When the top of the chimney is located above the home ceiling (as it should be), the
chimney's neutral pressure zone is above the neutral pressure zone of the house. Such
proper chimney placement creates a gentle flow of air into the appliance and out the
chimney even when no fire burns.
If you are designing or building a new home, consider placing the chimney inside your
home. A more traditional chimney, constructed along the outside of a home, will lose
valuable heat to the cold, outside air.
If the chimney air temperature falls below that of the inside air, the cold, smelly chimney
air will be pulled into the house by the low pressure of the stack effect. In such a
scenario, the house has become a better chimney than the chimney. So when a fire is lit,
smoke fills the room.
Chimneys must match the size of the appliance, meaning the flue size should match the
stove outlet. If the chimney is bigger than the stove or fireplace outlet, exiting exhaust
slows, increasing creosote buildup and decreasing efficiency.
High-performance chimneys are also insulated. Older masonry chimneys can be relined
to safely and efficiently connect them to newer high-efficiency, wood-burning appliances.
Again, the chimney liner should be continuous from the appliance outlet to the chimney
top. It is not uncommon to pay as much for the chimney as for your appliance.
Free-standing wood stoves exhaust into a connecting pipe, which then connects into the
chimney. If the connecting pipe is longer than 8 feet (as in a vaulted ceiling), you should
consider investing in double-layer pipe with 1-inch airspace between pipe layers.
Efficient modern stoves produce large amounts of heat. Much of this heat can radiate
from a longer length of single-layer pipe, slowing down the draft, which can impact the
overall efficiency of your wood-burning system.
chimney's neutral pressure zone is above the neutral pressure zone of the house. Such
proper chimney placement creates a gentle flow of air into the appliance and out the
chimney even when no fire burns.
If you are designing or building a new home, consider placing the chimney inside your
home. A more traditional chimney, constructed along the outside of a home, will lose
valuable heat to the cold, outside air.
If the chimney air temperature falls below that of the inside air, the cold, smelly chimney
air will be pulled into the house by the low pressure of the stack effect. In such a
scenario, the house has become a better chimney than the chimney. So when a fire is lit,
smoke fills the room.
Chimneys must match the size of the appliance, meaning the flue size should match the
stove outlet. If the chimney is bigger than the stove or fireplace outlet, exiting exhaust
slows, increasing creosote buildup and decreasing efficiency.
High-performance chimneys are also insulated. Older masonry chimneys can be relined
to safely and efficiently connect them to newer high-efficiency, wood-burning appliances.
Again, the chimney liner should be continuous from the appliance outlet to the chimney
top. It is not uncommon to pay as much for the chimney as for your appliance.
Free-standing wood stoves exhaust into a connecting pipe, which then connects into the
chimney. If the connecting pipe is longer than 8 feet (as in a vaulted ceiling), you should
consider investing in double-layer pipe with 1-inch airspace between pipe layers.
Efficient modern stoves produce large amounts of heat. Much of this heat can radiate
from a longer length of single-layer pipe, slowing down the draft, which can impact the
overall efficiency of your wood-burning system.
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Alternative-Heating-Info.com
Chimney Placement and Sizing
Chimneys harness the heat of the
fire to create what's called a stack
effect.
As the warm air from the fire rises,
cooler house air rushes into the
wood-burning appliance through
vents, providing the oxygen the
fire needs to burn. Starting a fire
with a good hot burn will
encourage this healthy draft to
flow.
Also, between the higher and
lower pressure zones of the home
lies a neutral pressure zone. The
neutral pressure zone tends to
move toward the largest air leak.
fire to create what's called a stack
effect.
As the warm air from the fire rises,
cooler house air rushes into the
wood-burning appliance through
vents, providing the oxygen the
fire needs to burn. Starting a fire
with a good hot burn will
encourage this healthy draft to
flow.
Also, between the higher and
lower pressure zones of the home
lies a neutral pressure zone. The
neutral pressure zone tends to
move toward the largest air leak.