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CHIMNEY SIZE AND PROPER DRAFT
Your Fireplace Xtrordinair comes with a set of installation instructions. These instructions
should be followed by the installer and kept for future reference. Before installing the
fireplace the chimney's size and draft should be verified. The installation instructions contain
all of the specific information for chimney size and installation. The information below
outlines this information on chimney size and draft.
Draft is the force which moves air from the appliance up through the chimney. The amount of
draft in your chimney depends on the length of chimney, local geography, nearby
obstructions and other factors. Too much draft may cause excessive temperatures in the
appliance and may damage the catalytic combustor. Inadequate draft may cause back-
puffing into the room and plugging of the chimney or the combustor. The performance of your
fireplace depends a great deal on the type and size of your chimney as well as its location.
Your fireplace dealer should have covered the importance of this when you purchased your
fireplace. If you experience any of the above problems, check for the following and correct.
1. IMPROPER CHIMNEY HEIGHT: Your chimney must extend above the roof to the proper
height in order to promote sufficient draft. If the chimney doesn't extend at least 3' above
a flat roof or at least 2' higher than any point within 10' on a pitched roof then your
chimney may have to be extended (see the installation instructions for more details).
This will be especially true if you experience a lazy slow burning fire or smoking into
room when you open the loading doors. Don't mistake these symptoms for trying to burn
wet wood.
2'
Minimum
10'
3'
Minimum
Ridge
2. CHIMNEY SIZE: Your Fireplace Xtrordinair is tested with 8" ID metal chimney and 12" x
12" clay flue liner. The use of any other size is not recommended and is likely to cause
problems in achieving proper draft.
3. ELBOW RESTRICTIONS: If the chimney has too many elbows it will reduce the draft and
you may have to extend the chimney to increase the draft (see installation instructions for
more details and certain restrictions).
4. COLD AIR BLOCK: If the chimney is located outside of the home, it will not heat up as
well to create a draft. This will especially be true of masonry chimneys in cold weather.
Starting a paper fire in the firebox will in most cases put sufficient temperature in the
chimney to start a draft before beginning to add kindling.
5. TREES OR OTHER TOPOGRAPHICAL BARRIERS CLOSE TO CHIMNEY: Anything
close to the chimney that is taller than the chimney will in some way affect the draft.
These types of influences can generally be corrected by caps that isolate the chimney
like wind directional or vacuum caps.