Installing wood stove in Manufactured home

Repair help for the do-it-yourselfer.
For mobile home parts, click here.

Moderators: Greg, Mark, mhrAJ333, JD

Locked
BEKM
Posts: 28
Joined: Mon Jul 23, 2007 7:56 pm

I am wanting to replace my Zero clearance fire place (that came with my home) with a wood burning stove but I am concerned about the load on the floor joists and how close I can place this stove if I use cement backer board and tile. Any one know of a site where I can verify what is needed to complete this job?
It is a guerdon manufactured home built in 1996.
BEKM
User avatar
JD
Site Admin
Posts: 2696
Joined: Sun Feb 25, 2007 11:57 pm
Location: Fresno, CA
Contact:

Doing a google search on mobile home approved wood stove will bring you many manufacturers offering mobile home approved stoves. Many of them will have the installation guides available at their web sites. Another good link to check out is the one below from Foremost Insurance.


www.mygreathome.com/fix-it_guide/woodstove.htm
☯JD♫
Today is PERFECT!

All information and advice given is for entertainment and informational purposes only. The person doing the work is solely responsible to insure that their work complies with their local building code and OSHA safety regulations.
User avatar
Jim from Canada
Posts: 551
Joined: Mon Mar 05, 2007 10:39 am

I installed a Drolet brand woodstove last year. It is MH and EPA rated and came with all the instructions for clearances. I used Indian slate on the floor which also came with instructions for installation. I did not use any extra blocking beneath the home and it is all good so far. Mind you there is a pier beneath where the woodstove sits. I believe that the weight of the stove and floor is no more than a fridge if you go by lbs./square foot. here is the Drolet website address.
http://www.drolet.ca/index-en.aspx
They are a Canadian company so there is a french and english version. For chimney I used "Security Chimney" brand. The chimney can be installed as close as 2" to flammable objects, the stove pipe as close as 8" I think, I left plenty more than the recommended minimums. Overall I am very satisfied with the products.

Jim
BEKM
Posts: 28
Joined: Mon Jul 23, 2007 7:56 pm

Thanks for the replies! If I was to install supports under the joists how would I go about that with the Heater ducts in the way and all that insulation? Do you just cut it out, do your work and patch it back together?
BEKM
User avatar
Yanita
Moderator
Posts: 3369
Joined: Sat Feb 17, 2007 10:16 pm
Location: Eastern N. Carolina

Hi,

Your heat ducts should be between the floor joist, unless you have a double wide and are referring to the crossovers.

Yanita
The difference between success and failure is who gives up first!
BEKM
Posts: 28
Joined: Mon Jul 23, 2007 7:56 pm

OKAY I am so new at this I don't know the difference between floor joists and Cross overs. I do have a double wide manufactured home. when i go in the crawl space all I see are two long steel beams (on each half of the home) that span the length of the home and a black plastic covering everything (insulation and cross overs not joists). I know that my heating ducts are down the middle of each half due to the heat registers in the house.
How far apart are the cross overs/joists?

PS How do I update my profile with my info about my home?
BEKM
User avatar
Yanita
Moderator
Posts: 3369
Joined: Sat Feb 17, 2007 10:16 pm
Location: Eastern N. Carolina

Hi,

Since you have the belly material in place you will not be able to see the floor joist. Floor joist are the 2x6 wooden members that run perpendicular on top of the steel I beams. The joist are under the belly material.

Crossovers are the pieces of duct work either large aluminium rectangular ducts or flex duct that "crossover" from one side of the home to the other carrying your heat or air conditioning. These (or all that I have seen) hang below the I beams and then go up under the belly material and run between the floor joist, above the belly material and insulation.

I will leave you a link that shows and exploded view of MH construction.

http://www.mygreathome.com//fix-it_guide/diagram.htm

Have a great day,

Yanita

PS, Profiles...please refer to the Website Questions Forum, if still not able to get to your profile let me know.
The difference between success and failure is who gives up first!
altasnowman
Posts: 98
Joined: Tue Jun 05, 2007 7:58 pm
Location: Edmonton,AB Canada

Hi,
I installed a REGENCY in my 14 wide and built my own hearth pad, was not difficult but here in Canada not only does it need to be mobile home approved it also has to be WETT certified. doing this yourself is not hard to do but just remember measure twice and cut once. My wood stove is sitting between the dining room and living room and i do not have any supports under trailer for stove as the hearth pad spreads out the weight, but having said that most stoves weigh about as much as a fridge. the space between the wall and the stove are 8" and no heat shield is required for this stove. my fresh air intake comes in from under my unit and is attached to ducting to outside. if you look at where most installers put your fresh air intake they usually just cut a hole through the wall behind stove, when i did mine i wanted a cleaner look so i went through the hearth pad and floor.will try to find all info on installing unit(have somewhere in my shop LOL if only i can wade through the other jobs i have in the way), and will post them for you.
The dirtyist word in the dictionary CANCER....it takes many too soon and leaves nothing but anger and pain. We all mourn the loss of those that have succummed to this......
BEKM
Posts: 28
Joined: Mon Jul 23, 2007 7:56 pm

Thank you again to everyone! All this info has made me think about more information of this stove (I already bought) and my home (2000 SF). This stove was purchased from a private party who didn't have any info on it. It doesn't have any markings or lables showing a model or brand of the stove. It also does not have a place for fresh air intake. It does have a wood box below for the burning which seals and has dampners on the door to control the airflow into the box. And right on top of the stove is a built in oven where you can bake what ever you want (as long as it fits). It has eight inch flu. I have 9-12 feet of triple wall pipe with 6-9 ft of single wall pipe. Now thinking about the Fridge comparison I bet it weights the same as a fully loaded fridge or maybe a little more. I plan on placing cement backer board all the way around the base/Floor and up the back wall to create a non combustable surface. Plus I will lay tile down on the floor stretching 18-20 inches past the ends of the stove. I am thinking the backer board will span across the joist/floor to spread the load out a bit.
this stove will be in an open area of the house (approx 1000sf) so a lot of open space/air will be available.

Would love to see your plans if you run across them.

This a a great Site. So much help and great advice!
BEKM
User avatar
Yanita
Moderator
Posts: 3369
Joined: Sat Feb 17, 2007 10:16 pm
Location: Eastern N. Carolina

Hi,

Just giving you a heads up...regardless of what you do with good intentions and even a great install, any good insurance company is going to reject the set up if the stove is not rated for mobile homes.

If you have insurance, or will be getting it in the future, my advise is to call them and see what their requirements are.

Last year I wanted to install a MH approved pellet stove...my insurance company flat out refused further coverage if this was going to be my primary heat source! Hence, no pellet stove.

JMO, Yanita
The difference between success and failure is who gives up first!
User avatar
Jim from Canada
Posts: 551
Joined: Mon Mar 05, 2007 10:39 am

If your stove does not have an intake for air from the outside it is not likely MH rated. It will say right on the stove if it is MH rated, on a metal tag. As far as clearances go you MUST have 18" from the front of the stove. Probably 8" on either side and the back. These can be reduced if there is proper shielding for the wall. Proper shielding would be a non flammable barrier attched to the wall with non metallic fasteners, and spaced away from the wall. There will have to be a gap at the bottom so you get a channel for air to flow behind the heat shield. That being said, you must have 18" of clearance from the single stove pipe to any combustable material, so keep that in mind when placing the stove. You would be better off to buy a double wall stove pipe to connect the stove to the chimney. The clearances on those will be 6-8 inches (check the manufacturers instructions). This will set you back less than $100. Pretty cheap insurance. Of course, if your stove is not MH rated you are pretty much up the creek. I bought a stove 2nd hand to put in my unit and then found out about MH rated ones later too. I got rid of the original and bought the Drolet stove I have now.
Image

Jim
BEKM
Posts: 28
Joined: Mon Jul 23, 2007 7:56 pm

Again thanks for the info. I did call my insurance agent and he checked with his underwriter and they said if it isn't the primary heat source (my coleman furnace is if it doesn't break down again). All I have to do is call him when it is installed and he will make the note on my policy. But now the question is MH Approved stove. I am wondering if I measure the thickness of the material used on this stove and compare it to the thickness on an approved stove and see if they are the same or not? what does that intake air adapter do (other then intake air from the outside)? Why is that different then in a stick built home? My neighbor down the street has a wood stove with the intake on the stove but doesn't have it plumbed to the outside, only into the room it sits in.

So black double walled chimney pipe from the stove to the inside roof then triple pipe from there to the outside of the roof????
BEKM
User avatar
Jim from Canada
Posts: 551
Joined: Mon Mar 05, 2007 10:39 am

The air intake is there to bring combustion air in from the outside, that's it. The theory is (and it is debatable, but still law) that there is not enough oxygen in the home to support both combustion and you breathing.
The black double wall stove pipe connects the stove to the chimney. The chimney comes through the roof and uses an adapter. A ring attaches to the bottom chimney section and goes through the adapter the chimney pipe screws onto this ring. Here is the link to the manufacturer I used. You can look through the installation instructions there.
http://www.securitychimneys.com/
I used the secure temp 2100 chimney that is rated to 2100 degrees F and the DL chimney pipe. I think that the 2100 is not available in the US so the ASHT chimney would be used there. The DL pipe was only one extendable section and the adapter to attach it to my stove. 2 sections of chimney, the cathedral roof adapter and flashing were all the same company. This is one job where there is no such thing as overkill on safety. I don't want to burn down my house, lol. I have a few pics if you need so don't hesitate to ask.

Jim
Locked
  • Similar Topics
    Replies
    Views
    Last post