Pipe safety

[nhdeb]

I have a Dutch West in the basement. A friend who does furnace installation installed a 12" ductwork pipe that comes off the top of the stove and up to a register in the floor. It registers 170 degrees coming out of the register and the floor is hot. Should I do something different?

 

[begreen]

Yes, the stove is not a furnace and what the "friend" did is not up to mechanical or fire code. If in doubt, ask your local fire marshall and insurance company.

 

[nhdeb]

So, what should clearance be to come up thru the floor?

 

[Sprinter]

I think that would make me very nervous. I'm not a code expert, but it just sounds like a bad idea. I have heard of registers with thermostatic dampers that close when too hot, but I doubt if that would solve this issue and may even prevent what you are trying to do. In fact, if a register closes, it could cause even more heat build-up nearby with that duct continually trying to pump heat up there.

Just me, but I wouldn't keep it that way, no way.

 

[NaturalCauses]

If the register is directly above the stove, could you remove the duct and let the heat rise through the register on it's own?

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[nhdeb]

If the register is directly above the stove, could you remove the duct and let the heat rise through the register on it's own?

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that's the way I used to have it, but all the heat was staying in the basement , not really rising. The ductwork gets the heat upstairs nicely. I just don't want to burn down my house

 

[Sprinter]

If the register is directly above the stove, could you remove the duct and let the heat rise through the register on it's own?

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OP would still have to check the code for open basement registers. Some just don't allow it as I understand it, but it may vary. The issue is fire spread regardless of cause. I even have heard of cases that allow a register as long as it is framed in around the floor joists so that fire is less likely to spread through the joists. But you'd have to check the codes. Insurance companies would also have something to say about it too, I'm sure. Thermostatic registers may be allowed in some cases too, but now I see that an open register isn't doing the job anyway.

These kind of code issues can be as tricky as getting warm air upstairs. You'd think it would be easy, but it generally doesn't work as well as one might think.

 

[nhdeb]

OP would still have to check the code for open basement registers. Some just don't allow it as I understand it, but it may vary. The issue is fire spread regardless of cause. I even have heard of cases that allow a register as long as it is framed in around the floor joists so that fire is less likely to spread through the joists. But you'd have to check the codes. Insurance companies would also have something to say about it too, I'm sure. Thermostatic registers may be allowed in some cases too, but now I see that an open register isn't doing the job anyway.

These kind of code issues can be as tricky as getting warm air upstairs. You'd think it would be easy, but it generally doesn't work as well as one might think.

OP would still have to check the code for open basement registers. Some just don't allow it as I understand it, but it may vary. The issue is fire spread regardless of cause. I even have heard of cases that allow a register as long as it is framed in around the floor joists so that fire is less likely to spread through the joists. But you'd have to check the codes. Insurance companies would also have something to say about it too, I'm sure. Thermostatic registers may be allowed in some cases too, but now I see that an open register isn't doing the job anyway.

These kind of code issues can be as tricky as getting warm air upstairs. You'd think it would be easy, but it generally doesn't work as well as one might think.

ok, thanx. I live in a small town that has no fire marshal, etc, so I will disconnect ductwork until I can get someone to look at it.

 

[DuaeGuttae]

After you remove the ductwork, you might try a couple of things to encourage the heat to rise through the register. 1). Make sure that there is a way for cold air to get to the basement. In our former home we had two registers near the stove beside a beam that trapped the heat. On the far end of the room we had another register, and at times we even used a fan inside it to blow air down into the basement. There was also an open staircase that could act as a cold air return. 2). If you have a small enough fan, consider putting it inside the register blowing air up. We had some quiet doorway fans and used them for that purpose. It helped.

Have you read any of the threads about moving heat or establishing a convective loop? What seems to work best for many is moving cold air toward the stove and allowing warm air to replace it.

Good luck.

 

[St. Coemgen]

A friend

'A friend' will hold your hand in the intensive care burn ward and say he at least meant well.....

If in doubt, and you seem to be, get a professional to look over your setup.

 

[jetsam]

Get rid of the duct, leave the hole and the register, and put a fan at the top of the basement stairs blowing down. The fan pushes cold air down, hot air rises through the register, but it's the 100° hot air from the ceiling, not the 400° hot air from the stovetop.