How to Install Type B Flue Pipes
A Type B flue pipe exhausts soot, fumes, gases and toxic odors from B-Vent appliances, which draw air from the interior space to help the combustion process. Installers use Type B flue pipes to vent a variety of appliances, including furnaces, boilers, stoves and fireplace inserts. Installers have the option of venting the pipe through a traditional chimney or straight up and through the roof. Another installation method vents the pipe through an exterior wall and then vertically along the structure wall and through the roofline. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Vent hood adapter
- Sheet metal screws
- 24-inch vertical vent pipe
- Horizontal vent pipe
- B-vent pipe sections
- Straps
- Wall thimble
- Metal flashing
- Storm collar
- Termination cap
Instructions
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1
Learn the local building codes for installing Type-B flue pipes through the outside wall, including the required extension above the roofline and clearance requirements. Obtain a permit for the project if required. Some rules allow installers to vent multiple appliances to a single venting system as long as the flue has the correct size.
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Sketch the planned layout of the system. Label the components needed to complete the project. Plan the pipe run to avoid obstacles, such as fire blocking pipes or electrical wiring. Install 45-degree elbows, instead of 90-degree elbows, when making bends and turns, if possible.
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3
Cut the hole between the wall studs where the pipe exits through the wall to the outside. Make the width of the hole slightly larger than the diameter of the pipe. Use three screws to secure the vent section to the draft hood on the appliance. Install a vertical length of vent pipe of about 24 inches before beginning horizontal or lateral runs. Minimize the length of the lateral run to reduce resistance. Maintain a minimum of a 1-inch clearance between the pipes and combustible materials.
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4
Insert a wall thimble in the opening. A standard thimble will fit in walls up to 6 inches thick; it provides the necessary clearance between the vent passing through the wall and combustible wall materials. Install the lateral vent. Follow the local codes for the rise of the lateral pipe from the lateral pipe leading from the appliance to the thimble appliance, such as 1/4 inch per foot.
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5
Install the vertical sections of vent pipe along the exterior wall leading to the roof. Insert one end of pipe into the other and lock with a counter-turning motion. Maintain the 1-inch clearance between the pipes and combustibles. Install support straps every 5 feet. Attach the metal flashing and the storm collar where the pipe penetrates the roof. Terminate the vent 24 inches higher than any structure within an 8-foot radius of the vent, or per building codes. Install the termination cap by placing it on the end of the vent and locking the component in place.
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References
- Photo Credit David Sacks/Lifesize/Getty Images
