2.2
CHIMNEYS.
The operati on of the Com pact C-10 depends on:
a) The chi m ney.
b) The chi m ney operati ng m ethod.
c) The quali ty of the fuel used.
Foll owi ng years of use, you m ay change the type of
fuel but the chi m ney i s not easil y m odifi ed or m oved once
it has been i nstall ed i n a specifi c positi on. The foll owi ng
inform ati on will hel p you deci de whether the exi sti ng
chi m ney m a y be used or whether a new chi m ney shoul d
be built.
2.2.1 . How Chimneys Work
A basi c understandi ng of how chi m neys work will enabl e
you to obtai n i m proved perform ance of your Com pact C-
10, whereby thei r m ai n functi ons are.
c) E vacuate sm o ke and gases from the hearth i n a
safe way.
d) P rovi de suffi ci ent fl ue i n the hearth so that the fi re
stays li t.
What is the flue?
The tendency of hot air to rise creates a flue.
When the compact C-10 is lit, the hot air rises up
the chimney and goes outside. The chimney pipe
gets hot and maintains the flue. The flue does not
work properly until the stove and the chimney are
hot.
The location, size and height of the chimney affect
the flue.
The following must be considered:
- Chimneys located within the house remain hot;
therefore the flue is greater.
- The manufacturer’s recommended size of the
chimney maintains a good flue.
- The height of the chimney affects the flue:
More height, Better flue.
The chimney should stick out at least one metre
from the highest part of the roof.
There are other factors which affect the flue:
Trees and/or tall buildings close to the dwelling.
- The speed of the wind. In general, strong,
continuous winds increase the flue; but gusty winds
reduce the flue.
- External temperature. The colder it is outside, the
better the flue.
- Barometric Pressure. On rainy, wet or stormy
days, the flue is generally weak.
- Briskness of the fire. The hotter the fire is, the
stronger the flue.
Cracks in the chimney, poorly sealed or dirty
doors, air intakes due to the joining of pipes, other
appliances connected to the chimney, etc. may
produce inappropriate flues.
2.2.2 . Build-up of Cre osote and its Clea ning
Sl ow burni ng wood produces tar and other organi c
vapours, whi ch com bi ne with atm osphere m oi sture to form
creosote. These creosote vapours m ay condense i f the
chi m ney wall s are col d. E xtrem el y hot fi res m ay occur if the
creosote i gni tes. A ny buil d-up of creosote m ust be
eli mi nated. It i s extrem el y diffi cul t to predi ct exactl y when
the chi m ney shoul d be cl eaned. Vi sual i nspecti on i s the
safest way of checki ng whether your stove i s creosote free.
For thi s reason, we recom m end that the i nstall ati ons are
easil y acce ssi bl e for i nspecti on.
2.2.3 . Options .
If you are goi ng to buil d a chi m ney for the Com pa ct
C-10, there are two al ternati ves:
e) M asonry Chi m ney.
f) M etal Chi m ney
Studi es show that there i s not m uch difference i n
term s of fl ue perform ance between m etal and m asonr y
chi m ney s. It i s up to you to choose one or the other,
dependi ng on your cri teri a.
Whene ver possi bl e, l ocate your chi m ney i nsi de the
house, hence obtai ni ng a better fl ue, l ess creosote buil d-up
and a l onger durati on.
THE A DV A NTA GE S O F M A S ON RY CHIM NE Y S
A RE :
e) The m as s of bri cks and fl oor til es reduce the
cooli ng of the vapours i n the chi m ney.
f) The heat accum ul ati ng characteri sti c of bri ck s
all ows the house to be kept warm for a l onger peri od once
the fire has gone out.
g) It can be built to sui t i ndi vi dual taste.
h) If i t i s well buil t, i t m ay be m ore resi stant to fi re
than m etal chi m neys.
M asonry chi m neys shoul d be well li ned to avoi d the
cooli ng of vapours. They shoul d be built wi th m ateri al s that
wi thstand hi gh tem peratures and corrosi on. They m ay be
round, square, etc.; what i s i m portant i s thei r i nternal
secti on.
The m easure m ents i ndi cated i n secti on 9
TE CH NICA L INFO RM A TIO N (P age 12) shoul d be
respected for Com pact C-10 m asonr y chi m neys.
THE A DV A N TA GE S O F M E TA L C HIM NE Y S A RE :
e) E asy i nstall ati on.
f) Sli ght changes i n the di recti on to the chi m ney are
possi bl e, whi ch provi des greater fl exi bility i n the choi ce of
where to i nstall the fi repl ace.
