Having an adequate chimney for your stove is vital to the success of an efficient fire. A chimney has two primary functions: first, to carry smoke out of the house and second, to provide a draft to keep the fire burning. Many factors affect the air flowing through the chimney including:

  • chimney height
  • location
  • construction
  • number of bends
  • tightness of your house

CHIMNEY HEIGHT

When it comes to the height of the chimney, a tall chimney will produce more draft than a short chimney. The chimney diameter also affects the draft; if a chimney is too wide, smoke cools excessively and slows down the draft.

CHIMNEY AND FLUE SIZING

The chimney diameter should be similar to the stove's flue outlet diameter and should never be more than three or four times that. If you happen to have an oversized chimney, you should consider adding a liner with a flue that is smaller in diameter.

STOVE AND CHIMNEY LOCATION

The location of the chimney is also important. By adding your chimney to the indoors rather than outside, you can use the warmth of the chimney as additional heat. Each chimney has to have turns, which lowers the draft. As a guideline, every 90-degree turn cuts off five feet of effective chimney height. In other words, a 12-foot chimney that has two turns has an effective chimney height of two feet.

CHIMNEY CONSTRUCTION

The construction of your chimney is also an interesting factor. A round chimney flue will draft better than a rectangular or square chimney. You should also consider having an insulated chimney that will make it easier for the draft and will stay warmer longer. To amend the structure of your chimney, then make sure to check out our range of flue accessories.

TIGHTNESS

When it comes to the tightness of your home, every appliance you currently have for heat has to have air to support combustion. If your house is too tight, there may not be adequate air to feed the fire.

Now you know how important a chimney is. Keep this information in mind when the time comes to build or update your fireplace.