Hello all. So I’m building a new house and the wife and I have made up our mind on a Harmon absolute 63 that will be located in the basement. From the basement floor to the exit of the roof at 28 ft. According to the manual, 30 EVL is the max for 4 inch pipe. It’s just going to be a clean out T and then straight up. It clears the floor joists and the roof trusses. According to the calculations this is maybe 20 EVL Or a bit more. My nearest dealer in Hustonville said that that’s too long of a run….but in the manual it says it will work? I can’t for the life of me find someone who is willing to install flue for a pellet stove. I would do it myself…..but the wife insists someone be certified…….
Pellet flue installer?
- Thread starter Dayman
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I guess if you want to pay for someone to interlock venting sections, it's all good. However, if it was me, I'd get the venting in as long of sections as possible which I believe are 5 foot and I'd buy them from www.ventingpipe.com I've dealt with them is the past and they ship promptly and their prices are good too. Just keep in mind that nothing interchanges so if you buy Selkirk you can only use Selkirk venting. Each manufacturer uses a unique to them interlock.
If I do this myself do I need to worry about anything? The wife’s worried I’m going to burn us alive. Lol
No. The pipe sections interlock and have internal gaskets to seal them and you can always use foil tape over the outside at the joints if you want to (I don't). The flue pipe temperatures on a bio mass stove will hardly rise above 500 degrees at the exhaust end of the stove and progressively much less on the pipe away from the stove. I can always put mu hand on my exterior venting, no matter how hard I'm running the stove. In fact, the labels attached to the pipe sections are still intact after many years of use. Never gets hot enough to burn them off or even discolor them.
Be apprised that venting is not cheap because it's double wall with a stainless liner so buy only what you need or have the wife pay for it.....lol
Thanks for the replies. I’m just going to do it myself. The 4 inch 60 long pipes are around 100. I’m getting the pipes that have the internal gaskets, but some peeps are saying the had to use silicone anyways?
I never have and I don't wrap the outside vent pipe with foil tape either. It's outside. not inside. Now the venting that is inside, I wrap with foil tape but that is it and no RTV anywhere. In fact, on the outside venting, I coat each joint (male end) with never seize because I take mine apart every spring and pressure wash it inside so I want it to come apart with as little fuss as necesary.
In fact, what I did for the stove exhaust transition to the vent pipe was, I took a cutoff wheel and removed about 6" of the outer galvanized jacket and exposed the inner stainless liner which I fitted over the exhaust outlet and put red RTV high temp silicone on and applied a worm drive hose clamp to secure it tightly. Never leaked any smoke or smell in the last 20 years or so.
In fact, what I did for the stove exhaust transition to the vent pipe was, I took a cutoff wheel and removed about 6" of the outer galvanized jacket and exposed the inner stainless liner which I fitted over the exhaust outlet and put red RTV high temp silicone on and applied a worm drive hose clamp to secure it tightly. Never leaked any smoke or smell in the last 20 years or so.
Bold added.
I have been looking at setting up pellet stoves and the silicon method is very common. However, cleaning the flue pipe with that joint (or any joint) being sealed would be problematic - how do you open up the silicon sealed joints without doing much damage?
The vertical rise sections might be a bit different - with it being a straight run cleaning it from the top or bottom would be possible to do - the entire length of it - pretty easy. However, at the bends that wouldn't quite be the case.
If the run is straight vertical (no bends) off the back of the stove then I assume you would use a clean-out T at the bottom. The clean out plug would only let you clean out loose ash that gets trapped in there. It won't let you scrub the inside of the flue piping.
Looking at the vast majority of pellet stoves - they have low-to-the-ground flue connections off the back of the stove. Even though a clean-out T lets you get in to the "vertical" part of the bend - with it being so low you can't get in to it from the ground to do much respectable cleaning. If you use the 5' sections of vertical pipe you would be a lot better off pulling those apart at, say, the next section above the T as that would be around 6-7' off the ground. You can get in there with a flue brush to clean it.
Same goes for the port off the back of the stove where the T, or adapter section, connects to. Again - if you silicon seal those joints - how are you going to take them apart without damaging them and going through the whole process of re-sealing and letting the sealant cure before you fire the stove?
Just food for thought.
The only joint I have with HT silicone on it is the one where the combustion blower transition meets the vent pipe and it never comes apart. I can vacuum the through the wall run to the outside 3-4 cleanout Tee from either end. Everything else comes apart. Like I said, I took a cut off wheel and removed about 6" of the outer jacket, exposing the liner and the liner was 'glued to the transition and a Witek stainless worm clamp added to the end.
Thanks guys. I just ordered everything…..almost 1k for just the flue. Any length requirement on the intake side? Just run it outdoors?
You have to start using the correct terminology. Not a flue, it's venting....lol A flue is a masonry chimney. The stuff ain't cheap, never was. If you want it to last a long time, don't burn corn like I do. Corn gives off Nitric acid vapor and it tends to eat stainless. You get Selkirk or Simpson Duravent?
I'm sure you will and it will pay for itself pretty quick with the way fuel prices are going. You ought to buy your pellets now and store them away for next year. I keep mine year after year. So long as they stay dry and under roof, they last forever. You know they will cost more next year than now... Something to consider.
Washed-Up
Minister of Fire
The issue with that is, it's probably used and with venting, you don't want used, at least I don't. Just ordered a couple lengths of 3" Simpson from Venting Pipe. I wanted a single 3 foot length but was not in stock and has a 3 month lead time so I bought a 2 foot and a 1 foot that were in stock are are in transit to me right now. really didn't want the joint but I can deal with it.
Sometimes you have to improvise, especially right now with the supply chain disruptions.
I'm gonna order new venting for the house in 5 foot lengths, 4" ID for next season so lead time is inconsequential. The 'I want it now' deal is gone, probably forever.
Sometimes you have to improvise, especially right now with the supply chain disruptions.
I'm gonna order new venting for the house in 5 foot lengths, 4" ID for next season so lead time is inconsequential. The 'I want it now' deal is gone, probably forever.
Washed-Up
Minister of Fire
Maybe I’ve just been lucky, I’ve bought used but had the chance to check it out and give it the once over before I bought it.
