Sealing stove pipe

[propguy]

My 1st post........... What a great site!!

I have a new VC Defiant. I sealed the pipe joints with furnace cement about a week ago weeeeelllllll after a couple of break in fires the cement is falling off :gulp: Please Help! Thanks in advance

PG

 

[BrotherBart]

My 1st post........... What a great site!!

I have a new VC Defiant. I sealed the pipe joints with furnace cement about a week ago weeeeelllllll after a couple of break in fires the cement is falling off :gulp: Please Help! Thanks in advance

PG

If you sealed inside the joints when you put them together and secured them with sheet metal screws they will be fine. The stuff on the outside will flake off from the expansion and contraction of the pipe. Furnace cement is brittle stuff and not flexible at all.

And it is not a substitute for putting the screws in the pipe.

 

[propguy]

My 1st post........... What a great site!!

I have a new VC Defiant. I sealed the pipe joints with furnace cement about a week ago weeeeelllllll after a couple of break in fires the cement is falling off :gulp: Please Help! Thanks in advance

PG

If you sealed inside the joints when you put them together and secured them with sheet metal screws they will be fine. The stuff on the outside will flake off from the expansion and contraction of the pipe. Furnace cement is brittle stuff and not flexible at all.

And it is not a substitute for putting the screws in the pipe.

Thanks BB, I did use screws but i also sealed from the outide There is nothing that I can apply to the joints from the outside??................ maybe I will just leave them. I was trying to maximize my draft and minimize any smoke.

 

[BrotherBart]

Check for leaks when it is burning but if you locked it in in three places around the pipe is is probably gonna be fine.

That crimp inside expands with the heat too.

 

[propguy]

Thanks BB, I still feel the need to seal them. I may take the pipe apart and seal from the inside if I can't find anything. PG

 

[Corie]

Really, you'll never see anything leak from the joints, unless you have a really really bad drafting chimney.

 

[elkimmeg]

The inportant thing it to fully push in the joints to the rib edge you should see no corregations of the ribbing

 

[propguy]

Hi Corie, The chimney drafts ok but I do have 2 turns in the pipe one is a 90 and the other not quite. I just want to maximize the draft. Maybe I am going about it the wrong way. I need to wait on some cooler weather and dryer wood which is on the way as of today, to make sure I do have enough draft. The cooler weather will arrive today as will the seasoned wood, I have wood but its not seasoned enough for the new stove.

I have seen post here about dust in the pipe joints etc. and I just want to make darn sure I am drafting as well as it can. PG

 

[propguy]

No other suggestions????????? pg

 

[BrotherBart]

No other suggestions????????? pg

Well, yeah. Now that you mention it.

I suggest you don't try to fix a draft problem that you don't know you have yet. Light'er up and see how it goes. Leak check the pipe. Pass a match or any other flame or some smoke making object, I use a Marlboro, around the seams while the stove is up to temp and you will know real quick if you have a leak. It will draw the flame/smoke into the joint.

If you don't find leaks in the pipe and you have a draft problem, it is somewhere else in the equation.

 

[Robbie]

What if you have a slight pull towards some joints, but your stove draws very good and works great ?

As I mentioned somewhere in another thread, my stove is drawing so well it whistles (really) through the hole opposite of pipe damper control knob. :cheese:

And no, it can't whistle dixie........yet


Robbie

 

[propguy]

No other suggestions????????? pg

Well, yeah. Now that you mention it.

I suggest you don't try to fix a draft problem that you don't know you have yet. Light'er up and see how it goes. Leak check the pipe. Pass a match or any other flame or some smoke making object, I use a Marlboro, around the seams while the stove is up to temp and you will know real quick if you have a leak. It will draw the flame/smoke into the joint.

If you don't find leaks in the pipe and you have a draft problem, it is somewhere else in the equation.

You do have a point. I really don't know yet, but I did have some problems with the first few fires but the #%# wood was NOT seasoned so to get it to light off good was a fiasco! I will check the draft after my seasoned wood gets here.......................... I still have not heard back from him he is a new wood guy to me hmmmmm he was supossed to call today aaaaah crap pg

 

[Robbie]

Propguy, you won't believe the difference in good dry wood. I burned wet last year and paid for it with lots of creosote and lots of head aches.

I made a fire the other night, using dry kindling and dry wood, and it went off like it had kerosene in it. What a pleasure to not choke your fire down and have to listen to a sizzling fire for over an hour after you add wood.

My pipes are not sealed, and I have some "slight" gaps where screws are tight, (you really don't notice unless you look closely) but it does not cause any problems at all.


I think you'll be fine once you get your dry wood going.


Robbie

 

[propguy]

[quote author="Robbie" date="1160027356"]Propguy, you won't believe the difference in good dry wood. I burned wet last year and paid for it with lots of creosote and lots of head aches.

I made a fire the other night, using dry kindling and dry wood, and it went off like it had kerosene in it. What a pleasure to not choke your fire down and have to listen to a sizzling fire for over an hour after you add wood.

My pipes are not sealed, and I have some "slight" gaps where screws are tight, (you really don't notice unless you look closely) but it does not cause any problems at all.


I think you'll be fine once you get your dry wood going.





WOW............ thanks Robbie, Man I have had to leave the unlatched door open to create enough air to get it going and have to watch the FOAM come out of the ends PG

 

[Robbie]

That is a shame, I did the same except I swear I had water dripping out of my wood so bad that the ashes settled down in the bottom like wet sand over night.

And you have to be careful about what "some" say is "seasoned". The people I got my wood from last year said their wood was seasoned because they cut the trees down and let them lay in the woods whole for about 4 months and then cut, split and delivered to me.

The split pieces were very heavy and they sizzled with water. So your wood needs to be spit and stacked in the sun or close for about 6 months..........you will see a major difference.

One last note, leaving your door open is a very common thing to do until you get a good draw going. I think everyone on these forums must do this, even my stove manual says to do it.

Robbie

 

[propguy]

Yea We used to leave the door open on our Vigilant also. But the new Defiant is so tight it almost snuffs it out sometimes depending on the chunk of wood. BUT it has not been that cold yet so I havnet been able to let er rip yet LOL I will say that big glass in there "sure dont stay clean long" ugh pg

 

[Robbie]

These newer stoves seem to do real good at keeping the glass clean with the air wash system most have now..........and a good hot fire helps keep it clean too.

The only time mine got dirty last year was when a log would fall against the glass when I was not watching, it would smoke it up.


Robbie

 

[Todd]

I think I was the guy that said I had dust between the pipe joints. This year I went with Rutland furnace cement in the tube for my pipe joints along with 3 screws. It seems to work fine so far. There are also some high temp silicone's out there that are a little more flexible that may work. Next year I might just have my pipe welded together for a permanent seal since its a short run of pipe anyway.