Stove Cement of Hi Temp RTV assembling Rigid Liner?

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zzr7ky

Minister of Fire
Jun 12, 2006
1,053
Hi -

Picking up my Rigid 6" liner in a few hours. Retail store didn't seem very concerned about cement or RTV when assembling. Their observation was that any slight leeks would be admitting air into pipe not smoke into room. Didn't seem concerned about weakening draft, removing warm air from home...

I've got a VC Resolute Acclaim vented out the back, into a 6" Tee, then 17' straight run up. I'm using the Simpson Saf-T-Wrap insulation.

It is an easy install as I built scaffold to work from and the insiude of the flue tile is 10" square. I verified the clearances by droping an 8" bucket down on a line.

Any other words to the wise?


I scored some very nice pale red marble 12" square tile for the hearth extension for $12 a case at Home Depot (5 square feet). It's gettting close! The temp was 60 in the house this morning!

Thanks!
Mike P
ATB,
Mike P
 
Sounds good Mike. No cement should be needed for the pipe joints. Be sure to have 3 ss screws for joining each length together and the tee. Take pictures of each stage if you can. Looking forward to the proud final post.
 
RTV will not be appropriate on the actual liner itself. You can use furnace or stove cement there. I would not be concerned with diluting draft if were talking about one connection that is sort of tight. If you had tons of joints, then i would worry about it. Smoke will not leak out, air will get pulled in.
 
Use stainless pop rivets, except to attach the rain cap/screen on the top (since it has to be removed each year for cleaning) and you should use screws to attach it to your stove/insert so it can be easily removed later. If your rigid is like mine, each section actually has the stainless pop rivets taped to it you're supposed to use, four for each section. If you mess up or lose the rivets, you need to get stainless pop rivets for replacement. You're not supposed to use aluminum.

The reason not to screw each section together is because the screws are made of an inferior stainless compared to the rigid itself, the threads get mangled. Screws often push the two pieces away from each other (as was my case) so you you don't get tight connections, and during the constant heating/cooling the screws can work themselves out. I took out my liner to fix some issues and drilled out the rivets holding it together, since my local store didn't have stainless rivets I used stainless screws. It haunted me, and I have to thank Shane for explaining to me why rivets. I travelled and got myself some stainless pop rivets and took my liner out to swap out the screws. I couldn't believe how poor the screws had held, some had already started working out, others were just about stripped, only a single screw was any good. The rivets also pull the liner pieces together before popping making a tight seam, and the reason usually in the instructions to use is so they won't work themselves out with repeated heating/cooling.

Also, if you follow the directions here and make yourself a block-off plate... don't do what I did. I marked & cut the hole on the wrong side, I ended up putting the hole towards the front of the fireplace when it was supposed to go towards the back. Now I have to hunt for another piece of sheet metal.
 
Good advice Rhone, my error. I just looked at the old liner we pulled out of the chimney - ss pop rivets.
 
Thanks guys!

I screwwed up my back Saturday so the project is delayed a week or so. The blocl off plate was formed by the back of the Heat-A-Lator unit, I did not alter the damper area at all.

I'll look into cleaning and sealing it when I install the liner and stove.

Thanks again,
Mike
 
Thanks!

I was having a time getting the Stainless Steel Pop type rivets locally. Ended up ordering from an old standby source for obscure appliance or industrial parts: www.Grainger.com, Item number 5LE39, <$8 for 50. Local boat store ~ half a buck each!

I'm hoping to get the install done this week, and schedule the inspection next week. Thanks a bunch guys!

I've got a bit more wood to get in before the snow flys.

ATB,
Mike P
 
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