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Discussion Forum

B vent thru a wall?

Sphere | Posted in Energy, Heating & Insulation on December 20, 2004 09:08am

OK, y’all know what I am up against here. frozen.

I DO have a LARGE propane heater about 65k btu with a 6″ B vent. It was the primary heat here before I bought it. The pipe was run up and out the roof 20′ above. It took it out and have the woodstove and it’s flue in that area.

while I hate the thoughht of buying more propane, I need the heat..
where I would want to put the heater is not gonna allow a chimney to go up and out.

My question is…can I jut pass thru the wall and terminate the vent? or does it need to rise like a true flue?

My other option is a ventless Rennai 30k which I also am reluctant to use..

That part of the house is farthest from ythe woodstove is the KIT, BA, Luandry, and LR…about 18x 42′ all told..and the bath showervalve froze and burst..don’t know if the pipes in the wall lived until it thaws. still only 30 degrees in that area with ele space heaters running..the whole area is over crawl an uninsulated basement..

thoughts?

 

Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks

Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations. 

 

 

Reply

Replies

  1. ClaysWorld | Dec 20, 2004 10:14pm | #1

    Wow are we having fun yet?

    the propane can go horizontal but then you need to take it up, roof,windows etc.. Don't want to be bringing that exhaust back into the living space.

     The ventless eats up the usable air so as a temp fix and a leaky a$$ house maybe ok but use a carbon monoxide detector/reader and keep your eye on the readings and use your headache to tell you that you don't like it.

    1. User avater
      Sphere | Dec 20, 2004 10:29pm | #2

      I was afraid of that..I'd have to go twenty feet up to the roof edge? Or just up after an el?yup, leaky is not the word..I dont think the ventless would be too bad, or it would warrant the use of the propane..a no win situation.Oh well, it's going up above freezing tomorrow..I see what pipes neeed fixin then and will have forgot how cold it was.. 

      Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks

      Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations. 

       

       

      1. ClaysWorld | Dec 20, 2004 10:57pm | #3

        You know for a temp solution it doesn't have to be b-vent=expensive. You could temp some single wall AL or if I was cold enough I'd use galv in a pinch, hey it just rots the pipe.

         And on occasion there's no telling what's laying around my yard.

        1. User avater
          Sphere | Dec 20, 2004 11:10pm | #4

          ah ha!..now ya got me thinking..i do have plenty of single wall galv and black pipe ( plus a pair of big hunks of the OLD Bvent, but I had to sawzall it in half to get it out from where it lived, ya can't hardly undo that stuff)so do I HAVE to make it go verticle or can I just poke it out a foot or so?Yes it's a temp solution to an endless nightmare..I wonder about air flowing IN when the stove is not fired up...
          I am also under the impression that Bvent is so outdoor air can feed the heater is that correct? 

          Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks

          Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations. 

           

           

          1. ClaysWorld | Dec 20, 2004 11:32pm | #5

            No the b- vent is double wall to help keep stuff from burning down and to keep the flue from super tempertere extrems that causes excessive condensation in newer style furnaces.

             Again it's the same deal with the vent, if its very temp and the wind isn't blowing back into the building causing it to return inside like good for a day or??? not much but if you can get it up at least it would be safe from that point of use. Then work on a real cure.

            All that burning inside makes the house a vacume for the exhaust.

  2. User avater
    Luka | Dec 20, 2004 11:43pm | #6

    Run the b vent through the wall.

    Horizontal with a very slight drop to the outside. (Condensation runoff. Better that it eat a hole in the elbow out there, than in the stove, inside...)

    Now run yer standard cheapo galvanized from the outside elbow, up to above the roofline.

    Doesn't take much to anchor it.

    The person you offend today, may have been your best friend tomorrow

    1. User avater
      Luka | Dec 20, 2004 11:46pm | #7

      Yes, it works, and yes it's ok. I drive past three of them set up that way, on the way to Pop's house.They have been there for years. Still working...

      The person you offend today, may have been your best friend tomorrow

      1. User avater
        Sphere | Dec 20, 2004 11:57pm | #8

        OK...I may have at it this week.We are expected to repeat the artic blast again on xmas weekend, and I don't think I can stand it again, not to mention the amount of wood I am consuming.If I can get that part of the house warm ( it's the new addition with insul. and drywall) we can atleast get away from the 2 warm rooms upstairs..LOLDog farts in an enclosed, space heated bedroom gets old fast.Being as it's just dry wall and OSB to passs thru it shold be easy enough. 

        Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks

        Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations. 

         

         

        1. User avater
          rjw | Dec 21, 2004 02:30am | #10

          I hope you will think through the horizontal vent idea and consider another approach.The two main concerns with horizontal venting that I can think of are (i) potentially pulling flue gases (which will always have some CO in them - and may well have significant amounts which can be dangerous) back into the house and (ii) screwing up the combustion and potnetially causing backdrafting.If the flue doesn't go high enough, especially in relation to any horizontal run AND in relation to nearby vertical surfaces, you can adversely affect the movement of air through the combustion chamber (which can lead to extremely high levels of CO) and "past/through" the drafthood, which can also lead to extremely high levels of CO.And note that you shouldn't run more than 6' of B-vent outside, or you might have condensation problems.As to the ventless heater - you are supposed to open a window or, better, a door, to be sure to provide sufficient combustion air.That pretty much defeats the purpose of running the ventless heater.And they aren't supposed to be run more than 4 hours a day and they aren't supposed to be used as a primary heat source for any part of the house and they should NEVER be used in a bedroom or bathroom.I don't know about yours, but my church isn't a hotel for the holy, it's a hospital for sinners

          Sojourners: Christians for Justice and Peace

          1. User avater
            Sphere | Dec 21, 2004 02:40am | #11

            Bob, this heater MFG "American Stove Co" or something close to that i'd have go look at the label..is back flued..I mean the pipe connects at the back.Now it seems to me that it would be NOT to close to wall ( the igniter guts need access, an occaisonal match to light it) so I assume that it wants to be ell'ed and up, and a way.what I a really am intending is running the flue out and thats it..no up. I had it lit when it was the primary heat here just to see if it worked..it works fine (altho EATS the propane quickly).I discussed it with the powers that be female, and looks like a no-go anyway. If she's willing to do without , so can I.I am keeping the ventless handy in case of a power outtage, if that occurs we really are screwd. But will not use it for asist to the wood stove..unless it gets deadly cold..no worries on the freash air coming in..ya can hear it whistling through the various and sundry perforations. 

            Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks

            Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations. 

             

             

          2. User avater
            Luka | Dec 21, 2004 03:38am | #13

            If she said no, the point is moot now. But I was not saying to just run it through the wall and that is it. When installed properly, a back vented furnace will have an ell connected directly to the back, or a short piece of pipe connected to the back, and then the ell. ...And then, it goes up from the ell, through the roof.All I suggested was to run the pipe out the back, through the wall, then the ell, and then run it all the way straight up past the roof.This would be exactly the same installation as normal, but with a bit longer pipe coming straight out the back.Of you do it that way, you can use the cheapo galvanized outside, as long as yer about ten inches from the side of the house. By the time you reach the roofline, the pipe is cool enough that you can anchor it there at the roofline. Get the top of the pipe above the ridge of the roof, and yer in like flynn.Do NOT just run the pipe straight out the side of the house, and just leave it.

            The person you offend today, may have been your best friend tomorrow

          3. User avater
            Sphere | Dec 21, 2004 03:52am | #14

            yep, I knew exactly what you were saying.I fear the cost of the propane would eat into the budget too much ( or lack thereof) and another "sucking" appliance might not be such a great idea.it'll warm up, this is not normal tmps for here now...and really expected the ws to do more than create more drafts.This is same heater I was trying to sell/give away awhile back..I guess I'll sell it and buy more wood..wasn't crazy about the idea, and after this thread I am convinced to leave it alone. 

            Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks

            Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations. 

             

             

    2. Hubedube | Dec 21, 2004 02:12am | #9

      and then call the fire dept.

  3. gzajac | Dec 21, 2004 03:29am | #12

    Sphere- Don't know enough about B-vent, even though I installed a bunch in a past life, to comment.Probably not something I would mickey mouse, though.You probably will not get a second chance with a bad installation.

    After reading about your adventures, I can only imagine your significant other is a saint.Cherish that woman, they don't make them like that anymore.

    Hope christmas morning is nice and warm - best wishes greg

  4. MSA1 | Dec 21, 2004 05:50am | #15

    I dont know if you mentioned it or not, but what type of wall? I believe there is a minimum clearance to combustibles. I think its one inch on all sides.

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