Sealing vent pipe joints

I use high-temp silicone tape to seal pipe sections. No mess and easy to remove if needed.

Go to Lowes or a stove shop, spend about $2.49 and get a tube of high temperature silicone sealnt. Here's a link: http://www.lowes.com/pd_305603-85334-KK0321_0__?productId=3432322. I think the Permatex brand is RTV, which is what most call all these high temp, red silicone sealants.

However... Put that only on joints you do not need to take apart. New silicone will not adhere to cured silicone, so you need to remove all the old stuff if you reinstall. Giant pain, and often not successful.

To allow for cleaning, I use the silicone on permanent joints (on the inner pipe and the outer, personally), and then for joints that must come apart I use no silicone and wrap the outer pipe with silicone tape designed for high temperatures, available from an auto parts store. You aren't supposed to NEED the silicone with Duravent or other twist lock venting, but then there's real life. Personally, I've never had a Duravent joint that didn't leak unless sealed with sealant or tape. Just don't try to get by with tape for everything. Use it only where necessary for removal to clean.

ok,you did not even say what type of stove your temporary install is.Amazes me people even replyed.People getyour heads out of your asses!!

I have had to seal every joint of both my Duravent twist lock installs with RTV sealant on every joint or I get minor smoke leakage on startup. It definitely makes it difficult to get apart, but I only need to remove the clean out cap on my t's and the outer caps which I don't seal. My basement install I just did I actually used both RTV and aluminum tape just to be safe. Harder to vent the basement if need be and that stove will run hard all winter. There's not even a hint of smoke now

Here is one version of that silicone tape: http://www.amazon.com/X-Treme-Tape-..._sim_sg_6?ie=UTF8&refRID=0NR8NK4QJW12YV6MWSQX

I would've used that instead of aluminum tape, except that I had the aluminum tape laying around and no other use for it!

I have used silicone self bonding tape with the best results. Aluminum tape ok but if any wrinkles it will leak. Silicone caulk only on permanent joints outside as don't look as good and if a pinhole or two it won't matter.

OhioBurner© said:

Thanks fellas never even heard of the silicone tape before.

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Ya the Duravent tends to leak. I sealed all the twist joints on assembly but then had a leak at the T which is in my fireplace. That was last spring. The leak was in the T joints themselves not the twist lock joint. Now I think I have a leak at the connector on the stove flange, not sure because at the moment it's too warm to run the stove but I saw some staining at that connection yesterday. I RTV'd that on assembly though but there is a tan tracing at the joint running along the stoves collar and I get one wiff of smoke when the convection fan kicks on at start up of the stove. I have no OAK yet ( wrong pipe came in) and the intake for the convection is right there, so this is not coincidental or just dust I have found at the flange. I think I will clean that up and tape it. It will actually be easier to tape it up than run silicone RTV around the collar I think. I don't know, I used a pretty liberal amount of RTV inside the pipe before I slid it on that collar but it appears to be leaking on start up this year . The Duravent has been a bit leak prone at any rate.

On another note we have a Smoke/Co detector maybe 15 ft from the stove, it has never gone off due to the stove. It's always going off from frying stuff in the kitchen so we know full well it works ( the tenant calls over, "is Dawn cooking again", yes Tim she is some day she will get the stove vent turned on before the alarms go off !) !!

I use Duravent with no extra sealant and have never had a problem.

I re-named mine Duraleak!

My 45 degree elbows leaked at the joints, but I didn't have that problem with my 90 degree elbow (different install but same brand-Duraleak). You could either just seal them all to be safe, or fire it up and look carefully while it's in startup (that's when you get the most smoke and usually notice any leaks).

If any doubt, seal it. Nothing like the temps at -20 and smelling smoke!

Hi-temp silicone (or tape) is not needed at all to seal the joints ......................... If you use ICC Excel!

richkorn said:

Hi-temp silicone (or tape) is not needed at all to seal the joints ......................... If you use ICC Excel!

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I can seal most venting with one roll of tape for less than $10

richkorn said:

Hi-temp silicone (or tape) is not needed at all to seal the joints ......................... If you use ICC Excel!

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Or self sealing Selkirk. But alas, we are talking about the lower cost Duravent some of us already have installed. Sure rip it all out, spend $500 to a grand on install materials , or $10 on a roll of tape and $3 for a tube of silicone. Either is a perfect plan, just one is crazy in that its costly !

alternativeheat said:

Or self sealing Seilkirk. But alas, we are talking about the lower cost Duravent some of us already have installed. Sure rip it all out spend $500 to a grand on install materials , or $10 on a roll of tape and $3 for a tube of silicone. Either is a perfect plan, just one is crazy !

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This is just a heads up for people thinking of putting in a PS. If you read the threads here every day there are tons of newbies looking for advice. My advice is do it right the first time. Don't use Duravent.... There are other options without the headaches, and smoke.

I used duravent pro, no tape,no leaks,no regrets

OhioBurner© said:

The one in my sig bob bare, if that makes a difference on what silicone to use.

I did mention temporary but I guess that wouldn't matter - I'd need to be able to disassemble a couple of the pieces for cleaning anyhow, fwiw.

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Sorry.

Buy the way new duravent has silicone rubber seals like icc.