Duravent chimney - will the chimney collapse if ceiling support box is removed ?

[lookloan]

I am in a tough spot. I have been building a new one story house and with colder temperatures here, I began to tackle installing DuraVent DVL double wall stove pipe to connect the new Pacific Energy woodstove that has been sitting covered for a year to not be damaged. The exterior Duravent, chrome exterior roof chimney had been installed a year ago, and everything is great from the ceiling support box, to the insulation shield in the attic to the top of the pipe that has to be 12 feet tall. There are no leaks and every thing is tight which is why it kills me that I might have to take this all apart.

The problem started when I called DuraTech support when I could not get the galvanized ceiling adapter that merges the black DVL pipe to the above chimney pipe through the flat ceiling support. I sent pictures of the ceiling where the circular metal support box enters the room showing the adapter not seating all the way up and DuraTech support noticed an adapter had been installed in error from above and pertruding thru the support box stating
I would be OK if I remove this adapter.

I have access from the attic where I could remove the insulation shield and some how lift the chimney pipe to remove this adapter, but that would
be physically impossible. I don't know if twisting out one section of the chrome pipe from above the ceiling support is possible so I thought maybe drop the ceiling support, remove the error adapter and put the flat ceiling support box back in if the chimney somehow did not collapse into the house.

I can supply DuraTech adapter, ceiling support and other part numbers but not sure if it's needed. I can't get the installer on the phone after trying for
a week and it seems with everyone excaping New York City and the NYers taking up all the workers it's hard to get anyone to do anything. I am hoping I don't have to take down the chimney or have to touch above the roof line because it is perfect as it sits now. Hopefully there is a way to get this adapter that is sandwiched between the support box and the chimney out. Thank you.

 

[webby3650]

You need to lift the chimney out of the ceiling box. Why is it physically impossible to lift it? 12’ of chimney isn’t very heavy. Someone can lift it while someone else removes the adaptor.
You may need to remove the storm collar and reinstall it, the flue will probably sit lower after the adaptor is removed.

 

[lookloan]

Thank you for your thoughts as they are greatly appreciated. Because the chimney has roof supports that extend out and the metal roof cover and shield around the pipe are siliconed sealed, would I have to unbolt the metal rings around the pipe and break the silicone seal to lift the pipe? My thinking was if support box was removed I would not have to find try to find an installer to go on the roof especially since the guy I used who is good is too busy to text back it seems.

 

[begreen]

The support box is a twist-lock type. This would not be possible to do by removal. Can the bad adapter be carefully cut out from down below? Post a picture or two of it please.

 

[lookloan]

Hi BeGreen,
I've attached several pictures of several items consisting of views of the support box looking up, close up pics showing adapter
lips poking through center of ceiling support, pictures from the boxes to show what was installed and how they looked, pics of the attic
view, the galvanized adapter that won't fit in the current ceiling support because center adapter is preventing full seating, a picture of
the stove pipe with the real adapter where the other end of the gavanized adapter goes, and a bunch of other pics. I like the idea of
cutting out the adapter but I am concerned it is also twisted onto the base of the chimney pipe section above it so not sure even if I
got out most of the metal, that I would not be able twist this off. Maybe there is a way to have 2x4s brace and support the chimney pipe from below so I can cut out the ceiling support. I tried to name the files to decribe what you are seeing.

Sorry - I am editing this as I have a typo - the adapter currently installed that needs to be removed is DuraTech 6DT-FC and the box pictured with 6DVL-ADT is the correct adapter to install once I remove 6DT-FC. I am adding to the bottom a picture of 6DT-FC and you will notice this is a twist on. What is unfortunate is the 6DT-FC is a newer, direct twist on adapter that doesn't need any other adapter. If you look close at the picture you will see the top twists on and this looks like tough metal to cut with shears. I sent two emails to DuraTech support today and they did not answer them. I am trying to understand the ceiling support since mine is all black and the ones they sell are galanized or unfinished. I wanted to know if it was all once piece or if there are two pieces to the ceiling support from the picture they sent me of the inside. When I look at the picture it looks like there is a separate ring in the middle of the box that is separate from the box.
DuraTech did not know how the 6DT-FC was installed and was wondering if the installer removed a starter piece which I am wondering is the circle. The person they gave me I have to pull teeth to get answers from and one would think they would be more detailed.

One more edit - I am adding a picture of the exterior chimney to show how involved it is to remove. The 2nd to the last picture is the adapter to be removed. If I was able to attach the stove pipe to this adapter, DuraVent told me I did not need the new adapter. But when I tried to attach it, I did not like how loose it seemed with not a lot of the wrong adapter to bite into.

Thank you for your time and help.

 

[kennyp2339]

I see what your saying, The adapter with the black flanged is used for double wall black pipe and goes on from the bottom up on the outside of the ceiling support box, the stainless steel adapter your trying to put on also goes on from the bottom up on the outside of the ceiling support box.
Best bet here, loosen the roof support brackets (there should be bolts on the sliding legs and also on the feet mounts that are mounted to the roof, dont touch the screws that are going into the roof since there hopefully sealed w/ tar or silicone to prevent water leaks, then from the outside lift off the top (2) 3ft sections of pipe.
You will have to be creative here with your hands and legs, take your legs (knee / lower thighs) and straddle the bottom 3ft section, acting like a vice, then using your hand twist to the right the next section of pipe to unlock it, gently lift off, this takes the weight off the pipe for working the in attic.
Go inside and gently but firmly lift the pipe off the ceiling support box (inside the support box is a metal locking flange, but since there is an adapter on the pipe from the inside of the box, the class A pipe will not be locked into the flange, it should just lift out, remove that and remove the stainless adapter. Take the class A pipe and set it back down into the support box and turn it to the left to lock in (careful here, is not a full lock, it more or less just feels like it gets tight, its easy to over tighten and strip past the stop point) re-install the rest of the class a, tighten down the roof support brackets (bring a level with you so the chimney isnt crooked)
Once down, slid in the new adapater from the bottom and continue with the install.

 

[begreen]

The DuraTech 6DT-FC is twist-locked in place. Have you tried removing it by rotating it in reverse? Check to see if there are screws on the side. If so, remove them first.

 

[lookloan]

Hi and thank you. The installer was able to come by and we reviewed the DuraTech support emails and Hearth.com feedback instructions. For starters w e removed the surrounding fire resistant Rockwool I insulated the ceiling rafters with surrounding the pipe and removed the insulation shield as I wanted to see the flat ceiling support from above to see exactly what was there.

I mention to my installer Ted that DuraTech didn't understand how he was able to put the 6DT-FC adapter in the 6DT-FCS Flat Ceiling support box and that my installer must have removed a starter piece. Ted replied the 6DT-FCS ceiling support we put up was exactly as it came out of the box and we did not remove or alter anything as it was all one piece. During the install, I cut and saved from each parts box the picture label with part number to keep track of what was installed and I have the 6DT-FCS label for the ceiling support box.

What is a mystery to me is the bottom portion of my 6DT-FCS because it is painted black as you can see from the pictures I posted installed in the frame. We did not do any painting. I mention this because I thought I might have to order a new 6DT-FCS if I removed the current framed in one and no matter where I look, the 6 inch 6DT-FCS only comes unfinished and not painted. All the ads for the 6DT-FCS say the buyer can paint with high temp paint. So how is it my 6DT-FCS is painted I am wondering? So Ted and I removed the insulation and radiation shield and exposed the top of the ceiling support box which is galvanized looking and unfinished, unlike the bottom. So it looks like the picture DuraTech sent me of the top down view.

From my observations, I asked Ted, if we were to remove the center piece, what would hold up the pipe as there would be nothing there. Ted replied the bottom of the FCS box we installed was just like the picture of what DuraVent sent and all one piece, nothing removed and no adapter added. and said no adapter was added above. I can say all the DuraVent boxes I got were new and sealed so I asked what is it then that I got in the clearly labeled 6DT-FCS box. Ted said this is the flat ceiling support and the picture we see are always the top and not from the bottom. Ted believes the circular lip we see coming down that DuraTech is saying is the 6DT-FC adapter is actually part of the ceiling support so there is nothing to remove. At this point I am puzzled because the drawings don't show this circle ring pertruding down on the 6DT-FCS ceiling support and Ted felt we were not given any bottom pictures

On to the adapter 6DVL-ADT which has the galvanized tube that wasn't fitting into the bottom of the Flat Ceiling Support FCS. So Ted began to play with the metal galvanized adapter to make sure it was shaped right and as played with he metal area of the FCS where it was preventing the galvanized part of the 6DVL-ADT from inserting all the way up. After about 10 minutes, Ted managed to to get the galvanized piece to rest all the way up and the cover black piece of the 6DVL-ADT could not fit all the way onto the FCS.

I will post a few more pictures with one showing the metal adapter fully seated but a part of me still wonders is this now fixed. The DVL pipe has holes in the outer wall of the piple and when this pipe gets to the FCS, I don't see holes the FCS so I don't know if this is correct as
one would think these holes should line up pipe to pipe. I have never seen the bottom of the FCS so is the metal lip supposed to be there because it certainly looks like the lip on a 6DT-FC. The diagram drawings (not pictures) I see of the 6DT-FCS shows one hole with no lip so I do not know since there are no pictures but just diagrams if this is correct. Is the 6DT-FCS just one piece as DuraVent support made it sound like there were two pieces but the picture she sent looks like one piece when viewing from the top down. I asked for a bottom picture and DuraVent support did not answer or send one so I don't know. It appears this is solved per Ted but there are some unanswered questions that leaves me a little uncomfortable. My concern is this area that merges the stove pipe with the chimney doesn't flow right will cause a fire. I am surprised at DuraVent's poor directions that should give more specifics as it seems there are options when it comes to adapters. The top view picture I posted is from DuraTech - note how it looks like one piece so not sure what the support person was referring to - other picture shows the adapter fully seated as it fits between the pertruding lip I talked about and the outer circle of the FCS - Thanks

 

[kennyp2339]

LOL, I'm a dummy here, please review this video, you got things backwards here

 

[begreen]

Either adapter goes on the room side of the chimney support box. I am not sure how one would install it any other way.