Replace a gas stove with a wood stove?

Question

My husband and I are buying another house, and it has a free standing gas stove.  It does have a chimney with vents to the outside.  We strongly prefer wood heat, so we would like to take out the gas stove and replace it with a free standing wood stove. I worry that there will be gas hookups and lines that will come into the equation.  Are we stuck with the gas, or can we easily replace it with a wood stove?  We do know that we will need to replace the pipe with double wall.

Bob · Answer

should not be a problem. the shut off valve at the end of the gas line should be capped just to be on the safe side. If you have experience with wood then you should know the precautions to take with keeping the chimney clean. Make sure the chimney is tile lined. May want to check with local ordinances if any about wood stoves. Hope you have a reliable source for your wood. I agree that nothing beats wood heat but give the gas a try before you yank it out. Good luck

Judy · Answer

As long as you have the finances you may do as you like.

Judy · Answer

No sure where you live but where I am ....you need a certain distance between the stove corners and the stone wall...also the the stone floor will have to be larger because it is safer....your insurance company can help with the specs....around here it is getting harder to get home insurance having a wood stove....I love wood heat too but it has gotten to costly unless you have your own supply....and lots of time. I used to cut my own but can not anymore. Gas fireplace is worth more than wood stove on resale too.

William · Answer

I agree with Bob! The chimney Itself will need to be lined with stainless steel pipe properly sized for the wood stove you plan to install. Wood burns hotter than gas, hence the stainless steel pipe.

COCO · Answer

I put a FRANKLIN STOVE inplace of an oil heater, put a fire-brick wall on 3 sides, .  Only problem, Wood makes soot~(Yes it looks invisible until you check your top cabinets and the tops of fan blades.

Larry Chura · Answer

If your gas stove pipe is the type that only goes outside and then open to the outside cap, you would be best served by going to a pellet stove. They can use the same type flu pipe if it's large enough in diameter. If it's not in any way, you will need to replace the entire flu piping. This can either be with a full metal or a chimney with liner. Check it out before you jump in.

South Shore Roofing · Answer

Looks cozy.

Thomas J Peterson · Answer

You prefer the ash a wood stove puts out over cleaner gas heat. Me thinks the right stove is already installed. I only spent 1 winter in Vernal Utah heating a solar designed home with wood and did a lot of dusting. My 2 cents.

MahtaMouse · Answer

I'd call the gas company with any questions regarding the removal of the gas lines.  While the back brick wall looks big enough, the hearth definitely looks to be in need of beefing up for safety (sparks, distance of woodstove from back wall, etc.).  You'll also need to loose the shelf over the woodstove as it's a fire hazard.  Assuming you plan on reusing the current stovepipe exit, be aware that the bend means more cleaning due to creosote, not to mention that you're not going to get good air draw and would be better off running your pipe through the ceiling.  All that aside; is the wood stove going to be your main source of heat or just for occasional ambiance? If main source of heat, do you get many power outages? If so, then a gas or pellet stove is worthless when the power goes out since the blower requires electricity; in which case a wood stove with a flat cooking surface is a great option.

Aly7205327 · Answer

Don't know about the gas side of things but I have had a wood burning Esse for 7 years now and would not use anything else. Carbon neutral! I am in Northern France by the way!

Jenna Benson Crawford · Answer

Usually it is not that big of a deal to cap off the gas line. The question is, do you have a lined rock or brick chimney on the outside that the double wall would go into? Often the gas stoves just have a stub on the outside of the house and that wouldn't be adequate for a wood stove. It would need to extend above the roof line.

Tina Smith · Answer

You have to make sure the brick wall has a cement board behind and below before you could install a wood stove.  I would call the place where you are planning to buy the stove from and ask them to come out and inspect the site.  You should also call the insurance company and ask what they require you to have so your home is still insurable.

Ranger · Answer

Gas hook-ups are generally one pipe to one gas bottle.  Easy to install and easy to remove.  My husband did our own, no professional required.  You may need to fill in a pipe access hole...  Yay, go for the wood burner.  We burn firewood to heat our hot water heater (chippie) every day - summer or winter and in between, so be prepared for that sort of effort. If  others want to source YOUR firewood, ensure they cut you a 'shite load' too.  Source  your own firewood ALL YEAR, chop and split it in the spring to let it dry before winter.  Hard work but extremely satisfying...  If you are cooking with fire, it will become your life blood.  Ask for EVERY present hereafter to you to be a loaded trailer of firewood.  :)

Bill Wessels · Answer

I would highly recommend a pellet stove, extremely efficient uses waste wood product, corn or feed pellets.  Some of them can be used to burn other fuels.  The chimney is very simple and may not require double wall as the exhast is very clean and cool.  It does require small amount of electricity to operate the auger to feed the fuel from the hopper and a small amunt of electricity for the fan that helps combustion.  Plus they are thermostatically controlled so that you neither cook to death or freeze to death.  They also vary in capacity and out put and some run for many hours on a hopper of fuel.  The fuel is neet and clean to store with very little ash to clean out.  No overpowering odors or soot in the house.

Sparkles · Answer

We have a Vermont casting wood stove. heat shield on back of stove, heat shield on wall behind stove, heat shield under stove and a heat shield floor board that stove sits on. double wall stainless steel pipe up through attic and extending a little higher that the recommended amount to account for trees around the home. the pipe also has a spark screen on it to help catch any sparks that make it that far up the pipe.
cap off the gas pipe line and make sure the stove and wood will not bump it so as not to break the gas line.
we burn 4-6 ricks of wood each winter depending on weather. when we first started burning wood we had a learning curve to adjust how hot we wanted the fires but have had great luck since we got the stove.
power outages and we are still able to heat the house as the stove has both a blower and convection heat. being cast iron it holds heat longer that other types of stoves.

Elvira Neumann · Answer

Check your fire insurance policy. Usually you'll pay higher rates.

Deb K · Answer

Hi Shauna, hope this helps you out.

There are many factors that will determine whether you can convert a gas stove into a wood-burning stove. These are as follows:

Building regulations - Building regulations state that if your home was built after 2007, you cannot convert the fireplace into a wood-burning stove. You also cannot convert the fireplace into an open hearth; however, you can use firebrick to fill it in and turn it into an open hearth.

Flue type – You will need a solid fuel flue to convert the fireplace – so if your home has a gas flue, you will not be able to convert it to a wood-burning stove.

Chimney - You also need a functioning chimney to convert the gas fireplace into a wood-burning stove. If your home does not have a chimney, you should consider alternative options instead.

Smoke control areas - If you live in a smoke control area, you will not be able to convert the fireplace into a wood-burning stove as you can only burn ‘smokeless’ fuels such as gas, anthracite, semi-anthracite and low volatile steam coal.

Ventilation - For the fireplace to work properly as a wood-burning stove, it needs proper ventilation. If this is not the case in your home, make sure this is rectified before trying to convert the fireplace!

https://www.stovesupermarket.co.uk/blogs/the-learning-center/can-i-convert-a-gas-stove-into-a-wood-burning-stove#:~:text=If%20the%20gas%20fireplace%20is,connect%20it%20to%20the%20flue.

Ann|The Apple Street Cottage · Answer

Talk to the company that sells/installs wood stoves.

Johnavallance82 · Answer

I would call in the professionals to uninstall the gas fire and make safe for you to install a wood burner.

Redcatcec · Answer

Have you considered getting opinions from contractors that do this kind of work? They are professionals and would make sure it was done properly, safely and up to code. They could give you tips for this.

We used to have a wood burner and the aroma of the wood burning was delightful, since we are older and more experienced, the wood burning does not have the same level of novelty it used to. All the work to obtain, cut, stack, keep dry and critter free got old after years of doing it, let alone the ashes and what to do with them. It got to the point where I was responsible start to finish, and said enough.

Janice · Answer

I don't think you mentioned where you live but before changing your heat source be sure to check local regulations/laws/etc. to ensure that it is legal. My area has 'no burn' days and so can't use a fireplace at certain times.

Replace a gas stove with a wood stove?

Suggested Project Book

12 Amazing Ottomans You And Your Family Can Make And Enjoy

Other

More

Replace a gas stove with a wood stove?

Suggested Project Book