Can to many “bends/elbows” effect draft?

[Drifthopper]

Can too many elbows in a flue pipe / chimney run effect your draft from the stove?

After being on here for a bit and viewing all the different topics and different pictures you guys post of the different installs and different “obstacles” some of us are faced with, and then looking at my set up, it got me wondering about draft and creosote buildup.

Mine is a add-on wood furnace in the basement, 8” flue/Simpson Dura-vent chimney, I have an elbow out of the back of the stove, 42” run, rising approx. 6”, into another elbow to 20” section thru the concrete wall connected to the tee in the garage, then up 20’ thru the roof.

I burned in it last season when I had the old clay lined block chimney with no visible issues or ill effects (to me,anyway) so with this new stack, all should flow good....eh...???

 

[PeteD]

Short answer - "Yes!"

The manuals for the stove/fireplace should discuss the max allowable offsets for a give chimney height. Also, for simplicity, I would say you really want to keep them to a minimum (in other words, do one if needed).

Not to mention elbows for Class A chimneys can be very pricey.

Pete

 

[Catskill]

I'd say Yes. I have 2- 90's and 2- 45's and my draft is not what I'd like it to be.

 

[Jags]

Yep, anytime that you change the direction of "flow" there is an increase in resistance. More resistance, less flow.

Edit: Cats, what happened to your post count and date?

 

[Catskill]

Yep, anytime that you change the direction of "flow" there is an increase in resistance. More resistance, less flow.

Edit: Cats, what happened to your post count and date?

I'll PM you with the details but at this point I'm just a lowely "firestarter" with a born on date of July 23, 2008 instead of the "pyro" from circa 2006 that I used to be. :-(

 

[STOVEGUY11]

Also when you make resistance; you make more creosote build up in those bends.

 

[Todd]

The general rule is every 90 degree bend knocks off 5' of your chimney hieght. So a 15' chimney with 1 ea 90 elbow is drafting like a straight shot 10' chimney.