Is this visible flame a safety issue?

Hi everyone,
I just noticed around the pipe exiting the stove that there is a small visible area of flame inside the stove.  I'm attaching a photo taken directly above the wood stove looking down.  Is this okay or do I need to call someone to come out and fix asap?  We bought this house 2 years ago and have been using the stove frequently.  Thank you!

Scott Bradley wrote:Hi everyone,
I just noticed around the pipe exiting the stove that there is a small visible area of flame inside the stove.  I'm attaching a photo taken directly above the wood stove looking down.  Is this okay or do I need to call someone to come out and fix asap?  We bought this house 2 years ago and have been using the stove frequently.  Thank you!

Not OK...I think I would have the whole stove checked out when you have someone out to look at that leak.  

There are others here who could list the risks better than I...


and on a separate note...welcome to permies Scott

Simply seal the leak with refractory or High Temp silicone, available at home depot or any stove shop or hardware store.
Many stoves have small leaks and the end result is air is not so controlled as to be perfect, but rarely so open as to render the stove uncontrollable or so large as to allow reverse flow.
The High Temp Silicone will have a ferocious smell untill its cured, but it will provide the longest lasting seal, the refractory will be less offensive but will be brittle if the house is subject to vibration.

I would refit the stovepipe if possible. Maybe swap out for another brand. The canadian made heavy gauge is what i look for. Nice rolled lock and consistant size.

You could shim it with strips of stovepipe or brass sheet or other light gauge hi temp metal.

You could drill a hole for a #10 or #8 or so sheetmetal screw and try to pull the gap shut. It may hold for some time or it might shape well enough that it stays even if the screw fails over time.

Re-shaping the stove outlet could work if that is the issue as opposed to pipe. This could reveal weaknesses in the joinery of the outlet and firebox, so pipe and shim is practical depending.

The stove should be attended at startup. This the time that it is most susceptible to venting smoke and possibly a small flame or jet of hot gas out of a crack or gap.

After the stove is heated and flowing, firebox cracks, especially low ones will likely not be an issue or one that cant be resolved by operating the damper and intake controls, but circulation insid3 the stove can propel currents running in the negative pressured chamber and the inertia will project cinders out.

A large gap in the outlet and chimney system though i have seen shoot sparks up and out into the room, so use your best judgement. It needs to be tighter in my opinion, even though you are running it, seemingly without issue.

I generally do not apply caulks and other goop on stoves, so i dont know what works there. Steel seems best and caulk could be a season saver....

A stove/heater changes shape and size, more or less depending on what its made of and how it is made and can make sealants shortlived.

The outlet appears nicely done in the photo. Does not look like that would be an issue and the last place to attempt to alter. Its heavy, possibly cast, and looks well done and round.

A measurement of prospect pipe compares to a trace or cardboard cutout, like cereal box for taking to the store may help.  At worst case an adaptor or other stovepipe part may work.

Our duravent came with a stainless pipe section, single wall and 3 inches tall, male on one ent female on the other.

There should be a simple enough way to fit your pipe, like a block of wood and a hammer, usually.

"Do your best, caulk the rest"  

Handyman credo.

Thanks everyone, my handyman came out and used Furnace Cement from Home depot, applied it 360 degrees around the pipe where it was meeting the stove.  I will keep an eye on it over time since it's in a very visible spot.  If the furnace cement is not as good/safe as the high temp silicone, please let me know...thanks again!

The furnace cement may be prone to cracking if the stove or stovepipe can vibrate or shift, but otherwise there should be no problem. Just keep an eye on it periodically.

I agree with Glen. The cement is likely to crack. A better method is to remove the pipe if possible to clean up, then get something like 1/4” glass rope and push it down into the socket round the pipe. (Wear a mask, the tiny glass bits that come off it are not the best thing to breathe). Once the glass rope is in place, to most of the depth of the spigot, smear some ceramic fibre paste over the top. The paste will stand over 2000ºF and is soft and flexible so it won’t crack.

I have just used glass rope myself in the past as the cement seems too brittle to cope with cleaning the chimney
How often do you clean the chimney ?
David