Insurance

[Squiner]

I did a self install of my wood insert. I called the town and they have no requiremnet to inspect the install. I called the insurance company and they dont seem to be concerned at all. They only wanted to know if I installed it IAW the manual.

I did the best I could to install per the manual. The only deviation from the manual is that my chimney is 12' and the manual requires at least 15'.

If for some reason my house burns down, is this going to be the loophole the insurance company uses to get out of the claim?

I know I can buy the flue extender, but most likey wil not do this this comming burning seson.

Thanks
Jim

 

[CarbonNeutral]

I think you already know the answer from the way you worded the question. The insurance company said do it per the manual - your chimney is too short - it wouldn't be a leap for them to say (assuming a chimney fire) that too short = poor draft = creosote build-up = fire = not insured.

On the flip side the manufacturer states 15' for a good reason - your stove will likely work much better. I would extend it, and do it before you burn this year, if possible.

 

[branchburner]

I think you really want 15', both for insurance peace of mind and for the best performance of your appliance. "The only deviation" is still a deviation.

 

[Fixedblade]

Greetings: As an insurance agent selling homeowner insurance for over 20 years, I can tell that there IS NOT a stupidity clause in a homeowner policy. A homeowner policy is a legal contract. Claims are paid every day due to stupid acts performed by homeowners. Failing to follow woodstove installation guidelines and having that act cause your house to burn down will NOT preclude the Insurance Company from having to pay the claim. The only way an Insurance Company can deny a claim is if it's Excluded by specific policy language OR the applicant lied on the application.
FB in Vt.

 

[mellow]

That was one thing I was going to mention when I saw your chimney that man that thing looks short. I figured it had to be a 12 ft chimney, I know your trying to keep costs down but really 15' is a minimum for a reason, your draft on an external chimney with an uninsulated liner is not going to be the best it could be.

I don't think your going to get the answer your looking for here.

 

[MountainStoveGuy]

yea, that one deviation was an important deviation. especially if its not lined and installed in a damaged clay flue tile chimney.

 

[rob bennett]

Can someone point me to the code about measuring chimney height? I have run across a few sites saying that the measurement is taken from 'the floor that the wood stove sits on" Is that true? Don't mean to hyjack your post but it seems relevant.

 

[mellow]

I know most stove manuals say measure from top of insert to top of chimney.

Edit: I am wrong on that, measure from base of appliance. "Maintain a 15' (4.5m) minimum overall height measured from the base of the appliance."

 

[Squiner]

Thanks for all the replies. Yeah mellow, it's from the base of the fireplace per the napoleon 1402 manual.

I guess I need to increase that height.

 

[rob bennett]

Thanks, I just extended my chimney 2 feet using bricks. It would have been fun if it wasn't 20 feet up in the air.

 

[firefighterjake]

Greetings: As an insurance agent selling homeowner insurance for over 20 years, I can tell that there IS NOT a stupidity clause in a homeowner policy. A homeowner policy is a legal contract. Claims are paid every day due to stupid acts performed by homeowners. Failing to follow woodstove installation guidelines and having that act cause your house to burn down will NOT preclude the Insurance Company from having to pay the claim. The only way an Insurance Company can deny a claim is if it's Excluded by specific policy language OR the applicant lied on the application.
FB in Vt.

Our Fire Inspector who formerly worked for Insurance Companies doing fire investigations has said the same thing . . . so yes, it sounds as though you could go with the shorter chimney if all you're worried about is the insurance company not paying out on a potential claim.

That said . . . I think you know the real answer to this question . . . add a few more feet and buy yourself some peace of mind . . . it's a whole lot cheaper insurance in the long run not having to worry as the minimum height requirements are usually listed for a reason . . . besides I can tell you that even if you decided to cheapen out and go with the shorter run knowing the insurance company would still most likely pay out . . . do you really even want to take the chance of having a fire and having to deal with replacing things (or the loss of life even) just because of a few extra feet of chimney? Some things are worth paying extra for . . . and in my book . . . paying a little extra for my safety and the safety of my family is money well spent.

 

[Slow1]

Thanks, I just extended my chimney 2 feet using bricks. It would have been fun if it wasn't 20 feet up in the air.

I imagine it would have been even more fun doing it in the middle of the winter to solve a draft problem... 20' up in the air and below freezing would have made that brick work a blast.

Glad you got it worked out.