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                  Insurance Information Institute

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                         WOOD STOVE SAFETY



       If you're among the thousands who have succumbed to the lure

  of the wood burning stove, keep in mind that the return to the

  "good old days" of wood stove heating can have some old-fashioned

  drawbacks.



       Fire hazard is one of them.



       The resurgence of the wood burner as a supplementary source of

  heat has led to an alarming - and growing - number of fires

  traceable to careless installation or misuse.



       The purpose of this pamphlet is to help bridge a generation

  gap in wood stove knowledge by providing some basic information on

  the selection, installation, use and maintenance of solid fuel

  heating equipment.



       Here are some principal do's and don'ts:



       DO-- make sure there is enough clearance between the stove and

            combustible materials, including floors, walls and

            ceilings.



       DO-- place the stove on a noncombustible, fire-resistant base.



       DO-- have a mason or other competent person inspect the

            chimney.



       DO-- burn only dry, well-seasoned wood.



       DO-- consider opening a window a crack for ventilation.



       DO-- dispose of ashes in a closed metal container outside the

            house.



                             ******



       DON'T-- extend the stove pipe through a wall or ceiling unless

               there is no possible alternative.



       DON'T-- connect a wood stove to a fireplace chimney unless the

               fireplace has been sealed off.



       DON'T-- connect a wood stove to a chimney serving another

               appliance burning other fuels.



       DON'T-- start a stove fire with flammable fluids, such as

               gasoline.



       DON'T-- burn trash in a stove; doing so can start a chimney

               fire.



       DON'T-- let a wood fire burn unattended or overnight.



                        SELECTING A STOVE



         Be sure your stove is made of sturdy, suitable material, such

  as cast iron or steel.  Look for stoves listed by Underwriters

  Laboratories (UL) or other recognized testing laboratories.



       If you purchase a used stove, check with local authorities to

  be sure you comply with local fire and building codes.



       Think twice about where you'll put your stove.  Usually a

  centralized location is best if the stove is to be used as a

  heating device.



       One point to consider is that warmed air rises.  If the stove

  is too near a stairwell, you may lose much of your heat to the

  floor above.



       If you plan to use an existing chimney, both its location and

  the length of its flue will be determining factors.  Note these

  guidelines.



       *    The horizontal section of the uninsulated stove pipe

            should not be more than three-quarters as long as that

            section of the flue above the point at which the pipe and

            the flue connect.



       *    National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards

            call for a 36-inch clearance between a room heater stove

            and any combustible wall or ceiling surface.  If the

            length of the horizontal portion of the stove pipe won't

            permit that much clearance, protect the combustible wall

            with a panel of some protective material, such as sheet

            metal, spaced at least one inch from the wall.



       Careful attention to the floor mounting of your stove is

  essential.  To meet NFPA standards:



       *    Stoves having less than two inches of ventilated open

            space beneath the fire chamber or base of the unit should

            never be installed on combustible floors or have any

            combustible material beneath them unless permitted by

            their listing.



       *    Stoves having legs or pedestals providing two to six

            inches of ventilated open space beneath the fire chamber

            or base may be installed on combustible floors protected

            by four inches of hollow masonry, laid to provide air

            circulation, and covered with 24 gauge sheet metal unless

            permitted by their listing.



       *    If there are more than six inches of ventilated open

            space beneath the fire chamber or base, a stove may be

            placed on a combustible floor protected by a solid brick,

            concrete or stone masonry unit at least two inches thick.

            That unit should be covered by a sheet of 24 gauge steel

            unless permitted by the stove's listing.



       *    The floor protection should extend at least 18 inches on

            all sides of the stove.



                      CHIMNEY REQUIREMENTS





       If you use an exciting fireplace chimney to vent your stove,

  it must be sealed off below the stove pipe's point of entry to

  prevent toxic gases from backing up into the room.  This can be

  done by:



       *    sealing off the fireplace opening, or



       *    sealing off the flue itself between the stove pipe

            connection and the fireplace opening.



       The cross-section area of the chimney flue should be at least

  25 percent bigger than and not more than three times that of the

  stove pipe.



       Avoid connecting more than one heating device to a single

  chimney flue because flue gases and sparks may pass from one flue

  opening into another and unsatisfactory operation may also result.



       Be sure your chimney is in good condition and that it has a

  flue lining.  Check for missing flue tiles and cracked masonry.

  You may want to have a chimney sweep check the chimney and a mason

  make any repairs that may be needed.



       With a masonry chimney, the stove pipe should be extended

  through the chimney wall to its inner face, but not beyond.  Use

  high-temperature cement to fasten the pipe to the masonry.



       If you have no suitable chimney or if you prefer not to close

  off your fireplace, a factory-built chimney listed by a recognized

  testing laboratory is a good solution.  It should extend at least

  three feet above the highest point where it passes through the roof

  of the building and at least two feet higher than any portion of a

  building within 10 feet.



                           STOVE PIPE



       The stove pipe should be of corrosion-resistant steel of

  suitable gauge.  These are the standards set by NFPA:



                 Galvanized          Diameter of

                 Sheet Metal         Stove Pipe

                 Gauge No.           in Inches



                      26             less than 6

                      24               6 to 10

                      22             10 to (but not

                                     including) 16

                      16             16



       NFPA standards also call for a stove pipe to have an internal

  cross-sectional area not less than that of the stove's flue collar.



       The pipe should be as straight and short as possible, with

  sections properly secured.  If it must have angles, limit them to

  one or, at the most, two sweeping 90-degree elbows or the

  equivalent.  The horizontal portion of the pipe should rise not

  less than one-quarter inch to the linear foot, to insure a good

  draft.



       You should not pass a stove pipe through a combustible wall

  for a hook-up with a chimney flue.  However, if there is no

  alternative, the stove pipe must be passed through a thimble or

  collar.  NFPA has set these standards:



       *    A ventilated type 24-gauge metal thimble must be at least

            12 inches larger in diameter than the stove pipe.  (It

            can be made by a local sheet metal company or tinsmith).



       *    A metal or burned fire-clay thimble must be surrounded by

            no less than eight inches of brickwork or equivalent

            fire-resistant material.



       *    Otherwise, all combustible material must be cut out of

            the wall to provide at least 18 inches of clearance on

            all sides of the pipe.  Material for closing this opening

            must be non-combustible and insulating.



                             DAMPERS



       If a wood burning stove has an automatic draft regulator

  controlled by a thermostat, the manufacturer's instructions for

  installing it must be carefully followed.  Alternately, a manually

  operated damper can be installed on the pipe near the stove.  This

  damper should not obstruct more than 80 percent of the pipe

  area.



       A second damper higher up on the vertical section of the stove

  pipe is advisable to permit shutting down the stove in case of a

  chimney fire.  You can have this made by a local sheet metal

  company or a tinsmith.



                            YOUR WOOD



       Green wood has too high a moisture content for satisfactory

  use.  For your stove select wood -- preferably hard wood -- that

  has been seasoned six months to a year.



       Wood split before storing to season dries in less time and

  burns more evenly.  Apple, red oak, sugar maple, beech and ironwood

  have the best heat values, according to the University of Maine

  Extension Service.



       Use of the proper wood is your best safeguard against an

  accumulation of creosote, an oily substance which derives from

  incomplete combustion, on the lining of the chimney flue.  A spark

  can ignite creosote and cause what can be an extremely hot and

  dangerous fire.



       Dry and well-seasoned wood will not only minimize the chance

  of creosote formation, but will give you the most efficient fire.



       Burning green wood can cause the formation of so much creosote

  that it may even run down inside the stove pipe and drip onto the

  stove or floor.



                         STARTING FIRES



       Be sure to open the damper near the stove before starting a

  fire.  (If you have a second, higher one, it can remain open, for

  use only in emergencies.)



       Build the fire on a shallow bed of ashes, which provides a

  heat reflecting surface.  Use a small amount of crumpled paper and

  cover it with a few small sticks of wood fuel, says NFPA.  When the

  draft is started up the chimney flue, larger pieces of wood can be

  added.



       If the fire burns too slowly, the draft louvers of the stove

  should be opened and the damper above the stove pipe opened wider

  or all the way.   Adjusting the draft and adding frequent but small

  amounts of wood make an even burning and continuous hot fire.



       Above all, never douse gasoline, kerosene or other flammable

  fluid on wood to get a quick fire.



       Another way of asking for trouble is to use your stove for

  trash burning.  The resulting flames can start a chimney fire.



                         IN CASE OF FIRE



       If you have a chimney fire, first call the fire department.



       While you're waiting for the firemen to arrive, you can help

  control the fire by closing the stove's draft louvers and the solid

  damper in the stove pipe.



                             CHECKS



       Before the heating season each year check and clean your

  chimney and stove pipe carefully and make any needed repairs.  More

  frequent checks are advisable if you are building up creosote and

  soot.



       Unless you are an experienced and competent do-it-yourself,

  think twice before trying to clean your own chimney -- you may

  damage your chimney lining -- you may damage your chimney lining.

  Rather spend some money on professional service than create a fire

  hazard that may cost you thousands of dollars or even result in the

  destruction of your home!



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