Chimneys Made Of Stainless Steel, Including How To Choose, As Well As Features Of Installation And Operation

2024 Author: Bailey Albertson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-17 22:26

What are the criteria for choosing a stainless steel chimney and how to assemble it yourself

Despite numerous consumer complaints, stainless steel chimneys are still popular. The problems with such devices are primarily related to the quality of the pipes. And here it is difficult to give a universal method for determining the real characteristics of a metal. The necessary information will always be spelled out in the certificates, but in fact the situation may turn out to be exactly the opposite. However, with proper care, any metal pipes can last a long time.

Content

• 1 How to choose and install a stainless steel chimney

  1.1 Photo gallery: types of stainless steel chimneys

• 2 Choosing a stainless steel chimney

  2.1 Video: how to choose the right chimney

• 3 Installation of a stainless steel chimney

  • 3.1 How to assemble a stainless steel chimney with your own hands

    • 3.1.1 Video: installation of a sandwich chimney
    • 3.1.2 Video: installation of an external chimney
  • 3.2 General rules for chimney installation
• 4 Features of the operation of a stainless steel chimney
• 5 User reviews of stainless steel chimneys

How to choose and install a stainless steel chimney

The importance of the system for removing furnace gases from the premises of a residential building cannot be overestimated. The composition of fuel combustion products includes many components that are harmful to humans. The most dangerous of these is carbon dioxide, which can lead to death. Particles of soot that settle on the walls are also a serious cause for concern, and when ignited in a chimney, they often lead to tragic consequences in the form of fires. It is accompanied by the release of a large amount of heat, which leads to an increase in the flame temperature up to a thousand or more degrees. There are not many materials available that can withstand these conditions.

When furnace gases pass through the chimney, condensate is formed, consisting of moisture evaporated during the combustion of fuel, and solid particles deposited on the walls. Considering the composition of the smoke, it is obvious that chemically active substances are always present in the condensate, which accelerate the erosion of the chimney material.

During the combustion process, condensation forms in the chimney, consisting of water droplets and chemicals that make up smoke and soot

The shape of its cross-section is important for the operation of the chimney. Furnace gases move in the channel along a helical line, therefore stagnant zones are formed in the corners of square or rectangular openings, in which the flow rate decreases. At the same time, there is an increased deposition of condensate and the formation of soot. The chimney cross section decreases, and the overall productivity of the heating device decreases.

Photo gallery: types of stainless steel chimneys

The device of an external chimney saves space in living quarters and reduces the risk of fire

For the internal chimney, it is important to reliably insulate the passages through the ceilings and the roof

On the outside, at the place of passage through the roof, a special sealing structure is installed

A tee and a bracket are installed at the exit from the wall, which takes the load from the entire vertical section

Considering the above, we can conclude that the chimney must meet the following requirements:

1. Round section of the inner channel.
2. Chemically resistant material.
3. High quality inner surface. It is important that the resulting condensation drains down, where it can be collected and disposed of.
4. Insulated outer surface. By reducing the temperature difference outside and inside the pipe, the amount of condensate that forms is significantly reduced.

Obviously, the requirements are best met by a round stainless steel pipe with thermal insulation made from non-combustible materials.

The optimal in terms of the speed of smoke removal and the minimum amount of condensate formed is the chimney from the sandwich pipe: the inner channel is made of heat-resistant steel, and the outer one is made of stainless steel

Ceramic chimneys also have similar properties. But they are very massive and heavy. Installation is carried out using special insulating blocks of expanded clay concrete with insulation. Therefore, the ceramic chimney must be installed on its own foundation.

Choosing a stainless steel chimney

The stainless steel chimney structure includes cylindrical sections 1.0 and 0.5 meters long, as well as numerous additional elements:

• turns at an angle of 90, 120, 135 and 150 degrees;
• adapters for connecting pipes of a different size;
• adapters for connecting sandwich and single-wall pipes;
• tees for connecting abutments;
• dampers or internal dampers for traction control;
• clamps for strengthening the joints of pipe sections during installation;
• brackets for attaching an external chimney to the building wall;
• transition glasses for crossing ceilings and roof structures by the chimney.

In the delivery set, sellers offer various fasteners for mounting and installing the chimney.

In addition to the above, you must definitely purchase a pipe head or a deflector. For solid fuel units, in some cases it is necessary to use a head with a spark arrester.

If the chimney is intended to remove wood combustion products, it can be equipped with a protective cap with a mesh spark arrester

The listed accessories for the chimney allow you to assemble a channel of any configuration. In this case, the following requirements must be taken into account:

1. The total length of the chimney must be more than 5 meters. Only if this condition is met can we expect normal traction.
2. If a horizontal transition device is required on the chimney, its length should not exceed one meter.
3. The use of more than two turns at gentle angles in the structure is undesirable. This can adversely affect traction.

4. At the intersection of floors and roofs, a fire crossing is required. The design of the roof penetration depends on the angle of inclination of the slope. It is important to ensure not only fire safety, but also tightness.

   

   An iron box is installed in the place of the floor passage, inside which insulation is laid

5. The chimney inside the boiler room is arranged from one-pipe without insulation, all its parts located in the cold room and the external component need thermal insulation, for example, using a sandwich pipe.

When purchasing materials, pipes and accessories must be checked with a magnet. Stainless steel of suitable quality does not magnetise. It belongs to the austenitic class, resistant to heat and aggressive media. A similar material of the ferritic or semi-ferritic grade is corroded, although it belongs to the stainless steel family.

The internal size of the chimney pipe is always indicated in the technical documentation for the heating unit. If a home-made boiler or stove is installed, then the chimney cross-section is selected in a ratio of approximately 1:10 to the size of the combustion compartment. In private homes, pipes with a size of 140-150 mm are usually used.

The given data will be useful in the selection of material and the completeness of the device.

Video: how to choose the right chimney

Installing a stainless steel chimney

The technological process of installing the chimney begins after installing the heating unit at a permanent location and fixing it on it. At the same time, fire safety rules must be followed in relation to the distance from walls made of combustible materials and their design with appropriate protection. In this case, one must be guided by the requirements of SP 131.130.2013 (building rules).

The chimney should not intersect with the supporting structures of the building - transfers and details of the rafter system

How to mount a stainless steel chimney with your own hands

The installation of the internal chimney is performed in the following order:

1. Install the adapter from the outlet of the heating unit to the chimney.

2. Attach the chimney draft control device. This can be a special factory-made plug or a home-made flat gate, as well as a rotary device with a damper inside the pipe. When making a unit yourself, you need to take into account the need for a guaranteed clearance. It is needed so that even in the event of an accidental complete blocking of the smoke channel, there remains a reserve channel for the release of carbon monoxide into the chimney, and not into the room.

   

   To adjust the draft in the chimney at the beginning of the first section, a gate with a rotary damper is installed

3. The third section of the chimney can be a swivel bracket if a side outlet is made from the stove, or a straight pipe when an upper outlet is provided. In this case, a single wall pipe must be installed. After that, the chimney usually approaches the ceiling.

4. If you plan to use a sandwich pipe in the attic, install an appropriate adapter on the single wall.

   

   To change to a sandwich pipe, you must install the corresponding connecting piece

5. Cut an opening in the ceiling at the chimney passage. Its size should be three times the pipe diameter.

6. Close the opening from below with an asbestos sheet 6–10 mm thick, fixing it with 3–4 screws. On top of it, install a stainless steel sheet 1.5–2.0 mm thick, completely covering the hole made for the transition. Cut a hole for the pipe in the sheet in place. The joint between sections should not be inside the opening. This can be adjusted by the length of the chimney sections (50 or 100 cm). Further installation is carried out in the attic (attic) room.

   

   From the side of the ceiling, the passage opening is closed with a metal sheet installed on an asbestos gasket

7. To ensure fire safety, seal the opening with non-flammable materials. You can use expanded clay, which is foamed and baked clay in the form of granules. You can lay a mineral slab insulation. But the most popular material for the device of the interfloor passage of the chimney is absolutely non-combustible basalt wool. On top of the fire crossing, from the attic side, the opening is closed in the same way with asbestos and stainless steel sheet.

   

   The metal box is filled with insulation and closed with sheets of asbestos and metal

8. Extend the pipeline up to the roof covering.
9. Just as on the ceiling transition, cut out the opening through which the chimney is drawn. The rules for the transition device are the same as for the interfloor. The difficulty is waterproofing from the side of the roofing. Special plastic materials and sealants are used here. In addition, an umbrella is put on the chimney, diverting water flows and protecting against debris.

The height of the chimney is determined by its location on the roof.

• if the pipe is located at a distance of up to 1.5 m from the roof ridge, its end must rise above the ridge by at least 50 cm;
• at a distance of up to 3 m from the ridge, the upper end of the chimney should be located at its level;
• at a greater distance, the end of the pipe must not be below a line drawn at an angle of 10 ^o from the horizontal along the ridge.

When forming the overhead part of the chimney, it is necessary to ensure the correct position of the height of its head

This arrangement of the chimney ensures normal draft. It is also necessary to take into account the requirement for a total length from the grate of the furnace to the upper point of at least 5 meters.

The chimney head is an obligatory element of the chimney. Its main purpose is to protect against debris - leaves, scraps of paper and other things. There are times when birds settle in chimneys. To prevent this, a headband is needed, often made with a protective mesh. The owner who is not indifferent to his home will certainly decorate his chimney with a beautiful weather vane.

Depending on the conditions and the density of the building, a deflector is installed instead of the head, the purpose of which is to improve the draft in the chimney.

Video: installation of a sandwich chimney

Installation of an external (wall-mounted chimney) is carried out in the following order:

1. From the outlet of the furnace, a single tube is supplied to the wall to the desired side. An opening for the passage of the pipe is cut in it. Its size should be approximately twice the chimney section.
2. The draft regulator is being installed - a gate or damper.
3. The transition from one-pipe to a sandwich pipe is mounted.
4. The horizontal part of the sandwich pipe is installed. The total length of the horizontal part of the bend must not exceed one meter.
5. A tee is mounted. Its exits must be directed strictly vertically. A condensate collector with a drain cock is connected to the lower one. A chimney is mounted to the upper outlet.

6. A support leg is installed for the tee. It can be wall-mounted or placed on the ground.

   

   After passing through the wall, a tee with a condensate trap is installed, which rests on the wall bracket

7. The opening in the wall is closed in compliance with fire safety rules.
8. Further installation is carried out from the tee upwards. For this, the next pipe is put on the joint. The connectors at the ends are prepared in advance during pipe production. During assembly, the insulator of the upper section is tightly connected to the downstream.

9. The chimney is fastened to the wall using brackets supplied. They are fixed to the wall of the building, and the pipe is fixed with clamps. The bracket should be in the middle between the joints. When tightening the clamp, deformation of the flue pipe wall is not allowed. Two to four brackets are used for the entire length of the pipe.

   

   The brackets for fixing the chimney to the wall are installed at the joints of the pipe sections

10. After installing the last section of the chimney, a head is put on it.

If the pipe rises above the roof by more than 1 m, it must be secured with braces made of stainless or galvanized wire.

The advantage of an external chimney is that it is much easier to install and maintain. In addition, there is no need to "perforate" the roof, which often turns into leaks later.

Video: installation of an external chimney

General rules for installing the chimney

When installing a chimney in any version, the same techniques are used:

1. The sections are connected to the prepared seats from the bottom up.
2. The joints are treated with a special chimney sealant.
3. For strength and tightness of the connection, a clamp is installed that tightens the pipes.
4. A shell for purely decorative purposes is installed on top of the clamp.
5. If the chimney has bends, inspection windows should be installed after each of them to facilitate maintenance and cleaning of the pipe if necessary.

It is obvious that a stainless steel chimney from two-layer pipes in the external version can be built much easier. The constructive perfection of the constituent parts does not require special knowledge, an average preparation and usual ingenuity is sufficient.

Features of the operation of a stainless steel chimney

Maintenance rules for such a chimney practically do not differ from those for any other design:

1. Pre-season inspection of the heating unit and fume extraction system. If necessary, the channel is cleaned from dirt.

2. Checking the draft before the first ignition. If it is absent, it is necessary to establish the cause and eliminate it. Most often, it is enough to warm up the chimney pipe with improvised means.

   

   To check the draft, it is enough to bring a burning match to the firebox - the flame should deflect towards the chimney

   Draft check is performed with a fully open gate or regulator flap.

3. Inspection of the chimney for planting its walls. If necessary, you need to clean the walls using a soft brush (for stainless steel) and means to soften plaque.

   

   With the formation of large build-ups of soot, the flow area of the channel decreases, so the thrust decreases

4. Regular prophylaxis. Aspen logs that burn at high temperatures and burn soot in the chimney can be periodically added to the firewood bookmark. There are many means for prevention, but this is a subject for separate consideration.
5. Compliance with the rules for using the oven. Do not use resinous wood firewood for heating, as well as waste in the form of scraps of plywood, chipboard and other products, in the production process of which binders are used. It is also necessary to stop burning garbage in the oven.

Feedback from users of stainless steel chimneys

Despite certain difficulties with the choice, high-quality stainless steel chimney kits seem to be the best option for durability today. A well-thought-out design makes it possible to mount it yourself. Further, it all depends on the thickness of the wallet. Warm home to you!