I did a couple of small break in fires with our new Jotul 600CB. Seeing the fire was great, and I understand why they say to do the break in with the windows open, lots of smoking paint! The problem is, I had to keep the side door cracked in order to keep a clean hot fire- with the air fully open and the side door shut, it got real smoky in the firebox and the fire was lazy. It was 52-55 degrees outside both times, not ideal, but should the door have to be kept open with good wood? I was using small pine splits that read 16-18% on my cheapo moisture meter, so I think the wood was pretty dry. This stove is replacing an old VC Defiant 1975. I never really ran the Defiant when it was that warm outside, so I do not have a great comparison.
From what I have read here, installing a liner might help improve the draft. The existing chimney is masonry clay lined 6.25”x10.5” ID and 16 feet tall from the thimble. Stove is setup rear exit, strait back to an 8” round thimble. The thimble is deep – 20” of horizontal.
It looks like a 6” flex liner will not fit in a 6.25” wide flue, especially since there is some sloppy mortar in some areas making some tight spots. A rigid liner looks like it is the only one that might fit, as there is no insulation making the ID bigger.
1) Can I put a rigid 6” liner in a 6.25”-6.5” x 10.5” clay flue and stuff fiberglass insulation down in the voids caused by the rectangle shape of the flue? I do not see any way I could use a balloon and pour insulation.
2) The stove is in the living room, but the cleanout is in the basement, can I put 12’ of pipe on the bottom of the “T” so that the cleanout cap is downstairs and accessible from the cleanout door?
3) How do you connect the stove pipe to the “T”? It looks like the stove side of the “thimble” part of the T’s are not crimped in any of the photos I have seen online. I thought there should always be a crimp on the stove end?
4) Why do online dealers say to use a flex liner if the chimney is more than 12’ ? Am I asking for trouble to do 16’ + 12’?
Thanks for your help
Bill
From what I have read here, installing a liner might help improve the draft. The existing chimney is masonry clay lined 6.25”x10.5” ID and 16 feet tall from the thimble. Stove is setup rear exit, strait back to an 8” round thimble. The thimble is deep – 20” of horizontal.
It looks like a 6” flex liner will not fit in a 6.25” wide flue, especially since there is some sloppy mortar in some areas making some tight spots. A rigid liner looks like it is the only one that might fit, as there is no insulation making the ID bigger.
1) Can I put a rigid 6” liner in a 6.25”-6.5” x 10.5” clay flue and stuff fiberglass insulation down in the voids caused by the rectangle shape of the flue? I do not see any way I could use a balloon and pour insulation.
2) The stove is in the living room, but the cleanout is in the basement, can I put 12’ of pipe on the bottom of the “T” so that the cleanout cap is downstairs and accessible from the cleanout door?
3) How do you connect the stove pipe to the “T”? It looks like the stove side of the “thimble” part of the T’s are not crimped in any of the photos I have seen online. I thought there should always be a crimp on the stove end?
4) Why do online dealers say to use a flex liner if the chimney is more than 12’ ? Am I asking for trouble to do 16’ + 12’?
Thanks for your help
Bill