Chimney and draft
The chimney is the most important element of a
successful stove operation. The chimney ‘drives’ the
system by producing the draft that draws in combustion air
and exhausts smoke and gases to outdoors.
When installing a new stove or upgrading an existing one,
give as much attention to the chimney as you do to the
appliance that it serves.
A glowing red hot stove or chimney connector indicates
excessive draft. The stoves failure to get hot, or long burn
times may indicate poor draft conditions.
Good draft in a cold chimney should be between 0.01”
and 0.1” of water column. Your dealer may be able to
check this for you.
Recommended Chimney Clearances
The chimney must:
1. extend at least 14 ft. above the collar of the stove.
2. extend at least 3 ft. above the point where it passes
through the roof.
3. be at least 2 ft. above anything within 10 ft. radius of
the top of the pipe.
Illustration showing minimum heights required, depending
on the location of the chimney.
Chimney Maintenance
Chimneys serving woodburning appliances must be
checked for creosote build-up. Until you are familiar with
the rate of creosote build-up in the system, check it often
- every couple of weeks.
Creosote may be in the form of dry, flaky deposits clinging
to the liner of a shiny, glazed coating that resembles black
paint. Glazed creosote is the most dangerous kind and
indicates that one or a combination of the following
conditions exist.
1. cold liner
2. smouldering fires
3. wet wood
Glazed creosote should never exceed 1/8” (3mm
thickness). Dry flaky creosote should never exceed 1/4”
(6mm thickness) before it is removed.
Floor Protection
When installing your woodstove on a combustible floor, a
non-combustible floor protector is required under the
stove to protect the floor from hot embers that may fall
when reloading. The floor pad
must
be a continuous, non-
combustible pad (floor tile with grouting or a sheet metal
pad). A floor pad should not be placed on top of a carpet.
Pad must extend 21” (534mm) in front of the stove in
Canada and 18” (458mm) in front of stove in U.S.
Pad must extend 8” (203mm) to the sides and back of the
stove.
Pad must extend fully to the wall if using side and back
clearances less than these dimensions.
Pad extension must be fabricated from non-combustible
materials: 1/2” (13mm) thick minimum with thermal
conductivity factor “K” of 0.43 or lower (units of K =
btu/h/F/in).
To determine thickness of equivalent material required
use formula (“K” x 0.5) / 0.43 = thickness required (“K”
value can be obtained from manufacturer of floor
material).
Effect of Extractor Fan
It is not permissible to use an air extraction device in the
same room as the appliance, unless additional ventilation
is provided to compensate the equivalent capacity.
Anything that may cause a negative pressure can cause
gases or fumes to be pulled into the living area.
12
Fig. 9
DESN 515013
