Hook up wood stove to furnace

Connecting your wood stove fan so that it services all of your central heating ducts can be done efficiently only if the fan is connected at the furnace plenum.

The plenum, which is essentially the heat distribution box, is located on top of the furnace. Therefore, to make this task practical, the wood stove must be located adjacent to the furnace so that the fan can supply the plenum with heated air. In all other areas where the wood stove is located, it would be an impracticable endeavor to hook into the central heating ducts and expect even a minimum of heat at the registers.

Measure six inches down from the top of your plenum with a tape measure. This will mark the top of your starting collar. The collar must not be mounted to the top of the plenum. Place the collar end up to the plenum.

Trace the outside diameter onto the sheet metal with a marker. Pierce a hole into the plenum with your awl, on the line that was drawn.

Insert a tin snips into this hole and cut out the hole.

Pull the top off the plenum. It might be held on by sheet metal screws, which will need to be unscrewed first. Push the starting collar into the hole.

Reach inside the plenum and bend the tabs on the collar over. This will hold the collar in place. Attach duct work up to your inline stove fan. Secure the duct work together by screwing in 1-inch, self-tapping sheet metal screws where the seams meet.

Operate the fan when the wood stove is burning.