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There is a house for rent with a big barrel stove in the basement, the stove pipe is insulated where it comes through the floor however it is made of old sewer pipe, cast iron I imagine, it's about a 15-ft section, this doesn't seem like a good idea to me. I can find lots on specs for stove pipe (gauge of steel etc) but nothing the actually says what not to use for stovepipe. Would appreciated clarification.

Wasabi
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Heidi Kulcheski
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    Building codes usually specify the requirements for these types of things. In this case it would be that the stove pipe has to meet a certain UL specification. If you are looking for a reason why sewer pipe wouldn't be allowed for a stove pipe, a building inspector would probably say that it was because it wasn't UL listed. – hazzey Mar 05 '16 at 13:26
  • Is this your only source of heat? – Carl Witthoft Mar 07 '16 at 15:24
  • It's not completely clear what you're asking here, but it looks like the question is probably something along the lines of is it safe/permissible to use an insulated sewer pipe as a stove pipe? In which case that is very much something you need to ask a licensed contractor and/or your local building department, and not something we can or should handle in this format. – Air Mar 09 '16 at 00:58

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I'm not a mechanical engineer, but my worry is that the high temperatures and possibly acidic condensates of combustion gasses could corrode the inside of the cast iron pipe. You won't know it from the outside until one day enough flame or hot gasses get thru to catch something outside the pipe on fire. Or just leaking combustion gasses would be bad for the inhabitants of the house.

Olin Lathrop
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  • Yes, I would definitely install a good smoke/heat/gas detector near such a chimney. Better safe than sorry! – Dave Tweed Mar 07 '16 at 14:53
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Wow, that's unusual. But as long as it's a single segment, properly insulated from anything flammable and large enough diameter to provide proper draft for the stove, I guess there's nothing actually wrong with it.

I emphasize "single segment", because cast iron sewer pipe segments are traditionally connected together with lead, and the heat of a fire could easily melt lead.

Dave Tweed
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  • A "Guess" is not a good thing to risk your house on -- remember that stuff out of code can void your insurance in case of fire. – Carl Witthoft Mar 07 '16 at 14:40
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    @CarlWitthoft: My impression is that the OP is asking about an existing structure, not new construction. If an insurance policy was issued the way it is, the policy will have to be honored. Of course, any work done on the chimney since then will have to be inspected and pass current codes. – Dave Tweed Mar 07 '16 at 14:50
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    Dave, it varies from country to country, and state to state in the US, but it's often the case that an insurance policy issued when the homeowner has failed to reveal an issue like this will be voided. I don't know how renter's property insurance is handled when the landlord's insurance is in question. – Carl Witthoft Mar 07 '16 at 15:24
  • @CarlWitthoft: Insurers do not rely on a homeowner's word on the condition of a property to be insured. That's why licensed home inspectors (and inspectors who work directly for the insurance company) exist. If an inspector missed something as important as this, it's between him and the insurance company, and the homeowner would still not be at fault. In a rental property, the tenant's property insurance is yet another layer -- the tenant would be covered, but his insurance company may try to recover damages from the landlord (and his insurance company). – Dave Tweed Mar 07 '16 at 15:35
  • @CarlWitthoft: ... but this is not a question about insurance anyway. It's about the OP feeling comfortable about moving into such a structure, and getting a personal sense of what the risks might be. – Dave Tweed Mar 07 '16 at 15:36