# Stove pipe condesation



## markcrain (Oct 21, 2010)

I installed my little wood stove yesterday and last night I got a LOT of water dripping out of the pipe come nightfall. I closed the vents on the stove and that helped a little but if I burn it and the fire goes out over night its going to be sitting with the vent open. The pipe is just plain old black stove pipe. out the wall and up past the roof. Its non insulated but even if it was wouldn't the pipe out side be just as cold if I weren't burning the stove and still condense? How is this best handled?


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## Harry Chickpea (Dec 19, 2008)

No. The pipe that is on the exterior would be warmer if it was insulated or triple wall - and a LOT safer. What you have is a combination of wet wood condensation of water vapor and creosote. The situation you describe screams chimney fire at me. There is a reason for the code on wood burning appliances.


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## markcrain (Oct 21, 2010)

Harry Chickpea said:


> No. The pipe that is on the exterior would be warmer if it was insulated or triple wall - and a LOT safer. What you have is a combination of wet wood condensation of water vapor and creosote. The situation you describe screams chimney fire at me. There is a reason for the code on wood burning appliances.


Id understand that if I had been using the stove. This happened on a brand new, never lit stove pipe. Wouldn't any new pipe whether single wall or double wall be the same as the outdoor temp if there is no fire?


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## Murphy625 (Oct 16, 2014)

If you have an uninsulated pipe going to the outdoors, you are putting yourself at great risk of a chimney fire. 
This isn't a "wear your seat belt" type of thing.. There's a darn good chance you will eventually get a chimney fire due to the condensing creosote on the inner wall.. 

Since you've done that, I would then question the construction of the rest of the system.. Are you pipes put together in the right direction so creosote drips back into the stove? Most folks will initially do it incorrectly if they are not familiar with these things.. There thoughts are smoke rises the top pipe fits over the bottom pipe.. Not so! The bottom pipe must fit over the pipe above it.

What about rain or evening condensation? Will it run toward the wall or away from the wall?


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## Dixie Bee Acres (Jul 22, 2013)

Murphy625 said:


> If you have an uninsulated pipe going to the outdoors, you are putting yourself at great risk of a chimney fire.
> This isn't a "wear your seat belt" type of thing.. There's a darn good chance you will eventually get a chimney fire due to the condensing creosote on the inner wall..
> 
> Since you've done that, I would then question the construction of the rest of the system.. Are you pipes put together in the right direction so creosote drips back into the stove? *Most folks will initially do it incorrectly if they are not familiar with these things.. There thoughts are smoke rises the top pipe fits over the bottom pipe.. Not so! The bottom pipe must fit over the pipe above it.
> ...


um, not according to the manufacturer of the pipe I installed at my last place, nor the place I bought it, nor the fire marshal who had to inspect it and sign off on it before my insurance company would insure it.


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## Dixie Bee Acres (Jul 22, 2013)

Hmmmm, just googled it, this article shows pictures that are in agreement with what I was told, but the wording of the text somewhat seems to disagree.

http://www.ehow.com/way_5814063_wood-stove-pipe-installation.html

Yet the pipe I had purchased had an arrow stamped into it pointing toward the crimped end and said "flow".


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## Murphy625 (Oct 16, 2014)

Dixie Bee Acres said:


> um, not according to the manufacturer of the pipe I installed at my last place, nor the place I bought it, nor the fire marshal who had to inspect it and sign off on it before my insurance company would insure it.


I know you're going to find this hard to believe because you don't know me, but I am telling you that anyone who says you don't need an insulated pipe outside is wrong.. The only place where you don't need the pipe to be insulated is that space which is indoors. (and even there its actually a good idea but not required)..

If your fire inspector approved a single wall pipe on the outside of your home, than he/she is either incompetent, or he didn't look at it closely enough and just assumed it was an insulated chimney section.

Also, per your post above, the website "E-How" is filled with inaccurate and incomplete information.. So much so, I emailed google one time and asked them if there was a way to block certain websites from my search strings automatically.. (never did get an answer on that).. But my point is that E-how is a joke..

Please trust me on this.. do some more research.. Call Selkirk and see what they have to say...


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## Harry Chickpea (Dec 19, 2008)

markcrain said:


> Id understand that if I had been using the stove. This happened on a brand new, never lit stove pipe. Wouldn't any new pipe whether single wall or double wall be the same as the outdoor temp if there is no fire?


The warm moist air from the interior of your house is rising, encountering the cold surface of the interior of the pipe, and condensing out. Insulated or multiple walled pipe will not reach the same cold exterior temperature and likely will not reach the dew point where condensation occurs.

I'll put my concern as succinctly as I can. *You could not PAY me to sleep in your house once a few fires had been started in the stove. * Chimney and stack fires are bad enough with proper piping. I have to agree that the inspector was incompetent or misinformed.

I STRONGLY suggest you re-pipe according to common standards.


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## Darren (May 10, 2002)

Your pipe is installed backwards. It should be installed such that anything flowing down the chimney flows into the pipe below. Crimped end goes down and inside the pipe below or closer to the stove. The pipe should also be held together with screws if it isn't self-locking.

FWIW, I do inspections for insurance companies and your installation would be flagged, per their guidelines.


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## 12vman (Feb 17, 2004)

Don't use non insulated pipe outside. It will plug up in no time and is a huge fire hazard. Believe me, I know..

I installed triple wall and never had a problem again. Almost lost my house by being cheap..


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## Dixie Bee Acres (Jul 22, 2013)

Murphy625 said:


> I know you're going to find this hard to believe because you don't know me, but I am telling you that anyone who says you don't need an insulated pipe outside is wrong.. The only place where you don't need the pipe to be insulated is that space which is indoors. (and even there its actually a good idea but not required)..
> 
> If your fire inspector approved a single wall pipe on the outside of your home, than he/she is either incompetent, or he didn't look at it closely enough and just assumed it was an insulated chimney section.
> 
> ...


The insulated pipe wasn't my point, of course you have to have insulated pipe outside and through walls and such. I was talking about the direction of the stove pipe.


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## doingitmyself (Jul 30, 2013)

Harry and others are right on friend. I know insulated pipe is expensive but it is a must have for safe installation. Maybe not needed in a duck blind that's replaceable, (which you and your family are not) . But non insulated stove pipe is terribly unsafe in outdoor use. 

Any pipe that goes through a wall, ceiling, roof, or is outside absolutely must be insulated. Stainless that will handle 2100* is the safest, and code around here, pricey as in $75 a 3 ft section but totally necessary.

All crimps point down or towards the source of fire, use wood stove cement to seal any smoke emitting spots. This direction allows condensation to drip into the next pipe instead of out the pipe and into your living space onto the floor or stove.

Hope you get things straightened out for safety and your comfort.:thumb:


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