Chimney liner or stove pipe

[Wilson_tree]

I am putting a wood stove in my fireplace. The chimney is in good shape. It is 25 feet tall and has 19 inch inside diameter. Can I run regular sheet metal stove pipe inside the masonry chimney or do I need to use stainless chimney liner? How well does stainless liner clean out when you brush it? It seems like all the grooves in it would be hard to clean.

 

[pweber]

I am putting a wood stove in my fireplace. The chimney is in good shape. It is 25 feet tall and has 19 inch inside diameter. Can I run regular sheet metal stove pipe inside the masonry chimney or do I need to use stainless chimney liner? How well does stainless liner clean out when you brush it? It seems like all the grooves in it would be hard to clean.

Do you have a straight run from stove to chimney cap, or are there bends on the way up?

 

[Fyrebug]

Need to go with liner. Has to be the same diameter than the stove flue. Typically 6". There will be connecting hardware.

The less expensive liners have ridges and can only be swept with Nylon brushes. A better quality liner will be 'smooth walled' and you can use metalic brushes on them.

304L Champion Heavy Flex Chimney Liner Kit - 6" | WoodlandDirect.com: Chimney Liners, Chimney Pipe

 

[Mad Professor]

If the chimney is straight you can get stainless liner similar to stovepipe but UL listed as a liner.

 

[Wilson_tree]

Thanks for the replies. It is a straight run up from stove to cap. What is the functional difference between a stainless liner and a sheet metal stovepipe? I am not understanding how the stainless liner functions differently from the stovepipe.

 

[Fyrebug]

Thanks for the replies. It is a straight run up from stove to cap. What is the functional difference between a stainless liner and a sheet metal stovepipe? I am not understanding how the stainless liner functions differently from the stovepipe.

By code you must install either a UL approved Stainless Steel Flexible or rigid liner designed for burning wood. Sheet metal stovepipe is allowed only between the stove flue to the Wall Pass Thru Chimney connector, which is not what you are doing here.

I would suggest calling Woodland Direct. They have NFI certified staff on the phone and they will ask you a bunch of questions and provide you with a list of material you will need for a safe install. For the most part, this is not very complicated. You just need the right info and material.

All the best and let us know how it goes.

 

[greendohn]

Long Winded Post

My place has a "manufactured" fireplace from the ?70's or 80's ? which had a wood stove insert in it. I fired the heck out of this thing for years. Retired it in 2007 and gave the stove away when I installed the owb. This outfit has the low clearance 8" i.d. flu which is ? triple? wall, which runs thru the attic into a metal chimney that's supposed to look like red brick,,and does, kind of look like a masonry chimney.

Anywho, for experimental purposes I ran 16' of 6' black stove pipe down this thing. Using a black "pie plate" trim ring at the top and bottom of the 6" black pipe to keep it centered in the 8" pipe..follow me? Yeah, right!

Then I hooked up a small wood stove which sat inside the "fireplace" and fired it with a small fire. I began checking the whole flu set up from inside the attic to out on the roof. I fired the stove to wide open and ran the heck out of it for a couple/few hours, all the while checking things out from the stove, into the attic and out on the roof. The flu/black pipe was reading 475-500 degrees just above the stove. The outside of the original flu, inside the attic never got hot.
I could lay my hand on it and it was "warm".

I only did this as an experiment, in the event of a prolonged power failure, to see if it would work. I had fire extinguishers, big ones, in the house, attic and on the roof. I would not count on this for a prolonged heat source. I took the little wood stove and 6" pipe out of the fireplace/flu and it's no longer used for anything but stashing the kids toy box. If I should ever go back to an indoor wood stove, I will completely demo this old "fireplace" and install the appropriate s.s. flu, for insurance/peace of mind.

Spend yer doe on a new s.s. liner as has been suggested, install it to code, your insurance guy will be happy and you should sleep better at nite, and your stove will/should run better. peace!

 

[Dirtboy]

I have had the flexible SS flue in a brick chimney going on 10 years now. Its connected to a fireplace insert. I only burn well dried wood, and I clean it with the nylon brush from top to bottom every year at the end of heat season. It has held up well, and when done cleaning I end up with about a half bucket of ash to throw out. It has served me well. Just my opinion.

 

[Wilson_tree]

Thanks for all the replies. I am going to install a 6 inch stainless liner. At the bottom, in back of the stove I will put a 90 degree elbow and a clean out so I can clean it from the bottom. The masonry chimney is about 17 feet above the roof and I don't want to go up there and work unless I have to. So this brings up another question. Who has used flexible stems to run a brush up a chimney? How hard are they to use? Will I be swearing and banging the rod around my living room? Last year I burned 10 full cords of wood, so I will have to clean it a few times.

 

[Cerran]

Thanks for all the replies. I am going to install a 6 inch stainless liner. At the bottom, in back of the stove I will put a 90 degree elbow and a clean out so I can clean it from the bottom. The masonry chimney is about 17 feet above the roof and I don't want to go up there and work unless I have to. So this brings up another question. Who has used flexible stems to run a brush up a chimney? How hard are they to use? Will I be swearing and banging the rod around my living room? Last year I burned 10 full cords of wood, so I will have to clean it a few times.

Given that you have a large space inside the Chimney, I would recommend at least 1/2" of mineral wool wrap on the outside of the liner as well. This will help keep the pipe hot an ensure a good solid draft.

I have a very short Chimney that many people said would be a problem (12') but with it insulated with a wrap on the pipe I have never had an issue. I believe I only spent about $100 on the mineral wool wrap.

 

[stihly dan]

A quality stove and dry wood you should only have to clean it at the end of the season. Chimney 17 ft above the roof. Is the house under ground?

 

[Dirtboy]

Thanks for all the replies. I am going to install a 6 inch stainless liner. At the bottom, in back of the stove I will put a 90 degree elbow and a clean out so I can clean it from the bottom. The masonry chimney is about 17 feet above the roof and I don't want to go up there and work unless I have to. So this brings up another question. Who has used flexible stems to run a brush up a chimney? How hard are they to use? Will I be swearing and banging the rod around my living room? Last year I burned 10 full cords of wood, so I will have to clean it a few times.

I found the easiest way is to clean out your box, line it with aluminum foil to catch the soot coming down, and clean it from above (with insert door shut). The flex rods come in 4 or 5 foot sections that screw together, go up top and do it. Gravity will do most of the work and its a lot easier to clean the box with foil in it. Just wrap carefully after the soot settles, and dump into a bucket. If your wood is dry, you should only have to clean it at the end of the season.