A flue is a metal pipe used to carry smoke and fumes out of a building’s living space. Regular cleaning and maintenance are necessary. Metal flues can be installed inside damaged masonry fireplaces to avoid dangerous chimney fires. In new construction, metal flues are often installed within walls and vented outside. Modern heating systems require smaller flue designs to control the quantity of fumes expelled.
A flue is a metal pipe that runs inside a masonry fireplace or runs as a standalone chimney pipe that runs from a furnace or stove. The chimney carries smoke and noxious fumes out of a building’s living space and discharges the fumes into the atmosphere. In some cases, a chimney can also be used to vent the fumes from a stove or grill out of a structure and into the open air outside the building. To keep a chimney functioning properly, regular cleaning and maintenance must be completed.
In many older masonry fireplaces, the tile flues crack and break over time. The effects of repeated heating and cooling cause clay tiles to become brittle and brittle. When cracks form, heat and soot can fill the cracks, creating hot spots. Hot spots can lead to dangerous chimney fires, which can cause total loss of structure. Placing a metal flue inside the broken chimney is often an inexpensive way to avoid such fires.
The flue sections are assembled and run inside the fireplace. This gives the fireplace a way to vent fumes and smoke without the heat ever touching the damaged masonry tiles. The original flue offers protection to the weaker metal flue and the whole flue system benefits from the installation. While requiring regular scheduled maintenance, the metal flue is much easier to clean due to its smooth interior and very tight joints between sections.
In new construction, a metal flue is often installed within the walls of the building and vented to the outside of the building through the roof or wall. While some flues are placed within the chimney faces, others exit directly through the roof as a sewer vent pipe. Typically made of multiwall pipe, the flue stays cool to the touch on the outside and does not promote hot spots or fire hazards to the structure. Decorative caps and lids are often used to provide an aesthetic view to the public.
Modern highly efficient heating systems often require flue designs that are much smaller than previous designs. The chimney is an integral part of the heating unit’s performance and is designed to evacuate a certain amount of fumes from a structure over a given period of time. By controlling the quantity of fumes expelled from the unit, it is possible to calculate and decrease the quantity of room heat transferred through the flue.
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