There is soot in my chimney; how did that happen?
If the temperature is too low you might experience tarry soot in your chimney. The combustion temperature will be too low if not enough air is supplied compared to the amount of wood. Tarry soot is easily recognized as a brown sticky coat. Supply more secondary air to increase the temperature. A stove pipe thermometer placed on the lower part of the flue pipe will indicate if the air supply is correct. The flue gas temperature must be approx. 250o C. If the flue gas temperature is considerably lower, tarry soot may be created in the chimney. If the flue gas temperature exceeds 250 – 300o C, the inside parts might be superheated.

Smoke is coming out into my living room when I open the stove door. How do I avoid that?
Do not open the door before the wood is burned all the way down to embers. When opening the door, a lot of cold air will get in contact with the flames which may cause smoke inconveniences. If you for some reason have to open the door before the wood is burned to embers, this has to be done carefully. Let the door stand on a 2cm gap for a moment before opening it completely. Another reason might be poor draft conditions. A chimney sweeper is able to measure the draft.

There is not enough draft in the chimney. What can I do?
If the chimney is too low, not well insulated or has a leak, you may experience draft problems. Let the chimney sweep take a look at it and measure the draft. It is essential that the chimney is well heated during the lighting period. Use a lot of kindling and 1-2 fire starters. Open the grate and the door a bit if necessary. When the kindling have burned to embers, 2-3 pieces of dry wood are added. Plenty of air is still supplied. When the blue/purple smoke gases have disappeared the grate and primary air supply are closed.

What kind of chimney is the best?
Steel chimney or a well-insulated brick chimney. They both have to be min. 4 meters to get an optimum draft in the chimney. Besides, the height of the chimney you have to make sure that the chimney is free from the roof ridge to avoid down-draft. The diameter of the chimney must be between 150-200 mm. If a brick chimney is not insulated the diameter must be more than 200 mm which, however, will also reduce the draft conditions. We therefore recommend an insulated chimney. It is a good idea to ask a chimney sweeper for advice.

How high should the chimney be?
The chimney must be at least 4 meters from the pipe connection to get an optimum draft. However, it also depends on how much draft the individual stove demands. The chimney demands 3 – 5 Pascal’s per meter depending on wind conditions and the surroundings (trees, buildings).

How should the diameter of the chimney be?
The diameter should be at least 150 mm and ought not to be more than 200 mm as this will reduce the temperature of the smoke and thereby cause poor draft conditions.

How long should the flue pipe from the stove to the chimney be?
The flue pipe from the stove to the chimney must be as short as possible to avoid cooling down the smoke. If the smoke does not have the right temperature, it may cause poor draft conditions and smoke inconveniences. Only one elbow ought to be connected to the stove as the smoke will face too much resistance.

Are the draft conditions different if the stove is fitted with a rear flue exit instead of a top rear flue exit?
We have not been able to measure any difference in the draft conditions between a stove fitted with a top flue exit instead of a rear flue exit. However, judging from experience a top flue exit is an advantage if the draft conditions are not optimum as the smoke will face less resistance and draft and smoke inconveniences can therefore be avoided. Most stoves are fitted with a top flue exit.

How often should a chimney sweep check the chimney?
Once or several times a year depending on your municipal requirements. It is recommendable that you clean up the stove once or twice a year yourself. It is essential to remove soot and ashes on the baffle as it will make the baffle last longer.