Best stove cement for connections?

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TMonter

Minister of Fire
Hearth Supporter
Feb 8, 2007
1,526
Hayden, ID
Wonder what the best stove cement/gasketing material is people have used? I'm going to be cleaning my stove and checking connections this summer and want to use something that will hold up well.
 
For stove parts, a tub of Rutland stove cement. For stovepipe and less permanent connections, 3M FB 136 Fireblock sealant works great. The only downside is that it's grey, not black.
 
Rutland black - now that is a simple question which we have been asked countless times over the decades!

In fact, I think at the shop it was the most popular answer to most queries. People would come in and tell us a whole story, and we would listen and say "furnace cement". It is sort of the stove industry equiv. of saying "WD-40".
:cheese:
 
with good quality pipe there is no need to Furnace cement pipe joints.
You don't need 99% air tight joints with a wood stove for if you stove is drafting well smoke will not come out.
Pellet and gas stoves are another story
 
hearthtools said:
with good quality pipe there is no need to Furnace cement pipe joints.
Don't think I agree... Tees and elbows are notorious leak locations. I have yet to see a tight one, including my Heatfab.

You don't need 99% air tight joints with a wood stove for if you stove is drafting well smoke will not come out.
Smoke isn't the issue. To me, anything that unnecessarily cools the exhaust stream is a bad thing.
 
precaud said:
hearthtools said:
with good quality pipe there is no need to Furnace cement pipe joints.
Don't think I agree... Tees and elbows are notorious leak locations. I have yet to see a tight one, including my Heatfab.

You don't need 99% air tight joints with a wood stove for if you stove is drafting well smoke will not come out.
Smoke isn't the issue. To me, anything that unnecessarily cools the exhaust stream is a bad thing.

Agee on all counts percaud.
 
Only pipe that is perhaps that good is heat-fab welded....and very few use it. With the snap-lock stuff, I have seen BIG gaps. While it may not matter in a case of a strong draft, it can be "death by a thousand cuts" in marginal situations.

Rutland is carried by Ace hardware if you have one local. If not, lots of net sites have it.
(broken link removed to http://www.northlineexpress.com/itemdesc.asp?ic=5RU-65)
 
I only sell and use heat-Fab for single wall but 95% of our installs we use ICC ultra black double wall
(broken link removed to http://www.icc-rsf.com/en/residentialchimneys/cheminee_ultrablack.html)

I have not used cement to seal a WOOD stove pipe joint in 10 years. If the pipe does not have a tight fit.
I find a part Or make a part that fits better with out havening to seal it.

The problem I see with Cement is it don't last very long and you find chunks fall off after the pipe expands and contracts.
 
Mine is the joints between the stove adapter and the homesaver stainless liner. Quadrafire gave me a new stove recently to replace my old one and I want to make sure the connections are well sealed. Additionally Quad also gave me an offset adapter on this round which should make my 3100i pipe hookup way easier.

I agree with Precaud, a tightly sealed pipe is always a good thing when it comes to drafting and keeping the gasses hot.
 
I strongly suggest the Rutland Black cement for the liner to adapter joint. I used it on mine anyways. That area is too hot for the high temp silicone.
 
The only place I used cement was at the stove collar. ICC ultrablack "is a tight as a bulls ass in fly season"
 
T Monster any refractory gasket cement will work for that flue collar application What Precard mentioned also will work it has the temperature range required I find it to flow better and a bit more workable but the 3M brand of 136 draft sealant is red the Dap version is grey If you are using in for you insert and the connection is out of site Home cheapo sell the #M 1336 draft sealant in 11 oz cauking tubes
 
elkimmeg said:
but the 3M brand of 136 draft sealant is red
Hmmm... the one I have is grey... wish it were black, though.
 
When I pull everything apart and redo the connections I'll make sure to take pictures of the whole process.

I'll be kind of sad to take the "old" insert to the boneyard just because of a small crack in the secondary air manifold. Seems a shame.
 
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