Steel pipe anchor plate importance/purpose?

[kebwi]

How important is the base anchor plate? I'm not entirely sure what purposes it serves. One obvious suggestion is structural stability; it's the only thing actually holding the pipe in place, but is that it? I mean, what if I made a little "shoe" out of brick, two or three bricks high and inserted the pipe into that, or what about the extent to which the pipe's positioning through a roof essentially holds it in place? Does the anchor plate serve any other purpose, some sort of thermal or aerodynamic behavior I am not currently envisioning?

Thanks.

[RTflorida]

Re: Steel pipe anchor plate importance/purpose?

I think the anchor plate is intended to be an anchor point. Remember, these pipes and anchors were originally intended for wood stoves and such, not for imbedding into a masonry oven. I think most of us that have used a Duravent type of product have used the anchor plate (I did). I think the verdict is still out as to whether you should secure the plate with Tapcons or just mortar it in place. I used Tapcons, and the more I think about it, this may be the cause of my reoccuring arch crack (the metals expanding at a different rate than the firebricks and mortar).
I would use it just for the extra stability it gives before and during the build around it, but not screw it in tight. Several inches of vermicrete and stucco should be enough to hold it in place unless you going with an extra tall run.

RT