Stovepipe dripping noise.

[Shane Collins]

So the other week after my stove was installed I noticed late at night before I went to bed a dripping noise. It wasn't very often maybe every 10-15 seconds or so, sometimes longer. Sounded like a drip of water coming down the chimney and hitting the stove then sizzling away. While eating dinner tonight my wife and I heard it again. Not very often and it may have stopped now.

Any idea what it could be? and is it something to worry about? It's only 40 out so not that cold. And no snow or rain.

 

[pen]

Is this an insert? Is there a liner installed up the chimney of the fireplace?

Is this a freestanding stove that exits straight up? Or out through a wall and then up?

Is there definitely a sizzling sound? I'm wondering if this is just the metal expanding / contracting like an exhaust on the car does, or if there is condensation forming on the chimney system for some reason.

Explain more about the setup and you'll have a better shot at a good answer.

Also, did you burn wood before this?

Good luck,

pen

 

[Shane Collins]

Hi, sorry for my lack of details. My stove was installed about 10 days ago. It's a BK Ashford. Not an insert. They did install the stovepipe wrong, it doesn't meet the 18 inch clearance to walls as it's single walled. They are coming to fix it on Friday, changing it to double walled. It's a bit too cold to not have a fire though and it's only 1.5 inches short of the code so it shouldn't be a problem. The chimney goes straight up, no bends. It's about 20 feet long, from where it exits the stove to the top. This is my 2nd year burning wood. Wood reads 18-22% on the moisture meter.

There is a definite sizzling sound. Sounds exactly like if you had a hot pot on the stove and dripped water onto it.

 

[pen]

What sort of stove top temps are you running the unit at?

This sounds like condensation is forming in the pipe to me. Be interested to see if the double call pipe clears it up.

Good job on noticing they didn't do the installation correctly. That's disappointing, but sounds good that they are coming out to make the job right and that you were on top of your game in catching it!

 

[Shane Collins]

It was actually Webby3650 who noticed it in my other post about the Ashford. I had some problems with the guy I spoke to originally. He didn't seem to know the clearances or misunderstood me, no idea. But they are making it right so that's fine with me. The only thing I could think of was condensation forming in the pipe. I wonder too if double will clear it. Also I'm only having small fires at the moment as it's not cold enough to load it full. Mostly burning around 4 splits.

I need to get a thermometer for my stove. I have a IR gun to detect thermal leaks etc, but it only goes up to 300 degrees. Currently my temps are as follows :

Stove top : 250
Single wall stovepipe where it exits the stove : 300+ (ir gun just says Hi so it's over 300)
Top of the single wall stovepipe where it meets the ceiling support box : 170

Currently I'm not hearing the dripping anymore. But this is probably the same temp the stove has been at all day.

Hopefully if it is condensation having the double walled stovepipe will make the chimney a more even temperature and help/fix the problem. Also when I'm burning hotter. But I've not see/heard anyone else having this problem so it makes me wonder if I'm doing something wrong or it's something else?

Could the dripping cause any problems to my stove? rust or anything bad?

Thanks.

 

[BrotherBart]

Stove top temp of 250 isn't even lighting off the cat I bet.

Is there a cat thermo in that stove

 

[Shane Collins]

There is a cat thermometer. It's well into the active zone. The stove top temps I'm taking are on the cast iron top. I believe the "real" stove top temp would be under that and much hotter??

 

[BrotherBart]

If the cat is in the active zone then that is good.

This is a weird one.

 

[Shane Collins]

Just checked again, didn't change the thermostat or anything. The stove top is now at about 290. The cat is glowing. And I heard some more drips.

 

[1ruralmailman]

my guess would be some condensation.with a cat stove,most of your exhaust is going to be water vapor.it s not uncommon to see icecicles form from the chimney cap during real cold spells.check to see if you have even slightly elevated wood moisture this will raise the steam factor more.i would imagine though that with that much single pipe it would be possible to see some condensation under certain conditions.