Stovepipe has come loose from ceiling support

[Bills123]

Hi Folks, I'm a longtime lurker and first time poster. I have a Hearthstone Castleton with double-walled Excel 6" pipe going from an enameled flue collar on the stove to the ceiling support box.

When I installed the pipe, I started at the bottom making my connections up to the top, where everything fit snugly. Nothing is fastened at the top or the bottom, it's purely resistance holding it in place. Over time, the pipe has slid further and further down the flue collar as (I suppose) gravity does its thing and expands the pipe opening.

I attached pictures where you can see the pipe has come loose from the top of the support. There is a dripless connector going down into the stovepipe 1.5 feet, so currently there's no smoke escaping. But I don't trust it when I leave the house.

As you can see from one of the pictures, there's a few of these holes where I can use fasteners at the bottom. Once I get the pipe where I want it, can I drill pilot holes into the enamel and then use a screws to hold it in place? Will it crack the enamel? Should I use a bracket/clamp instead?

I'd rather not secure it up top, because the lip of the ceiling support is too narrow. Any suggestions of how to secure the pipe so that the top of the pipe is flush with the ceiling support?

 

[VirginiaIron]

Are you sure there are no holes in your connector adapter? I thought the pipe connector was supposed to fit inside the stove adapter.

Edit- The installation instructions for your particular stove pipe must be followed. What I've seen, is those pipes/connectors with holes generally require a fastner because they do not lock the pipe together internally.

 

[VirginiaIron]

I would discontinue all use of that stove until you figure out what's going on.

 

[Bills123]

There are holes in the ceiling support, but it's on a very narrow lip of sheet metal, and I would have to drill and screw a hole through double-walled pipe to get at it. Also, the weight of the entire pipe would be resting on those fasteners in that narrow lip.

I'd prefer to drill and fasten it at the bottom near the enameled flue collar after lifting the entire assembly back into place where it needs to be....but i'm afraid of damaging and cracking it.

 

[begreen]

The pipe must be secured. There must not be any chance for the stove pipe to detach, especially while a fire is going. Attach it at the top. Pre-drill clearance holes for the screws through the stove pipe. Then put in position, as high up as possible and drill smaller tap holes for the screws. Then attach the screws. Is there an adjustable length of pipe in this installation?

According to the manual, the flue collar on the stove is predrilled for #10 sheet metal screws.

 

[VirginiaIron]

If the through ceiling connector requires fastning, per installation instructions, you must fasten it in order to maintain UL listing and/or remain in compliance with your insurance company, if applicable. I guess you can remove the internal baffle of the stove to get a look at the collar connector to see if it is pre-drilled, or you can remove that connector from the stove, after supporting the pipe, and verify if there are holes in your enamel connector. My understanding is that the connector pipe, your stove pipe, must always be on the inside of the pipe/connector/collar as it travels towards the stove.

 

[Bills123]

Thanks Begreen and VirginiaIron for your thoughts. The more I look at this thing and read your comments, the more I think I installed everything upside down. The holes at the bottom should be lined up with the holes at the top...and the offset ending at the (currently top) of the pipe should be what slides INSIDE the flue collar of the stove, not the outside. Oh boy...

 

[VirginiaIron]

You are welcome. At least now you have a concrete repair solution to your problem.

 

[begreen]

The stove pipe should have labels that indicate direction of installation.

 

[rwhite]

It's a common mistake. Folks don't install the female end up because they think smoke will come out the seams. With proper draft that doesn't happen. With the female end up anything (water, creosote) will run down and stay in the pipe and not run down the outside.

 

[Sodbuster]

No harm, no foul, just chalk it up to a learning experience, and fix it right. You'll sleep better at night.