Part 1

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FARMERS' BULLETIN 1230

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

CHIMNEYS & FIREPLACES

They Contribute to the Health Comfort and Happiness of the Farm Family

HOW TO BUILD THEM

OF THE mistakes commonly made in home building none is more frequent than faulty design and construction of chimneys and fireplaces. Though the use of the fireplace is one of the oldest methods of house heating there are few who understand the principles of its action, and even experienced masons frequently fall into errors in building which seriously detract from the efficiency of the installation. No defect in the construction of the house detracts more from the comfort of the home and none is a greater menace to life and property than a poor chimney and fireplace. Bad chimney design is also the cause of much avoidable expense in heating the house.

This bulletin is designed to give the householder and prospective builder, and especially the farmer or other rural resident who builds or superintends the building of his own home, a working knowledge of the principles to be observed in planning and building these important parts of the house, which, if they are observed, will go a long way to promote the comfort of the home and insure the safety of the property.

Contribution from the Bureau of Public Roads THOS. H. MacDONALD, Chief

Washington, D. C. Issued, December, 1921; reprint, April 1922

CHIMNEYS AND FIREPLACES.

A. M. Daniels, _Assistant Mechanical Engineer, Division of Agricultural Engineering, Bureau of Public Roads_.

CONTENTS.

Page.

_Chimneys_:

Function of chimneys 3 The chimney draft 4 Shapes and sizes of flues 5 Height of chimney 7 Flue linings 7 Location and wall thickness 8 Openings into the chimney 10 Supporting the chimney 10 Capping the chimney 12 Chimney and roof connections 12 Chimney connections 12 Chimney insulation 14 Smoke test for leakage 14 Cleaning and repairing the flue 15

_Fireplaces_:

Essentials of fireplace construction 15 Area of the flue 16 The throat 17 Smoke shelf and chamber 18 Shape of fireplace 19 Throat damper 19 Placing the throat damper 20 Size of fireplace opening 20 Depth of fireplace opening 20 The hearth 21 The jambs 21 Fireplace back and sides 21 Supporting irons 21 Improving fireplace heating 22

FUNCTION OF CHIMNEYS.

HE prime function of a chimney is to produce a draft that will cause sufficient combustion and carry off the resulting smoke; incidentally it assists ventilation. Many unsatisfactory heating plants and much excessive fuel consumption are due to improperly constructed chimneys, which are the rule rather than the exception. Although many of these are more inefficient than dangerous, yet reports of the National Board of Fire Underwriters[1] show that a larger number of fires are caused by defective chimney construction than by anything else. The annual loss resulting from such fires is greater than the fire loss from any other cause. Poor chimney construction is responsible for smoke pollution of the air, waste of fuel, and poor heating.

[1] "Dwelling Houses," a publication issued by the National Board of Fire Underwriters in the interest of fire protection, has been used as a basis for the matter relating to the requirements and construction of chimneys and methods of fire protection.

The most common faults in chimney construction are:

1. The use of unsuitable materials. Clay sewer pipe, hollow building blocks, or unprotected concrete should not be used.

2. Improper laying of brick. Brick should not be laid on edge and should be properly bonded. Lining should be used in all brick chimneys the walls of which are less than 8 inches thick. Lack of mortar, especially in the perpendicular joints, ruins many an otherwise good chimney.

3. Failure to support the chimney properly. It should never be carried on any timber construction of the building, and when it rests upon the ground sufficient masonry foundation should be provided to prevent settling.

4. Building inflammable material into the chimney or against it without proper insulation.

5. Failure to anchor the smoke pipe properly to the chimney.

6. Neglect of the connection between smoke pipe and flue or of the flue itself. The connection should be tight; rusted pipe should be replaced; the chimney should be kept clean and the joints in the brickwork properly pointed.

7. Lack of a tight flue. A flue free from leakage is unusual. Every flue should be tight enough to prevent escape of smoke when tested as described on page 14. A leaky flue is the most frequent cause of heating troubles, high fuel bills, and destructive fires.

8. Failure to maintain the full sectional area at the bend when a flue is offset.

9. Use of the main heating apparatus flue for water heater or other auxiliary equipment. The furnace or heater should have a separate flue.

10. Failure to provide a separate tight cleanout for each flue. Two or more otherwise good flues may be rendered inefficient if led into one cleanout, since air may be drawn from one into another and the draft in all affected.

11. Presence of deep pockets leading to cleanouts. They may cause eddying currents that are detrimental. Pockets should be only deep enough to permit installing a cast-iron cleanout frame and door just below the smoke pipe entrance. Deep pockets allow soot accumulation that may take fire.

THE CHIMNEY DRAFT.

The draft depends entirely upon the chimney flue. The better the flue the more satisfactory and efficient will be the operation of the entire heating apparatus. The strength or intensity of the draft is dependent mainly upon the tightness, size, and height of the chimney flue. The most common error in chimney construction is failure to distinguish between the size of flue necessary for free passage of the volume of smoke from a given amount of fuel and that which with proper height will produce the required draft. A chimney may be high enough, yet have an area too small to carry properly the volume of smoke. On the other hand, the size may be sufficient but the chimney too low to produce a draft strong enough to pull the air through the fire at a sufficiently rapid rate. Either fault or a combination of the two will result in unsatisfactory service.

Draft in a chimney flue is caused by the difference in weight between a volume of air on the outside and an equal volume of products of combustion from the fire on the inside. The higher the temperature of a given weight of air, the greater is its total volume and the lighter the weight of its unit volume. This produces a condition of unbalanced pressures at the base of the flue. The rising of the lighter gases within the chimney tends to equalize the pressures. So long as the fire burns this condition of unbalanced pressure persists, the result being draft.

This is the basic principle which governs chimney action and upon which the draft depends. The greater the difference between the temperature in the flue and that outside the greater the tendency toward equalization of pressure and hence the better the draft. In summer the draft of a chimney is not as good as in winter because the difference in temperature between the outside air and that of the gases in the flue is less.

SHAPES AND SIZES OF FLUES.

The most efficient chimney is one built perfectly straight with a round or nearly round flue and a smooth interior surface. There is no advantage in reducing the sectional area toward the top. The cross section and height are determining factors. The transverse area must be sufficient to pass the volume of air required to burn the fuel properly, and the height must be great enough to insure against interference with the draft by adjoining buildings or projections of the same building and to produce a sufficiently strong draft.

Loss in draft strength is due to air leakage, and friction of the gases against the sides of the chimney. A round flue (see fig. 1) is the most desirable because it offers less resistance to the spirally ascending column of smoke and gases. The elliptical is second choice so far as the movement of the gases is concerned, but the difficulties that it presents in manufacture and construction eliminate this shape. A rectangular chimney either square or oblong is not effective over its full transverse area; for the rising column, being approximately circular in section, does not fill the corners. However, square or oblong forms are far more common than the round, owing to the greater cost of round flue construction. Square flues are preferable to oblong so far as efficiency is concerned, but in the larger sizes of house flues the oblong shape is more generally used because it fits to better advantage into the plan of the house. An oblong flue should never have the long side more than 4 inches greater than the short side. A flue 8 inches by 16 inches is bad flue construction for draft purposes. The sizes given in Table 1 are recommended by the National Warm Air Heating and Ventilating Association. Like all data for both high and low pressure flues, these sizes are based on experience, not on scientific data, and are subject to modification by further research. The dimensions given are for unlined flues. The actual inside dimensions of flue tile are slightly different because of the lack of standardization. In selecting the flue for a furnace or other large heating unit an 8-inch by 12-inch size should be considered the minimum for a lined or unlined flue, and 12 inches by 12 inches the minimum for a lined or unlined flue whose height is more than 35 feet measured above the grate level. If the chimney is designed for a small unit such as a laundry stove or kitchen range an 8-inch by 8-inch flue may be used.

The proper size of flue depends upon the size of the heater or furnace for which is to be used. All manufacturers' catalogues contain the size of the smoke pipe for each particular heater, and from Table 1 (minimum) dimensions for round, square, and oblong flues may be selected; or if the catalogue contains stack sizes select the proper one. The flue tile to be used should have a transverse net inside area approximately equal to that of the smoke pipe.

Table 1.

Diameter Diameter of smoke of smoke pipe or Height of pipe or Height of round Size of chimney round Size of chimney chimney chimney flue above chimney chimney flue above flue. flue. grate. flue. flue. grate. ----------+--------+-----------+---------+---------+---------- Inches. Inches. Feet. Inches. Inches. Feet.

8 8 by 12 35 15 16 by 16 45 9 8 by 12 35 16 16 by 18 45 10 12 by 12 35 17 16 by 20 50 11 12 by 12 40 18 16 by 20 55 12 12 by 12 40 19 20 by 20 55 13 12 by 16 40 20 20 by 24 60 14 12 by 16 45

HEIGHT OF CHIMNEY.

In Table 1 the minimum height of the chimney above the grate is given as 35 feet. Higher chimneys are considered more satisfactory, and authorities claim that any flue under 40 feet in height will produce an erratic draft, good on some days but poor on others The force or direction of the wind may be the cause, or the amount of moisture in the air, or the quality of the fuel may be responsible. The higher the chimney the less will be the possibility of counter air currents and the stronger and more constant the draft. Soft coal and the sizes of hard coal known as pea and buckwheat are apt to cake and fill up the air spaces through the bed of the fire, with the result that an intense draft is required to give the fuel sufficient air.

The top of the chimney should extend at least 3 feet above flat roofs and 2 feet above the ridge of peak roofs (see figs. 2 and 3), and it should not be on the side of the house adjacent to a large tree or a structure higher than itself (see fig. 4), for these may Cause eddies and force air down the chimney. A poor draft will most likely result when the wind is blowing in the direction indicated.

FLUE LININGS.

Although chimneys are built unlined to save expense, those properly lined with tile are undoubtedly more efficient. Linings prevent disintegration of mortar and bricks through the action of flue gases. This disintegration and that occurring from changes in temperature result frequently in open cracks in the flue (see fig. 5-B) which reduce or check the draft. If loose brick and mortar should fall within they may lodge so as to cause partial or almost complete stoppage (see fig. 5-D). The danger of this latter condition is greater if the flue be built with offsets or bends. Any change in direction should be made as gradual as possible and with an angle not greater than 30 degrees with the perpendicular.

The most important requirement for a flue lining is that it withstand high temperatures and not be subject to disintegration by ordinary flue gases. It should be made of fire clay and for the purpose. The thickness should be 1 inch. It should be set in cement mortar with the joints struck smooth on the inside. Each length of flue lining should be placed in position, and the brick should then be laid around it; if the lining is slipped down after several courses of brick have been laid, the joints can not properly be filled with mortar and leakage is almost sure to result.

Well-burned clay flue linings are generally satisfactory for dwelling-house chimneys used for stoves, ranges, fireplaces, and furnaces. In regions where the fuel is natural gas, hot flue gases are said to have caused linings to disintegrate and crumble off. In such a case it may be necessary to use a fire clay that has stood the test or line the chimney with fire brick.

Linings are manufactured in round, square, and oblong shapes, but not in elliptical. The oblong and square shapes are better adapted to brick construction than the round. They permit of simpler and less expensive masonry work. On the other hand, the round shape produces better draft and is easier to clean.

A fireplace flue, if straight, should be lined from the throat continuously to the top. The smoke chamber should be lined with fire clay or cement mortar one-half inch thick. In case the masonry in front of the throat is less than 8 inches thick the lining should start at the bottom of the lintel. The hottest part of the flue is at its throat, and if it is not lined at that point or if the masonry is not of sufficient thickness, there is danger of overheating. Careful attention should be given to details of flue construction in order to assure satisfactory operation and reduce the fire hazard.

LOCATION AND WALL THICKNESS.

The best location for the chimney is near the center of the building, for when so located its four walls are kept warm; cold winds can not chill it and cause it to draw poorly. However, it is not always possible to plan the arrangement of rooms so that the chimney may be thus located. The outside wall of a chimney should be at least 8 inches thick in order to reduce heat loss and the chance of air leakage into the flue.

If the flue is lined and the chimney is not higher than 30 feet, its walls, if of brick, may be made 4 inches thick, provided adjacent inflammable material is properly insulated. If unlined, the walls should not be less than 8 inches thick. It is not good practice to place the linings of two flues side by side. If there is more than one flue in a chimney, the flues should be separated from each other by a division wall of brick at least 4 inches thick (see fig. 6), bonded into the side walls, and the joints of the flue linings should be staggered or offset at least 6 inches (see fig. 7). This construction insures stability, reduces the chance for air leakage between flues, and prevents the possibility of a fire in one flue involving an adjacent flue. If stone is used in chimney construction, the walls should be at least 4 inches thicker than brick walls.

Walls of concrete chimneys should be not less than 4 inches thick or else they should be reinforced in both directions; otherwise cracking during the setting of the concrete or, later, due to temperature changes or unequal settlement of the foundation is apt to occur. Concrete blocks are not recommended, but if they are used each block should be reinforced with steel running continuously around it and the blocks should be not less than 4 inches thick. They should be lined with the best flue lining. All monolithic concrete chimneys with walls less than 8 inches thick should be lined.

OPENINGS INTO THE CHIMNEY.

It is not unusual to find an opening into a chimney other than for the smoke pipe of the main heating apparatus. This is a frequent cause of unsatisfactory operation. No range, stove, fireplace, or ventilating register should be connected with the chimney flue built for the heating apparatus. If it should be desired to use an existing abandoned fireplace chimney for a range or stove the fireplace flue should be closed tight about a foot below the place where the smoke pipe enters.

There should be but one connection with a flue, if for no other reason than to decrease the fire hazard. Fires frequently occur from sparks that pass into the flue through one opening and out through another. Two stoves, one on the first floor and one on the second, may be connected with the same chimney flue, but if the fire in the upper stove is hotter than in the lower, the lower will have practically no draft.

A soot pocket provided with a door for cleaning it out is very convenient. The door should be placed just below the smoke pipe opening, and care must be taken to see that it fits snugly and is always closed so tight that no air can get in.

SUPPORTING THE CHIMNEY.

All chimneys should be built from the ground up. None of the weight should be carried by any part of the building except the foundation. Proper foundations should be provided at least 12 inches wider all round than the chimney. If the chimney is an exterior one, and there is no basement or cellar, its foundation should be started well below the frost line. Otherwise the base of the chimney should be at the same level as the bottom of the foundation of the building.

No chimney should rest upon or be carried by wooden floors, beams, or brackets, nor should it be hung from wooden rafters. Wood construction shrinks, and beams supporting heavy loads always deflect in time. Sagging of the beams injures the walls and ceilings of the house and is apt to crack the chimney and render it dangerous. Chimneys usually extend several feet above the roof, exposing considerable surface to the wind, and unless the support is stable they are likely to sway during a gale with the possibility of the joints at the roof-line opening. Openings in a flue at this point are especially dangerous, for sparks from the flue may come into contact with the woodwork of the roof. This swaying may also cause leaks in the roof.

The brickwork around all fireplaces and flues should be laid with cement mortar, as it is more resistant than lime mortar to the action of heat and flue gases. It is well to use cement mortar for the entire chimney construction. All mortar used for chimney construction, except for laying firebrick, should be proportioned as follows: Two bags of Portland cement, not less than 188 pounds, and one bag of dry hydrated lime, 50 pounds, thoroughly mixed dry, and to this mixture should be added three times its volume of clean sand with sufficient water to produce proper consistency. When dry hydrated lime is not available, 1 cubic foot of completely slaked lime putty may be substituted for the dry hydrate.

CAPPING THE CHIMNEY.

Brick chimneys should be capped with stone, concrete, or cast-iron. Unless a chimney is capped the top courses of brick may become loosened and therefore dangerous. Plain topped chimneys will last longer and are safer than those of an ornamental character. The opening in the cap piece should be the full size of the flue.

CHIMNEY AND ROOF CONNECTION.

Where the chimney passes through the roof the construction should provide space for expansion due to temperature changes, settlement, or slight movement of the chimney during heavy winds. (See fig. 7.) Copper is the best material for flashings. It is easier to handle than galvanized sheet-metal, which is more often used because of its lesser cost, but which will corrode in time, both from inside and outside exposure. Tin or black iron are cheaper but will rust quickly unless frequently painted. Lead and zinc are expensive and should not be used for chimney flashings, for in case of fire under the roof they will melt and leave an opening to create a draft by which the intensity of the fire will be increased.

CHIMNEY CONNECTIONS.

Proper care in setting and looking after smoke pipes connecting with chimneys would greatly lessen the number of fires chargeable to defective construction.