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Learning, Sharing, and Teaching => Ask a Mustachian => Topic started by: neo von retorch on November 01, 2016, 10:40:50 AM

Title: Wood Stove Efficiency: Does a back plate / insert help or hurt?
Post by: neo von retorch on November 01, 2016, 10:40:50 AM
So we moved into a new house this spring. The main heat is baseboard from an oil burning boiler. However, there's also a wood stove in the living room for burning firewood. It has something that I haven't really seen before - a panel all around the wood stove that blocks off the "fireplace" area that the wood stove sits in. Does it help to have that back half of the wood stove cut off from the room? It would seem like, to me, heat would escape into that area and be trapped. However, I'd like at least one sound second opinion before I start tearing it apart!

Thanks!
Title: Re: Wood Stove Efficiency: Does a back plate / insert help or hurt?
Post by: WranglerBowman on November 01, 2016, 11:27:26 AM
I think the back plate you might be talking about is a surround for wood stoves installed in a fireplace.  The surround is normally there for 2 reasons; (1) there is no flue liner connected to the wood stove so the surround helps prevent smoke from entering the house and (2) its there for aesthetics.  If you add a flue liner to your wood stove, insulate (fireproof insulation) the bottom of the chimney around the liner, and remove the surround you will get a decent amount more heat into your living area, improve the stoves efficiency, and help to reduce creosote buildup.