Having a crackling wood burning fire is perfect this time of year. So if you’re looking to install one or have one installed, it’s good to know what goes on behind the scenes.
Understanding the workings of your wood burning stove isn’t just necessary for installation, knowing what to look out for may help you if something goes wrong in the future as well as helping you maintain it.
Starting at the top:
We’re going to start at the top and work our way down: save the best for last. With your chimney you have two options; one, is the top plate and clamp option whilst the other is the chimney cowl.
- Top Plate
Choosing a kit with a top and clamp means you need to remove the chimney pot. Once you’ve done that, feed the flue liner through the top plate and clamp it into place with the top clamp. When this is done you need to re-cement the chimney pot back into position.
- Chimney Cowl
Installation is much easier if you choose the chimney cowl. The flue liner is clamped directly to the bottom of the cowl which can sit directly on top of your chimney pot.
The Chimney:
To connect your fire to the top plate or cowl you need a flexible flue liner. This drops down from the chimney to meet the stove pipe. Use the nose cone to weigh down the liner and also help clear the chimney ahead. The liners are fitted with arrows to ensure you fit it the correct way; flues are designed to prevent back flow of smoke so make sure you fit yours the right way around.
For efficient use you should insulate the area between the flue and the chimney stack. The best material for this is Vermiculite.
Connection to stove:
Use an adaptor/increaser to join the flue liner and the stove pipe. Ensure the connection is sealed properly to prevent smoke seeping into your chimney space.
A register plate seals the bottom of the chimney to ensure efficient operation and heat retention. A vitreous enamel pipe flows through the register plate and connects your stove to the flue liner via the adaptor.
When your stove is all set and ready to go make sure you use responsibly sourced and sustainable kindling and logs to maintain your stove.