Loud banging in stove pipe, chimney fire?

  • Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.

    We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.

    We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil.
  • Hope everyone has a wonderful and warm Thanksgiving!
  • Super Cedar firestarters 30% discount Use code Hearth2024 Click here
That is not good advice. The paper on drywall is combustible.

Right, that’s what I would have thought as well. Why am I having such a tough time getting a professional to confirm this? Everyone on here is telling me this is safe, and everyone not on here is telling me it’s absolutely fine.

I see plenty of stove setups where the pipe goes directly through the ceiling; how is this done to code so that it’s safe?
 
Last edited by a moderator:
If there was a contractor doing work in a development that got away with improper installs then that might explain it, but that doesn't make it right or safe. It makes it a time bomb that is ticking.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Dug8498
Not disagreeing with you at all. I’m in a difficult position here where I can’t seem to find any professionals that will even acknowledge that it’s unsafe which makes it difficult to establish a starting point of how to address this and move forward.

I’m do trust what you all are telling me, but as I don’t know how to remedy the problem myself, I’m in a tough position if I can’t find a CSIA certified professional in the area that will remedy this for me. I will keep trying.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Not disagreeing with you at all. I’m in a difficult position here where I can’t seem to find any professionals that will even acknowledge that it’s unsafe which makes it difficult to establish a starting point of how to address this and move forward.

I’m do trust what you all are telling me, but as I don’t know how to remedy the problem myself, I’m in a tough position if I can’t find a CSIA certified professional in the area that will remedy this for me. I will keep trying.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
You have one here that confirms it is unsafe. Also look at the installation manual for any prefab chimney it is pretty clear
 
Ask any sweep that says it's ok to provide documentation.
 
  • Like
Reactions: thewoodlands
Ask any sweep that says it's ok to provide documentation.

The one who came out last year did provide documentation, but I will ask whoever I can get to come out this year to do the same. As of now I have someone scheduled to come out this Friday, hopefully they stick to the plan


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
You have one here that confirms it is unsafe. Also look at the installation manual for any prefab chimney it is pretty clear

Yes, I do trust what you are saying and if I could get you to come do the inspection and work at my place I would! But I think that may be a bit far...

I asked begreen this before but didn’t see an answer: I’ve seen many setups where the stove is freestanding in a living room, for example, and some type of pipe goes directly through the dry wall ceiling. How is this installed to make it safe with proper clearances?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Yes, I do trust what you are saying and if I could get you to come do the inspection and work at my place I would! But I think that may be a bit far...

I asked begreen this before but didn’t see an answer: I’ve seen many setups where the stove is freestanding in a living room, for example, and some type of pipe goes directly through the dry wall ceiling. How is this installed to make it safe with proper clearances?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Using the manufacturer's support box which provides the proper clearance.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Dug8498
Sorry I missed that question. A ceiling support box is used to make the transition through the ceiling. The come in a variety of forms, round and square. Ours is round. They also make them for cathedral ceilings with a box enclosure extension.
If you look at new installs posted in the main hearth forum you can see more examples.

[Hearth.com] Loud banging in stove pipe, chimney fire?

Bholler instructed you correctly earlier. Is there access to the chimney pipe on the other side of this drywall? If not, the drywall should be cut away to determine that the chimney pipe has at least 2" clearance from combustibles all the way up through the roof. If it does, and there is a firestop on the other side of this drywall, then cutting back the drywall 2+" from the pipe and covering with a trim ring may suffice. But we can't know this. Some exploratory work needs to be done on site.
If it is drywall that drywall needs to come out. You then need to inspect to see if you have proper clearances from that class a pipe after that you need a proper firestop to maintain 2" clearance from drywall.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Dug8498
Sorry I missed that question. A ceiling support box is used to make the transition through the ceiling. The come in a variety of forms, round and square. Ours is round. They also make them for cathedral ceilings with a box enclosure extension.
If you look at new installs posted in the main hearth forum you can see more examples.

View attachment 234092

Bholler instructed you correctly earlier. Is there access to the chimney pipe on the other side of this drywall? If not, the drywall should be cut away to determine that the chimney pipe has at least 2" clearance from combustibles all the way up through the roof. If it does, and there is a firestop on the other side of this drywall, then cutting back the drywall 2+" from the pipe and covering with a trim ring may suffice. But we can't know this. Some exploratory work needs to be done on site.

Ok great, thank you for the starting point on this. I have already trimmed back the drywall to take a peek and there is a fire stop on the other side of the drywall. I will have to cut back more to see about the clearance up through the rest of the house.

Hopefully the sweep that comes this week (fingers crossed he shows up) will know what he’s talking about


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Good deal, hope all you need is to cut back the drywall and add a trim ring.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Dug8498
Good deal, hope all you need is to cut back the drywall and add a trim ring.

I’m hoping that’s all I need to do! Appreciate your help as always


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Digging back deep in this one here but did you ever get a chimney sweep out? Curious to see how all this planned out.

So I did have a sweep come out and they also told me that my current setup was fine.. a bit frustrating. I told them what I had been told by you guys and they said they could certainly install a ceiling support box, or something or that nature, but that they didn’t think it was necessary.

It’s on my to do list for this spring. I wish I could say I hopped on this right away but I just haven’t done it yet [emoji2373]

On the plus side, I’ve been up in my attic doing a little insulation project and was able to look down/ up and confirm that other than this bit of drywall that is too close, there is definitely 2” of clearance to combustibles all the way up from the stove through the roof so it should be a pretty simple install. Planning to either install a support box or trim back the dry wall and install a trim ring as begreen suggested.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Would like to see a pic of what it looks like inside that T. That's one of the oddest looking setups I've seen.

My dumb question - if there is no support box, what is supporting the chimney?
 
Would like to see a pic of what it looks like inside that T. That's one of the oddest looking setups I've seen.

My dumb question - if there is no support box, what is supporting the chimney?

well when you take that cap off, there is a stainless steel liner inside the class A chimney. The pipe coming in horizontally ties into the stainless steel liner. Yeah it's odd for sure. Very drafty setup.

I don't know anything about chimneys so i guess I don't really know the answer to that, but after having been in the attic it looks like it's braced in multiple times up there but I would have a hard time describing how exactly as I don't remember the specifics.