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.
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.
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.
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.
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Alternative-Heating-Info.com
Chimney Placement and Sizing
Wood Stove Articles
Add On Wood Furnace
EPA Certified Wood Stoves
Catalytic Combustor
Wood Stoves
Operating A Standard
Non-Catalytic Wood Stove
Wood Stove Maintenance
Selecting Firewood
Firewood - The Best Burn
For Your Money
BioBricks: What They Are and
Where to Find Them
BioBrick Heat Content vs
Firewood
Table of Firewood Heat and
Weight Values
Add On Wood Furnace
EPA Certified Wood Stoves
Catalytic Combustor
Wood Stoves
Operating A Standard
Non-Catalytic Wood Stove
Wood Stove Maintenance
Selecting Firewood
Firewood - The Best Burn
For Your Money
BioBricks: What They Are and
Where to Find Them
BioBrick Heat Content vs
Firewood
Table of Firewood Heat and
Weight Values