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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 whish 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.