Life Expectancy of a Triple Wall Stove Pipe

History

• The "triple wall" stove pipe is still in use but has been supplanted by "solid pack" with many manufactures. The triple wall was developed by the U.S. Army in World War II to allow pipe installation close to building interior walls. It was inefficient at providing heat but was safer for building. The width and design of the pipe allowed cold air to flow back into the room.

Warranties

• Technology has improved the older style triple wall pipe into the solid pack and it is the recommended way to install pipes and chimneys. If the wood stove or fireplace is EPA certified and the construction is done by professionals then manufacturers give somewhere between a 20-year and a lifetime warranty on their solid pack chimney. An older style triple wall pipe often comes with a 10-year warranty.

Appliance Use

• Warranties and life expectancies from stove pipe manufacturers come with the assumption that the appliance will be used 24 hours a day, seven days a week for five months out of the year. A 10-year warranty on a triple wall stove pipe gives a casual user of the appliance the knowledge that their pipe should last many years past that.

Maintenance

• Proper maintenance of a stove pipe will help extend its life. A thorough cleaning every year by a qualified sweep is important if the stove or fireplace is extensively used. Creosote, or the debris left in the chimney by smoke, is caustic and flammable, and if it is allowed to build up it can eventually damage the pipe. A cap on the chimney prevents rain and snow from rusting the interior pipe steel.