Bummer Oil unit and Coal same flue

I've been in my house twenty years when we moved in there was a n old Montgomery Word coal cook stove in the basement all hooked up on the same chimney as the oil fired boiler the first thing I did was take out the Montgomery Ward stove and cement up the chimney I always thought there was two flues but today I busted out the cement that I put in 20 years ago and was totally surprised to find that it shares the same flue as my oil fired boiler.... I am so bummed am I correct to assume its unsafe to run two units on the same flue? I've been hoping all summer to put in a hand fired coal unit but now it looks like its an unsafe situation..... Any opinions are appreciated....

Been doing it for 7 years so far. Plus I've been here 8 years & haven't cleaned the chimney once. I'm afraid it will fall down if I do!

Also has 2 offsets. SO I don't buy the danger hype on this, as long as it's obstruction free & pulling a good draft.

Here's the upper portion of mine. It's the best part of it:

I hear ya, the original owners of our house were here from 1927-1990 they were old school and still used the basement Montgomery ward coal stove so I imagine its safe to run 2 into 1 but I doubt think I could sleep through the night...

Jackman wrote:but I doubt think I could sleep through the night...

What do you think is going to happen?

If the chimney is sound, has good draft, and you don't intend to burn wood in the cookstove it will work just fine with both. This became "taboo" when people starting hooking woodstoves into the same flue as an oil or gas furnace/boiler. A chimney fire would get all the air it needed from the draft control on the oil or gas unit, and often burn the house down. It is acceptable to vent multiple oil units into one flue, and also multiple coal units...but according to the "one fuel one flue" rule, you can't have one of each. Since there is no chimney fire risk with anthracite, and the stove & oil boiler should have similar draft requirements, I would hook it up and sleep easy.

Here is a picture of my Hitzer stove in my last house.

WOW smitty... is that creosote holding some of them thier bricks together! Kick ass man have no fear balls to the wall. I am most impressed smitty! After a few beers its kinda like a good piece of artwork.

Hey markviii, the pic didn't come through can you post it again please sure would like to see it ... I going to call the local coal supplier see what he thinks about two units to one flue.

Cool the pic is showing looks like a nice set up too. I called the local dealer he said absolutely no to a shared flue one unit per flue is the rule and the zoning regulation also, bummer ...

Yep, ask anyone what the rule is and that is the official response you will get. Do a search on here for "shared flue", "shared chimney", and "two into one"...you should get some interesting reading. If you want to meet code, then you are stuck with putting up a second chimney, or powerventing the oil boiler. If you just want something functional and safe, go ahead and use that second thimble.

will do some searches later going to work now.

It's not that I'm fearless - I just know for a fact that there is ZERO danger with my setup.

Times are tough - gotta do what you gotta do.

Rob R. wrote:

Jackman wrote:but I doubt think I could sleep through the night...

What do you think is going to happen?

If the chimney is sound, has good draft, and you don't intend to burn wood in the cookstove it will work just fine with both. This became "taboo" when people starting hooking woodstoves into the same flue as an oil or gas furnace/boiler. A chimney fire would get all the air it needed from the draft control on the oil or gas unit, and often burn the house down. It is acceptable to vent multiple oil units into one flue, and also multiple coal units...but according to the "one fuel one flue" rule, you can't have one of each. Since there is no chimney fire risk with anthracite, and the stove & oil boiler should have similar draft requirements, I would hook it up and sleep easy.

Here is a picture of my Hitzer stove in my last house.

018.jpg

Rob,

Do you use the coal stove and the oil burner at the same time?

Do you think the Indians ever had a code enforcement officer over to check the T-Pee before occupying it? That was TRULY an unlined chimney!!! On the forum we are careful to not do anything other than quote the codes currently in place.
Safety for your family is MOST important...pets too! We do not need any headlines caused by some freak accident.

If however, a person were to utilize some common sense and try something logical not created by a bean counter, ambulance chaser or (you add your own names here) perhaps we would have a happier world. I am presuming you are a fellow who CAN see the forest, and not find it hidden away by a bunch of trees......(assuming we are on the same page).

If you ever bump into any oil techs, quietly take one aside and see if he or she has any answers to your question. Coal produces no creosote, the integral ingredient in plugging chimneys and starting the uncontrolled fires that will end your home's life, or make one hell of a stinky mess to clean up. Don't even ask me about the homeowner policies that pay for cleanup, chimney replacement and STILL let some idiot burn wood AGAIN after a 80K claim!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WTF!

PM me if you would like to know more about the REAL WORLD folks who burn responsibly.....wood or coal.

PS: Smitty makes the guys from "Jacka$$" look like choir boys! Worry is overrated.....it causes stress, elevates blood-pressure, excess drinking (eg:smitty) and makes one wonder if a person is 'gettin' light in the loafers' as their life passes by.

Here is a' DR PHIL moment' from a fellow forum member...who has burned a nugget or two over the past many moons.......................

Life is not a test session, this is 'stuff happin' in REAL TIME, make the best of it.......go skinny dippin' in a frozen river....run with scissors in your hand.....buy 600hp and smoke some tires.....go to Yellowstone and get some 'stones of your own.'

Sit down and enjoy a sunset once in a while......doze off and enjoy the sunrise a few hours later...share that moment with a friend.....a dawg is acceptable if you don't have a partner of some sort......take the kids to some place that is NOT a theme park...try a' real retreat' created by mother nature....visit a shut in person...take them to the store....for a ride......someday it could be you!!!!!!!!!! A little courtesy won't kill you!!!!!!

"Get the Hell OUT of DODGE" every now and then. Tell you 'significant other' how you feel about HER! (forget about being PC!!!!!) ' Man UP'' and say 'I Love You' once in a while......do the dishes, laundry, vacuum.....make dinner, bring in a flower from the garden.....it won't kill you and just might open a door all the pointy headed people we deal with every day slam shut too often....

3 kinds of people in this world: Those who MAKE things happen; those who watch things happen; AND those who wonder what happens.

If by chance you would like to restructure the order of those in YOUR life, by all means, step up to the bar and PULL the tallest lever there and enjoy what happens next!!!!!!

Not a cloud in the sky this AM, 16 degrees, 2 deer at the apple trees, a red fox eating bird seed on my patio, birds all over the feeders, 73 degrees and buckwheat heating my 'cabin'.

A GREAT way to start the day!( heck, ANY DAY)

PPS: If you haven't gotten the message YET, then my work here is done......thanks for your time!

Jackman wrote:

Rob R. wrote:

Jackman wrote:but I doubt think I could sleep through the night...

What do you think is going to happen?

If the chimney is sound, has good draft, and you don't intend to burn wood in the cookstove it will work just fine with both. This became "taboo" when people starting hooking woodstoves into the same flue as an oil or gas furnace/boiler. A chimney fire would get all the air it needed from the draft control on the oil or gas unit, and often burn the house down. It is acceptable to vent multiple oil units into one flue, and also multiple coal units...but according to the "one fuel one flue" rule, you can't have one of each. Since there is no chimney fire risk with anthracite, and the stove & oil boiler should have similar draft requirements, I would hook it up and sleep easy.

Here is a picture of my Hitzer stove in my last house.

018.jpg

Rob,

Do you use the coal stove and the oil burner at the same time?

I sure did. That chimney pulled a perfect draft at each appliance with both running. The flue was pretty large, so I imagine it was oversized for the oil unit's needs.

Two burners into one flue....

Never had a problem with this setup....