How to Install Mini Wood Stoves in Off-Grid Cabins & Locations?
This is a pretty common question with a not-so-easy answer. In this blog post, we will go over the variables to consider when installing our stoves in off-grid cabins & locations.
Another relevant, well-written blog post:
https://www.bestreviewslist.com/use-a-wood-stove-efficiently/
Which stove?
First, you need to determine what is needed in terms of: which stove, which mounting option, how much pipe and/or shielding is required. A complete install is going to depend on the particularities of the space, the proximity of combustibles to the stove, and roof type, among others.
The first variable will be the selection of the stove you need for the space. A general way of looking at it is that the Cub is made for very small spaces, and/or spaces used in spring and fall only. The Grizzly is better for larger areas, taller spaces with more volume, and winter use.
Mounting your stove
We offer two primary ways of mounting the stove: a floor mount and a wall mount. The floor mount does not come with shielding, so the stove must be 20” away from combustibles, or you must shield surfaces within 20” of the stove. The other is the wall mount, which does shield the surface it is mounted to. If wall mounted within 20” of a corner for example, then a side shield must be installed on that surface. We have 3 different wall mounts: the standard one, the one with a sliding tray, and the one with a fresh air intake. The sliding tray is used for catching any embers or ashes that may fall on the floor when refilling or cleaning the stove. The fresh air intake is used in spaces that are very tightly sealed, spaces without windows to open, or if you did not want to open a window. It will replace the air being drawn out by the stove with air brought in from the outside.
Shielding
Now that you've decided which stove and which mounting option you want, you will need to consider shielding around the stove. As mentioned above, the wall mount will shield the surface it is mounted to, but not the sides. So if a surface is within 20” laterally of the stove, a side shield is required. Shielding would also be needed if the stove is floor mounted and there is a surface within 20” of the stove. You may also need to shield the pipes. When using the wall mount, it comes with 37” of flue protection. We have 30” flue shield extensions to cover any piping that is not shielded by the wall mount. The amount of shielding needed inside will depend on how high up on the wall you mount the stove.
Flue pipe
The next thing to figure out is the pipe. We offer a 3” double wall flue pipe that we make for our stoves. You will need to have enough pipe to go from where the top of the stove will be to 1 foot past the highest point of your roof. They come in 24” and 12" sections with 22.5” and 10.5" of usable flue, respectively. You can refer to the chart on the pipe product page to see how many sections you need to achieve the total length required.
Exiting the flue pipe
The next thing to consider exiting the pipe through the roof. For this you would use one of our Roof Exit Kits. If your roof is shingled, you would use our Shingled Roof Exit Kit. For any other roof type, you would use our Metal Roof Exit Kit. On the occasion that your roof is angled at 40 degrees our more, you would need a different kind of rubber boot than the ones we provide. Please contact us if this is the case and we will point you in the right direction.
Instructions and tools
The last thing to consider would be the installation itself. If done in an off-grid setting, you will need to make sure you have a physical copy of the instructions with you, or that you have internet access on site to see the instructions on our webpage. Then you will need to consider which tools you will use. If using power tools, they would need to be fully charged. If you will be using a generator, you would need to make sure you have enough fuel along with all the material required to complete the job on the off-grid location.
And that pretty much does it. 1. Choose the stove, 2. Select the mounting option 3. Identify the shielding required 4. Calculate the amount of pipe needed. 5. Install the stove and exit the flue pipe correctly. 6. Relax and enjoy your cubic mini wood stove in your in off-grid cabins & locations.