would like to say hello

good point. back in the day metalbestos was the ticket so 8" pipe goes through the roof. inside the house there's 2' of 6" coming off the jotul with a 1' of slip pipe into that, then a 6 to 8 adapter. altogether it's under 12'. reading quite a bit here made me thoughtful. yes, i could have more draft. on the other hand the slightly shorter draft would balance out with running a catalytic stove low.
it's also more complicated because being in the mountains where there are wind currents and tunnels. it always blows from the back of the house and the stove pipe is in the front halfway protected by the ridge. i suspect there is no way to 'win' and you're darned if you do and darned if you don't. i could add to the stack a couple of feet but then i'd need a roof brace and it would be unsightly.

 

Good draft is even more important when running a cat stove low. Flue temps are already relatively cool, and a sluggish draft will become even more so. A straight shot of pipe the same diameter as the flue collar will give the best performance.

 

I am banking on that being exactly correct- in fact, I have 1200 reasons why I hope it is true sitting in the big box in my garage right now New liner sitting in a box with all the fittings, just waiting for my wife to go install it. She is dragging her feet though so I may have to help. My current chimney, an 8"X 8" clay tile flue, drafts great regarding flow but does not develop much negative pressure, which of course is what forces air to flow through the stove.

My previous stoves all worked fine on this flue but they were straight through designs where you could look through the flue collar and see the draft door. This stove, and I think all modern stoves, has a much more involved air path, both incoming and outgoing, and it takes more chimney draw to allow them to function properly.

Brian

 

A little OFFTOPIC but another reason cat. stoves get a bad rap is from virtually all the local stove dealers, at least all the ones I am aware of. They would MUCH rather sell non- cat stoves than cat stoves for a couple of reasons: non- cat stoves are simpler so there will be fewer problems with them, especially with new wood burners (and I believe today most people are new to burning wood when they purchase a woodstove, unlike 150 years ago for example). For example, at least some people will make the mistake of trying to light a cat. based stove with the bypass shut; that simply cannot happen with a non- cat. stove because they do not have a bypass in the first place. Secondly, non- cat stoves almost always have fewer parts to fail or clog simply because they have a more simple exhaust gas path. No one, no matter how badly that person runs a woodstove, can clog the cat. in a non- cat. stove. So I find dealers really sway customers away from cat. stoves and toward the non- cats in their own self- interest. I think this one thing alone has done more to damage the reputation of cat. based stoves than anything based on reality.

I am in the middle of purchasing a new oil boiler (oil only, not a combination boiler) and every single dealer I talk to recommends the brand they sell the most of. And that would be the brand they have the parts for and is easiest for them to service. None of which has anything to do with me getting the best boiler nor the best value boiler.

Brian

 

dealers and salesmen are endangered in the internet era. as mentioned they can do you a good bit of harm. you have to admire how WS deals direct, you get the info direct, the product direct off the loading dock, you have to forums to further inform whether the company is on the level or not.
when it came to the choice between the BK and the IS it wasn't even close. i had an opportunity not to have to beg a dealer for goods.