The chimney in the house can be with various functions. It is mounted to ensure the removal of smoke from a fireplace, a stationary stove. Chimneys are also laid out to remove combustion products during gas heating. If previously such structures were built from red, now they are used for chimneys.
Main characteristics of ceramic chimneys
In such products, the main thing is a long service life. All manufacturers give a guarantee of 30 years for their ceramic chimneys.
Important. Despite this indicator, a ceramic chimney has a service life of about 100 years.
A distinctive feature of this product is that it has excellent technical properties and characteristics.
So, a ceramic chimney has:
- resistance to weather and climatic phenomena;
- the ability to withstand both fairly high and low temperatures;
- durability;
- practicality;
- wear resistance;
- small weight.
The last indicator of technical characteristics favorably affects the construction process, since the ceramic chimney does not exert additional loads on the structure.
Advice. Even with a small mass, ceramic ones must be mounted on a specific foundation. This will give the overall stability of the entire structure.
Disadvantages of this product
All of the above refers to the advantages of ceramic chimneys. As disadvantages, fragility and a small mass can be noted, although the latter indicator will also easily become an advantage in construction.
Shape of ceramic chimneys
At the moment, all chimneys of this type are made only in a round shape. The surface of the product is smooth both inside and outside. This allows high-quality removal of smoke and a variety of combustion products. Also, pipes, thanks to such a surface, do not often become clogged.
Advice. Despite this, it is still necessary to regularly clean the ceramic chimney from soot and leaves that have fallen into it.
Technical characteristics of ceramic chimneys
The walls of the ceramic chimney can be 15 mm thick. In some cases, there are models with a wall thickness of 4 mm. Any ceramic chimney has its own design. It consists of:
- ceramic pipe;
- insulation;
- exterior stone finish.
Pipes are connected with couplings.
Important. You can simply purchase a ceramic chimney pipe, insulate it yourself and ennoble it from the outside. And you can immediately buy ready-made chimneys based on ceramic pipes.
How to choose the right ceramic chimney
At the moment, the market for such products has a wide range. All ceramic chimneys differ not only in their cost, but also in their individual technical characteristics:
- wall thickness;
- length and so on.
There are also various manufacturers of these products.
Important. As a rule, the seller says the cost of a ceramic pipe separately from a heater and a stone box. This is a lie. The price of ceramic chimneys is set completely for all its elements.
The most popular companies of ceramic chimneys
Among the many manufacturers of ceramic pipes for chimneys, only two are very popular:
- Schiedel.
- Effe2.
In some respects there is a similarity between these products, and in some respects there are differences.
Chimney from Schiedel
Schiedel ceramic chimneys have excellent properties and characteristics. The manufacturer produces a ceramic three-layer pipe, which is insulated with mineral wool, a stone block is installed on top of it.
This product is distinguished by its versatility and originality of its design. That is, ceramic will not spoil the external design of a building of any type.
The main advantage of this company's ceramic chimneys is that these structures can be installed at a distance of 5 cm from any flammable surface. The safety of using the product is ensured by a non-standard metal plate, which protects the chimney from overheating and prevents nearby buildings from igniting.
The Schiedel chimney pipe is light in weight and diameter. That is, during its installation there will be no problems, it will not clutter up the external space. Pipes can be built-in or external.
Important. In some cases, buyers try not to purchase ceramic chimneys due to their high cost. All of these are false statements. The price of such products is low.
Effe2 chimneys
The Effe2 ceramic chimney consists of several elements:
- pipe;
- condensate receiver;
- construction with an inspection door;
- element with a hole for connecting equipment;
- cover plate;
- profile for the manufacture of a profile;
- heater and so on.
These are the basic building blocks.
Chimneys of this company have high fire resistance and the ability to work under the influence of a temperature of 600 degrees. The tightness of the chimney structure will be at a high level. The service life of this product is at least 40 years. Also, ceramic chimneys from this manufacturer are corrosion resistant and light in weight.
Important. You can mount this type of product on the console. A specific foundation for the chimney is not required.
There are a large number of additional elements that will help you install ceramic chimneys. Installation is quick and easy. If there are irregularities in the walls of the building, or the chimney rests against the rafters of the roof structure, then you can turn the pipe in any direction and at any angle.
Important. The main thing is that all these actions comply with the established safety measures for the use of a chimney structure.
in the structure of any company
Installation of a ceramic chimney is easy to perform. The main thing in them is to observe safety precautions and correctly perform all actions. Initially, you need to make a console. This element will be the base for the chimney.
Important. The size of such a base must correspond to the insulation and finishing material.
Next, a condensate collector is installed. Then a ceramic pipe is mounted in it. All connections of this pipe must be sealed using special means. Then carry out work on the insulation and external improvement of the chimney. It can be a ready-made stone box of a certain company. It is also possible to make a box yourself out of brick or use fire-resistant drywall for this. Its surface can be lined with natural or decorative stone from the outside.
Now it makes no sense to convince homeowners of the inefficiency and danger of brick chimneys. After all, it has long been clear that even existing systems need to be sleeved or changed to something modern. One of the brightest representatives in this category are metal and ceramic chimneys in the form of composite or modular structures.
Steel pipes, including double-walled ones with insulation, are known to modern consumers, but ceramic chimneys are a novelty for most. Until recently, ceramics one of the visiting cards of elite houses, but recently it is gaining popularity among ordinary people, which can be called a rather strange phenomenon. Judge for yourself - it has a fairly affordable price, while there are more advantages than bricks.
Few people know, but the arrangement of chimneys using hollow chamotte rods was started by French builders in the early 80s. A few years later, this technology became popular throughout the Western world. It came to Russian consumers only in the late 90s.
Device
A ceramic chimney, as already mentioned, is a composite structure that includes:
- ceramic chimney;
- insulation layer or air gap;
- outer layer of expanded clay concrete.
Such a serious design is due to a number of factors. First, the ceramic pipe that forms the chimney is very fragile and needs to be supported. Secondly, it has a high thermal conductivity, which requires reliable thermal insulation.
The pipe itself is made of circular cross section, from 30 cm to 1 m long. Its inner walls are smooth, while on the outside, roughness and minor defects are allowed without affecting the integrity of the structure. The pipes are connected by means of a lock, which is a thinning in the outer diameter from one end and an expansion of the inner one from the other. It is extremely important that they are joined strictly along one central axis.
The outer shell is made of expanded clay concrete in the form of a square with a radial cavity inside. The height of the block depends on the manufacturer, as well as the shape of the internal cavity. It also provides for either direct contact between the separate parts of the block and the pipe, or the presence of space for a heater, which is connected by means of metal jumpers. They are attached to the outer shell and create a reliable support for the ceramic pipe.
In blocks of expanded clay concrete, a prerequisite is the presence of a special hole for laying reinforcement, which allows ensure maximum strength and stability of the entire structure, which is especially important at the bottom and top of the chimney.
For insulation, you can use a layer of basalt wool or an air gap. The latter is used in chimneys with return air supply to an insulated combustion chamber or in flue systems with a temperature limit of up to +450°C. If the temperature exceeds this figure or better thermal insulation is needed, basalt wool is used, which is sold in the form of dense pressed slabs along which grooves are made so that they can be rolled up.
The insulation should be tightly laid between the ceramic pipe and the expanded clay concrete block. The result is a high-strength composite material with low thermal conductivity and ideally smooth, heat-resistant channel walls.
Pros and cons
In a ceramic chimney, the main load falls on the pipe. But thanks to the achievements of science, which allowed significantly improve the properties of ceramics, such chimneys have become very popular, and are actively used with solid fuel, gas, condensing boilers, boilers with a closed combustion chamber and liquid fuel. Among their advantages, it is worth highlighting the following:
But there are also disadvantages:
- the material absorbs moisture;
- large mass of the structure;
- it takes time to warm up;
- for the construction of such a chimney, you need to have the appropriate skills, and therefore you cannot do without the involvement of specialists.
Otherwise, a ceramic chimney is many times better than a brick one and at the same time is in no way inferior to a metal one. But it is worth noting that they have different advantages. Ceramics is more suitable for baths and fireplaces, and for connection to solid fuel boilers.
Use of ceramic chimneys for saunas and fireplaces
For saunas and fireplaces, ceramic chimneys are primarily needed for convenient operation and aesthetics. It should be understood that due to modern heavy-duty boilers significant inertia of heat-intensive ceramics can become critical to share them. But in a bathhouse this will be a plus, as well as in fireplaces, since they do not need to instantly switch to operating mode.
When installed in a bath, a ceramic chimney must be protected from high humidity, since lightweight concrete absorbs moisture over time, and thus the thermal insulation properties of it and basalt wool are reduced.
As for fireplaces, by definition they should have vertical chimneys that can be hidden in the wall. Because the ceramic option here will be most welcome.
Russian-made ceramic chimneys
As mentioned above, the chimney is a key part of almost all heating devices, and the operation of the thermal system depends on how it is installed correctly. If you make a mistake during installation, then there is a high probability of destruction of the chimney itself and smoke in rooms. Russian chimneys often suffer from such things, but the reason lies not in their poor quality, but in incorrectly drawn up instructions.
Often, the instructions that accompany Russian-made ceramic chimneys are a few crumpled leaves in several languages, where the main details are written. At the same time, their foreign colleagues describe everything in more detail, so the installation of their chimneys is much easier than Russian ones. But despite this, most chimneys from domestic companies are adapted to work with various types of heating systems, and are designed to work in the most severe conditions.
Russian ceramic chimneys are most often divided into two types:
The most popular among our fellow citizens is the “three-layer chimney” system due to extreme conditions in most of the country, when it can be +40°C in summer and -40°C in winter.
It is worth noting that, if not all, then most Russian manufacturers of ceramic chimneys produce only two of their components: the outer bearing part and the heat insulator. Imported internal pipe, e.g. Wolfsheuer. However, let's look to the future with optimism and hope that ceramic chimney systems completely manufactured in Russia will soon appear on the market.
In approximately the same way, domestic manufacturers entered the market in the segment of stainless steel chimneys. For example, ROSSTin, a domestic manufacturer of stainless steel chimneys, became one of the first factories where all modules and their parts are made in Russia. Although 10 years ago, insulation, individual components and even pipe blanks were imported.
But perhaps the main advantage of domestic ceramic chimneys is the lower price compared to foreign products. At the same time, in terms of quality (with the exception of detailed instructions), they are no worse. And such a democratic cost is ensured due to the absence of costs for brand promotion, minimal costs for logistics and delivery of goods to the buyer.
Ensuring fire safety and eliminating the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning are the main tasks in arranging a smoke exhaust channel. Most heating installers don't do the plumbing, leaving the job to the homeowner. Without experience and knowledge, it can be difficult to figure out how to properly mount the smoke exhaust duct and figure out which pipe to choose for the chimney. This article will tell you how to make the right choice.
When it comes to the classic version of the chimney, first of all, the masters call the brick version. The first stoves and fireplaces invented by man were equipped with smoke exhaust channels made of this material. For the manufacture of the pipe, burnt solid bricks are used, which have high heat resistance. Brick chimneys have the following advantages:
- Aesthetics. The chimney pipe made of red oven brick looks expensive, elegant and presentable. It perfectly decorates the roofs of luxurious mansions, cottages and modern townhouses.
- Fire safety. Perhaps the main advantage of brick is that it protects against fires better than other materials.
- High temperature resistance. Brick perfectly tolerates high temperatures without losing its operational properties. Brick chimneys can even be used for solid fuel stoves and fireplaces, in which the temperature of the outgoing gases is 500-700 degrees.
- Long service life. A well-laid brick chimney lasts at least 50 years, and proper care and maintenance extends the life of a chimney to 100 years or more.
Important! it weighs a lot, therefore, in order to build a pipe from this material, it is necessary to fill in a foundation that is not associated with the main one. The cost of pouring concrete increases the cost of installation. A brick smoke exhaust duct is the most expensive option, but over time these costs will pay off.
From a brick, it is better to entrust an experienced craftsman, since it is difficult for a person without experience to choose the required diameter that maintains the traction force necessary to maintain combustion.
Ceramic chimney
Recently, stove masters have been actively introducing things that differ from classic brick ones. They are ceramic pipes up to 3 m long, light blocks with a hole, the diameter of which corresponds to their size, are supplied in combination with them. Compared to other materials, ceramics has the following advantages:
- High temperature resistance. Ceramic pipes "lock" the heat coming from the mixture of smoke with combustion products inside, preventing the external units from heating up. Therefore, they are considered the safest and most reliable. A ceramic chimney does not require additional thermal insulation due to the high heat absorption of the material.
- Resistant to moisture, corrosion and aggressive chemical compounds. They began to use ceramics for the construction of the chimney, noticing how inert the material is. Pipes from it serve at least 50 years without requiring special care.
- Easy assembly. You can install a chimney from ceramic pipes, unlike brick, by yourself. The main thing is to choose the right diameter of the additional elements that you are going to use. Reinforcement bars and cement mortar are required for installation.
- Versatility. Due to the variety of ceramic products, it is easy to choose the appropriate diameter for connecting to the inlet pipe of the heater. Therefore, chimneys made of this material are used for all types of stoves, fireplaces, gas boilers and boilers.
- Ease of care. The inner surface of the ceramic pipe has a dense, smooth structure, so that soot does not accumulate on it. The chimney of their ceramics is easy to maintain, as it does not require frequent cleaning.
Important! The weight of a ceramic chimney is slightly less than a brick chimney, however, it still exerts a significant load, so it also requires a free-standing foundation. It is better to mount the smoke exhaust channel before the construction of the roof and the beginning of the interior decoration. It is suitable if the channel configuration is strictly vertical. The complexity of this option is that after the installation work is completed, it is impossible to remake the pipe or increase its diameter.
Stainless steel chimneys
The most democratic option for arranging a chimney is to use stainless steel pipes. The kit for assembling the smoke exhaust duct consists of straight additional elements, swivel elbows, tees, condensate collectors and revisions. Stainless steel chimneys are convenient to use for self-assembly, as they do not require pouring the foundation. Experienced craftsmen recommend the following options:
Note! The cost of components for assembling a stainless steel smoke exhaust duct is lower than that of ceramic and brick ones. Different types of pipes are perfectly combined with each other, so you can make combined channels. Single-circuit pipes are used for laying indoors, double-circuit - outside, and flexible - in places of passage through ceilings and turns.
Video instruction
Each country house that is heated by a gas, liquid or solid fuel boiler must be equipped with a chimney. Brick, stainless steel, ceramic and asbestos-cement pipes can be used as a material for the chimney. Ceramic chimneys are by far the best solution to the problem of removing the products of combustion of recycled fuel.
They are superior to brick and metal flues in all respects, and a ceramic chimney should not even be compared with asbestos-cement pipes. After all, asbestos smoke channels are dangerous from the point of view of all fire and sanitary standards.
Components of a ceramic chimney
Ceramic chimneys are a structure consisting of 3 elements. Smoke channel structure:
- The inner layer is a ceramic chimney pipe.
- The middle layer is a heat-insulating material.
- The outer layer is a protective concrete shell.
Ceramic chimneys are conditionally divided into several parts. The device consists of the following elements:
- Foundation.
- main part.
- Head that goes to the roof of the building.
The main receiver of the device must be equipped with the following elements:
- Tee for connection to a heating device (boiler, stove, fireplace);
- Revision for viewing and cleaning;
- Ventilation grill.
Ceramic pipes for chimneys are equipped on top with an umbrella-head or deflector to protect against wind and precipitation.
What are the main advantages and disadvantages of ceramic pipes
Ceramic pipes for chimneys are made of refractory clay. There are several different options for devices, which allows you to choose the best option for both high-temperature and low-temperature boilers.
The ceramic chimney pipe has the following positive characteristics:
- High temperature resistant;
- Resistance to temperature extremes;
- Resistance to corrosion;
- Strength;
- Density, which does not allow gases to penetrate through the walls;
- Thermal conductivity;
- Low roughness;
- Long service life;
- Ease of installation.
Ceramic chimneys are expensive. It is the price that is the main disadvantage of this type of device.
In addition, the disadvantages include:
- The large weight of the structure, which requires the mandatory installation of a foundation;
- Possibility of installation only in vertical position.
Varieties of ceramic chimneys
Ceramic chimneys are sold as a finished three-layer structure, where basalt or mineral wool enclosed in a stone shell is used as a heater.
Ceramic chimneys are of the following types:
- One-way;
- Two-way;
- With ventilation valve;
- Without vent valve.
Basic requirements for the height of the structure
There are structural height requirements for ceramic smoke ducts. So, the size from the boiler to the mouth of the pipe should not exceed 5 meters. However, we should not forget that the thrust also depends on the height of the pipe. The height of the flue above the roof is determined based on the following rules:
- On a flat roof, the height is 1.2 m.
- On a pitched roof, when the chimney is less than 0.5 m from the ridge, the elevation should be 0.5 m from the level of the ridge.
- At a distance of 1.5-3 m from the ridge, the height should be equal to the line of the ridge.
- If the distance from the ridge is more than 3 m, a height of at least 10 ° from the ridge line above the horizon is allowed.
The main advantages of ceramic chimneys are their versatility, excellent thermal insulation, resistance to intense exposure to high temperatures, including their sudden changes, and corrosion. In addition, a good ceramic chimney has high fire safety, high-quality draft, significantly saves energy, is easy to install, easy to operate, resistant to external mechanical influences and does not form condensate. If desired, the chimney can be additionally protected with a sheath made of thermal insulation material or an outer casing made of foam concrete (stainless steel).
Special technologies used in the production of ceramic chimneys allow you to retain heat for a long time and effectively remove combustion products from chimney systems.
Today, the construction market offers many different models and manufacturers of ceramic chimneys (Phoenix, Schiedel, Plewa, TONA, Hart and others). If desired, you can purchase a special ceramic chimney installed on heating systems, the combustion temperature of gases in which does not exceed 200 ° C. But remember that ceramic chimneys are installed only on the foundation and only in a vertical position.
How to choose ceramic chimney pipes
Basically, ceramic chimneys are used in the construction of a private house. You will need isostatic ceramic pipes, which have increased strength and resistance to high temperatures. Also, these pipes can be used for diesel boilers, wood or gas fireplaces and sauna stoves of any type. They have a flat and smooth inner surface from the inside and are equipped with high-quality insulation, which will ensure the safe removal of smoke through the roof.
Remember that in a wooden house a ceramic chimney cannot be installed in place of the main floors, since the house is constantly shrinking due to the drying of the tree.
When purchasing a ceramic chimney, make sure that the sellers give you a set of pipes and fittings in the whole factory volume, and not in parts. When choosing pipes, pay attention to their fittings - the kit should include: a pipe head, an inspection door, an acid-resistant sealant for pipe installation, a plug for an inspection hole, non-combustible and basalt mats.
The ideal solution would be to purchase a ceramic chimney with multi-channel expanded clay blocks, which will allow you to create a natural ventilation system in the house.
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