[billbradley]

I just read a very informative thread dealing with the proper installation of wood burning stove and in particular the stove pipe. In building my work shop I planned for wood stove heat and had a chimney (masonry) laid during construction. My stove is wat too big for the shop but oh well, its there. My problem is, I think I have to spend way to much time tending the fire and I think its not drawing like it should. The support box on the chimney is approximately 6 ft above the stove. the exhaust of the stove is verticle so I come out of the stove 6 ft then a 90 elbow, and a section of black pipe intol the support box which of course 90s back to verticle and extends about 16 ft and out the roof. I can set the stove closer to the chiney with no problem could the 3 ft lenght of pipe at the 90 be my problem? Thanks

[dinger]

Let's see if I have this right. A wood stove, a 6 foot length of stove pipe, a 90, 3 feet of pipe horizontally going into a 90 Class A pipe and up 16 feet? A few things to consider.
What size is the pipe? Is it 6 or 8 inch all the way through the system?
Do you have a cap?
Is Your horizontal truly level or slightly uphill? It won't draw if it goes downhill the least bit.
What size is your burn box?
If this were my stove, I would either shorten the horizontal run, 3 feet is a long run or better yet, run a 45 degree elbow from the pipe coming from your stove to the support box. You could maybe do this by swapping the horizontal pipe with the first vertical pipe, E.G. the pipe out of the stove would be 3 feet long, a 45 elbow, a 6 foot pipe to a 45 and into the the Class A in the support box. A 6 foot run on a 45 degree angle should be pretty close to your run now, you may have to move the stove a bit. Are any of your black pipes the slip type, telescoping?

Another thing to try is pre-heating the pipe, make a torch with newspaper, hold it to the exit from your stove into the pipe, burn the torch as long as possible without burning yourself, then drop it into your kindling to start your fire. If the air in the flue is heated it may draw better. 90 elbows are a hard way to get a draw, the long horizontal run is killing your draw, outside air needs to be fairly cold also to get a good draw. Also keep your door on your stove open a crack to get the kindling and fire started. If it doesn't draw after that, start moving pipe. You should have plenty of length if you have a 16 foot vertical run on your Class A pipe, I would change to 45 elbows first.

[billbradley]

Thanks dinger for your information, I thought the 90 and the length of horizontal might be the problem but I am brand new at the wood stove thing and honestly didn't know. I was a little off with my lengths though, I thought the black pie was 3 ft per section and they are only 2 ft; so, the verticle from the stove to the 90 is 4 ft and the horzontial to the support box is 2 ft. The pipe is 6 inch through out the installation, 16 ft vertical through the ceiling is pretty close. The burn box is hugh, a real over kill for the space I am attempting to heat. The burn box is 4 ft long and 16 inches in diameter. It was made from an old air compressor tank, I believe one about half the size would be sufficient. My the work area I'm heating is 20 X 28 ft and is well insullated.

[OneMoreTime]

One area in the operation of a wood stove is to open up the damper and draft..even leave the door open until the stove heats up and starts to draw well then close the damper and draft to get a slower burn..That may solve the draft issue..

Sam

[billbradley]

Thanks Sam, I've been having to do just that all along to get the stove going. I couldn't fing 45 degree bends so I repositioned the stove and shortened the horizontal pipe run to about 10 inches. The stove is functioning a lots better, still have to leave the door cracked and the damper wide open to get it started but thats not a problem.

[matts37chev]

Originally Posted by billbradley

Thanks Sam, I've been having to do just that all along to get the stove going.
still have to leave the door cracked and the damper wide open to get it started

very typical procedure, with all wood stoves