

    As for smoke, it's probably more of a nuisance issue than a safety issue, though it's not healthy to breathe in smoke and the return would distribute it throughout the house.

  3. Expert Member
    MALCOLM TAYLOR | | #4

    Ehines18,

    I'd be worried the proximity of the return grill would cause the stove to back-draft.

Log in or create an account to post an answer.

Community

Recent Questions and Replies

  • |
  • |
  • |
  • |