Can a wood stove "move" or creep?

[tinsley207]

I've got a Vermont Castings Resolute with standard legs and in two heating seasons it has clearly moved about 4-5 inches to the left of where I installed it. It is sitting on flat, smooth tile, not brick. I guess from all the heating and cooling it just creeped over. Has anyone else had this problem and have they come up with a good solution for keeping that from happening? Thanks.

Nate

 

[Jags]

Hmmm...never heard of that happening. During the heating season, take a pencil and mark the outline of the feet. It will give you an idea of how fast it is moving (I am a curious sort of person that way). Earthquake, maybe??

 

[daveswoodhauler]

I have to say that I am intrigued by this post. Do you have kids/buddies that could have moved it on you as a joke? just kidding.
You may need to get that "Paranormal" crew in your house and set up some cams with the lights out...this is an odd one for sure...no clue.

 

[FireWalker]

Is your refrigerator running?

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Not normal at all Nate. Something moved that stove and it seems to me that the stove is rather heavy so it would take quite a bit to move it.

Funny though as we had a couple carpenters here this summer and I know not why but they moved our stove (and our stove weighs close to 500). The pipe was barely inside the stove so that is one project I'll fix yet today.

 

[woodchip]

Possible wood stove poltergeist.

Now sit alone all night watching to see if the stove creeps by itself..... ;-)

 

[Waulie]

I guess it is possible the heating and cooling cycle moved it, but only if the floor is not level. I have a guess as to what happened, though.

Over the course of two heating seasons, have you had your chimney cleaned? If so, the stove was probably moved at that time.

 

[burntime]

If the legs were not tight on one side I could see it. That and the floor was tilted slightly. That or its slowly moving towards its wood supply in anticipation of winter!

 

[SteveKG]

I have a stove that moves a bit, though it is only maybe a half inch in a year or two. The stovepipe travels vertically from the stove about two feet, then takes a 45-degree bend for four feet, then another bend to go vertical. The winds here can get high and stay high for weeks, sometimes. I believe the stovepipe [outdoor portion] vibrates a slight bit in some of the gustier winds and that causes the stove to creep. As I said, the stove takes a long time to move very little, but I am about 99% sure that my description is what is happening. Whether that has anything at all to do with your situation, I cannot say. The stove in question here is not very heavy, an older barrel-type Shenandoah.

By the way, the reason my stove "can" move is that the two 45's are held together with locking bands, and the pipe rotate in a couple of places if enough force it put to it.

I have two other, much heavier stoves, and they don't budge.

 

[turbocruiser]

As a precaution to prevent this problem with my Regency CS1200 (which is also even approved for mobile applications) I bolted the stove through the floor and through the joists with 5/16ths lag bolts. However what I'm having a hard time understanding here is how does the stove move so much with the stovepipe still connected? I would think that would really warp the stovepipe?

 

[Jags]

Hmmm...'nuther idea: Put a glass of water on the stove top. Walk by the stove and observe if the water shows motion in the glass. Is it possible that the floor is giving slightly as people move around. If it is, there could be enough movement over a year or two, that could make the stove creep.

 

[lukem]

Quick! Call a priest

If you hearth is slick and a half bubble or more off level, I could see it moving around when loading, slamming the door, etc. I think you def had some sort of perfect storm going to get it to move that much.

 

[Milton Findley]

If we figure out what is causing it, it will make installations and chimney cleaning and connections a lot easier.

Here girl, come this way about a half inch. :wow:

 

[PapaDave]

Had a fire this am, and noticed when the blower was running, that the stove was vibrating just a bit. I don't think it's moved though.
Going that far isn't what I'd consider "creep".

 

[fdegree]

I have "accidentally" moved my stove before.

Occasionally, I have had the last split, of a full load, get stuck when pushing it into the stove...N&S loading. I have shoved on that last split in order to force it far enough into the stove so I can close the door. This extra effort has caused the stove to slide just a bit.

I have since stopped forcing that last split in...

 

[tbuff]

I have "accidentally" moved my stove before.

Occasionally, I have had the last split, of a full load, get stuck when pushing it into the stove...N&S loading. I have shoved on that last split in order to force it far enough into the stove so I can close the door. This extra effort has caused the stove to slide just a bit.

I have since stopped forcing that last split in...

This is what I would think may have happened... I've done this a few times also.

Or maybe it was when Santa got stuck in the stove last year..

 

[SolarAndWood]

My VC Encore moved like that. Straight up 8" pipe through a flat roof. High wind against the chimney was enough to move it.

 

[Dexter]

Yes. Yes, they "walk". They flex and relax with the heating and cooling cycle. Mine did it worse when it could be "rocked" on the hearth. Shimming the "short" leg with a washer made it much better.

Regards,

 

[leeave96]

I've got a Vermont Castings Resolute with standard legs and in two heating seasons it has clearly moved about 4-5 inches to the left of where I installed it. It is sitting on flat, smooth tile, not brick. I guess from all the heating and cooling it just creeped over. Has anyone else had this problem and have they come up with a good solution for keeping that from happening? Thanks.

Nate

Take it the stove off the dolly and it won't move anymore....

I can't imagine my stoves moving - even if I bumped them hard, they are just to heavy.

Good luck,
Bill

 

[nate379]

Yup, did that last year and pushed the stove back almost 2". Figured with how much that thing weighs it wouldn't move, but I guess I pushed pretty hard.

I have "accidentally" moved my stove before.

Occasionally, I have had the last split, of a full load, get stuck when pushing it into the stove...N&S loading. I have shoved on that last split in order to force it far enough into the stove so I can close the door. This extra effort has caused the stove to slide just a bit.

I have since stopped forcing that last split in...

 

[Ratman]

Absolutely!
Some contributing factors:
1. The result of gradual movement of floor boards and associated support beams as you continually walk across them.

2. The result of continual heating and cooling of the stove where the force exerted on the stove legs, especially if the legs are long and uneven, exceeds the force on those legs by the stove weight.

3. 1+2=3


In summary, my bouncy uneven porch floor is like a trampoline to my long legged cast Elm stove. The thing moves very slowly, but then again so do I.

 

[Bub381]

I too will say the loading and pushing the door closed,cleaning etc.You'd be surprised how much pressure you put on a stove doing this.Think of the pressure you put on a log when you load it full and jam it in.Would ya want your finger between that last log and whatever is behind it.I'm not saying we shoulder it in but we push a little now and then.Any log,it's tossed in and only the stove stops that force.Especially a light barrel stove and with a big split etc.It'll creep.

 

[Sisu]

Have you had any "run-away" fires?!

 

[James02]

Is your refrigerator running?

Thank you soooo much! :lol:

 

[NH_Wood]

Strange one, but as for a fix, get something next to the legs on the hearth to stop the movement (make it able to be removed if you need to move the stove). My Mansfield has pre-drilled holes in the legs, so I could bolt the stove down if I wanted to, but nothing is moving that beast. Cheers!