Stove pipe and chimney length question.

[ptgilland]

I'm relatively new to wood stoves, just bought and installed what I believe to be a mid 80's Resolute. I tried to do my homework on the installation, and over did as much as I could to be on the safe side. The only part that I didn't like the way it turned out was the stove pipe. I used the Selkirk universal roof support kit that has the 18" stove pipe adapter at the bottom. From the top of the stove to the bottom of the adapter is just under 4 feet. I thought I would have about a 2" overlap, and the guy at the hardware store thought that would be fine.

By the time I fitted the ends of the two 24" sections of stove pipe and put it into the top of the stove I was only left with 1/2 to 3/4" overlap on the adapter. I've used the stove a couple of times like this and it seems to work, but I'm not sure if I'm comfortable with it. I haven't seen anything about a minimum overlap, but will probably redo this anyway. I was curious if this is a typical situation, and should I be worried about it?

Also, I don't know what the optimal draft on the stove should be like. It seems to work fine, but I did set the smoke detector off starting it and once while reloading the stove. Also, one time I opened the front doors and it seem to really like spitting out sparks. I've notice some odor while burning that seemed odd to me, I assume it was probably the new stove pipe and gaskets in the stove.

I am in a sheltered area so there isn't often much wind. According to some charts I think my chimney height should be 16', but I have about 13'. I guess the question is should I keep trying with my current chimney height, perhaps I could be more efficient starting the stove and reloading so not to set off the alarms. Or should I add another 3' section to the top, this wouldn't be hard to do but I wasn't sure if it would make much difference.

Thanks for advice,
Pete

 

[Metal]

I would not feel safe with less than 2" of overlap (that is what is typically recommended). Simply add a 12" section, should be relatively cheap fix.

 

[ptgilland]

Sounds good, any advice on the chimney length? Will an extra 3 feet make much difference in draft?

Thanks

 

[Hogwildz]

Yes, taller chimney = better draft.

 

[Gooserider]

Code REQUIRES a 2" overlap on pipe joints as I understand it. Certainly if you have single wall stove pipe, the bulge just above the crimps on the male end should be touching the edge on the female connector that it joins to. Sounds like you need to either add a short section of pipe, or possibly purchase a "slip-joint" pipe that will give you the ability to adjust the fit so it's perfect. Remember also that you need three sheet metal screws at each joint to hold everything together.

Also, adding the extra 3 feet of chimney on the outside may make a BIG difference in your draft performance - remember it has to be the same brand and model of pipe that you are already using, and must be a class A pipe. You may also need to add or change your bracing setup to fit the taller pipe.

Gooserider