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If you are using a masonry chimney, it is important that it be built in compliance with the
specifications of the Building Code. It must be lined with fire clay bricks, or clay tiles,
sealed together with fire cement, or have a listed solid fuel burning stainless steel liner.
Round chimneys are the most efficient.
The interior diameter of the chimney should be identical to the stove's smoke exhaust. A
chimney which is too small may cause draft problems, since it may not have the required
volume to properly evacuate the quantity of smoke resulting from the combustion. A
chimney which is too large may also cause draft problems. In fact, a large chimney will
be harder to warm-up and may not reach high enough temperatures to create a proper
draft effect. Note that it is the chimney which creates the draft effect, not your
stove. Your stove's performance is therefore directly dependent on an adequate
draft from your chimney.
The following recommendations may be useful for the installation of your chimney:
Do not connect your stove to a chimney serving another appliance.
The chimney must rise above the roof at least 3' (0.9 mm) from the uppermost
point of contact. See Figure 2.2.
The chimney must exceed any part of the building or other obstruction within a
10' (3.04 m) distance by a height of at least 2' (0.6 m). See Figure 2.2.
The minimum overall height of the chimney system, measured from the stove top
to the exterior termination cap of the chimney should be at least 12' (3.66m). A
chimney which is too short may lack the “tunnel effect” required to obtain a
proper draft.
Installation of an interior chimney is always preferable to an exterior chimney.
Chimneys constructed outside of the home on an exterior wall should be avoided
if possible, especially in colder climates. The gas which circulates into an interior
chimney will cool more slowly, thus reducing the build-up of creosote and the risk
of flue fires.
All else being equal, cooler chimneys will have less draft than hotter ones. This
problem will be amplified if the chimney is excessively long. A chimney which is
excessively long may be very hard to warm-up due to its higher volume. A cool
chimney may even down draft (reverse flow) due to the difficulty in heating it up
to operating temperature while trying to evacuate the stack gases.
If an exterior chimney is used, the best results will be obtained by using a
connector vertically off the unit to the highest possible point before elbowing off
horizontally to the exterior chimney. For efficiency and safety reasons the stove
must not be installed with an insulated chimney connected directly to the
appliance.
Using a fire screen at the extremity of the chimney requires regular inspection in
order to insure that it is not obstructed, thus blocking the draft. It should be
cleaned when necessary.