Flue Cube - any thoughts or experiences of this??

[WFWales]

Fuel efficient chimney cowls - The FlueCube - Reduce emissions and burn less wood

 

Cheers

M

[slack ma girdle]

Having tried various chimney top to reduce back draft (large trees 20 feet from chimney), all of the ones we have tried made no difference, dispite 100% garentees that they would work.

If something apears to good to be true, then it probably is not.

 

Sent from my Galaxy arse using Tapatalk 2

[face cord]

Sounds eco snake oil.

 

Sustainable Energy author Ireland (SEAI): FlueCube a Letter from the Inventor

[Pete Bannister]

Well thanks for posting this WF Wales..I read the sales blurb paying attention to the supportive test data. Can't say that Id agree that an alleged smoke reduction of under 6% ( their figure from the chart Ringelmann Chart BS 2742C) is a great deal to shout about. The chart giving 'burn time' comparative information might be useful if it included many tests replicates ..but as it stands its not remotely scientific. The language generally used (e.g. 'vacuum') in places is just plain misguided. First impression...all smoke and mirrors!...

[face cord]

In US alot of stoves have Catalytic combustors i think to secondary burn the flue gas but they are just above the stove.

 

Amazon.com: Catalytic combustors: Home & Kitchen

 

Don't get why the UK never has them maybe they aren't that good they are pretty expensive & need repalcing servicing etc.

[nepia]

Can someone explain to me how there is a secondary 'burn' on top of the chimney pot?! The word burn implies flame and if things are that hot up there I'd better have the Fire Brigade on standby.

[Dean Lofthouse]

Can someone explain to me how there is a secondary 'burn' on top of the chimney pot?! The word burn implies flame and if things are that hot up there I'd better have the Fire Brigade on standby.

 

My thoughts too

[County4x4]

This item has been discussed at some length on the Chimney sweeps forum, and one of the members has actually bought one to evaluate on his own stove at home. It's fair to say that before the test he was sceptical at best: "lol how on earth could this work if it can burn smoke how will that help to keep the flue below it clean it can have no effect on how the stove burns its impossible"

 

However, he's now bought one and used it for a while and says there's no way he's going to be removing it: "okay i have been testing this cowl for a few weeks now and although i was very sceptical trust me its amazing , benefits are the stove lights faster and reaches a higher temperature , the flame pattern is much improved ,much less ash is produced and although i cant really see any visible burning of flue gasses smoke inside the cowl it for sure produces much less smoke , my wood is perfect so hardly any with out it but almost none with it you can tell it is working all four corners go petrol colours you would swear i have had a chimney fire"

 

Since then a couple of other sweeps have tried them with similar results - so the opinion seems to be that we don't quite know how or why it works, but it does!

 

Andy

[nepia]

Thanks very much for that County. I'm not so much sceptical as uncomprehending. How can smoke right at the top of the chimney be raised to a temperature at which it burns? Isn't that phenomenon what happens in the event of the dreaded flashover - an extreme event? But if smoke combustion does occur why isn't there combustion within the flue - lack of oxygen? If that's the case then a leaky flue that could potentially allow oxygen in could surely lead to an explosion.

I'm dipping my toes in unknown waters here - guessing; but I'd love some answers because if I was to fit one of these things and if it went tits up I can guess my insurance company's position. It would be a bit like having a car accident and your insurer discovering you'd chipped the engine and not told them; no payout.

 

Cheers,

 

Jon

[County4x4]

I honestly don't know how it works Jon! There are some stoves such as those made in the UK by Burley that have a stainless steel grid in the top of the firebox, which acts as a catalyst of sorts and burns off any smoke particles passing through it once it's up to temperature - but in this case the unit is as far from the heat source as you can get. They are quite expensive, but I know a couple of the guys from the sweeps forum have been in contact with the manufacturer and the price has been reduced a fair bit since then. I also believe that if you contact a sweep who has joined them as a trade partner, you may well be able to get a further discount. The sweep will get a commission true enough - but certainly the talk on the forum has been within the trade sort of thing rather than aimed at getting people to buy something - and the guys that have used them have been genuinely impressed. If you want to have a look for yourself the forum is at U.C.S. Forum - just search for Flue cube and you'll find the posts.

 

Cheers,

 

Andy