Chimney Height

[JoeC]

I am talking about the chimney and not the flue.

 

What determines which length of chimney you have? I see that chimneys comes in various lengths like 12" and 18". I'm guessing it has to be higher than any equipment that you may have on top of the boat near the chimney. And aesthetics.

 

Thanks in advance.

Joe

[dmr]

The long ones will likely draw better but are more likely to need to come down to get through bridge 'oles (or get knocked off).

If you are a cruising boat get a short one, if you are a static boat get a long one, or even better get one of each.

If you are a traddy boat then a short one at the front and a long one at the bavk 😀

[Rob-M]

If you can reach it when you are steering have a tall one, if you can't have a short one otherwise you will end up doing some frantic reverse when you think it is going to hit something.

[Liam]

1 hour ago, dmr said:

The long ones will likely draw better but are more likely to need to come down to get through bridge 'oles (or get knocked off).

If you are a cruising boat get a short one, if you are a static boat get a long one, or even better get one of each.

If you are a traddy boat then a short one at the front and a long one at the bavk 😀

 

A traditional boat only has an 8ft cabin so only space for 1 stove 😉

[Rob-M]

9 minutes ago, Liam said:

 

A traditional boat only has an 8ft cabin so only space for 1 stove 😉

Unless it has a fore cabin.

 

Edited April 11, 2022 by Rob-M
Add example of short chimney on fore cabin.

[dmr]

15 minutes ago, Liam said:

 

A traditional boat only has an 8ft cabin so only space for 1 stove 😉

ok  a proper trad boat has just one chimney and its a tall one, but more importanyly has a short extension made out of a tin can 😀😀😀

[MtB]

36 minutes ago, dmr said:

ok  a proper trad boat has just one chimney and its a tall one, but more importanyly has a short extension made out of a tin can 😀😀😀

 

 

Yes but it needs to be the right sort of tin can or you'll be judged not a proper boater...

 

 

[blackrose]

13 hours ago, dmr said:

The long ones will likely draw better but are more likely to need to come down to get through bridge 'oles (or get knocked off).

If you are a cruising boat get a short one, if you are a static boat get a long one, or even better get one of each.

 

 

What about just taking the chimney down before you move the boat to prevent it hitting any bridges?

 

My chimney is about a metre long to improve draw. Just comes down before I move so it isn't an issue. 

[Sea Dog]

4 minutes ago, blackrose said:

 

What about just taking the chimney down before you move the boat to prevent it hitting any bridges?

 

My chimney is about a metre long to improve draw. Just comes down before I move so it isn't an issue. 

Do you replace it with a shorter cruising chimney, put the fire out (madness!), or suffer the roof soot?

[blackrose]

13 hours ago, JoeC said:

I am talking about the chimney and not the flue.

 

What determines which length of chimney you have? I see that chimneys comes in various lengths like 12" and 18". I'm guessing it has to be higher than any equipment that you may have on top of the boat near the chimney. And aesthetics.

 

Thanks in advance.

Joe

 

If you look at some manufacturer's instructions (i.e. Morso) they will say you need a combined flue + chimney length of not less than 3.5m. That is of course impossible to achieve on a boat, so the answer to your question is as long as practically possible because it's unlikely to be too long unless you're talking about aesthetics, which should be secondary to function. 

 

Part of what determines chimney length is the size/volume of the stove. A little pipsqueak stove won't need as long a flue as a big double door 9kw stove to get it to draw properly. However, lots of canal boats have insufficient flue lengths for their stoves. That's why they smoulder all day and don't burn properly.

 

5 minutes ago, Sea Dog said:

Do you replace it with a shorter cruising chimney, put the fire out (madness!), or suffer the roof soot?

 

I don't use a cruising chimney. I'm generally moving single-handed, so I wouldn't light a fire or put more coal on before setting off. If the stove happens to be burning when I set off I just leave it and don't seem to get much soot on the roof.

Edited April 12, 2022 by blackrose

[MtB]

1 hour ago, blackrose said:

I don't use a cruising chimney. I'm generally moving single-handed, so I wouldn't light a fire or put more coal on before setting off. If the stove happens to be burning when I set off I just leave it and don't seem to get much soot on the roof.

 

When I lived aboard and CCed through winters, I kept my stove alight for months on end. I always added more coal to the stove before setting off. 

[Ray T]

Get two, a long one when moored, a short one when cruising.

[MtB]

1 hour ago, Ray T said:

Get two, a long one when moored, a short one when cruising.

 

 

And keep them in your house, as chimneys that smart will get nicked in an instant, for sure! 

 

 

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

6 hours ago, MtB said:

. I always added more coal to the stove before setting off. 

Same. 
Can’t see what problem would be.  

[AndrewIC]

An inch taller than the pram hood frame. Don’t ask me how I know this would have been a good idea…

[robtheplod]

I always thought also that they are best placed centre or better still on the port side of the boat so less risk of hitting bridges/sides of low tunnels etc?

[blackrose]

On 12/04/2022 at 10:04, MtB said:

 

When I lived aboard and CCed through winters, I kept my stove alight for months on end. I always added more coal to the stove before setting off. 

 

I only did that once many years ago before realising I was directly in the path and breathing in smoke & fumes coming out of the chimney and flowing over the helm because you're cruising straight into it.

 

Depends on one's tolerance to breathing in coal fumes I suppose. Personally I don't like it.

 

On 12/04/2022 at 16:56, Goliath said:

Same. 
Can’t see what problem would be.  

 

See above. ^^^

 

26 minutes ago, robtheplod said:

I always thought also that they are best placed centre or better still on the port side of the boat so less risk of hitting bridges/sides of low tunnels etc?

 

Some of the bridges around here are so low even a short "cruising chimney" might be knocked off. 

Edited April 13, 2022 by blackrose

[Puffling]

I'll throw this into the discussion:

 

Some kind of top hat to the chimney (coolie hat, rotating hat with vane) or a plain open 'ole?

 

On the issue of keeping the stove in while cruising, I'm in agreement with @blackrose

above, in that coal smoke is pretty unpleasant if you get it blown in your face. However, I have recently discovered the value of adding a small amount of wood - say a few sticks - before setting off on windy days (or days which may become windy later) and using the smoke thereby issuing from the chimney as a 'windsock'.

Edited April 13, 2022 by Puffling

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

Enjoy any smoke while you can get it. 

[MtB]

46 minutes ago, Puffling said:

On the issue of keeping the stove in while cruising, I'm in agreement with @blackrose

above, in that coal smoke is pretty unpleasant if you get it blown in your face.

 

I agree, but few boaters nowadays burn coal. I certainly don't.

 

I burn smokeless fuel and quite a few burn wood. Once my stove has settled down and ticking over nicely the flue gas is undetectable from the steering position. 

 

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

1 minute ago, MtB said:

 

I agree, but few boaters nowadays burn coal. I certainly don't.

 

I burn smokeless fuel and quite a few burn wood. Once my stove has settled down and ticking over nicely the flue gas is undetectable from the steering position. 

 

I understand it’s an advantage to be short in stature. 
 

[TheBiscuits]

3 hours ago, robtheplod said:

I always thought also that they are best placed centre or better still on the port side of the boat so less risk of hitting bridges/sides of low tunnels etc?

 

Nope.  Offside trees when you keep right when crossing with an oncoming boat.

 

If it was for tunnels and bridges it would only make sense in one direction, when the towpath is on the port side.

[blackrose]

1 hour ago, MtB said:

 

I agree, but few boaters nowadays burn coal. I certainly don't.

 

I burn smokeless fuel and quite a few burn wood. Once my stove has settled down and ticking over nicely the flue gas is undetectable from the steering position. 

 

 

I was using coal as a generic term to include smokeless. I burn smokeless too but the fumes aren't undetectable to me and I don't like breathing them in. However, everyone's free to do as they wish on their own boat 

Edited April 13, 2022 by blackrose

[MtB]

56 minutes ago, Goliath said:

I understand it’s an advantage to be short in stature. 
 

 

I wouldn't worry about it too much if I were you. 

 

 

[TheBiscuits]

1 minute ago, blackrose said:

 

I was using coal as a generic term to include smokeless. I burn smokeless too but the fumes aren't undetectable to me and I don't like breathing them in. 

 

Try a different fuel, because even the same brand vary between batches.

 

Some of them are fine for ages then suddenly stink horribly on the next lot.

 

 

 

My related pet hate is sharing locks with another boat and they throw a bucketful of what can only be old tyres on the stove before casting off.

 

It does help with working locks if you can see the boat from the lockside!