water leaking through woodstove flue pipe joints. How do I seal it so water doesnt leak through anymore. Any Help is appreciated.

[bubba1923]

so i bought a wood stove recently and the flue pipe came in sections that fit into one another.
At the Joints water is leaking on the outside of the pipe as seen in the crappy flip phone picture i took.
I'm here hoping someone here can tell me how to seal the flue pipe joints properly and what products I need to do the job.
I got the idea to use exhaust pipe clamps on it to seal it but I'm not sure if that would work against water leakage
I also thought of using that exhaust wrap that fixes exhaust leaks on cars but I'm also unsure if that would work.
this is my first wood stove and I'm learning everything as i go.
Currently the water you see leaking through in the picture is condensation as the top of the pipe is covered since the stove is not yet in use.

If someone could give me the correct kind of help i need It would be so greatly appreciated.
Thank you all for your time.

 

[Kevin Weis]

I think your flue pipe installed backwards hence the condensate dripping out the seam. Some better pics could help determine that for sure. Also pics of your chimney set up would help a lot. I'm sure others will chime in.

 

[Eman85]

As Kevin said it looks like the pipe is installed upside down. Common error as logic would make you think the male ends face up but the male end faces down or the pipes will drip like yours do. No need to seal the pipes.

 

[bubba1923]

Hello Kevin Weis and Eman85

Thank you both for replying

Yes You both are correct about the pipes being upside down but unfortunately thats how it was built and the piece the pipe fits onto on the top stove itself is too small being only 3 inches and the pipe joints are 3.5 inches so flipping it the other way doesnt work.
my only option is sealing the pipe joints,

 

[Trevor Tahclep]

This is obviously a bad installation and no amount of sealant will ever prevent these leaks, you need to go back to the drawing board and find the proper parts or get a welder/steel fabricator to make you an adapting collar for your stove that connects to the pipe.
DO NOT show this set up to your insurer !

 

[bholler]

They need flipped over the right direction no other option. What type of flue is that what stove is it etc?

 

[Highbeam]

Hello Kevin Weis and Eman85

Thank you both for replying

Yes You both are correct about the pipes being upside down but unfortunately thats how it was built and the piece the pipe fits onto on the top stove itself is too small being only 3 inches and the pipe joints are 3.5 inches so flipping it the other way doesnt work.
my only option is sealing the pipe joints,

3" pipe huh. Sounds like a tent stove or something. Maybe your fitting this to a pellet stove? Hope not.

It's been raining like crazy here in WA the last few days.

 

[Kevin Weis]

Some really small older European coal stoves took a real small pipe like that. But even they I think took around 4". I have one of those btw.

 

[Rickb]

Sounds like maybe your missing a stove collar adapter and just flipped the pipe upside down?

 

[bubba1923]

hello thanks for all the replies

its a cheap tiny home stove from amazon,
very well made other than the flue being upside down.
The flue pipe was made to slide over an adapter in the top of the stove.
The part of the stove the flue slides onto is 3in outer diameter so if I flip the flue so its right side up the 3.5in outer diamater pipe joints wont fit the stove itself because of the 1/2 inch difference in size.
to answer your about the model of stove seems to be less known but i can tell you its made like the Guide Gear wood stove but isn't labeled so I believe its a knock off made to look like that brand.
I just saw another persons post about it being a tent stove and yes I believe thats the correct terminology for what it is. the difference between this one and other tent stoves is the fact its not made of thin sheet metals like those others cheap ones you get from amazon its actually made of good qaulity carbon steel and weighs quite a bit and ive found out the flue pipe is made of good quality carbon steel instead of the cheap super think stainless steel pipes sold on amazon.
very stout stove for not being cast iron and only 100.00

 

[EatenByLimestone]

It was a poor manufacturing decision to make a stove where the only way to assemble it lets liquid drip down the side of the pipe. It’s only water now, once you start burning it could be flammable creosote.

You may want to rethink this purchase.

 

[bubba1923]

Hello EatenByLimestone

Well that was definitely eye opening advice
I never thought about creosote leaking out of there and creating a fire.
Thanks for the heads up.
To be honest when I created this thread seeking help I didnt expect to find out it could be a safety issue. I'm really Glad you spoke up and told me.
I'm Thinking I should take it to a professional welder and get the joints welded together properly.
Whats your thoughts on doing that? Would it fix the problem Im having?

Thanks again and I'm looking forward to your next reply.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Creosote is corrosive. Having it puddle in the joints between stove pipe doesn’t sound like a winning option to me. There’s a post on the Blaze King sub forum of it eating through the back of the stove. That’s fairly thick steel. It takes time for that to happen, but your pipe is much thinner than a stove.

I’d flip the pipe over and crimp the correct end with a hand crimper.

Let’s jump past the problematic pipe for a bit. What are the plans for this stove? Is the stove UL certified? If not, many insurers will not like it in your house. What are you using for a chimney?

 

[Eman85]

My suggestion would be to flip the pipe and modify or make an adapter to allow the pipe to be installed correctly.

 

[bubba1923]

Eman85 I believe thats what I'll do.​

Thank you so much for the advice.
That seems like the most logical thing to do in my situation.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Amazon product ASIN B08KS1H44R
These are the hand crimpers. They’ll shrink down the end enough to fit it into the stove. Please be careful. Sometimes staying warm is tough.

 

[bubba1923]

EatenByLimestone​

The picture is Greyed out I cant view it

 

[EatenByLimestone]

You may want to disassemble it fairly frequently to check for deposits and buildup.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Here’s a screenshot.

 

[bubba1923]

EatenByLimestone​

Thank you so much for the help and I Promise to keep up on the creosote build up every 3 days just to be safe.
Im currently looking for a adapter so I can turn it right side up and i will invest in a crimper too just in case.
Yes you are correct it is tough to stay warm but I promise I'm Going to be just fine. Thank you for being so caring about my well being you seem like a great person.
it looks like its time to take this thread down since it appears you and Eman85 have helped me find a solution.
If I run into anymore issues I'll definitely be back,
Take care and Merry Christmas

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Merry Christmas!

 

[BillBurns]

I used to have a set up that was upside down too. Same thing happened to me too. I took it off and replaced it with telescoping double wall. No more leaks of creosote. Im on year 3 now, and all is swell!