insulation around Pellet direct vent pipe

Hi,

Hopefully someone could answer this for me. I am in the middle of replacing my interior plaster walls that were never insulated with 2X4 studs and R-13 fiberglass insulation covered with Drywall. On the insulation warning label, it states that the insulation should not be installed around a metal chimney. My question is does this really cause a problem? I clearly don't want to create a fire hazard, but i can't imagine that the double wall pipe would get hot enough to cause a potential fire hazard. If anyone here has thoughts, let me know.


Thanks
Todd

All clearances on pellet or wood chimney pipe is an air space clearance and must be air space. Insulation will trap heat and could result in the pipe getting hotter than tested for elsewhere. Over time this could cause combustibles to dry out lowering thier ignition temperature and eventually igniting.

So i guess my followup question is how much clearance from the insulation is needed? 6 inches, 12 inches? Basically my pipe will run through the wall, so are you saying that when i look at the pipe going through the wall, i need to see daylight all around it to prevent a fire hazard? That seems a bit extreme.

When a pipe passes through a wall, or ceiling, any surface, it must have the appropriate sleeve/adapter/whatever...don't know the "legal" name. That's what I think and have seen.

You need a wall thimble.

You should use the approved wall thimble for your venting system. It will normally force the required clearances and also fill the gap with metal so you don't see daylight. You can use a black silicone caulk where the pipe passes through the thimble.

This is exactly what i was looking for. Thanks guys..