Stove flue pipes?

[talisman]

Did a quick search and googled but still unsure of the present situation. When fitting a new wood/coal stove has the pipe to be insulated ? If yes where can i find the necessary bits and pieces? The chandlery i have checked online seem to stock std steel pipe? Is it me [probably lol] or is it confusing?

[blackrose]

Did a quick search and googled but still unsure of the present situation. When fitting a new wood/coal stove has the pipe to be insulated ? If yes where can i find the necessary bits and pieces? The chandlery i have checked online seem to stock std steel pipe? Is it me [probably lol] or is it confusing?

If you're fitting it yourself I don't think you need a fully insulated flue unless you want to comply with building regs?

[Neil2]

You don't need an insulated pipe to comply with BSS.

 

However there are those who argue it is a good idea as apparently it makes the stove more efficient.

 

Nonetheless I'll bet 90% of stoves on boats are fitted with mild steel flues, oh I'm asking for it now...

[talisman]

What about distance of stove from walls etc. Thickness of floor and wall tiles/protection. I always thought it was a common sense type of installation?

[talisman]

Got talking to a guy in the marina today. He stated his friend had been told he had to fit insulated pipe inside and outside the boat. Sorry to keep on but its bloody confusing.

[andyb116]

I have a double skinned chimney on my stove, (squirrel), don't know the rules, but I believe they are advisory only?. But I will say it seems to make the stove more efficient, and no crap comes out of the chimney onto the boat, if that helps.

[bottle]

For the definitive answer, go to the BSS website or give them a ring or e-mail.

 

Then you will know for sure and can advise all those that claim to know.

[Neil2]

When I had my BSC done earlier this year I asked the examiner about this as I had to replace the solid fuel stove. He was quite clear on the issue there is no requirement for an insulated flue, even if it is a new installation.

[Alan de Enfield]

A double insulated flue may make the stove run more efficiently but the heat out put into yur boat is seriously reduced.

 

I looked at the surface area of my stove, and compared it to the surface area of the (inside the boat) flue - the surface area of the flue was about 50% of the surface area of the stove.

 

By insulating the flue, I would lose some 33% of the heat generated by letting it go 'up-and-out instead' of radiating out into the boat.

 

You need to run your fire more (burn more coal) to get the same heat going into the boat

 

Take an example :

 

Flue diameter 4" and 5 feet (60" long) will give you a surface area (3.142 x 4 x 60) of approximately 720 inches²

A stove with 12" square sides (6 sides including top & bottom) ( 12 x 12 x 6) has a surface area of 864 inches²

[DHutch]

This.

 

Ours if made from a length of cast drain pipe and a pair of 135 elbows.

 

 

Daniel

[Mac of Cygnet]

A double insulated flue may make the stove run more efficiently but the heat out put into yur boat is seriously reduced.

 

I looked at the surface area of my stove, and compared it to the surface area of the (inside the boat) flue - the surface area of the flue was about 50% of the surface area of the stove.

 

By insulating the flue, I would lose some 33% of the heat generated by letting it go 'up-and-out instead' of radiating out into the boat.

 

You need to run your fire more (burn more coal) to get the same heat going into the boat

 

 

Counterintuitively, this does not seem to be the case. In a thread earlier this year I linked to research showing that although the heat production pattern is different, the total heat produced to the surroundings is greater with an insulated flue (post #7).

 

My flue is stainless steel uninsulated, and despite the above I have no plans to change it, despite having melted the sleeve of a jacket on it (this being another argument for insulated flues, of course!)

 

Oh, and the BSS does not insist on insulated flues.

[rjasmith]

 

Counterintuitively, this does not seem to be the case. In a thread earlier this year I linked to research showing that although the heat production pattern is different, the total heat produced to the surroundings is greater with an insulated flue (post #7).

 

My flue is stainless steel uninsulated, and despite the above I have no plans to change it, despite having melted the sleeve of a jacket on it (this being another argument for insulated flues, of course!)

 

Oh, and the BSS does not insist on insulated flues.

 

I'm another one who has read the report Mac links to above and I also find it intriguing that the "common sense" view about heat from flues many of us have (like Alan de E) may not be right. The report was produced by a Soliftec staff member so ought to be well researched. Soliftec are the outfit that have made public the famous sketch on how best to install a stove on a boat which is here.

 

Unfortunately, as I've said before, the Soliftec sketch is a precis of the (non mandatory) British Standard CoP BS 8511 and does not give all the options for stove installation on a boat. The only way to get the full works is to try to get access to BS 8511 itself eg by checking whether your library can provide that (it's how I've been able to read it!). There are other ways but paying the £150 or so for it from BS themselves might not be a preferred route!

 

If you do get a chance to read a copy of BS 8511 you'll know all there is to know about boat stove installation! It's 35 pages long and full of drawings and tables.

 

Richard

[talisman]

Thanks all,very interesting replies.