Magnafire Series Coal Stoves
7
Venting
3. Venting & Chimneys:
3.1 TYPES OF CHIMNEYS
The chimney is one of the most important, yet the
most neglected and misunderstood portion of any solid
fuel burning appliance installation. do not connect your
stove to a chimney flue that already serves another
heating device.
The stove must be connected to its own flue. a
minimum 8” X 8” is necessary for proper operation.
Under no circumstances should a manual flue
damper be installed in the smoke pipe between the
stove and the chimney.
CaUTIoN! THe CHIMNey MUST be a “ClaSS
a” CHIMNey IN Good WorKING CoNdITIoN.
THe USe oF alUMINUM “TyPe b” GaS VeNT
For SolId FUelS IS NoT oNly UN-SaFe bUT
IT IS ProHIbITed by THe NaTIoNal FIre
ProTeCTIoN aGeNCy (NFPa) Code.
There are three types of “Class a” chimneys;
1) Masonry with a tile liner, including brick, block,
stone, etc. It must be supported by a ground-level
foundation.
2) Insulated “Class a” manufactured chimney, listed
and certified by a national test agency.
3) Triple-walled metal “Class a” chimney, listed and
certified by a national test agency.
If your masonry chimney has not been used for
some time, have it inspected by a qualified person
(building inspector, fire department personnel, etc.). If
a listed and certified manufactured chimney is to be
used, make certain it is installed in accordance with
the manufacturers instructions and all local codes.
a coal stove can perform only as well as its venting
system will allow it to.
3.2 COMMON CHIMNEY PROBLEMS
In order to have a properly operating heating system,
the chimney needs to be capable of providing sufficient
draft. The minimum required draft is .06 inches of
water column (WC). To measure the draft, drill a
hole in the connector pipe and attach a draft meter.
First, check the draft above the barometric damper (if
installed). Then check it below the barometric damper
and make your damper adjustment to where it opens
to prevent the draft from going higher than the .06
in WC. If the chimney is incapable of supplying the
necessary draft, it will need to be improved. Whether
it needs to be raised to a taller height, a flue liner
installed, or a different style of cap placed on the top,
the improvement method will need to be determined.
Reasons for insufficient draft;
a) leaking chimney- air leaking in around a loose
fitting cleanout door, joints or seams in connector pipe
are not secured properly, cracks or other defects in
masonry.
b) Improper chimney height - Chimney does not
extend to a sufficient height above the roof line.
(remember the 3 ft.-2 ft.-10 ft. rule)
C) obstructions in the chimney - Make sure the
chimney has been cleaned. different animals have
been known to build nests in chimneys.
d) Trees or other topographical barriers - Trees that
are taller than the house can cause the air currents to
flow downward over the peak of the roof. This would
lead to a down draft effect on the chimney. This can
also be caused by adjacent buildings or fixtures.
It could even be from a different peak on the same
structure.
Wind direction
Where an existing chimney is used, it must be large
enough to provide a draft adequate for removing the
gaseous products of combustion. The cross-sectional
area of the chimney must be at least 25 percent greater
than that of the connector. as a general rule, common
8” X 8” flue liner has an actual interior cross-sectional
area of 42 to 49 inches. This is adequate for a 6 inch
stove connector, which matches the appliance flue
collar.
IMPORTANT!
The connector pipe must be constructed
of 24 gauge material or thicker.
