Minimum Distance from Speakers to Wood Stove

[Parallax982]

I have the Pacific Energy Anderlea T5. The installation manual says that if it's placed in an alcove with walls on three sides, there needs to be 14 inches of clearance on each side of the stove to a wall. I've got way more than that. Right now I've got speakers next to the stove, but again there's more than 14 inches to each one.

I'm posting because I took a look at another set of speakers and they've got a larger footprint. If I brought them in, the stove would sit 8 inches from each one. I'm wondering if that's adequate. They're not a wall. But I wouldn't want to damage them, as they're fairly expensive. I'd be buying them used for $1,600. They sound better than the speakers I have but if there's no room, there's no room.

 

[brenndatomu]

I'd say speakers are more flammable than drywall, so you'd want even more than 14"...or at least 14...not 8.

 

[yooperdave]

Maybe it would help if you played "cool music" out of the speakers?


8" sounds way too close for speakers.........anything! (see what I did there?)

 

[Parallax982]

I don't think there's much heat off the sides of the stove. Plus it's not a solid wall. But I suppose it could dry out the drivers over time.

 

[danham]

...But I suppose it could dry out the drivers over time.

That to me is the big issue for an expensive pair of speakers. Even if the drivers don't dry out and crack, the cabinets might.

-dan

 

[begreen]

Speakers and heat don't go well together. It dries out the cones and drivers. I'd come up with another plan.

 

[Parallax982]

Speakers and heat don't go well together. It dries out the cones and drivers. I'd come up with another plan.

How much distance would you say speakers need from a wood stove?

If I don't have the space, my plan will be to keep the speakers I have and be happy.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

What is the cabinet made out of? Over the course of a winter, many of us see gaps form in our hardwood floors. A wood speaker cabinet might do the same, but the veneers, being thin, might split and not swell back the same over the summer. I’d consider this a bad idea.

 

[Parallax982]

If I bought those speakers, they have a mica veneer of some sort over what I imagine is a plywood cabinet. They were bought by the original owner unfinished and he brought in someone to give it the veneer he wanted.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Mica as in stone? The plywood is still wood. It’s still combustible. Once water is dried out of something combustible, like walls, furniture, or speakers, it’s easier to ignite. There are some pics floating around on the site of walls that were opened up to reveal charred wood. Maybe somebody can point them out. I wouldn’t want to take any chances.

 

[stoveliker]

Formica,.most likely.

 

[Parallax982]

Perhaps it is formica. Looks better than those cheap kitchen and bathroom counters but maybe it's a higher grade of formica.

So with the stove rated for 14 inches off both sides to a wall, would 14 inches to the speakers be adequate? If I take down the safety gate around the stove, I could get exactly 14 inches to the speakers on each side.

 

[Murray01]

Perhaps it is formica. Looks better than those cheap kitchen and bathroom counters but maybe it's a higher grade of formica.

So with the stove rated for 14 inches off both sides to a wall, would 14 inches to the speakers be adequate? If I take down the safety gate around the stove, I could get exactly 14 inches to the speakers on each side.

If the stove is rated for 14” then that’s what you need at the bare minimum. Keep in mind that hot glue is often used to help hold furniture(speakers) together and by heating it up the glue could let go. Had a cheap pair of hiking boots that the soles and uppers separated due to heat. The heat was from a furnace register trying to dry wet boots out so it doesn’t take a lot of heat.

 

[gthomas785]

14" is the minimum required for safety - i.e. your speakers will not catch fire if they are 14" away. That doesn't mean they won't be damaged over time. I would definitely be trying to get them further away. To know the correct distance for sure you'd need to get the speaker maker to tell you what a safe temperature is (it's probably something like 120 F) and do some measurements with a dummy object at various distances.

 

[begreen]

14" is the minimum required for safety - i.e. your speakers will not catch fire if they are 14" away.

This ^^. Safety means under 160º. If the speaker cabinets are laminated with formica, there is also a question of the temperature that the laminate glue is rated for.

 

[Parallax982]

Well, as it turns out, my wife wasn't crazy about those speakers so it looks like we're sticking with what we've got. They're narrower so there's enough space. And if I'm wrong, they're not nearly as expensive. An old set of stacked Advents. I may have paid $100 or $150 for each set. Plus the cabinets are beveled blocks of walnut and so less delicate. No laminates or glues to worry about.