How to Hook-up a Wood Stove Pipe to a Masonry Chimney

A sound chimney does not have any loose sections, flaking mortar or gaps.

All woodburning appliances must be safely connected to a sound chimney to properly exhaust smoke, fine ash, and potentially toxic fumes from the building. If you already have a masonry chimney in place, inspect the flue, or inside lining, and the exterior brick or stone work for cracks or missing mortar. Repair all visible damage and clean the chimney. These two tasks could also be done professionally if you prefer. Be sure the chimney is equipped with a thimble that provides at least 12 inches of clearance space between the outside of the stove pipe and the wall through which it must pass.

Things You'll Need

• Stove pipe
• Sheet metal screws
• Electric drill
• 1/16th-inch drill bit
• Screwdriver
• Stove cement (optional)

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Instructions

1. Set wood stove up in its permanent location. Follow the guidelines for the proper minimum clearance distances from all combustible surfaces.

2. Insert first section of pipe male end down into the flue collar opening on the top or back of the stove.

3. Insert the second section of pipe male end down into the first section, making sure it is down to the top edge of the crimp.

4. Drill three holes through both sections of pipe, insert screws and hand-tighten to assure a snug fit.

5. Repeat steps 2 through 4 for each section of stove pipe.

6. Insert last section of stove pipe into the wall thimble, pushing it in so that its outer edge lines up with the inside edge of the chimney.

7. Check all connections and screws and tighten any that may have loosened during assembly.

Tips & Warnings

• The screws should be enough to tightly secure each stove pipe section to the other, but you can create an even tighter seal by applying a thin coating of stove cement to the inside edges of the male ends before inserting the female end of the next section. You can then proceed with Step 4, which is drilling the holes and inserting the screws.

• Use stove pipe that is the same diameter as the chimney flue opening, as modifying the diameter will interfere with the movement of smoke and gases as they pass from the stove to the chimney.

• Be sure that the last section of stove pipe does not extend into the chimney flue opening, as this could also interfere with venting and cause backpuffing of smoke into the stove.

• Wherever a section of stovepipe must pass through a combustible wall or ceiling, you must use a thimble or triple-wall chimney pipe. Do not run single or double-wall stove pipe through a combustible wall to connect it to a chimney. Only triple-wall chimney pipe is safe to run through a wall that does not have a thimble. Keep in mind that chimney pipe and stove pipe are not interchangeable in this case. Stove pipe is designed ONLY for indoor use to connect a stove to a chimney. Chimney pipe is designed to be used outside, as it is constructed to withstand the abuse sustained by extreme hot and cold temperatures and weather events.

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References

• Michigan State University Extension: Wood Stoves
• Alaska Department of Public Safety: Wood Stove Safety, p.9
• Hearth.com: Installing a Woodstove
• University of Missouri Extension: Chimneys for Wood Stoves