How to Install a Flue Pipe

If you are installing a fireplace for the first time or just replacing the old wood stove with a newer and better version, you must have a chimney flue in good working condition. The chimney flue runs from the appliance to the ceiling, providing ventilation for the appliance and preventing excessive smoke from accumulating in the house. You can install a flue pipe yourself if you have some basic constructions skills.

Sheet metal screws
Class A insulated metal flue pipe sections
High temperature silicone caulking
Chimney cap
Pipe support strap
Fire stops
Anchor plate
Pipe adapter
Drill

Instructions

- 1
  Position the appliance so that the flue outlet is directly beneath a point that is in between the rafters and not directly below any ceiling fixtures.
- 2
  Connect a plumb bob, otherwise known as a plummet, to a point on the ceiling directly above the flue outlet on the appliance. A plumb bob is a weight with a pointed tip that is attached to a string. It is used to establish a vertical reference point.
- 3
  Release the plumb bob and allow it to come to a stop. Repeat this process from an alternate point on the ceiling until the plumb bob is directly above the center point of the flue outlet on the appliance. Once you have found this point on the ceiling, mark it with a pencil, as this will be the center point of the exit hole for the flue pipe.
- 4
  Cut a square hole 4 inches by 4 inches with the mark you made in the previous step
  at the center of the square. Use a jigsaw to cut through the ceiling completely.
- 5
  Install pipe supports in the hole you cut in the previous step, making sure to maintain
  at least two inches in between the pipe and the wood of the ceiling.
- 6
  Attach an anchor plate to the flue opening. The anchor plate is a metal plate that is attached to the outside wall to reinforce the structure that can be purchased at your local hardware store. Drill a hole with a masonry drill bit in the brick directly above the center of the flue pipe exit hole. Use a crescent wrench to drive a six-inch bolt through the hole in the center of the anchor plate. If the surface surrounding the flue pipe exit hole is not brick, follow the same process but use a wood drill bit instead of a masonry bit.
- 7
  Insert a section of Class A flue pipe into the anchor plate or the pipe adapter and attach the pipe to the anchor plate with metal screws. Add as many sections of pipe as needed to cover the distance between the flue opening and the ceiling.
- 8
  Install a roof radiation shield where the chimney exits the roof. This will protect the roof framing from fire hazards.
- 9
  Attach the chimney cap to the flue pipe and place a bead of silicone caulking around the base of the pipe where it exits the roof.

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