Stovepipe
is the pipe that connects the stove with the chimney.
It is typically single walled and comes in various lengths.
Here at Woodstock Soapstone Company, we carry only 22
gauge, welded seam pipe manufactured by Heat-Fab, Inc.
of Turners Falls, MA. We have been selling Heat-Fab pipe
for almost as long as we have been making stoves because
of its quality and durability. It's a bit more expensive
than "hardware
store" pipe
but in this case the old adage "you get what you
pay for" holds very true.
Hardware store pipe is typically 24 or 26 gauge steel (the higher the number,
the thinner the steel) with a snap-lock seam. It's shipped flat and the snap-lock
seam allows retailers to stack pieces of pipe and conserve shelf space. This
is great for retailers and potentially disastrous for homeowners. Snap-lock seams
can fail and burst apart in the event of a chimney fire. Heat-Fab pipe is 22
gauge steel (lower number, thicker steel) with a welded seam that will not fail
in the event of a chimney fire. The thicker steel lasts longer and the welded
seam is safer.
1. How much pipe?
The first step in determining how much stove pipe you need is to measure the
distance from the floor where the stove will sit to the chimney opening.
The chimney opening could be in the ceiling or in the wall. If the chimney
opening is in the wall - measure the distance to the top of the opening and
then measure the diameter of the hole from top to bottom.
Next,
get out your calculator. Take the distance from the floor to the chimney
opening and subtract 28". This is the height of the stove. Conveniently,
for rear-venting stoves, it is also the height from the floor to the top
of the of the elbow coming off the back of the stove. The number remaining
is the length of stovepipe you need. There are two other pieces of information
that are helpful for calculating which sections of stovepipe you need to
complete your length. The first bit of helpful information is that a 90° elbow
is about 8" tall. The second is that for each section of pipe you'll
have to subtract two inches from the length. Because each pipe overlaps with
the next, the installed length of a pipe section is about two inches less
than it's stated length.
Even if you have very carefully pre-planned, and pre-measured,
very few installations work exactly using the fixed lengths of pipe available.
You need "wiggle" room. Since the heavy gauge of Heat-Fab pipe makes
it difficult to cut, they created two "adjustable" options- an 18" slip
pipe and a 38"-70" adjustable kit. These pipes are tapered all the
way down their length so that they can slip inside another straight section
of pipe. The 18" slip pipe will not work with an elbow, tee, or as a stand
alone piece. The 18" slip pipe gives you between 2" and 16" of length
depending on how far you slip it inside the pipe section below. The 38"-70" adjustable
kit works in the same manner except it starts with a 36" fixed length
and a longer slip pipe to allow for fewer joints. To install the adjustable
sections, just slip the tapered end inside the pipe below then slide it up
to the required height. Once you have reached the proper height, pre-drill
and install the 4 screws to hold it in place.
2. Which end is up?
Each piece of pipe has a crimped end (male) and a non-crimped end (female).
With elbows, it's easy to tell which is which because the crimped end is,
well, crimped (has ridges). Straight lengths of pipe are a little different.
One end of the pipe has 4 pre-drilled holes for the screws. This is the non-crimped
(female) end. The end without the pre-drilled holes is the crimped (male)
end. Heat-Fab stovepipe is designed so that the crimped (male) end of the
pipe always points toward the stove. You may be thinking that this connection
will allow smoke to leak out. This is simply NOT TRUE. If your chimney is
designed to provide sufficient draft for the stove, the joint will suck air
in, not let smoke out. The reason to have the crimped end of the pipe pointing
toward the stove is so that any condensation inside the pipe will flow harmlessly
back to the stove, rather than leak out the joint and on to your hearth.
Making the connection between two pieces of pipe is, admittedly, a tight fit,
but intentionally so for safety. First, be sure you are trying to mate a crimped
end with a non-crimped end.
Two crimped ends, or two non-crimped ends, will simply not go together no matter
how hard you try. Second, check to see that both ends are truly round. If one
or both ends is slightly out of round you may require a second person (or a
rubber mallet) to help you squeeze one or both ends to make the connection.
If necessary, you can apply a light spray of silicone on one or both ends to
make the connection. Just be aware that the silicone will give off an odor
during the first few firings of your stove, just as the paint will. Once you
have made the connection, use the pre-drilled holes as a guide to drill a 1/8" hole
in the crimped end of the mating piece and install the 4 screws.
If you have any questions, or are having difficulty installing
your stovepipe, we would be happy to help. Our customer service team members
are all NFI Certified Woodstove Specialists and have had years of experience
helping customers plan and install stoves. We are available by phone at 800-866-4344
from 9-5 ET, Mon-Sat. You can also reach us via email: info @woodstove.com. |
Download pdf of this page
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| Stovepipe comes in
6", 7", and 8" diameters, in
lengths of 12", 18", 24", 36",
and 48". There are 90° elbows (fixed
and adjustable), a 90° tee with cap, 45° elbows
(fixed only), several slipages/adjustable lengths,
and a variety of diameter adapters. Each pipe
comes with a set of 4 screws for securing
connections. Stovepipe can be painted to match
the cast iron color of your stove. |
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