Country Comfort 325, with a weird oval flue

[Tedinski]

well, he's trying to save money, certainly. to code would still be good.
I guess I don't understand what the codes are.
I thought insulated pipe was to code (just from little things I read other places).
So... I thought if we insulated it ourselves we could save him some money.
Is there a good place to go, to look up the code?
Thx.

 

[bholler]

I thought insulated pipe was to code

Properly insulated pipe is to code. In order for that ul listed pipe to be properly insulated it needs to be insulated with ul listed chimney insulation approved and tested by the liner manufacturer. In pa we go by irc and nfpa 211 Buy the liner manufacturers specs trump both of them. Here is the applicable code. There can also be local codes but for the most part in pa if you go by the manufacturers instructions and the ul listing you will honor code.

http://www.rumford.com/code/clearances.html

 

[Tedinski]

Thanks so much!
I'll start reading. It's good to have a direction to go in.
If it's anything like NFPA70 it'll be a morass to wade through.
Better safe than sorry.
I'm starting to think there's no safe or inexpensive shortcut.....

 

[bholler]

I'm starting to think there's no safe or inexpensive shortcut.....

I dont doubt that 1/2" kaowool would do a good job as long as you could keep it on the liner for the life of the liner. But unless it is tested for that application it does not meet the requirement.

 

[Tedinski]

Okeedoke.
It looks like buying double-wall is still quite a bit more than making my own.
I haven't read the code yet. (barely cracked it).
I'm thinking 8" round stainless, surrounded by 1" kaowool, then with a 10" mild steel pipe on the outside. that would certainly keep the insulation in place, protected, and it would be more than 1/2".
I'll keep reading. this might be quite the project.

 

[Tedinski]

I've been reading the information in the link, but have yet to find information on installing metal liners in existing masonry chimneys.
Is there, perhaps, a section of code dedicated to retrofitting existing masonry chimneys?
I don't know if it's important to note or not, but the original chimney and fireplace were designed for having a fire directly in the fireplace.
Would flue temperatures be greater in that case? or lower? I should think a great deal of room air would be going up the chimney along with combustion products from a wood fire, lowering the temperature.

 

[bholler]

I don't know if it's important to note or not, but the original chimney and fireplace were designed for having a fire directly in the fireplace.

yes but do you have the required clearance to combustibles?

It looks like buying double-wall is still quite a bit more than making my own.

Why do you need to buy double wall buy a liner and an insulation kit.

I'm thinking 8" round stainless, surrounded by 1" kaowool, then with a 10" mild steel pipe on the outside. that would certainly keep the insulation in place, protected

Untill that mild steel rusts and falls apart. (which i would expect withing 5 years)

but have yet to find information on installing metal liners in existing masonry chimneys.

R1001.15 exception #1

 

[Tedinski]

Ah! an insulation kit.
I was thinking the requirement was insulated pipe (which I assumed was double wall, a liner, insulation, then outer protection).
I am horribly uninformed and feeling stupider by the minute.
So... R1001.15 essentially says "buy an approved system" (not in those words).

 

[bholler]

So... R1001.15 essentially says "buy an approved system"

Yeah basically

 

[mellow]

Ah! an insulation kit.

You can buy from anyone you want but here is a link to the kits at Rockford, you will find the insulation wrap kit after you select the size and length of the liner you need.
https://www.rockfordchimneysupply.com/round-flexible-custom-kits.php

They also sell the adapter I mentioned: https://www.rockfordchimneysupply.com/rectangle-to-round-insert-adapter-boot.php

They also have good how to videos here: (broken link removed to https://www.rockfordchimneysupply.com/blog-2/cat/do-it-yourself-videos/)

 

[Tedinski]

So we crawled up on the roof today & took a look down the flue.
it's offset, about 2 feet down. quite the offset.... maybe 12 inches or so.
so it looks like perhaps the best bet would be a flexible liner after all. I'm trying to think of a way of getting a rigid liner down there, but around that turn might be difficult.
Do most people here use Rockfordchimneysupply.com?
Thanks for the tip, mellow.

 

[Tedinski]

Another question.

With this particular wood stove insert, would a 6" chimney liner be acceptable, or should it be an 8" ?
I don't know which would be best for draft.
The liner will be aproximately 12 feet tall, up the chimney.

Thanks!