Defiant Stove Pipe Size

[coverdome]

Hi Guys! New user here needs some help on picking a pipe size for my new VC Defiant stove. The only info I can find is basically 8" pipe is required to burn with open doors, and 6" with doors closed. I know i'm new to wood burning, but seems there has to be more to it than that. My questions would be:

Is one size more efficient than the other? use more wood, produce less heat?
Is one size easier to control the burn with?
Any other considerations for choosing one size over the other?

My specifics are
new VC Defiant stove
25' of double wall pipe ( for clearance) straight up to
10' chimney pipe also straight up
Well sealed house
Will burn with doors closed 95-98% of the time, but would like the option to burn with doors open occasionally.

Thanks for any info provided. Great site and have learned lots already. Lots more to read!

 

[mywaynow]

My older Defiant does well with 6 inch insulated pipe, length overall about 24 ft. You will not be able to open the doors with 6 inch pipe without getting smoke in the room. The 6 inch does draft well though. Can't speak to the diameter effecting wood consumption, though my guess is it would not.

 

[schortie]

We used eight inch dbl wall pipe when we installed our Defiant for that same reason. Never did burn with the doors open though. Switched to six inch dble wall pipe when we installed the Jotul with an increaser at the ceiling box. The six inch looks a lot better in my opinion; it seems a lot less intrusive and less bulky. We would have saved a bit of cash on the six inch initially as the six inch is more common and cheaper. I can't imagine you'd have any draft issues with 25' of pipe. I don't think pipe size affects wood consumption, but I was wrong once before. If you do go with the eight inch, I have an oval to round connector that will fit eight inch dbl wall pipe real well and is in great shape. I'll sell it to you cheap.

 

[coverdome]

Thanks for the comments and info. Appears to be no difference in performance so I'll go with the cheaper 6".