woodburner - 125mm coude doesn't fit 125mm exit pipe

[Dinks]

We have just bought a new woodburner from Mr Bricolage which stipulates that it takes 125mm dia fittings. We have bought a 125mm black enamel coude from Brico Depot to fit onto the exit pipe and then some rigid black enamel black pipe to go up from there. However, the elbow fitting is too small to fit onto the exit pipe... we are fitting it the correct way round according to the 'fumée' arrow on the packaging - it is too loose if we try it the other way around. Anyboy else had the same problem? Any solutions?!

[AnOther]

125mm is standard flue size and very common. The spigot on the burner is normally very slightly tapered to accept a 125mm ID fitting.

I suspect you have bought he wrong type of elbow. If it's any help this is what mine looks like, The burner spigot is 125mm, the top of the 'T' is male and the section of pipe is obviously female.

[IMG]http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p123/biskitboyo/flue.jpg[/IMG]

[thunderhorse]

The top of our T is female. That way, creosote and the like runs inside the joint, and there's no risk of runny deposits on the outside.

No, it doesn't leak smoke, either (which appears to be the prime consideration when orientating the pipes). This seems to be a perennial argument about the orientation of flue pipes. Creosote and other runny stuff will readily find a way out, whereas smoke won't.

[AnOther]

You're right about arguments, I went through all the agonising when I was installing my burner, but as far as I can see if a joint is properly made with fire cement etc. then it shouldn't leak which ever way up it is.

The 'T' piece on mine clearly seems to be made for the job and although the burner has only really been used in anger for one season it shows no sign whatsoever of leakage of any sort. Of course, if you avoid burning inappropriate material there should be minimal crosote or tar produced anyway [;-)]

[nomoss]

Once the fire is burning the pressure inside the flue is below atmospheric, so it will tend to suck air in, not blow smoke out.

I have found that fire cement in joints eventually cracks and tends to fall out due the the thermal expansion of the pipe.

[Dinks]

Thanks for the comments, all. Rather than a T, we have attached the burner to the downpipe via an elbow. It is a male to male fixation which is the only connection in black enamel that we found at Brico Depot in the 125mm size. It is the same type of fixing that was used on the previous woodburner (albeit that was an inoxy one) that was installed here and it worked no problem. I am at a loss as to why this black enamel one of the same size is not even close to fitting on the 125mm outlet pipe. We even bought a different, matt black enamel elbow from Mr Bricolage to see if it was any different and it wasn't. Very frustrating!

[AnOther]

Well therein lies your problem, the spigot on the burner is male so of course will not accommodate a male elbow [blink]

I don't know what the regulations say but I think an elbow is not the best idea because of the difficulties it introduces in cleaning. My 'T' has a removable bottom plate which effectively provides a straight, unencumbered flue which makes cleaning a doddle.

[Dinks]

I'm being a tad dim! The coude is female/female and not male/male!

[Keni]

On our woodburner, the top of the collar is 160mm and we cannot find any 160mm fittings - we are told by the manufacturer that the top of the woodburner collar is 150mm, designed to fit a 150mm fitting, but we have measured it and it is definitely 160mm! Also the woodburner only has a top exit, so we are looking for a fitting with an elbow - not 90 deg. almost from the top of the fire to be able to join up with the chimney fittings - answers on the back of a postcard please to..... Or are we being stupid again?