Wood burning stoves: selection, installation, inspection, repair & safety:

Here are photos and examples of the wood stove installation and safety details that can help prevent a chimney fire or house fire.

We discuss wood stove installation clearances from combustibles, wood stove draft control or heat output control, wood stove safety checkpoints (including some recommended by the U.S. CPSC), and heating with wood as a means of reducing building or home heating costs.

The article includes wood stove code citations, links to references & research on using wood stoves, and reports of house or chimney fires related to wood stoves.

Wood Stove, Coal Stove, or Fireplace Insert: Safety Checks

Before using your wood stove or coal stove in the coming or current heating season, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission [since 1983 has] strongly urges, if you have a [wood stove or coal stove] or fireplace connected to a metal chimney, to check for any damage that may have occurred in the past heating season.

Look for signs of structural failure, such as deformation, cracks, or holes. If it is difficult to examine the chimney, a local chimney repairperson, chimney "sweep", or dealer can help. Have any damage repaired before using the heating device.

Most fires in metal factory-built chimneys occur because of improper installation (such as failure to provide proper fire clearance distances or heat shields or both), improper wood stove use, or improper or inadequate maintenance such as permitting an unsafe level of creosote to accumulate in a chimney or flue.

The US CPSC has identified the following common causes of wood-stove related fires [supplemented by InspectApedia - Ed] :

• Improper chimney installation 
  
  causing ignition of nearby wood framing.
• Structural damage to the chimney 
  
  caused by burning creosote (a black tar-like substance which builds up inside the flue.
• Chimney corrosion
  
   resulting in wood framing being exposed to excessive temperatures.
• Buckling and collapsing 
  
  of the inner liner of the chimney. (This can result from too hot a fire, especially in high-efficiency stoves and in fireplace inserts, or from a creosote fire.)
• Many serious fires also occur in masonry chimneys, 
  
  usually from improper installation or when the tile inner liner and the surrounding brick or block structure crack and separate. Such cracks may be caused by the ignition of creosote. Smoke and heat can then escape and ignite material near the chimney.

Sketch - US CPSC. [Click to enlarge any image]

Even when the heating appliance is properly installed, people with both metal and masonry chimney systems should frequently check the chimney for creosote deposits, soot build-up or physical damage.

This flue safety check involves only a simple visual examination, but it should be done as often as twice a month during heavy use.

Signs of or causes of creosote accumulation in a chimney

At wood stoves where creosote is a particular hazard, you may suspect creosote build-up if

• Green wood:
  
  You are burning a lot of green or uncured or damp wood.
• Stuck flue damper:
  
  You cannot freely rotate the flue damper control.
• Tap on the metal flue:
  
  Thumping or tapping on the metal flue pipe connecting the stove to the chimney makes a dull thump rather than a tinny sound.
• Creosote leaks or odors:
  
  You see creosote leaking out of stove-pipe joints (which also tells you the flue was assembled upside down and may indicate an amateur, improper, uninspected or otherwise unsafe installation).

If you see heavy creosote build-up, suspect a problem, or have had a chimney fire, a qualified chimney repairperson or chimney "sweep" should perform a complete safety inspection. They can arrange for any necessary repairs or creosote removal, which must be done before the heating appliance is used again. Details are

at CREOSOTE FIRE HAZARDS.

Wood Stove Safety Advice from the US CPSC

Photo: my friend Paul Galow traded me a wristwatch for this beautiful Jotul woodstove that was too big for the room where I (DF) was using it. He's not as nervous about fire clearance distances as I was, but he did use my ceramic heat shield spaced away from the wall (behind the stove) and he built that double-walled heat reflector to assure himself that his woodstove installation wouldn't set the nearby carpeting on fire.

The US Consumer Product Safety Commission advises owners of metal woodstove or fireplace insert chimneys to make these safety checks

• Be sure that the chimney and stove pipe were installed correctly: 
  
  in accordance with the manufacturers' recommendations and local building codes. If there is any doubt, a building inspector or fire fighter can determine whether the system is properly installed.
• Have the chimney checked routinely:
  
  by a chimney "sweep" at least once a year, and more frequently if a stove is heavily used (for example, if it's used as a primary heat source for the home).
• Check air intake and flue damper operation:
  
  Check that the chimney flue damper and/or wood stove or coal stove air intake damper can be operated properly.
  
  While checking a flue damper, you may get a clue that the flue is heavily coated with creosote if you can no longer move the damper freely.
  
  Watch out: if the incoming combustion air cannot be shut down because of leaky woodstove or coal stove gaskets or other damage, the coal stove, woodstove, or pellet stove is unsafe as its burn-rate cannot be regulated.
  
  See DAMPERS & DRAFT REGULATOR TYPES
• Always operate your appliance within the manufacturers' recommended temperature limits:
  
  Too low a temperature increases creosote build-up and too high a temperature may lead to a fire. Chimney temperature monitors are available and should be used.
• Make sure that your home has working smoke detectors & CO (carbon monoxide) detectors:
  
  properly installed and located and tested regularly to be sure they are working.
  
  Watch out: working smoke & CO detectors combined with accessible safe building fire exits are among the most important life safety features in your home.
• Make sure that your home has appropriate fire extinguishers:
  
  located by the home exit doors, and of an appropriate size and type if you use a fireplace or woodstove.

If you have had a fire or other safety problem with your chimney, please provide this information to the Commission by calling the Commission's toll-free Hotline 800-638-CPSC.

At FIRE CLEARANCES, WOOD COAL & PELLET STOVES

we discuss heat shielding in detail, warning that even relatively low temperatures applied to nearby combustibles can, over time, lower the combustion point of nearby combustible materials such as wood framing.

See PYROLYSIS EXPLAINED for those details.

How to Use the Wood Stove Draft Control to Control Heat Output

Watch out: people often leave the woodstove door open for a time after lighting the woodstove fire as a way to boost draft and get the fire going.

But if you forget and leave the door open, at least on some woodstoves and certainly on coal stoves or wood-oil combination boilers and furnaces, the result is a dangerously overheated heating appliance that can either ruin the appliance (by warping the component parts) or it can set the building or chimney on fire.

Our tenant, Stanley Pyrek, left the door to our coal stove ajar to get a fire started, then forgot about it. The result was severe overheating of the coal stove, deforming the stove door and other parts so that the stove was no longer usable.

This mistake also came close to setting the house on fire. It was an unforgettable experience.

I'm not so sure the wood burning stove shown at left above is a fire-safe installation, but you can plainly see the manual flue damper handle (pointed-to by our blue arrow) in the rusty flue section about 30 inches above the top of the woodstove.

When the damper handle's long axis is parallel to the flue the damper is in its fully open position.

Also see FIRE CLEARANCES, SINGLE WALL METAL FLUES & VENTS for a discussion of heat shielding at flue vent connectors.

Woodstoves also regulate the wood fire and thus stove temperature by adjusting the combustion air intake to the woodstove.

Shown just above is a beautiful Jotul woodstove that I (DF) traded to Paul Galow for a fancy wristwatch. The orange circle is around the woodstove air inlet draft control.

Watch out: if the incoming combustion air cannot be shut down because of leaky wood stove gaskets or other damage, the wood stove is unsafe.

In our Norwegian Jotul woodstove photo above , Paul has installed air-spaced heat shields of ceramic tile mounted on fireproof board behind the stove and he added a heat shield (the silver contraption) on the side of the stove facing a bed just to slow down the heat in that direction.

That wood-box on the left side of the stove is a bit close in my OPINION, but Mr. Galow is not much impressed by my caution.

Our photo above shows the results of a house fire that occurred when a wood burning heater was left running unattended.

Watch out: if the flue damper rusts or becomes damaged, it may be impossible to slow the chimney draft, resulting in an overheating stove and possibly a chimney or house fire.

Though questionable fire clearances and accumulated creosote may have been factors, just such a runaway wood stove fire and its disastrous results are illustrated
at CHIMNEY FIRE ACTION / PREVENTION (live link is given below in Recommended Articles).

See also WOOD STOVES, CATALYTIC PUFF-BACKS

Readers wanting to understand how heat as low as 200 degF. can, over time, lower the combustion point of nearby combustible materials such as wood framing will want to

see PYROLYSIS EXPLAINED

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Reader Q&A - also see RECOMMENDED ARTICLES & FAQs

What is the clearance distance from a verticle single-wall woodstove pipe to the ceiling?

I'm curious if you know what I need for a clearance from single wall pipe to my ceiling if run vertically. I only find info for doing a horizontal run of single wall, not vertical. Is there no clearance requirement since it is less likely to convect? Thanks - On 2022-07-27 by Robert

Reply by InspectApedia (mod) - clearance from single wall pipe to ceiling if run vertically

@Robert,

Take a look at the answer given at

FIRE CLEARANCES, METAL CHIMNEYS

What's the clearance distance between a wood stove and an electrical receptacle (outlet)?

Hi, I have a question regarding a wood stove/ electrical outlet clearance. Have searched and can’t find specs anywhere.

I am replacing a pellet stove with a wood burning stove. Stove is new, efficient 2022 EPA approved. I have all the specs for the hearth, spacing to walls, etc. My question is regarding an electrical outlet. It was used for the pellet stove, and was located at the side front corner of stove approx. waist-high. I don’t want to remove the outlet, but want to make sure the wood stove has proper clearance.

What are clearance requirements from wood stove to outlet? Are they the same as to a combustible wall?

The wood stove is a Keystone Soapstone by Woodstock Stoves.

The electrical outlet is a galvanized box mounted to the exterior of the wall. All wiring and outlet are exterior grade as it was originally an outbuilding that was converted to a studio.

Thanks in advance, Chris - On 2022-05-13 by Chris

On 2022-05-13 by Inspectapedia Com Moderator - 36" - follow the standard clearance to combustibles between a wood-stove and the wall or wall receptacle

@Chris,

Yes you need to follow the standard clearance to combustibles between a wood-stove and the wall or wall receptacle - those can be reduced with an appropriate heat shield.

Normal = 36"

On 2022-05-13 by Inspectapedia Com Moderator - Installation instructions for some Woodstock soapstone woodstoves

@Chris,

NOTE: the installation instructions for at least some Woodstock soapstone woodstoves give slightly smaller clearance distances

Woodstock KEYSTONE SOAPSTONE STOVE INSTALLATION MANUAL [PDF] Woodstock Soapstone Co, 66 Airpark Road, West Lebanon, NH 03784 USA, Tel: 1-800-866-4344 Email: info@woodstove.com Web: https://www.woodstove.com/

Copy also at
https://inspectapedia.com/chimneys/Woodstock-Soapstone-Keystone-Installation-Manual.pdf

states
Minimum clearances with no heat shields to unprotected combustible walls:

From the back-------------------30”

From the sides-------------------18”

these clearances are also found in the Woodstock PALLADIAN WOOD STOVE INSTALLATION MANUAL [PDF]

Dee details on wood stove clearance distances

at FIRE CLEARANCES, WOOD COAL & PELLET STOVES

And also

Table 1. Minimum clearances from combustible walls and ceilings.*
Stove type

Type of protection
distance to Radiant - Circulating - Stovepipe
Stove Stove or Metal Flue
Surface Surface Surface
--------------------------------------------------
None 36" 12" 18"

1/4" asbestos
millboard,
spaced out 1" 18" 6" 12"

28 gage sheet metal,
spaced out 1" 12" 4" 9"

28 gage sheet metal on
1/8". asbestos millboard,
spaced out 1" 12" 4" 9"
--------------------------------------------------
Sources:

• National Fire Protection Association No. 89M, 1976.
• Cassens, Daniel & Susan Badenhop, Residential Wood Stove Installation [PDF] Forestry & Natural Resources, FNR-100 Marketing and Utilization, Cooperative Extension Service, Purdue University
  West Lafayette, IN 47907 USA - Web: https://www.extension.purdue.edu/

 

I Need a wood stove installed in Northern Scotland

I’m looking for an independent contractor to do a survey for a wood stove installation we have had done anyone North of Scotland - On 2020-09-11 by Brian McKenzie

Reply by danjoefriedman (mod) - List of north Scotland wood stove installers

Here are 3 woodstove installers in Northern Scotland

There are probably other qualified inspectors but certainly in the UK RICS (Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors) includes people trained to perform building home inspections including of stove installations.

Contact RICS in northern Scotland at

RICS,
3rd Floor, 125 Princes Street Edinburgh EH2 4AD Scotland UK

t +44 (0)24 7686 8555
e contactrics@rics.org

https://www.rics.org/north-america/about-rics/where-we-are/uk-and-ireland/rics-in-scotland/

Who inspects wood stoves in our state?

Because we are caregivers we are required by the state to have our wood stove inspected. It has a straight pipe chimney. Who does these inspections? -

Reply by danjoefriedman (mod)

Mark

Wood stove inspection rules and people who do them vary by country State Province and City.

Typically you would check with your building department.

They may use an independent fire inspector.

But certainly between your building department and your fire department, there will be someone who can tell you who does those inspections in your area.

Pipe out of our woodstove slopes down before it goes into the wall: is this OK?

The pipe that comes out of the rear I'm on fire box goes on a slightly downward angle before entering the wall that comes out of the rear of my fire box goes on a slightly downward angle before entering the wall is this normal? - On 2016-01-23 by greg Purvis

Reply by danjoefriedman (mod)

I'm not sure what pipe you are describing. If you mean the flue vent connector that vents the stove to the chimney, normally that line slopes upwards. Don't slope a wood stove flue vent connector pipe "down" into the chimney.

...

Continue reading at FIRE CLEARANCES, WOOD COAL & PELLET STOVES or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX.

Or see these

Recommended Articles

• CHIMNEY CLEANING PROCEDURES
• CHIMNEY DRAFT & PERFORMANCE
• CHIMNEY FIRE ACTION / PREVENTION
• CREOSOTE FIRE HAZARDS
• FIRE CLEARANCES INDOORS
• FIRE CLEARANCES, MASONRY CHIMNEYS
• FIRE CLEARANCES, METAL CHIMNEYS
• FIREPLACES & HEARTHS - home
• FIREPLACE INSERTS INSTALL, INSPECT, REPAIR - home
• GAS FIREPLACES & GAS LOGS - home
• METAL CHIMNEYS & FLUES - home
• METAL CHIMNEY INSTALLATION MANUALS
• WOOD-OIL COMBINATION HEATERS - home
• WOOD STOVE OPERATION & SAFETY - home
• COMBUSTION AIR for WOODSTOVES
• DEFECTS LIST - HEAT, WOOD APPLIANCE
• FIRE CLEARANCES, WOOD COAL & PELLET STOVES
• HEAT SHIELD SPECIFICATIONS for WOOD STOVES & PELLET STOVES
• PELLET STOVE CLEARANCE DISTANCES
• PELLET STOVE DRAFT CONTROL
• PELLET STOVE MANUALS
• WOOD FURNACE FAN LIMIT CONTROL
• WOODSTOVE DRAFT CONTROL
• WOOD STOVE DRAFT TEST
• WOOD STOVES, CATALYTIC PUFF-BACKS
• WOOD STOVE INSTALL CONVERT
• WOOD STOVE / FURNACE INSTALLATION MANUALS
• WOOD STOVE INSPECTION CHECKLIST [PDF]
• WOOD STOVE MANUALS

Suggested citation for this web page

WOOD STOVE OPERATION & SAFETY at InspectApedia.com - online encyclopedia of building & environmental inspection, testing, diagnosis, repair, & problem prevention advice.

Or see this

INDEX to RELATED ARTICLES: ARTICLE INDEX to FIREPLACES COAL & WOODSTOVES

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