Chimney/Flue shut off? & temp probe?

[Machria]

Now that I have choosen and ordered a stove, I'm on to the chimney...

Two questions:
1. Old fireplaces always have a "flue shut off". Before you light a fire, you open the flue, when it's done and out, you close the flue, so as to not let cold air back into your house when not in use. So do we not need a "shut off" on the flue for the new EPA stoves? I don't see it mentioned anywhere, or see a part for it in the stove pipes I took a quick look at. What do you do if you not using the stove?

2. Flue temperature "probes". I see everyone seems to have a thermometer on the flue to monitor it's temp., great idea. But I read somewhere it's better to actually have a probe, that goes INTO the flue, instead of just sticking it on the pipe, so you know the actual temp of the gases exiting the flue. So what "probe" do I get, and how is this installed? Do you just drill a small hole in the flue pipe and stick it in, or is it more high tech....?

 

[jharkin]

Now that I have choosen and ordered a stove, I'm on to the chimney...

Two questions:
1. Old fireplaces always have a "flue shut off". Before you light a fire, you open the flue, when it's done and out, you close the flue, so as to not let cold air back into your house when not in use. So do we not need a "shut off" on the flue for the new EPA stoves? I don't see it mentioned anywhere, or see a part for it in the stove pipes I took a quick look at. What do you do if you not using the stove?

Not needed on an EPA stove. With the door and primary air control shut a stove is sealed much tighter than a typical fireplace flue damper.

 

[Jags]

1.) No - a shutoff (or key damper) is not required for an epa stove.

2.) A flue probe is inserted through a hole drilled into the pipe. Unless you are installing the pipe yourself, your installer should have all that stuff at hand. If you are installing it, the probe package usually lists the size of drill bit required.

 

[DAKSY]

Old fireplaces always have a "flue shut off". Before you light a fire, you open the flue, when it's done and out, you close the flue, so as to not let cold air back into your house when not in use. So do we not need a "shut off" on the flue for the new EPA stoves? I don't see it mentioned anywhere, or see a part for it in the stove pipes I took a quick look at. What do you do if you not using the stove?

Others have already responded that you don't need a damper for the usage you mentioned above, but IF your chimney is in excess of 22 - 25 feet tall, you may need an inline flue damper to control the burn better...

 

[Highbeam]

If you are installing double wall interior chimney pipe, the only way to measure flue temps is with a probe meter. Condar is the brand and you can buy them direct. It is as easy as drilling the hole and sticking it in the hole. If you have single wall pipe then a magnetic surface temp meter is a reasonable way to measure flue temps with a correction factor of 200%, so if the surface of the single wall is 300 then interior gas temps are 600.

 

[firefighterjake]

Now that I have choosen and ordered a stove, I'm on to the chimney...

Two questions:
1. Old fireplaces always have a "flue shut off". Before you light a fire, you open the flue, when it's done and out, you close the flue, so as to not let cold air back into your house when not in use. So do we not need a "shut off" on the flue for the new EPA stoves? I don't see it mentioned anywhere, or see a part for it in the stove pipes I took a quick look at. What do you do if you not using the stove?

Not always needed . . . sometimes used for tall chimneys if the draft is too excessive.

2. Flue temperature "probes". I see everyone seems to have a thermometer on the flue to monitor it's temp., great idea. But I read somewhere it's better to actually have a probe, that goes INTO the flue, instead of just sticking it on the pipe, so you know the actual temp of the gases exiting the flue. So what "probe" do I get, and how is this installed? Do you just drill a small hole in the flue pipe and stick it in, or is it more high tech....?

Probe thermometers are useful for double wall pipe . . . easy to install . . . just need a drill and two drill bits. Condar is a decent brand.

 

[Machria]

Thanks folks! I ordered one of the condor probes....

Since we are at it, what's a good moister meter? Only one they had at Home Crapo was one with no probes on it, not sure if those work at all?

 

[Machria]

Since everyone is saying I don't need a flue shut off, UNLESS I have an issue and want to control the stove with it.... would it not makes sense to install one being I'm installing a new chimney? just in case.... ?

 

[rideau]

I don't think you are going to have a really tall chimney, so it is unlikely you will need a damper.

You are likely going to have a set up with a length of adjustable pipe. It is really easy in the future to install a piece of pipe that comes with damper preinstalled at the adjustable length pipe...just shortens that pipe a bit. You'll likely be sweeping from inside and taking your pipe apart once a year to do so...easy to do. So, not a big deal to add a damper later, very slim chance you'll need one.

My chimney is a good 30 feet, high on a hill facing the prevailing winds, at the south end of a long lake, have a great draft, am able to adjust the PH just fine without a damper.

 

[Machria]

Gotcha, thanks....