"Professional" Installation

The stove shop installed the stove in January, so I used it for half of last winter, and then for a few weeks now this season.

I'm not sure when the pipe popped off. I've noticed over the couple weeks I've been burning this Fall that the draft wasn't as good. I chocked it up to shoulder season outside temperatures, but now I'm thinking the pipe popped off sometime over the Summer.

If you look close, you'll note in the first pic that two of the three screws go through the stove collar, but never through the pipe. It was never really attached to the stove, except with one screw on the back side. Terrible.

I replaced pretty much everything to fix two main issues: the chimney liner was about two inches too long, and the horizontal pipe from the T was about two inches too short.

Last pic is my repair. Anyone see any issues?

 

Not sure if the liner shifted or the repeated heat/cool of the stove caused it to come out, but certainly those pipes didn't line up well with the liner. But that should be fixed now.

I was trying to use the ratchet strap in the second pic to reattach the pipe to the stove, but ultimately decided I just needed to re-do the whole thing. I'm not sure it would stand up too well back there with all the heat

 

That's why I like to drill a small pilot hole in the inner pipe, so I can make sure the screws are doing their job!

 

Looks like the piping wasn't put together properly, black chimney pipe is the same as residential duct work (hvac tech ,here). Round duct has 1.5 inches of penetration into the next piece. And the crimping doesn't look deep enough to make that happen. Looking at where the holes are and how deep the pipe was, they got nowhere near the required depth. I hope you didn't pay them much for a shady job.

 

Right?!?! I would think there's code to follow, and maybe licenses they maintain? Even if not, there's basic safety and quality to follow. I can't remember what I paid, but whatever it was, it was too much.

I'm just mad at myself for not catching it till now.

 

Whoever did this job should be ashamed of themselves. I can't remember what kind of stove you installed? Was it the same people you bought the stove from that did the liner and this "work".

On that last pic, are there any screws holding that exhaust pipe solid to the stove? 3 screws in each connection is pretty standard. Or at least I thought it was.

 

Depending on where you live (New Hampshire, I see) there could be codes and there may not be any. I know here in South Dakota, there is almost no codes for chimneys. If you burn your house down, its your fault. And because of the liability, no one will do it for you.
I had to buy and build this beautiful chimney myself.

 

I quit paying “professionals”. Between YouTube and other internet sources there is enough info out there to do pretty much anything homeowner wise. If something is going to get messed up at least I’ll learn a lesson and not hand my hard earned money over to some clown in a truck.

 

This reminds me of the bozo that "professionally" installed my stove and pipe. He cut through one of my roof trusses and then covered it up. Total hack job. I had to remove drywall and fix his mess, cost me an afternoon and $$.

There's a lot of professionals out their charging a premium slip shod work. I emailed and complained to the chimney safety institute of America, as the installer was a member. They said they found no wrong doing. Absolute waste of time. I notified his insurance company that he is a negligent derelict put my house and family at risk. I would have done the install myself if the insurance company hadn't required I have proof of "professional installation."


I hope you find a resolution moving forward.

 

Who shows up if and when they get around to it.

 

Yes, you're right 3 screws in every joint!! Unless, (with regular ductwork), it is between joist spaces, then you can only get 2 in at about the 4 and 8 o'clock position, but you still need to support almost every section of pipe.

 

Yah, bought the stove from the same shop that did the install. All sorts of issues with them, not just this, unfortunately. It's a Hearthstone Heritage.

They ATTEMPTED to use three screws at the collar, but two of them didn't pierce the horizontal pipe out of the collar. That's the first picture above where, if you look close, you can see in the separated pipe that it was never secured.

Honestly, I would have done the job myself, but I wouldn't have been able to move the stove into position. And I had this belief that they'd do a better job than me.

Oh well, it's fixed properly now.

 

That's a damm good looking chimney! I'd be out there polishing that sucker all the time. Probably good I'm plugged into a brick/mortar chimney.

 

If you ever have to move the stove again Balcom bros in Milford rents an electric stair climbing dolly for 45$ a day. I have moved more than a couple heavy stoves in and out of my basement bulked with it. Well worth the money.

 

My stove sits up on a brick hearth, maybe eight inches. Not much maneuver room at all. The only way to get it up/down is muscle.

But appreciate the tip! They're my go-to equipment rental place.

 

THIS ^^^^

But I truly do know my limits. There are certain things that must be left to the pro's with more knowledge and experience. But things that generally can be done by a DIYer I usually try and tackle myself by planning accordingly, asking many questions, and researching a ton.

Unless your getting someone very reputable, I find that most don't know much more than the average person and or do a job that is subpar yet you've paid a lot of $$ for the labor. It's a fine line for sure!

 

Yes of course there are some things that you just can’t do DIY due to time constraints or man power. In that case lots of questions get asked. Are you the person I’m talking to going to be on site? Will the work be contracted out? Do you have references?…

 

Here in Ma., you're supposed to pull a permit and get an inspection. The inspector the town sends out is just as clueless as some of the installers. Maybe more so. One of mine had no attic insulation guard amongst a couple of no-nos and the ceiling was still unfinished so you could see there was no guard without climbing into the attic. Passed with flying colors. Pay your fee, get your papers but there is no guarantee you are any safer than out in the wild west. Gov't here has become a crime club joke.