Class A pipe: Galvanized vs stainless

[PA452]

I'm looking at installing two wood stoves in a new construction house. A couple local wood stove stores say they use a class A double-wall pipe that is stainless on the inside and outside. My builder thinks this is a waste of money because except for the very top, the pipes will both be within a chase. He wants to use a class A double-wall pipe that is stainless inside and galvanized outside.

Do you think he's correct in this case? Or is it worth it to have the stainless over stainless pipe inside the chase?

Thanks

 

[bholler]

I'm looking at installing two wood stoves in a new construction house. A couple local wood stove stores say they use a class A double-wall pipe that is stainless on the inside and outside. My builder thinks this is a waste of money because except for the very top, the pipes will both be within a chase. He wants to use a class A double-wall pipe that is stainless inside and galvanized outside.

Do you think he's correct in this case? Or is it worth it to have the stainless over stainless pipe inside the chase?

Thanks

What pipe is he planning on using vs the chimney guys? I only use stainless inner and outer btw

 

[brenndatomu]

Probably not much difference in the price of the two...I'd go all SS

 

[begreen]

In an attic or if completely chased and out of the elements, a galvanized outer jacket is fine. Definitely go full stainless for any exterior exposure.

 

[PA452]

At least one stove place I talked to uses DuraVent. They're charging $500 for a 5' section. Pretty sure it can be had for less though. Not sure what brand my builder was figuring on.

I need to do more research and more pricing, checking a couple sources it seems like the stainless over stainless can be around 70% more costly than galvanized over stainless. But then today I had someone at another stove place tell me the prices are similar, though she didn't give me any actual numbers.

 

[bholler]

At least one stove place I talked to uses DuraVent. They're charging $500 for a 5' section. Pretty sure it can be had for less though. Not sure what brand my builder was figuring on.

I need to do more research and more pricing, checking a couple sources it seems like the stainless over stainless can be around 70% more costly than galvanized over stainless. But then today I had someone at another stove place tell me the prices are similar, though she didn't give me any actual numbers.

The thing is none of the premium pipe options offer galvanized outer

 

[PA452]

Is DuraTech considered a premium pipe? I think it's offered with a galvanized outer.

 

[peakbagger]

IMO, if its strictly interior chase, galvanized will work as well functionally. It then comes down to the supply chain. The usual very broad rule of thumb is the cost of materials to make a product may be 10% of the final cost. Making two lines of product that are functionally identical costs more than one. Two different products means more suppliers, more space for materials, more warehouse space for production runs, more packaging, and more expensive trucking of LTLs of products. My guess is a truck load of pipes are going to fill up a tractor trailer truck well below the maximum weight carrying capacity of the truck. So someone is paying to ship a lot of "air". Try to pack the pipes too tight and they get dented (sounds like a familiar issue with stove pipe). The farther the plant is from the ultimate installation, the extra shipping costs tend to soak up any material savings.
If a big builder is buying a full box truck load, then they should be able to get a discount on galvanized exterior and if its functionally equivalent, its worth going for the discount. My guess is the vast majority of the chimneys are bought from dealers in batches for one or two installs that buy their product from mid level distributors. That means more warehouse space and product segregation. It in theory takes the same amount of labor to build the parts regardless of materials so there is distinct possibility that the extra supply chain costs for two product lines exceed the material savings that a local dealer would be able to offer.

My guess is DR Horton or one of the other mega home builders go direct to the factory and buy a semi load for far less cost than even a local dealer can buy it for. There is also a marketing aspect. Frequently mid level distributors will only carry a product if they have exclusive territory where they are the only suppliers to the territory and get the best pricing from the manufacturer. A manufacturer may sign a deal to sell the inner and outer SS pipe to an exclusive distributor but sell a different SS/galv pipe in volume direct without upsetting their contract with mid level.

 

[kennyp2339]

Is this the same house with a big stove in the basement and unsure size stove in the great room?
If it is, run stainless, the way you have your stoves chimney’s running parallel with each other one cap will need to be hirer then the other, if great room stove is running, cold basement stove may have negative pressure and suck the smoke down and back into the basement

 

[Eman85]

I can't really give you an opinion on which to buy, I've got a galvanized on my shop and stainless on my house. The one thing I can tell you about is trying to buy pipe that isn't damaged. If your contractor or you order pipe I'll just about guarantee you it will arrive damaged. If a stove store orders they will get a pallet load usually and the pipe will be in good shape. I've ordered through Lowes and every pipe they got was damaged in some way. I've ordered individual pieces shipped from a manufacturer and they have arrived damaged.

 

[bholler]

I can't really give you an opinion on which to buy, I've got a galvanized on my shop and stainless on my house. The one thing I can tell you about is trying to buy pipe that isn't damaged. If your contractor or you order pipe I'll just about guarantee you it will arrive damaged. If a stove store orders they will get a pallet load usually and the pipe will be in good shape. I've ordered through Lowes and every pipe they got was damaged in some way. I've ordered individual pieces shipped from a manufacturer and they have arrived damaged.

That is another thing the higher end manufacturers do a better job with. They pack their pipe much better. It's very rare that we receive damaged ventis or Jeremiahs pipe because they are boxed with good tight fitting foam or cardboard heads to protect the pipe. The few times we order duravent or Selkirk pipe many of them are damaged because they are just put in a box

 

[begreen]

That is another thing the higher end manufacturers do a better job with. They pack their pipe much better. It's very rare that we receive damaged ventis or Jeremiahs pipe because they are boxed with good tight fitting foam or cardboard heads to protect the pipe. The few times we order duravent or Selkirk pipe many of them are damaged because they are just put in a box

Though nothing like the volume that a pro sweep works with, I have not received a dented DuraTech pipe in the last 7 yrs. ordering from www.WoodStovePro.com. This is for 6 systems and it might just be luck, but so far they have arrived in great shape.

 

[PA452]

Is this the same house with a big stove in the basement and unsure size stove in the great room?
If it is, run stainless, the way you have your stoves chimney’s running parallel with each other one cap will need to be hirer then the other, if great room stove is running, cold basement stove may have negative pressure and suck the smoke down and back into the basement

Yep, same house. Guess I could have put it all in one thread but I figured they were sort of two different subjects.

 

[3650]

I’d be asking if galvanized is cheaper why is it $500 for 5’? I’m not up to date on chimney pipe but that seems outrageous to me.

 

[bholler]

I’d be asking if galvanized is cheaper why is it $500 for 5’? I’m not up to date on chimney pipe but that seems outrageous to me.

$100/ft isn't out of line with our current prices sadly. I don't know about duravent pricing though.

 

[3650]

$100/ft isn't out of line with our current prices sadly. I don't know about duravent pricing though.

Wow that’s insane. Been a while since I’ve priced any.

 

[PA452]

I’d be asking if galvanized is cheaper why is it $500 for 5’? I’m not up to date on chimney pipe but that seems outrageous to me.

That was the price for stainless over stainless. Don't know the details though.

 

[begreen]

DuraTech is available with or without a carton filler for shipping. There is an extra charge for the carton filler (CF).
At WoodstovePro:

• A 48" length of DuraTech galvalume with CF is $289
• A 48" length of DuraTech stainless with CF is $350
• A 60" length of DuraTech galvalume with CF is $338
• A 60" length of DuraTech galvalume with CF is $415

 

[bholler]

DuraTech is available with or without a carton filler for shipping. There is an extra charge for the carton filler (CF).
At WoodstovePro:

• A 48" length of DuraTech galvalume with CF is $289
• A 48" length of DuraTech stainless with CF is $350
• A 60" length of DuraTech galvalume with CF is $338
• A 60" length of DuraTech galvalume with CF is $415

At that I wouldn't be surprised to see it hit $500 for 60" with stainless outer.

 

[begreen]

At that I wouldn't be surprised to see it hit $500 for 60" with stainless outer.

Yes, I just checked a competitor and they are selling the same pipe for $525.

 

[PA452]

DuraTech is available with or without a carton filler for shipping. There is an extra charge for the carton filler (CF).
At WoodstovePro:

• A 48" length of DuraTech galvalume with CF is $289
• A 48" length of DuraTech stainless with CF is $350
• A 60" length of DuraTech galvalume with CF is $338
• A 60" length of DuraTech galvalume with CF is $415

Hmm, now at those prices I can see just going with the stainless over stainless. We may do it anyway, but just ballparking based on the heights here, but for both stoves combined, that would be around $3600 for galvanized and $4400 for stainless. I realize it'll be more than that, but just some rough numbers to get a feel for the price differential. At a price difference in that area, I think we'd just go stainless and be done with it.

 

[Newbie78]

That is another thing the higher end manufacturers do a better job with. They pack their pipe much better. It's very rare that we receive damaged ventis or Jeremiahs pipe because they are boxed with good tight fitting foam or cardboard heads to protect the pipe. The few times we order duravent or Selkirk pipe many of them are damaged because they are just put in a box

My selkirk stuff had perfect fitting good quality foam blocks at each end of the pipe in a perfect fitting box and no dents whatsoever in any of my sections.

so I am not sure what is going on in your world. Odd.

 

[brenndatomu]

I've put up 2 chimneys with Supervent (Selkirk) and I think I had maybe one piece with a small dent...it went toward the wall, NBD.

 

[bholler]

My selkirk stuff had perfect fitting good quality foam blocks at each end of the pipe in a perfect fitting box and no dents whatsoever in any of my sections.

so I am not sure what is going on in your world. Odd.

I don't know honestly

 

[bholler]

I've put up 2 chimneys with Supervent (Selkirk) and I think I had maybe one piece with a small dent...it went toward the wall, NBD.

Yeah a small dent on the length is no big deal. We have gotten many with the heads smashed