I just joined and will be having several questions the next several days. We bought our house a year ago and it has a wood burning stove. I'll post a photo tomorrow and in hopes of identifying it since it has absolutely no markings. Also I just removed the old stove pipe that was installed with the male ends facing up which has caused problems. I've burned wood off and on for years and look forward to being active here and I like what I see. Thanks
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- Thread starter khpony
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Welcome. Sounds like an old stove so I moved this to the Classics forum. Are you intending to replace it?
Not at this time. I plan on using it again. We burned it last winter but at 71 my learning curve for it was a little slow. I plan on doing a better job this year. I pulled out the old original stove pipe yesterday and will post some photo's later today to get some feedback on replacing the pipe and a couple of other minor issues. I did find out however that the previous owner had not been cleaning the flue all the way down. That will change with me. I'm glad I found this forum and look forward to being active.
Thanks, I believe a lot of my problems were due to the original installation. Male (crimped) ends were installed facing up and all the joints were bent by pliers during installation. They had leaked like a sieve and I finally wrapped them last winter with metal duct tape. Also the previous owner had been cleaning only the top 80% of the stove pipe. This was very evident when I removed the old pipe yesterday. Obviously I'll be installing my pipe with the crimped ends facing down. Now with the stove. Attached are 2 photos of it. One big question I have is do I need a damper in the stove pipe since both doors have adjustable openings for air flow? Also the lady at the local wood stove store thought the stove might be Consolidated Dutchwest. I've spent several hours on the net and have yet to find one similar to ours. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!
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Are the surrounding walls around the hearth all adobe, all the way through with no wood? Yes, you will probably want to have a stove pipe damper about 18" above the stove. What does it look like inside? Are there firebrick and a baffle?
Actually we're fine. We just bought this house a year ago June. I've burned wood off and on for many years so I was concerned so I kept a close eye on it all last winter. The wall tile never got hot last year. I moved the stove to clean areas well so it's not in it's usual location so I don't have a clearance problem when set in it's final position.
What is behind that tile? Is there a ventilated air space or is it right on combustible material? Without a ventilated air space you are not fine. It is dangerous
It may feel fine, but code requires 36" clearances in all directions for an unlisted stove. That can be reduced with proper wall shielding, but a simple tile wall is not a proper shield.
I did not build this house so can't address your question. I appreciate your concern but I'm 71 and have burned my share of wood over the years so I feel somewhat qualified to assess my surrounding situation. . I came here looking for some assistance on ID'ing my stove and to determine if a damper is needed in the stove pipe. I ask that you please respect that.
Your stove looks like a locally made copy of a Fisher or Alaska double door stove. Yes you need a damper.
I am a chimney professional. My professional code of conduct requires me to point out potential safety issues which are pretty clear in this case. I am sorry if that bothers you but I am looking out for your safety.
Ashful
Minister of Fire
Now this is something I thought I’d never see. Bholler is the King of Curt, if there ever was one, but he shoots straight and knows his chit!
Welcome to the forum khpony. Looking forward to your contributions.
The issue with the clearances is not about how the wall feels or fares when the stove is running well, it’s all about how this materials will hold up when things go awry and that stove has a midnight meltdown while you’re sleeping or not home.
It's about pyrolysis, which happens to the wood behind the tile if it's not well shielded. We don't know how the house was built either, but we do know what pyrolysis looks like. Over time it lowers the flash point at which wood ignites. What used to seem ok and work may not in the future. That is the concern here. My friend's dad's place had a fire in a wall after 40yrs of heating with a wood stove due to pyrolysis and bad construction.
I'm also 71 and our house is 95. I don't mess around with clearances. Every stove we've had in this old house has exceeded minimum clearance requirements. And yeah, us geezers get cranky sometimes.
I'm also 71 and our house is 95. I don't mess around with clearances. Every stove we've had in this old house has exceeded minimum clearance requirements. And yeah, us geezers get cranky sometimes.
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