In message , jim
writes
harry Wrote in message:

Ah the mythical insulated stainless flue liner again
...;-)

Vitally neccesary.


Here we go, armchair expert strikes again.....

Not been reading so don't know how we got to this level of vitriol...

I installed an enclosed wood burner under BC supervision. The existing
Victorian brick chimney was unsuitable for the rigid insulated flue pipe
and I didn't want to use vermiculite.

The solution was insulating sleeves of glass fibre. Around 25mm thick
and 1m long. Sadly they were not available in the 7" size specified by
the stove manufacturer. With a 3" strip cut out and bound with stainless
wire, they were approved by BC. Epic installation job but works well.

The job was completed in 2009 and kept burning during the Oct. to April
months ever since. Last year there was some publicity about regular flue
cleaning (more than once per season!) As this flue had not been swept
and we were thinking of selling the house, I thought I had better check.
Peering down from the top with a torch found no soot or condensed tar
other than a thin film.

Burning dry hardwood will have helped but avoiding condensation of tars
in the flue is well worth the effort.

The simple test is to close down the combustion air in an effort to keep
the fire burning overnight. The immediate result is sooting of the
glass.

--
Tim Lamb