My Woodstove single wall pipe is 8 inches from my log walls

[Scott Stewart]

I bought a smallish log home with an expensive Danish Woodstove. It's beautiful and works very well, but the pipe is 6 inch single wall. It's not flimsy, thin aluminum - it's hefty steel, but it's about 14 inches from the wooden logs of the wall, and about 8 inches from a beam up towards the ceiling. I bought the house as-is so I have no recourse, but overall I'm ecstatic about the home.

The length from the stove to the roof is about 20 feet. I'm worried about fire, but not necessarily code compliance. The log walls get very warm to the touch.

I can afford to replace the pipe, but prefer not to.

Are there effective ways that aren't butt ugly to insulate the pipe? I see tent stove fiberglass wraps - will they be a solution? Or can I craft something with 8 inch half-pipes so the pipe heat still radiates, but away from the wall?

Any suggestions welcomed.

 

[bholler]

I bought a smallish log home with an expensive Danish Woodstove. It's beautiful and works very well, but the pipe is 6 inch single wall. It's not flimsy, thin aluminum - it's hefty steel, but it's about 14 inches from the wooden logs of the wall, and about 8 inches from a beam up towards the ceiling. I bought the house as-is so I have no recourse, but overall I'm ecstatic about the home.

The length from the stove to the roof is about 20 feet. I'm worried about fire, but not necessarily code compliance. The log walls get very warm to the touch.

I can afford to replace the pipe, but prefer not to.

Are there effective ways that aren't butt ugly to insulate the pipe? I see tent stove fiberglass wraps - will they be a solution? Or can I craft something with 8 inch half-pipes so the pipe heat still radiates, but away from the wall?

Any suggestions welcomed.

Just do it right and replace it with double wall pipe

 

[RockyMtnGriz]

I would think a 180 deg heat shield would be legit in this case. You could make your own, or they can be purchased. Searching stove pipe heat shield should show you some options. Double wall might be worth it for the clean look alone though.

 

[begreen]

Double-wall is recommended for stovepipe runs over 8' long to reduce heat loss and potential creosote buildup.

 

[zak77]

I'd install a heat shield and check temps, which would probably be fine with the shield installed. Just a simple piece of steel bent to match the curve of the pipe and screwed to it with an inch or 2 of air space between heat shield and single wall pipe.

 

[brenndatomu]

You could probably craft some sort of heat shield out of 8" pipe...depending on your skills and tools available it may even look "factory"
It would need to maintain a 1" gap from the bottom to the top for airflow/cooling...

 

[xman23]

You can used single wall from the stove to the ceiling box and double wall from there to the top. I have a heat shield on the back side of the single wall. it stands off about 1". I think you need it under 18" i was right there.

 

[stoveliker]

I'd change to double wall. It's better pipe, it's better for the exhaust gases (keeps it warmer, so less creosote depositing in the pipe). The pipe is *not* meant to provide additional heat. You want the heat coming from the stove, and the gases as cool as possible for your heating needs (stove operation), while staying above the "creosote deposition temperature" of 250 F or so (at the cap).

And if your pipe is very hot now, you might be wasting a lot of heat in the way the stove burns (due to its design or its operation).

 

[begreen]

You could probably craft some sort of heat shield out of 8" pipe...depending on your skills and tools available it may even look "factory"
It would need to maintain a 1" gap from the bottom to the top for airflow/cooling...

Imperial sells these shields with hardware but that doesn't address the high heat loss from the long run of pipe.

 

[yooperdave]

And if your pipe is very hot now, you might be wasting a lot of heat in the way the stove burns (due to its design or its operation)

.......or due to the fact that it may need a key damper.

 

[stoveliker]

Sure,.that is, to me, its operation - the things not due to the stove itself.

 

[Scott Stewart]

UPDATE: Thx for the help. I bit the bullet and paid a professional to install the180*, half-pipe 8 inch behind the single wall pipe, up to the ceiling, and 360* where the beam is too close in front. $2K all in. I could have done it, but the height (they used scaffolding) and the complexity of the two 45* turns made me think better. As it turned out, they used a band saw to cut a 45* 8 inch 360* pipe into two 180*, 45* halves. Replacing with double wall would have been a lot more expensive, and I know this is wrong but I like the heat from the pipe in my floor plan. I treat with creosote preventer twice a week. I just burned a bunch of cardboard in it and a lot of little pellets fell down the pipe, probably disturbed by the installation (first fire since the install). Thanks again.

 

[Highbeam]

Maybe not burn garbage in your stove. Firewood is the preferred fuel.

 

[mcdougy]

Hmmmm. Buying brand new 8" double wall black pipe would have been $1500.00 approximately.

 

[Scott Stewart]

I live in the boonies and get a lot of stuff from amazon, so I generate a lot of cardboard. My locale isn't big on recycling, so I'd have to drive far to find someplace to put it. So I burn it. Sue me. As for doing the 180* shield vs new double wall pipe, I saved money and I like the cutaway look.

 

[Hoytman]

Seems to me that a 20ft long heat shield would be counterintuitive moving too much cool air around a stove pipe that greatly needs to remain hot enough to prevent creosote from depositing itself inside the upper part, or any part of the stove pipe.

The part about the heat staying in the home is a cop-out to proper operation of the stove itself because with double walled stove pipe the stove has to work less hard to provide the needed and proper stove pipe temperature. A stove pipe damper would be installed not only for safety purposes against an over-draft or run-away stove, but also to give you more control of both the stove and draft.

It’s quite possible that with double wall pipe in tandem with a stove pipe damper, or key damper, that the chimney could run cooler while the stove rums hotter possibly without working so hard to do it…all while keeping the logs much, much cooler even to room temperature.

Normally I wouldn’t mind a shield behind a single wall stove pipe, but not one that long. Perhaps you can get buy with zero problems. I hope so. Would be nice to see that you don’t have to spend anymore money.

If you do end up having to install double walled stove pipe I’d highly recommend installing a pipe damper at that time. It will save you money installing it after-the-fact and quite possibly help you avert problems down the road. There’s no rule that says you have to use it, but it will be there if and when you need it in case of an emergency.

 

[Hoytman]

I live in the boonies and get a lot of stuff from amazon, so I generate a lot of cardboard. My locale isn't big on recycling, so I'd have to drive far to find someplace to put it. So I burn it. Sue me. As for doing the 180* shield vs new double wall pipe, I saved money and I like the cutaway look.

No excuses, burn the cardboard outside, not in your stove.

Burn dry, seasoned wood in your stove. That is, cut, split, stacked off the ground, and top covered for at least two years prior to burning. Seasoning the wood 3 years is even better. So get 2-3 years ahead on your wood supply. No excuses!

You’ve been given excellent advice. Take heed. Don’t say you haven’t been warned. A hot stove and hot stove pipes too near dry logs of a log home is no laughing matter. Do it right, or live to wish you had. The alternative is not living to say you wish you had listened. Be safe! We’d like to keep you around.

 

[Scott Stewart]

SUMMARY: I inherited a single wall pipe, 8 inches from log home logs. I'm a newbie, so I came here and got advice. I went with the cheaper suggested option of a 180* shield, installed by professionals. My floorpan contributed to the decision, as right or wrong I like the heat off the pipe. I have a damper - I keep it as damped as possible. I also have a slide which moves where the draw is. I treat for creosote twice a week in season. My log walls are now protected from the heat, so goal accomplished and thanks to this community for the advice and follow-up.

 

[kborndale]

Why do you need to treat for creosote twice a week? That is a red flag. I never treat for creosote, if I did I would adjust my burning habits so I didn't have too. Burn dry wood and you won't need to treat for creosote.

 

[Scott Stewart]

I live in a very damp place, at the bottom of a close in valley with two steep sides. Everything is always moist. Right now it's 61* F, and 89% humidity. My firewood never gets very dry. I've used kiln dried wood from the mulch plant, but usually need to work to get the fire started. The flat part of the hollow, where the year-round stream is, is only about 40 yards wide where my house is, and the house is about 20 feet off the bottom. I'm talking moist, with two tall sides of the valley draining rainfall straight to the bottom, where I am.

 

[RockCastile]

That's a holler, with a capital "R". 🙂 I used to live at the bottom of one.

 

[moresnow]

Sounds like an interesting location. Post a pic or two if you get time. Always interesting to see new places.

 

[Scott Stewart]

 

[Scott Stewart]

Pics above. The one that shows an open container of kindling or fat sticks on top of the Woodstove was taken before I bought the place. My lot is long and thin, 30+ acres, with the stream going from end to end.

 

[BigJ273]

Never burn cardboard in ur stove