How complex can a 6 inch elbow going into a chimney from a wood stove be and still work well...

[ganesa_9]

I inherited my wood-stove, and the way it's set-up, when I bought this house about 20 years ago. Before then all the places I lived in with a wood burner (cabins and tiny homes) usually had a flue coming out the top of the stove in the back and running straight up and through the roof. Easy-peasy. The stove in this house (Vermont Castings Dutchwest 2461) is centered on hearthstones in front of a mid-house brick chimney. But the cut through in the chimney is off-centered, requiring what I view as an overly complex set of elbows and bends to get the stove pipe up to and into the chimney... (see the attached photos).

I view this with some small concern, convinced that this configuration must cause unruly turbulence as the hot gases wind their way through to the chimney flue, OR am I being overly concerned about this and it actually has no affect on updraft? Just has always seemed wacky to me. Would I be better off moving the wood stove so the stove pipe can be attached using just one 90 degree elbow running into the chimney and attaching to the chimney flue? I could move the stove... it just wouldn't be as nice looking as it is now centered on the hearth stones and centered to the chimney, but if I can improve performance it would be worth it.

Any opinions? Not an emergency... it just kinda bothers me. Thanks in advance...

 

[kborndale]

Two 45s are much better than a single 90 performance wise.

 

[Manly]

Two 45s are much better than a single 90 performance wise.

Indeed. Same could be said for plumbing and electrical piping.

 

[brenndatomu]

Should work fine...you don't have draft related issues now, do you?

 

[kborndale]

Yes it would probably be fine if they already have a strong draft but to answer OPs question on if it would affect their draft, yes it will affect the draft, it will weaken your draft.

 

[stoveliker]

Moving the stove so you have less elbows would increase draft.

If you don't have smoke roll out, it may be working fine now (as in you have sufficient draft).

 

[kborndale]

Moving the stove so you have less elbows would increase draft.

If you don't have smoke roll out, it may be working fine now (as in you have sufficient draft).

They wants to get rid of the 45s replacing them with a 90. How would that increase draft?

 

[stoveliker]

They wants to get rid of the 45s replacing them with a 90. How would that increase draft?

I said moving the stove, to be centered on the flue, that eliminates elbows (no sideways angles needed).