meet or exceed minimum wall clearance

[munkyboi]

hi

is it advisable to install the stove by just meeting the minimum wall clearance based on the manufacturer's specs or exceeding it?

the jotul f45 greenville has a 6" minimum clearance from the wall if double wall stove pipe is used. i am wondering if it's a good idea to do it with 8" to 10" clearance just to be extra cautious in regards to the protection of the wall (wood paneling) and the electric outlets nearby.

any advice and comments are appreciated.

thanks,
m

 

[Jags]

Its always better to exceed the bare minimum but the stove has been tested and approved for the specs. If you have the room, give it a little extra space. It may help you sleep at night.

 

[Warm_in_NH]

I installed my stove (Hearthstone Shelburne) and it called for a minimum of 6" on the corner clearance to an unprotected surface (sheetrock). I went 8" and still felt as though the wall was getting too warm for my comfort zone.
Northern Tool sells a free standing heat shield that I put up behind the stove as a temporary "fix". When I got tired of that I put in tiled panels with a convective air space behind them and this did the trick.
By initially exceeding the clearances by a couple of inches it allowed me enough room to add the tiled panels and still land everything withing the set-backs. (I was able to keep the tiled panels more than the 3" minimum on the corners to a protected surface and have a 2" air flow behind it)

 

[munkyboi]

I installed my stove (Hearthstone Shelburne) and it called for a minimum of 6" on the corner clearance to an unprotected surface (sheetrock). I went 8" and still felt as though the wall was getting too warm for my comfort zone.
Northern Tool sells a free standing heat shield that I put up behind the stove as a temporary "fix". When I got tired of that I put in tiled panels with a convective air space behind them and this did the trick.
By initially exceeding the clearances by a couple of inches it allowed me enough room to add the tiled panels and still land everything withing the set-backs. (I was able to keep the tiled panels more than the 3" minimum on the corners to a protected surface and have a 2" air flow behind it)

thanks all for your advice.

i will probably do it with 10", with the additional 4" would also make it easier to clean behind the stove.

 

[Lumber-Jack]

Exceeding minimum clearance specs also gives you more options down the road if you ever want to put a different (bigger?) stove in, or maybe make changes to the wall behind the stove, like in my case I plan to put some rock on the wall and add a wooden mantel, so I left some extra room.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

I've always been a believer it is better to exceed specs or code. Gives great peace of mind.

 

[firefighterjake]

Another vote for following the manufacturer's specs . . . and then exceeding them a bit for the peace of mind.

 

[eclecticcottage]

We exceeded ours by a bit for ease of access behind it. No problems with heat on the wall and it probably would be fine with the 4 1/2" it calls for.

 

[NVHunter]

Ok, here's my plan for my install this coming summer. The only point that's at the minimum clearance is the 7" of DVL in the upper right corner of my alcove in the drawing where the support box exits the alcove ceiling.

It's going to be 6" from the wall per the minimum clearances from the back wall. Do you guys think this is okay?

I don't want to move it as I'm moving the Class A Duravent closer to the exterior wall on the outside of the house then. I'll have 5"-3.5" of clearance with the Class A as it sits in the drawing.

 

[munkyboi]

We exceeded ours by a bit for ease of access behind it. No problems with heat on the wall and it probably would be fine with the 4 1/2" it calls for.

thanks all.

i am having additional 4 inches rear clearance, additional 1 to 2 inches on both side clearance and additional 1 inche front clearance.

speaking of exceeding the minimum, the following is what the jotul f45 manual states in terms of floor protection:

The Jotul F 45 also requires one of the following forms of hearth protection if not installed directly on concrete poured on earth.

1) Any UL/ULC Type I, Type II, or Warnock Hersey Listed hearth board.

2) Any noncombustible material.

does it mean my plan of placing a 10-12 gauge sheet metal plate on top the hardwood floor and put the stove on top of it would be fine?

- m

 

[Jags]

This is commonly referred to as ember protection. Yes, sheet metal can be used for ember protection.

 

[munkyboi]

This is commonly referred to as ember protection. Yes, sheet metal can be used for ember protection.

thanks.

i think i like the idea of going a bit further than the minimum ember protection

between a 20 gauge sheet metal and a 1 inch thick slate slab, which one will provide better thermal protection?

 

[Jags]

Slab. The thicker material has far more mass. Neither has squat for insulation values.

 

[NVHunter]

Does anyone know if the Lopi Cape Cod needs thermal hearth protection or just ember protection. The manual states it needs a non-combustible material which is 26 gauge or .018" thick. Nothing noted about thermal R rating and such...