Clearance to wall behind stove

[rpwalton]

Soon to install a new Hearthstone Manchester with the close clearance heat shield over the rear (closed) flue vent and double wall pipe from stove to ceiling using the top vent, which according to the owners manual allows for a 6" clearance to the wall behind the stove.
As a first time wood stove owner, I'm wondering what the more experienced stove owners here would do? Use the minimum clearance of 6", or give it an extra inch or two for good measure?

 

[TomMcDonald]

I'm about to install a new stove with a minimum 4" clearance to the wall - I will be installing to about 4.5" just to afford some wiggle room.

 

[KDubU]

I had a Hearthstone Heritage previously with a heat shield on the rear. I also though added an offset wall 2” from the drywall of cement board plus some cut slate tiles. The offset wall was also raised up off the hearth by about 2” so there was airflow behind it. Even with all this, that stove threw out a lot of heat but this helped mitigate it substantially. I would highly recommend something like this.

 

[rpwalton]

But if the manufacturer gives a minimum clearance, then that should be fine, right?

 

[kennyp2339]

I dislike minimum clearance to unprotected walls, it’s just out of my comfort zone, first time the stove runs a little high and you touch the back wall bare handed, you’ll feel the anxiety that I speak of.

 

[begreen]

I always exceed the minimum clearance by a bit if possible. There is no harm.

 

[begreen]

I dislike minimum clearance to unprotected walls, it’s just out of my comfort zone, first time the stove runs a little high and you touch the back wall bare handed, you’ll feel the anxiety that I speak of.

This really depends on the stove design. For some highly radiant stoves, yes, I totally agree. But for others, it is not a likely issue, even when the stove is burning at a high top-end temp. Case in point, in the same location we had a Jotul F400, with the rear heat shield, installed with an extra 4" clearance. That stove could bring the corner walls to 160º+ when burning hot over an 8 hr day. Now we have the PE T6 in the same location and it exceeds the corner clearance requirement by 3". No matter how hot the stove has run, the walls have never gotten over 130º in spite of this being a much larger stove. The difference is the shielding provided by the cast iron jacket.

 

[bholler]

I always try to exceed minimum by a couple inches. Mainly because stoves will slowly move back over time from loading and closing the door

 

[begreen]

I always try to exceed minimum by a couple inches. Mainly because stoves will slowly move back over time from loading and closing the door

Good point for a lighter stove, but not our heavy brute. It hasn't budged at all. Setting up with extra clearance and a generous hearth size also provides more wiggle room if you change stoves. This worked out well for us when upgrading from the F400 to the T6.

 

[bholler]

Good point for a lighter stove, but not our heavy brute. It hasn't budged at all. Setting up with extra clearance and a generous hearth size also provides more wiggle room if you change stoves. This worked out well for us when upgrading from the F400 to the T6.

It depends on the stove and the hearth surface. Some heavy stoves will move as well over time if the hearth is relatively smooth