Concerns about clearances to combustables with a Hearthstone Heritage woodstove

[JoeC]

Hello everyone,
I have a brand new Hearthstone Heritage soapstone woodstove installed by the retailer with a heat shield in the back and to minimum clearance distances according to the instructions..The woodstove is installed in a corner. My concerns are how hot the walls are getting on both sides of the unit,( plus I have 2 electrical outlets on each corner wall where it's getting hot), directly behind it the walls seem ok. Apparently due to the heatshield..
After I did around 4 burn-in fires, I had a regular fire up to 450F ,I checked the drywall with my hand on both sides of the unit and they were getting really hot to the touch. Not burning my hand but really hot!.. However, this had me feeling concerned since I've never owned a woodstove before....So I ended up buying an infrared gun to check temps..

Last night I fired up the woodstove once again to around only around 300 degrees F and the wall temperatures on the sides with readings taken from an infrared gun read at the highest reading 128 degrees F.. With this reading I could comfortably put my hand on the drywall...

My question is, should I be concerned if everything was installed to minimum clearance according to manufacturing instructions and national codes to combustables? And what could be the long term effects on the drywall , electrical outlets, wiring (warping etc.. paint etc..)?

Thank you for all your help, and experiences!

 

[Jags]

If you can hold your hand on it - it ain't too hot. Installed per manual - you should be good to go. If you see readings with your IR thermo reaching 160F - I would revisit the question. South of that should not be an issue.

 

[Highbeam]

So is the side door locked shut? If not, you need 16" of clearance there and I don't see it in the pic.

 

[begreen]

Clearance need to be honored not for just a simple test, but for worst case scenarios like when the stove is running hot 24/7. They should always be met or exceeded.

what picture?

 

[Highbeam]

what picture?

Joe's avatar photo shows a heritage in a corner just as his is described.

 

[begreen]

Joe's avatar photo shows a heritage in a corner just as his is described.

Ah, I see now. Too tiny on cell phone.

 

[JoeC]

So is the side door locked shut? If not, you need 16" of clearance there and I don't see it in the pic.

I have 16 inches of clearance to the drywall...(measured from the closest area to the wall, which is the back corner of the stove).

 

[JoeC]

If you can hold your hand on it - it ain't too hot. Installed per manual - you should be good to go. If you see readings with your IR thermo reaching 160F - I would revisit the question. South of that should not be an issue.

I hope you are right...However I got a reading of 128 degrees at the wall with the stove at lower end of a good burn, a 300 degree stove... I wonder what I would get at 450 or 500? Maybe I worry to much! Thank you for your help it's appreciated!

 

[Jags]

.. I wonder what I would get at 450 or 500? Maybe I worry to much! Thank you for your help it's appreciated!

I was right where you are several years ago. Setting fans to cool the walls. Watching stove temp to mitigate overheating of the walls, etc. All for naught. I forget the stated number (I'll bet BG can pull it out), but you are allowed XX over ambient room temp on the walls to be considered safe. It is warmer than you would think.

 

[JoeC]

I was right where you are several years ago. Setting fans to cool the walls. Watching stove temp to mitigate overheating of the walls, etc. All for naught. I forget the stated number (I'll bet BG can pull it out), but you are allowed XX over ambient room temp on the walls to be considered safe. It is warmer than you would think.

Thank you for the reassurance! I'll keep you and everyone posted on the temps on the wall once I get the stove up to higher end numbers of 400 to 500 degrees..

 

[Jags]

Just to clarify - I am in now way suggesting that you ignore the situation. If you find that the temps DO exceed the recommended level - obviously something needs to be done. But I am suggesting that the acceptable temps are probably higher than what you would guess at first blush.

 

[Highbeam]

I have 16 inches of clearance to the drywall...(measured from the closest area to the wall, which is the back corner of the stove).

Good deal, that side loading door is a wonderful feature of this stove.

 

[begreen]

I was right where you are several years ago. Setting fans to cool the walls. Watching stove temp to mitigate overheating of the walls, etc. All for naught. I forget the stated number (I'll bet BG can pull it out), but you are allowed XX over ambient room temp on the walls to be considered safe. It is warmer than you would think.

I think it is 90 degrees over ambient temp IIRC. If so for an average room temp of 70F, that would be 160F.

 

[Jags]

I think it is 90 degrees over ambient temp IIRC. If so for an average room temp of 70F, that would be 160F.

That is what my brain was telling me also, but I didn't want to step on my brain. I always seem to come back to 160F.

 

[Rob From Wisconsin]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but 140F is the threshold for touch-surface temp before it becomes nearly impossible to maintain contact??
If you can hold your hand on the surface for any length of time, it is OK.....

 

[begreen]

I think it is more like 130F for the touch test, but there is a big difference between quickly touching with one's fingertips and a full palm-plant on the wall. It's not an accurate test though, some folks' hands are a lot more calloused and some have a higher threshold of pain.

 

[JoeC]

Good deal, that side loading door is a wonderful feature of this stove.

Thanks Highbeam, It comes in handy.. that's for sure!

 

[JoeC]

I think it is 90 degrees over ambient temp IIRC. If so for an average room temp of 70F, that would be 160F.

Ok thank you!

 

[Dave A.]

Table of Hot Water Scalding Temperatures & Times Water Temperature Setting
Exposure Time Effects of Exposure to Hot water at These Temperatures

Water at 120 degF 5 minutes 2nd & 3rd degree burns on adult skin
Water at 130 degF 30 seconds 2nd & 3rd degree burns on adult skin
Water at 140 degF 5 seconds 2nd & 3rd degree burns on adult skin
Water at 150 degF 1 1/2 seconds 2nd & 3rd degree burns on adult skin
Water at 160 degF 1/2 second 2nd & 3rd degree burns on adult skin

 

[JoeC]

Table of Hot Water Scalding Temperatures & Times Water Temperature Setting
Exposure Time Effects of Exposure to Hot water at These Temperatures

Water at 120 degF 5 minutes 2nd & 3rd degree burns on adult skin
Water at 130 degF 30 seconds 2nd & 3rd degree burns on adult skin
Water at 140 degF 5 seconds 2nd & 3rd degree burns on adult skin
Water at 150 degF 1 1/2 seconds 2nd & 3rd degree burns on adult skin
Water at 160 degF 1/2 second 2nd & 3rd degree burns on adult skin

Wow that's one way to look at it!!.. Thanks!

 

[Dave A.]

Must be different with water. Because I was just measuring temps around my insert which is burning kind of hot right now and I get 160F on the hearth right in front of the door. But I can put my hand on it for a few seconds without getting burnt. Putting my hand in 160F water that long would definitely burn it. So I guess under 160F around a stove isn't bad, and 128F should be no problem at all.

 

[RockyMtnHigh]

Let's not forget how much pain these companies go through to get the UL listing.... I think the numbers are trustworthy IMO

 

[Highbeam]

Table of Hot Water Scalding Temperatures & Times Water Temperature Setting
Exposure Time Effects of Exposure to Hot water at These Temperatures

Water at 120 degF 5 minutes 2nd & 3rd degree burns on adult skin
Water at 130 degF 30 seconds 2nd & 3rd degree burns on adult skin
Water at 140 degF 5 seconds 2nd & 3rd degree burns on adult skin
Water at 150 degF 1 1/2 seconds 2nd & 3rd degree burns on adult skin
Water at 160 degF 1/2 second 2nd & 3rd degree burns on adult skin

Does not apply to surface temps of a solid. Hot water is great at transferring heat to your skin and also wrapping around your skin. Plus those safety charts are always worst case scenario for an elderly lady with ultra sensitive skin.

 

[Dave A.]

The main point was to indicate the role the time factor plays with even a relatively low temperate. I cut out the first which was something like 10 hours at 110F causing burns.

Plus those safety charts are always worst case scenario for an elderly lady with ultra sensitive skin.

Actually no, the addendum pointed out that with the elderly and very young they might likely have lower thresholds.

 

[r_towle]

I was recently in a stove shop and saw some very attractive cast iron panels that might be designed to go in a fireplace....so about 30 inches wide, about 30 inches tall.
They had different impressions in the iron, so one had flowers, one had a wolf head, etcetera.

You may want to think about putting one of those between the stove and the wall.
It should not touch either the wall nor the stove, just get one with a stand.

I just looked it up.
It's named a cast iron "firebacks"

Plow and hearth has a few nice ones, there are many more to choose from when looking on google...